

Ask HN: Phone systems and contact me flow for small businesses - backslash_16

Hey Hacker News,<p>I am a self-employed/freelance IT consultant and web dev, and while I have a business set up, I'm the only employee and I work out of my house, which I rent with friends.<p>When I first started I got a second cell phone added to my plan. This was so I would have a business number for clients to call because I didn't want to give out my personal cell phone number to people who might be calling me at any time.<p>I have been making the second cell phone work, but I'm getting tired of carrying around two phones all of the time, and think that there has to be a better solution out there. To a reasonable extent, money isn't an issue (and I'll save money from dropping the 2nd cell phone)<p>What I am looking for is a hosted service that will provide a number for my clients to call or text at any time that I can forward to my personal cell (if I want to) or keep as a voicemail box. Ideally, the voicemails would be transcribed to email as well as possible and sent to me, and if the translation wasn't good enough I could dial into my box or listen to them though a smartphone app or website. Basically just whatever options they provide, I'm not too picky. If this number has an online fax component as well, bonus.<p>I looked into Google Voice, but have stayed away from it because I want a service that has people I can call if there are issues.<p>What does everyone here use? Am I unrealistic in my expectations?<p>Thanks!
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mcotton
I have a side project doing exactly this. My wife and I use it as our home
phone, I've also replaced the phone system at my day job with it. Contact me
through my HN profile if you want to try it

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cooperadymas
Check out <http://grasshopper.com/>

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mitchumfeld
sipgate team is what you are looking for: <http://www.sipgate.com/team>

