The flip side is that you get maximum customization

When consumers ask "What VoIP arrangement should I install?", there are abounding altered means of answering. Due to the arresting adaptability of VoIP, there are abounding means in which it can be deployed and in anniversary appearance of deployment, there are assorted options and brands to accept from. This can in fact get actual ambagious and could able-bodied be one of the affidavit why VoIP is demography so continued to access the public's mindshare - there's no simple way to explain it all in a simple amalgamation afar from "Voice over the Internet!" 

Two VoIP "Systems"
There are two paths to choose from once you decide to implement a VoIP system. The first path is the self hosted path where you build your own hardware from scratch, install and configure the VoIP software and the network and maintain the system yourself. This requires significant expertise, manpower, and space. In addition, businesses have to focus on something that isn't their core competency and for small startups or even medium sized businesses, this can be a very poor strategy.

The flip side is that you get maximum customization and ownership and the investment can begin to pay off over a long period of time. For some large corporations, this approach makes sense. Smaller business may find the PBX hosting model easier where an ITSP (Internet Telephone Service Provider) hosts the VoIP system and allows you to use it for a small monthly fee. It's just like hosting a website. Most companies don't own their own servers or even manage them virtually. Instead, they allow a professional hosting firm like GoDaddy or BlueHost to do the job for them for a nominal monthly fee.

Selecting a Brand
Home users however have it easy. A VoIP system is simple to set up once they have their Internet connection and VoIP phones fully configured with ATAs if they're converting their analog systems into digital ones. Such users can choose between several services such as Vonage, MagicJack and the like. It's not easy to make recommendations since the prices and offerings of these services keep changing.

Businesses however need to make sure that the ITSP they choose has proper SLAs in place to ensure constant uptime. They also need to avoid lock in by porting their own telephone number rather than obtaining one from the ITSP. Luckily, the competition is intense and you're more than likely to find one that suits your needs.