VoIP Feature List - residential services

Residential VoIP companies usually include an array of features in their basic service.  Understanding how these features work will show the value of a residential VoIP service.

Some residential VoIP service providers offer more features than others.  By understanding which features do what, a person will better be able to make intelligent choices on which particular service would be best for their needs.  Choosing a service is usually more about features and quality than price, so here is a list of features and an explanation of how they work.

Voicemail - Voicemail has several distinct and important components that may vary from service to service.  Voicemail to email sends an email notification to your email account either with or without  a WAV attachment of the actual voicemail message which can played.  Voicemail can also be retrieved by dialing into the system to retrieve messages.  Some services may include voicemail to text where a text version of the voicemail is sent via email, as well.

Call Forwarding - Forwarding incoming calls to a second destination, which could be voicemail, a cell phone or other phone.  Forwarding options include Always Forward; Call Forward Busy, (This option only forwards the call if the destination is busy.); Call Forward No Answer, (Typically after a preset amount of rings and no answer the forward then enacts.  (This type of forwarding can also be called a Hunt Group.); Call Forward Selective, (Using a variable like which phone number initiated the call or a time period to determine if forwarding takes place.)

Hunt Group - Also known a Sequential Ring or Find Me, Follow Me, this features allows you to have a number of phone numbers each ringing a preset amount of time until the next one rings.  Inbound calls are routed in a particular sequence with the phone that takes the call gets the call.

Simultaneous Ring - Setting multiple (also sometimes called multi-ring) numbers to all ring at the same time, like a cell phone, an office phone and even a home phone.

3 Way calling - Allows talking to 2 other people at the same time by bringing in a second caller and flashing them into the first call, thereby conferencing all three parties together.

Anonymous Call Rejection - Incoming calls without a Caller ID will automatically be rejected. 

Black List - Also sometimes called a Blocked List, numbers placed in the list will always be rejected, sometimes going directly to voicemail, other times getting a busy or sometimes receiving a recording saying that the number dialed is no longer in service.  The different possibilities are set by the provider.

Do Not Disturb - When turned on, all calls will automatically be sent to voicemail without ringing the phone.

Caller ID - Caller ID can be divided into several types, outbound, inbound, each with number and/or name.  Having inbound caller ID with name and the ability to control the outbound caller ID would be the best.

International Call Blocking - When turned on international dialing will be prohibited.

Music on Hold - MOH or music on hold plays prerecorded music while callers are placed on hold.

Online Control Panel - Through your web browser you will be able to manage your entire VoIP account, ordering additional services, checking call records, listen to voicemails, and setting call treatments (call forwarding, etc.).  Having an intuitive, easy to navigate web interface will make your service

Virtual Phone Numbers - A virtual number is an additional number(s) that rings in on your existing primary number.  These numbers can be chosen in locations where you would like callers to be able to benefit from local dialing.