Vendor Selection Incredibly Important

It's a simple fact - without a good vendor or technology provider, any project becomes difficult or nearly impossible. The VoIP, IP-PBX, and Convergence marketplace throughout the years has become highly populated with vendors and solution providers. However, it's important to note: What's important when choosing a vendor? 1. Sustainability Nothing is more frusterating than being in the middle of a project and realizing that you've selected the wrong vendor or solution provider. What happens if a vendor simply goes out of business? Sustainability in the convergence marketplace is essential. The industry is filled with hundreds of "start-up" companies that may not be around five years down the road. Pick a company that demonstrates a positive history of projects and clients. 2. Previous References References, especially when considering a provider or vendors for a project, are incredibly important. Talk to other customers of the company to get the details about the level of service provided from the vendor. Never invest in a company that cannot provide a list of project references. 3. Upstream Partners Ultimately, the relationship that the vendor has with the "parent" or "upstream" partners is critical. Without a firm foundation between the actual software or hardware provider and the vendor, ongoing support for the product can become difficult. Look for companies that are certified providers of technology from upstream partners. Of course, there are many other factors to consider, including physical location, SLA availability, and product offerings. These too are very important. For those who have open-source telephony needs, I can highly recommend VoIP Supply, which offers a wide variety of products along with open source telephony planning. They also maintain a relationship with Digium | Switchvox to offer the new and highly-demanded Switchvox appliances. Ahead on Considering Convergence: - The PRI: Past, Present, Future - Polycom Masters the SIP Endpoint Environment - Reviewing the Digium|Switchvox AA300!