Today there is an abundance of voice and data providers that span the globe. When it comes to deciding which provider to select, it’s becoming more of a challenge, especially as more and more businesses move their voice and data applications to the cloud. The pros and cons are somewhat similar when it comes to price, service level, features, functionality and extended service and maintenance.

In many cases, during the selection process as you weigh the pros and cons, things like size of company may come into play. If you select a large global company, you may just be a number in their customer Base; if you select a smaller company, you may be more of a VIP. And, what about local service? Will your product demo be via an online video or in-person? How much time does the sales rep spend with you in the discovery process, to learn about your specific needs and your business? Does the same technician come to your site each time? What about training and support? Is training online or self-paced? Are your support calls answered LIVE or are they routed to a large call center where you are stuck in the queue? How long will it take to replace a broken or defective phone or make Moves, Adds or Changes to phones or services easily? Will you have access to senior management, or the actual owner if you have an issue that is not getting resolved? You get the picture, there are lots of things to consider –– and you haven’t even evaluated price yet, which in many cases is market competitive to begin with, so it’s usually not a deal breaker.

Avoid Shiny Object Syndrome

The big companies put an enormous amount of money into marketing, especially advertising, and once you visit their website, you begin to be targeted with re-marketing Ad’s in your browser and social media with promotions and specials to lure you into selecting a specific brand or product without doing a thorough evaluation of the company, solution, and overall operations. It’s kind of like a shiny object is dangled in front of you, saying choose me, but are you really getting the full picture?

Evaluating Your Options

The alternative to selecting a large global company, is looking for a technology provider in your local area. In the technology space, there are plenty of options to pick from… so where do you begin? Do you know another business owner or colleague who you could get a reference from? Do you belong to the local Chamber of Commerce and have access to an online directory of local providers who belong to the Chamber? Do you know anyone that works in the industry that could recommend a local provider? If you answered “no” to these questions, it’s likely you’ll be searching for a company via Google or social media and reviewing company reviews to weed out the companies that don’t meet your criteria. Maybe you select a provider within 50 miles of your office.

In either case, when selecting a global or local provider, in the end you want to partner with a company that values your business, and offers world-class solutions, service, and support.

The Benefits of Partnering with a Local Provider

In your quest for finding the perfect partner, it’s likely you’ll find a range of technology providers. Some may be new to the scene; others may be in business for decades. Some may specialize in voice, and some may specialize in cloud only. Some providers may be acting as Sales Agents for large global providers but market their products locally. What you really want is a technology provider that offers pre-sales assistance, installation, service, and support. Whether it’s a managed services program that is all-inclusive, or a single or multi-year maintenance program that is better suited for your organization, is something you’ll have to evaluate. You also want a provider who is going to put the time in to learn about your business challenges and propose a solution that will contribute to your business’ success.

At Maryland Telephone we’re your once source for total business communications solutions. Founded in 1974, we remain a proud, successful family-owned business. Our mission is to fuel the growth and prosperity of our customers business through the implementation of real time communications services that are easy to use, and always online.

Our motto is “Your one source for total business communications solutions”. We realize the need for communication solutions is as unique as the businesses we serve. We work with each customer as a partner, believing that their success is our success. It is our responsibility to find the solutions that will give them a competitive advantage. Our customers appreciate our consultative, knowledgeable, personable, and responsive style, and the fact that we stand behind the products and services we provide. We believe our continued growth will result from our strategic partnerships with industry leading companies. Our commitment to training, the talent and dedication of our people, and our steadfast focus on helping our customers reduce their costs while improving their communications capabilities is what drives us every day. We look forward to speaking with you.

Contact us to get more details and explore your options.