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Below is a list of frequently asked questions about the MailStreet
Voice service. If you have further questions or we can
be of assistance, please contact the MailStreet Voice Sales department at
1-866-688-0127 or email us at getvoice@mailstreet.com
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General Questions
Q. What is MailStreet Voice?
A. MailStreet Voice is a hosted PBX telecommunications service tailored for the needs of small and medium sized business. Based on Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology, the MailStreet Voice service allows organizations with a broadband (high-speed) Internet connection to make unlimited calls anywhere in the US and Canada for as little as $39.95 per month. With MailStreet Voice, you can:
Eliminate the need for costly, in-house PBX equipment
Avoid phone system installation and maintenance charges
Reduce monthly phone bills by 40% or more
Q. What makes MailStreet Voice different from other VoIP-based providers?
A. MailStreet is a premiere provider of on-demand messaging, collaboration and voice solutions for the Small and Medium-sized Business (SMB) market. Many other VoIP providers use the public Internet to handle phone calls. MailStreet Voice is a business-class VoIP service. Your calls are carried over a private, managed network that ensures Quality of Service (QoS) for your voice traffic. We know that your phone service is critical to your business and we provide our customers with a 99.9% uptime SLA.
Q. What is VoIP?
A. Simply put, VoIP is a way of using the same communications protocol to carry voice traffic as the internet does for data traffic. Voice is broken into packets that travel over Internet Protocol networks instead of over traditional circuit switched telephone networks.
Q. How does VoIP work?
A. VoIP services convert your voice into a digital signal that travels over an IP network. If you are calling a regular phone number, the signal is converted to a regular telephone signal before it reaches the destination. VoIP can allow you to make a call directly from a computer, a special IP phone, or a traditional phone connected to a special adapter. In addition, wireless "hot spots" in locations such as airports, parks, and cafes allow you to connect to the Internet and may enable you to use VoIP service wirelessly.
Q. What is SIP?
A. Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is a signaling protocol for Internet Telephony. The VoIP community has adopted SIP as its protocol of choice for signaling. SIP can establish sessions for features such as audio/videoconferencing, interactive gaming, and call forwarding to be deployed over IP networks, thus enabling service providers to integrate basic IP telephony services with Web, e-mail, and chat services.
Q. How do I get started with MailStreet Voice?
A. Just contact a MailStreet Voice Specialist and we will get you on the road to cost savings and great, productivity-increasing features. Our specialists will talk to you about your current needs and network configuration and will recommend any necessary network upgrades prior to turning on your service.
Q. Can I have some of my phones on the Premium and others on the Business MailStreet Voice plans?
A. Yes! The beauty of using a hosted service is that you only subscribe to the features and options you need when you need them. You can mix and match services or upgrade and downgrade packages as you need to.
Q. Can I keep my existing phone number(s)?
A. Yes. Local Number Portability (LNP) allows you to keep your existing phone number or range of phone numbers. When you purchase MailStreet Voice, please indicate that you require this with your service. It will take between 15 and 20 days for your numbers to be released by your existing phone company.
Q. If I don’t have broadband service, how long will it take to get it?
A. A broadband connection to the Internet is required to use MailStreet Voice. If you do not have broadband service, you will need to contact an Internet Service Provider to order service. Typically, it takes between 15 and 30 business days to install new broadband service.
Q. How much Internet bandwidth do I need to use MailStreet Voice?
A. The answer to this question depends on several factors. These include, but are not limited to: the number of users, the number of simultaneous calls going on at your location and the level of internet usage. A company with 10 users who are always on the phone will need more bandwidth than a company with 10 users who are sporadically on the phone. A MailStreet Voice Specialist can assist you in determining what type of internet connection you will need to best support your service.
Q. Do you offer MailStreet Voice service to International (Non US/Canadian) customers?
A. MailStreet Voice is a US-based service. We can provide service outside of the US, but only US-based numbers are supported. Emergency services (911) are not supported.
Q. Can a single user/individual sign up for service?
A. Absolutely. MailStreet Voice services are specifically designed with the small business in mind.
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Features
Q. Do you support 911 Emergency calls?
A. Yes. There are three (3) different kinds of 911 services.
1. Enhanced or E911 – the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) / Local Emergency Operator automatically receives your callback number, registered location, and latitude-longitude coordinates through the 911 network.
