Businesses are increasingly replacing traditional PBX telephone carriers with VoIP providers for a multitude of reasons. Unlike traditional phone lines, Voice over IP can bundle voice, video, and data in a unified framework. VoIP lines are not susceptible to become overloaded like traditional TDM products. VoIP also allows the integration of “bring your own device” smartphones, laptops, and tablets into the business network. Businesses also like staying current with technology and moving away from the traditional phone systems that appear to be on the way to obsolescence.
Opportunities for Small and Medium-Sized VoIP Resellers
Small to medium IT firms and Managed Service Providers (MSPs) have a timely opening to grow their businesses and create predictable, high-margin revenue streams through private label VoIP reseller programs. Without the capital to build their own networks, SMBs in the managed services industry might seem to be squeezed out of the telephony market. On the other hand by its very nature, VoIP is suited for the SMB and VoIP reseller programs are designed to allow entry into the market without a high upfront cost.
A number of factors have led to the emergence of VoIP reseller programs, but none has been more important than the emergence of cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) delivery. This is what allows IT firms and MSPs that otherwise wouldn’t have the means to enter the voice market to compete with their larger competitors. Buying and maintaining expensive hardware and software infrastructure is no longer necessary. Other factors leading to the growth of VoIP reseller programs are the maturity and standardization of the VoIP protocols, which allows VoIP to be integrated into enterprise’s existing networks easily and seamlessly. Of course VoIP reseller programs wouldn’t be on the rise if there wasn’t a demand for them. Managed service providers want to be able to provide their customers with the latest and most-efficient technology.
How VoIP Reselling Works
VoIP Service Providers no longer have to partner with traditional dial-tone service providers or competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs). That means that IT firms and MSPs that subscribe to a VoIP reseller program can now offer dial-tone service to their clients as part of a VoIP service. Best of all for resellers, the best providers of VoIP reseller programs allow resellers to completely brand the entire VoIP service. For end users, VoIP is an integrated part of all the service they receive from the IT firm or MSP. Resellers can offer either a SIP trunk service or a Hosted PBX, or both of these programs together as a hybrid. With the SIP trunk service—the most efficient approach—traditional phone lines are completely replaced with a PSTN connected line. With the hosted PBX program, an interface is required to connect the PBX to the SIP truck service.
VoIP Reselling Makes Sense
Small to medium-sized IT firms and MSPs no longer have to sit on the sidelines as larger competitors dominate the voice market. With the emergence of VoIP, there is now a level playing field. For MSPs, offering VoIP services is a no-brainer. With little upfront cost, VoIP will provide customers with the technology they are demanding, create a continuing cash flow, increase revenue, and provide high-margin returns. The key to success is locating a VoIP provider that will approach its relationships with its resellers as partnerships.
The nature of the WLC service offering enables the MSP to truly own and manage a private infrastructure that they control consistent with other offerings that they provide to their client base. The opportunities are there, so MSPs that have been reluctant to consider offering voice services have no excuse for not taking advantage of the technological and market evolutions that have made this the exciting new age of VoIP.