What UCaaS and VoIP Are
Written by MSP Outpost.
In Short
UCaaS (unified communications as a service) is a hosted phone system: numbers, extensions, call routing and voicemail, often with chat and video in the same app. VoIP is the technology underneath, calls carried over the internet instead of phone lines. It overlaps with the meetings and chat tools clients already use, but a phone system is judged on the main number, the call queue and the reception desk, and that is where the two differ.
What It Does
- Numbers and porting. Moves a client's existing numbers across and issues new ones.
- Call routing. Auto attendants, ring groups, queues and time-of-day rules.
- Apps and handsets. Desk phones, plus desktop and mobile apps so staff take calls anywhere.
- Voicemail and recording. Voicemail to email, and call recording where the client needs it.
- Partner portal. Manages every client's phone system from one place.
- Contact center. Some add queues with agent reporting and wallboards for busier teams.
When You Need One
You do not need to sell voice to run an MSP, and it brings its own support load, because call quality gets blamed on you. If clients ask, a referral arrangement is a lower-risk start than reselling.
Voice becomes worth adding when clients want one supplier for IT and phones. Pick one platform, learn it well, and price in the time that porting and handset setup take.
Voice can be a solid recurring line if you run it as a practice with its own processes. Look for proper partner terms: a multi-tenant portal, your own margin and billing you control.
What to Look For
Must Have
- Number Porting Support
- Multi-Tenant Partner Portal
- Auto Attendants and Queues
- Mobile and Desktop Apps
- Emergency Calling Setup
- Call Recording
Worth Having
- CRM and PSA Integration
- Contact Center Add-On
- White Labeling
- Business Texting
- Chat and Meetings Integration
- Call Quality Reports
How It Is Priced
Most charge per user per month, often in tiers that decide which features each user gets, and some price only by quote. Look out for handsets, numbers and international calls billed separately, taxes and regulatory fees on top of the list price, and annual terms per user. Check too whether you resell at your own margin or earn a referral fee while the provider bills the client.
Switching
Moving a phone system means porting every number, rebuilding call flows and often replacing handsets that were locked to the old provider. Porting can take days or weeks and fail on a detail such as an account address that does not match, so plan the cutover carefully. Before you sign, confirm you can port numbers out freely and whether the handsets will work elsewhere.
Questions to Ask a Vendor
- Can I port numbers out at any time, and is there a charge or notice period?
- Will the handsets you supply work on another platform if we leave?
- Do I bill the client and set my own margin, or do you bill them directly?
- Which taxes and fees appear on the invoice that are not in the list price?
- How is emergency calling handled for remote and mobile users?
- When a call drops, who does the client call: you or me?