2. Basic 911 – the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) / Local Emergency Operator does not have the ability to receive the “Enhanced” data. Instead, they only receive your callback number. You must communicate your location to the Emergency Operator during the call.
3. Operator Assisted 911 – the Public Safety Answering Point (PSAP) / Local Emergency Operator receives your callback number, registered location, and latitude-longitude coordinates with the assistance of our Emergency Operator (ECRC).
The type of service you receive depends entirely on your physical location and what service is available in your areA. For more information on what service is available in your area, contact a MailStreet Voice Specialist.
Q. What is Remote Office?
A. Remote Office enables MailStreet Voice users to access and use their service from anywhere – office, home office, mobile phone, etc. It is especially useful for remote employees and mobile workers because it enables them to use their Web Call Manager or Outlook Toolbar features while working remotely (e.g., extension dialing, transfers, conference calls, Outlook Integration, directories, etc.). In addition, since calls are still originated from MailStreet Voice, the service provides an easy mechanism for separating personal and business phone expenses, as well as keeping alternate phone numbers private.
Q. Can a user based in Washington, DC take his or her phone with them to Los Angeles, CA and plug it into an internet connection and have all of the Mailstreet VOIP features.
A. While this is feasible, we think that packing your phone up to take with you on a business trip is not the best use of luggage space! Instead, we recommend that you install a softphone on your laptop PC to make calls and have all the features of your MailStreet Voice service with you anywhere you go. All you need to pack is a headset.
Q. Can the Mailstreet Voice route/forward calls to cell phones and land lines.
A. You can transfer calls internally to extensions within your company or externally to numbers not on the MailStreet Voice network.
Q. Does MailStreet Voice support extension dialing?
A. Yes. You have the choice of using 2 to 6 digit extensions.
Q. Can I forward calls to my mobile phone?
A. MailStreet Voice offers several ways to route your calls to your mobile phone. You can use one of our call forwarding features, Simultaneous Calling (Find Me/Follow Me) to ring various locations at the same time or Sequential Calling to ring various locations in a pre-determined sequence that will act like a personal hunt group.
Q. How can I check my voice mail messages?
A. There are several different options for checking voice mail. You can choose to have a copy of your voice mail messages routed to your email. An email message will be delivered to your inbox with a WAV attachment of the message. You can check your messages directly from your phone or by dialing into your voice mail service.
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Equipment
Q. What kind of equipment will I need to use the MailStreet Voice service?
A. A broadband (high speed Internet) connection is required. This can be through a cable modem, or high speed services such as DSL or a local area network. An IP phone or computer is required. If you use your computer, you will need a softphone, piece of software for making telephone calls over the Internet, and a headset with a microphone. IP phones plug directly into your broadband connection and operate like a traditional telephone.
Q. Can I lease the necessary VoIP equipment?
A. Yes! MailStreet Voice, now offers competitive equipment
leasing arrangements for VoIP equipment and installation services purchased through MailStreet. Credit approval is required and there is a minimum
purchase of $1,500 required. Contact MailStreet Voice Sales at 1-866-688-0127 for more details!
Q. Can I use my own VoIP Equipment?
A. We recommend MailStreet Voice certified equipment to ensure that you have the best possible experience and call quality. Your organization may or may not need additional hardware to use MailStreet Voice. Contact a MailStreet Voice specialist to understand what equipment you may need to use our service.
Q. During the installation of VoIP service, will my existing telephone service be interrupted?
A. No. MailStreet uses your existing broadband service; your existing phone service will not be interrupted. If you are ordering a completely new number, there will be no impact to your existing service. If you are porting your existing number, we will work with you to insure a smooth transition to minimize an impact to your service.
Q. I really don’t have the internal resources to set this up. Do you provide installation services?
A. Yes! MailStreet Voice knows that one of the reasons our customers use our services is because they do not have the internal resources to do it themselves. We offer and recommend professional installation services. Installation services will ensure that your equipment is installed and working properly. We have installers located throughout the U.S. For more information on installation, please contact a MailStreet Voice specialist.
Q. Will your installation technician configure my Local Area Network (LAN) during the equipment installation?
A. No. LAN and Wide Area Network (WAN) configurations are not part of the installation process. We will need to understand your LAN and/or WAN configurations, and will gather that information during a Site Assessment of your offices. We will work with your in-house IT support or the individual responsible for management of your LAN/WAN to make sure that is configured properly to work with your MailStreet Voice service.
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