By Dan Baldwin, Editor
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If it makes sense for retired boxer George Foreman to sell you a grill you can use indoors then I guess it makes sense for retired Minnesota Vikings football great "Scramblin' Fran" Tarkenton to sell you your next hosted VoIP business phone system. Right?
That's what Ari Rabban of Phone.com must be thinking as he's recently signed up with the former quarterback to secure Tarkenton's celebrity endorsement of Phone.com's hosted VoIP business phone system solution.
Does it Make Sense to Take Phone Buying Advice from a Retired Quarterback?
I admit it's kind of a silly question. Sure Fran's a great guy and some of my earliest memories of watching football on TV were of watching Fran make defensive ends and linebackers look silly trying to sack him in the backfield.
But choosing a VoIP business phone system? I'm not sure. If you watch the short video below that features Ari and Fran discussing the benefits of the Phone.com solution, at no time during the video does Fran say, "I switched to Phone.com's solution for my business a year ago and it's better than any other phone service our business has used in 30 years!".
Now if I found myself playing quarterback at a Deacon Jones family reunion I would certainly seek Scramblin' Fran's advice about how best to survive the event.
Ask Fran About QoS and the Differences Between Broadsoft, MetaSwitch & Asterisk Before Buying
When choosing someone to explain to my wife the difference between a "nickel" and "dime" defensive football scheme or how to throw a touchdown pass into a zone or man-to-man coverage, Fran Tarkenton is definitely my choice, especially since my wife hails from Minnesota.
But when trying to explain the benefit differences between Broadsoft, MetaSwitch and Asterisk hosted VoIP platforms and how to ensure appropriate levels of QoS ("quality of service") exist to prevent static and delay on my business customer's phone calls I'm going to suggest that my clients call me over watching football game reruns on ESPN Classic.
Fran's Phones Might Be The Best for Some Businesses But They Need to be Compared to Quality Alternatives
Don't get me wrong, just because I'm poking a little fun at Ari's celebrity pitchman does not mean that Phone.com's business VoIP phone system should not be taken seriously. I spent a bit of time talking to Joel Maloff of Phone.com about the pros and cons of Phone.com's offering and I believe that the solution is probably fine for a certain set of small business customers that need the most phone service they can buy for their business for next to nothing and with no guarantees of voice quality.
There are plenty of other similar competitors that offer a similar Asterisk based hosted VoIP solution. Before choosing Phone.com, a business owner needs to speak with their trusted telecom agent or channel partner about what other Asterisk based VoIP providers they like and why.
And before moving forward with a "no guarantees" Asterisk-based "BYOB" ("bring your own broadband") phone system solution for your business, ask your telecom agent about the benefits of looking at a Broadsoft or Metaswitch based VoIP solution and whether or not it's cost effective to guarantee the voice quality of the business phone calls by not using the businesses existing Internet connection and office network which often creates data problems for all the small businesses computer users.
Talk to a Telecom Agent About the Best Phone System for Your Business
If you don't have a telecom agent or channel sales partner you can trust to get quality office technology advice, click here or the link at the top of this page to find one.
Telecom agents are in the business of knowing how technology solution providers compare to one another and which ones do the best job of delivering on their promises.
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