If you are looking to enter the VoIP industry with a small initial investment, hosting a VoIP switch would be a good option.
Hosting a VoIP switch means that the software is not in the same place where the service is provided; you will be providing your services from your office, but the VoIP switch will be elsewhere.
This could also be useful if you want to try out the VoIP industry but aren’t sure: with a hosted VoIP switch you can become a VoIP reseller without being tied to it.
Hosting a VoIP switch is much cheaper than buying one, and you usually have to pay a monthly fee for the service.
Another advantage is that the company you’re hosting from will usually set up the software for you instead of doing it yourself, so you can start your business right away and don’t need to figure out how to set it all up yourself.
When it comes to hosting, you can often also choose between a cloud server and a dedicated server. The difference is basically that with a dedicated server, you are hosting a physical server. The entire server is yours and this is the best solution for large companies with a lot of data and those that need more security. With a cloud server you use part of a dedicated server and you only pay for the part you are using, therefore the costs will be lower.
A primary VoIP switch package will typically consist of a hosted soft switch with billing, a web portal, and hosted dialers.
Depending on the service you want to offer within the VoIP market, you will also need other modules, such as the reseller system, the calling card module if you want to sell pin or pinless calling cards, or the callback module.
You may also need agent modules, call-shop, hosted PBX modules if you want to provide PBX services to homes and businesses or a transcoding module.
Your hardware and software provider will be able to tell you exactly what you need to start your business and can guide you through the setup process.
As with all software, it is important that you ensure that the company you get your softswitch and other software from is an established company and rents only licensed VoIP switches. Beware of companies trying to sell you scam software, as these may be cheaper originally, but they don’t work properly and will end up costing you a lot of money.