VoIP Providers & Business Phone Companies in Durham, CT

Connecticut Communications is a Durham, Connecticut, telecommunications and IT contractor that plans, deploys and maintains business phone and data systems. Most of its clients are small and mid-size organizations in Connecticut, New York and Massachusetts, although it also handles projects elsewhere in New England and in other parts of the country. Its customers range from startups with a single office to corporations operating across several sites.

Voice options: premise, cloud and managed

The firm does not push one type of phone deployment on every buyer. It offers three main approaches and lets the customer pick the one that fits. Companies that want hardware on site can buy on-premise IP platforms such as Mitel MiVoice Business and the NEC SV9100. For hosted calling, the company resells RingCentral and NEC Univerge Blue Connect, a combined platform covering phone, video, chat, file sharing and contact center work. A third choice is a turnkey managed system, where Connecticut Communications runs the platform for the customer. It also sells maintenance contracts that provide round-the-clock support for phone systems and related equipment.

The company says the right choice between on-premise and cloud depends on several factors: how many employees work remotely, whether the business has in-house IT staff, how much application integration it needs and whether it prefers to buy equipment outright or pay monthly. Its consultants review these points with each prospect before making a recommendation.

Beyond the phone system

Many buyers want voice and data handled by the same vendor, and the firm's other services support that:

• LAN/WAN and wireless data networks
• SD-WAN and carrier/internet services, including reviews of phone and internet bills
• Structured voice and data cabling
• Video surveillance systems
• Managed IT, security and ransomware protection
• Data backup and business continuity planning

How projects are run

Each new installation gets a dedicated project manager, who works with the company's certified engineers and technicians to bring the system online and train users. Every system it installs can be accessed remotely, so many support issues are handled without a site visit. When on-site work is needed, a technician is sent from headquarters, which the firm notes is close to major highways. The company says it takes responsibility for carrier, cabling and programming problems alike, so customers deal with a single point of contact.

Background and credentials

The business has been based in Connecticut since 1974 and has more than five decades of experience with communications systems. It reports more than 75 professional certifications on staff and over 1,000 customers for phone, data and carrier services. Its public sector work includes projects for more than 100 Connecticut schools and over 40 towns and police or fire departments. It also works with healthcare facilities and with financial firms that have strict regulatory requirements. On the vendor side, it is a Mitel partner for both premise and cloud products, an NEC Double Diamond partner, and a RingCentral Reach Gold Partner and Certified Delivery Partner. The company recently announced that it has acquired Voice New England.