ITSPA stands for the Internet Telephony Service Providers’ Association. It is the governing body which oversees the VoIP industry in the UK.
They give awards to UK VoIP providers, covering delivery of VoIP services to Small, Medium and Corporate sized organisations. They also give awards for Infrastructure (the network behind-the-scenes, the stuff that makes a VoIP service work that you don’t see), and providing VoIP on-site equipment.
ITSPA as an organisation is important for a number of reasons. It provides a voice for the industry, providing effective lobbying on any regulatory issues. It spearheads industry initiatives, and ensures the VoIP industry is working to continually benefit end users. It also helps publicise VoIP technology to the general public, and provides a forum for issues and debate.
The reason why ITSPA is important to you, the consumer, is that it gives a level of reassurance when researching any prospective ITSP.
More about ITSPA.
Ultimately, ITSPA gives the customer reassurance, a level of insight into VoIP companies, and an insight into VoIP in general. It is a very interesting site to read and learn from, and they are impartial and unbiased. They are a good source of information on VoIP, and a great place to check out any potential suppliers. ITSPA give out their Quality Mark to selected providers, and this gives reassurance to customers and potential customers. Not every provider is chosen for their Quality Mark, so a provider displaying it should be more reputable. The Quality Mark only goes to companies who can prove their platform and service is robust and reliable (taken as a measurement to be 99.99% availability between 8am and 8pm throughout the working week). Providers are required to adhere to the ITSPA Code of Practice and Best Practice Guidance, ensuring that the customer gains a quality-focussed ITSP working in keeping with modern business practice.
Compliance with Data Protection and Data Retention legislation, fraud prevention measures, complaints handling policies and other technical and legislative checks are indicated by issuing a Quality Mark. The consumer who wishes to know more now only has to check the ITSPA website to ensure compliance for any prospective ITSP. By checking if they have the ITSPA Quality Mark, anyone can check at a stroke a potential provider’s compliance with a range of requirements, commitment to the VoIP field, and commitment to customer care.
ITSPA gives annual awards to VoIP providers working in the UK. They break the market down into categories. This year, the categories were Best Business ITSP (Small Enterprise), Best Business ITSP (Medium Enterprise), Best Business ITSP (Corporate), Best VoIP CPE (Customer Premises equipment), Best VoIP Infrastructure, and Best VoIP Innovation. They also award the Best UK VoIP Reseller, and allows the members of ITSPA to pick one further company who they feel has made a significant contribution to the VoIP industry.
As the industry governing body, ITSPA has a great deal resting on their reputation and credibility, and this is reflected in the awards process. All entrants are vetted carefully, and must submit their systems to two months’ of testing performed by an independent organisation prior to entering any award categories.
More on the 2017 ITSPA Awards.
SureVoIP has been nominated as a Finalist in two categories this year, Best Business ITSP (Corporate) and Best Business ITSP (Small Enterprise).
SureVoIP has a good track records at the Awards, being a Finalist in these two categories last year, and winning Best Business ITSP for Medium-sized business.
It is important to remember that the ITSPA Awards are not based on Marketing activity or market share – they are focussed on infrastructure, processes and innovation. The things which makes a real difference to customer’s lives.
More on the Quality Mark.
More about SureVoIP’s awards.