Overview

Vonage Business Communications, established in 2001, has earned recognition as a top-notch provider of VoIP and UCaaS solutions. While it initially catered to households and small enterprises, Vonage now specializes in delivering cloud-based communication services tailored to businesses of all scales.

Vonage stands out as a leading choice for business cloud communications, lauded for its extensive features, round-the-clock technical support, and the flexibility of unlimited calling and SMS. With plans commencing at just $14.99 per month, it presents a compelling and competitively-priced Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service.

Nonetheless, it’s important to note that being competitively priced and feature-rich does not automatically make it the ideal solution for your business requirements. We recommend delving into a detailed Vonage review to learn more about its offerings, pricing details, and whether it aligns with your specific needs.

How it works?

Vonage caters to businesses of varying sizes, but it shines particularly for those with a need for a minimum of 20 user lines. If your organization comprises 100 or more individuals, you’ll need to get in touch directly with Vonage’s sales team to obtain a customized quote.

As an internet-based phone service, Vonage’s performance and availability are contingent on your company’s internet quality. With a robust high-speed internet connection, Vonage’s desktop and mobile software enable you to make and receive phone calls and text messages seamlessly. It facilitates collaboration among team members through audio and video conferencing tools. While Vonage primarily relies on internet service, it remains functional by utilizing device data when Wi-Fi or an Ethernet connection is not accessible.

Vonage conducts rigorous due diligence when considering prospective customers, with a strong focus on business authentication and fraud prevention. This diligence is a proactive response to the unfortunate increase in entities exploiting VoIP services for robocalls and fraudulent activities. While this commitment to security is commendable and ensures a trustworthy customer base, it’s worth noting that the sign-up process can be somewhat complex due to these stringent measures.

Vonage Features

Vonage operates primarily as a VoIP service, offering essential features such as video conferencing and third-party integrations. However, it’s important to note that when compared to leading competitors like RingCentral or Dialpad, Vonage may not offer as extensive a feature set. Despite this, there are compelling aspects of Vonage that we believe warrant careful consideration, as we’ll outline in the following sections.

Meetings

Every Vonage VoIP plan includes access to Vonage Meetings, a robust video conferencing software. This tool is highly effective for facilitating large meetings among team members. You have the option to send guest invitations as needed and benefit from features like screen sharing and the ability to record meetings, enhancing collaboration within your organization.

Business Inbox

Vonage Business Inbox is available as a separate add-on, priced at $9.99 per month. However, it’s an option well worth contemplating. This feature allows you to consolidate SMS, MMS, and Facebook Messenger conversations into a unified inbox, streamlining your ability to efficiently manage and respond to these messages.

Call Recording

Vonage provides robust call recording capabilities. You have the flexibility to set up the application to record all calls automatically, or you can opt for on-demand call recording to capture particularly important conversations. Additionally, Vonage allows you to record both inbound and outbound company calls based on customized rules that you can configure according to your specific needs and preferences.

Voicemail to Email

The voicemail to email tool lives up to its name by transcribing voicemails and delivering them to the designated email address. In addition to the transcription, an MP3 recording of the voicemail is sent as an attachment, providing you with the option to listen to it or save it as needed.

Admin Tools

Vonage offers an advanced admin portal, which proves especially valuable for larger businesses. This central hub empowers you to efficiently oversee every facet of your phone system, enhancing overall operational efficiency. Through your admin portal, you can manage access permissions and gain real-time insights into the activities associated with your account, providing you with greater control and visibility.

Integrations

Vonage provides users with access to 20 integrations encompassing a range of CRM and business applications. Notably, the business applications, such as Microsoft Teams and Surfly, are available across all Vonage plans. However, if you require CRM integrations, including options like Bullhorn, HubSpot, Salesforce, G-Suite, Office 365, Sugar CRM, Zoho, ZenDesk, and more, you’ll need to upgrade to one of the two high-end plans to unlock these advanced integrations.

Vonage offers a mix of both free and paid integrations. While some integrations are included without an extra monthly fee, many do require an additional cost. Fortunately, connecting your apps to Vonage is a straightforward process that doesn’t demand specialized technical skills. Moreover, many of these integrations are customizable

Mobile App

Vonage boasts a feature-rich mobile app available for both iOS and Android devices. This app provides comprehensive functionality; including text, voice, and video calling capabilities, along with team messaging, calls forwarding options, and a range of other useful tools. It also allows you to synchronize your accounts across multiple devices. The App Center is a standout as it empowers you to seamlessly integrate your mobile VoIP with a variety of other business and productivity applications, enhancing your overall mobile communication experience.

Hardware

Vonage offers VoIP equipment for purchase through its website, primarily desktop and conference phones from reputable brands such as Panasonic, Poly, and Yealink. Alternatively, you have the option to bring your compatible VoIP hardware. Vonage does not publicly list prices for these equipment options. To obtain pricing information, you will need to reach out to Vonage’s sales team directly for a customized quote.

Security and Reliability

Vonage asserts a commitment to safeguarding customer data by implementing a range of protective measures. While the specific details of these measures may not be listed, these certifications include HITRUST, ISO 27001, PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard), and SOC (System and Organization Controls). Furthermore, Vonage adheres to GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) regulations, underscoring its commitment to data privacy and compliance with international standards.

Plans and Pricing

Vonage provides three communications plans, which are priced between $19.99 and $39.99 per month for each individual user. As you add more users, the cost per user decreases. However, for plans involving 100 or more users, Vonage offers custom pricing, tailoring the cost to the specific needs and scale of your organization.

Mobile

Vonage’s Mobile plan is specifically tailored for businesses that operate remotely or require mobile flexibility. With the Mobile plan, users benefit from unlimited calling and texting, although it’s important to note that SMS is not available in Mexico. Additionally, this subscription plan includes access to approximately 20 third-party integrations; however, it does not encompass CRM applications.

Premium

The Premium plan from Vonage builds upon the offerings of the Mobile tier by including everything available in the Mobile plan. Additionally, with the Premium plan, you gain access to a range of popular integrations, such as HubSpot, Salesforce, SugarCRM, Zendesk, and Zoho, enhancing your workflow and productivity. This plan also grants you the ability to host unlimited meetings with up to 100 participants, access advanced features such as multi-level auto attendant, and receive support for IP desk phone capabilities.

Advanced

The Advanced tier by Vonage encompasses all the features available in both the Mobile and Premium tiers. In addition to these capabilities, the Advanced plan offers on-demand call recording with a storage capacity of up to 15 hours. Furthermore, it introduces useful tools like call group management and visual voicemail.

Add-Ons

Vonage offers a total of 10 paid integrations, and some of these integrations may require an additional add-on purchase for full functionality.

• Salesforce: $4.99 per month
• Bullhorn: $4.99 per month
• Authvia: $25 per month
• Surfly – Business: $31 per month
• Apptivo Invoices: $10 per month

Vonage provides the option to purchase hardware phones and other products directly through its website. During the checkout process, you have the opportunity to select from various add-ons to customize your communication solution. These add-ons include:

• Toll-free numbers: $49.99 per month
• Voicemail transcription: $4.99 per month
• Call queue tool: $14.99 per month
• Premium support services

Customer Support

Vonage provides multiple avenues for customer support. You can access live chat support through the integrated chatbot. However, it’s worth noting that the live chat functionality may be slow. Vonage offers phone support during the following hours:

• Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 12 AM, ET
• Saturday to Sunday, 9 AM to 9 PM, ET

You can submit email tickets for support, and these tickets can be viewed and managed through your management portal. While the live chat may have some speed limitations, there are ample self-help resources available through the Business Support Center. These resources include a wide range of articles, guides, a comprehensive Getting Started section, and a thorough collection of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

Conclusion

Vonage is a good option for larger businesses that handle a high call volume as it offers unlimited calls and texts, high call quality and unlimited team messaging. Notable features like the Business Inbox, Vonage Meetings video conferencing tool, and voicemail to email functionality set it apart. However, it’s important to note that Vonage may not be the most budget-friendly option for small businesses, and it doesn’t provide the flexibility of contract-free, month-to-month plans that some competitors offer.