Improved Business Communication Services During Phone Downtime
A third (36%) of United Kingdom (UK) workers have had company telephone failures caused by factors such as flooding, power cuts, road works and equipment faults during the past year.
This is the main finding of a new study commissioned by a hosted Voice over IP (VoIP) provider, and of those respondents, 60% had experienced up to a full day’s phone disruption, costing them an average of £14,431 per day. To achieve improved business communication services, a hosted VoIP solution can be the answer to sustaining communication between company and client during times when a regular phone would fail.
The potential cost to businesses of such an unforeseen disaster can be enormous. For example, more than a quarter of people questioned (26%) were unable to take incoming work calls during telephone downtime and resorted to using their mobiles instead, and could thus incur typically higher mobile costs. Despite the disruptions and company telephone failures causing huge losses of capital, 61% of businesses had no disaster recovery plans to address the issue.
This research comes a year after severe flooding caused havoc for businesses in many parts of the UK.
Hosted VoIP Solution
By replacing a traditional Private Branch Exchange (PBX) telephone system with a hosted VoIP solution, telephone calls are made over the internet rather than a conventional telephone network; businesses can divert all calls off-site should an unforeseen disaster strike. Alternatively, firms can keep their existing PBX and connect a hosted VoIP solution too, ensuring they have a back-up plan in place should one network fail.
The nature of a hosted VoIP solution means that business can be done as usual because calls can be easily diverted to home phones, mobiles or other offices – giving the company the ability to continue functioning from a different location and benefit from such improved business communications services. Despite this, nearly two thirds of those questioned (61%) weren’t aware of a plan to deal with disruption to incoming calls caused by events beyond their control. Worryingly, more than a quarter (26%) said they couldn’t be contacted or didn’t know how customers or suppliers would contact them during times of phone outage.
The Importance of Having a Plan B
Surprisingly, the survey revealed that one in four people (25%) still rely on their fax machine as a viable communication method with customers if their telephone system goes down. However, when fax machines operate using a central office phone service, this is not a workable solution to the problem. All too many companies seem to disregard the threat of unforeseen circumstances and factors, and then feel regret when experiencing company telephone failures and losing tens of thousands of pounds per day and upsetting their client base.
Businesses need to reassess the value of being able to maintain a reliable telephony solution during adverse circumstances. Communication is the foundation of all successful businesses, yet companies are failing to put as much emphasis on ensuring that their phone system is as protected from downtime as they put on other areas such as network and data access. Commercial company telephones with failures and are out of service have costs which build quickly and the daily financial damage potential to a company is massive due to lack of business communication with clients.
By: Rosemary Grace Brooks
Enjoy to talk with VoIP !
Showing posts with label VOIP Business. Show all posts
Showing posts with label VOIP Business. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Voip Service Review For Business Users
Making phone calls applying a broadband Internet connection,known as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), is becoming so popular with corporations of each size. The prospect of paying a flat fee for unlimited long-distance phone calls is attractive to each company that has struggled to balance the want to conduct business phone calls with the cost of those calls.
Many companies are finding that installation of VoIP phones is simpler than traditional Private Branch eXchange (PBX) systems, since the desk sets can share the Ethernet cables already in place for the desktop computers. Now, I m going to review 3 most popular Voip Services providers who offer full service products primarily aimed at the small to medium sized business telephone market. Such companies typically support multi-line telephone systems, small PBX gateways and hosted VoIP.
Vonage will bring VoIP service without routing calls through your PC. When you sign higher for its DigitalVoice service, the company gives you a phone number in the area code of your option and sends you a free ashtray-size devices device known as an analog telephone adapter or even ATA. You easily plug the adapter into your network router and attach your phone to the adapter, and you’re ready to produce calls. If you like, you are able to plug the adapter to a wall jack, connecting each phone in the home.
For corporations that want extensions and services that are even more closely identified with PBXs uncovered in the corporate globe, Vonage isn’t a very good option. Its Microscopic Business Project is built on a lone line, similar to a residential line, and does not provide facilities for multiple extensions, call transfers, administrative functions, and the more tasks virtually all corporate users take for granted. 2 more vendors are better suited for the corporate environment.
Vonage Features:
Equipment required: Broadband telephone adapter (included in activation fee) , Motorola VT1005V
$30 activation fee. No contract.
$39.99 termination fee after 14 days (refunded if you return the adapter)
call waiting, caller ID and conference calling.
911 service
TalkSwitch 48-CVA
The TalkSwitch uses your phone company’s existing phone lines and phone numbers to connect to the outside world, but uses your Internet connection to connect to other TalkSwitches in your company’s remote offices. This setup is simple to install and lets you keep your existing phone numbers and lines. It also lets you keep your existing phone bills, since your long-distance calls still travel over your phone-company lines. (Of course, you could replace your traditional phone lines with Vonage lines if your long-distance volume dictates such a move.)
Where TalkSwitch shines is in its features as a PBX and its ability to connect remote offices and treat them as a single phone system. When two or more TalkSwitches connect through the Internet, the company has a virtual PBX. The offices can make calls to one another by dialing extensions that may be in the same office or at a remote office without incurring long-distance charges.
The same connection can be used to make standard calls to phone numbers that are local to the remote office but long-distance from the calling office. I found this feature worked well, but it requires the person making the call to know whether the number is local to the remote office. That’s something many callers won’t make the effort to deal with.
TalkSwitch 48-CVA Features:
Price: $1,795
4 lines in
4 VoIP trunks
8 local extensions
8 remote extensions
Expandable to a 16-line, 32-extension phone system by networking up to four 48-CA or 48-CVA units on the LAN
9 Auto Attendants
26 voice mailboxes
Built-in traditional and VoIP trunks for combined network access
Full-featured PBX telephone system
Customer installable and configurable via PC interface
Works with standard analog cordless or corded phones and TalkSwitch TS 100 phone sets
Packet8 Virtual Office
Packet8 is a service provider. It will bring a “virtual office” by means of a hosted PBX that you are able to attach to from any broadband connection. The equipment consists of 1 DTA and 1 phone for every extension. Minimum configuration for a Packet8 system is 3 extensions, however there appears to be no upper limit to the number of extensions. Every DTA and phone combination costs $100, and there exists a $40 activation fee per line.
Because all the extensions attach to the equivalent PBX, calls to extensions and calls to outside amounts are processed just as they usually are in a corporate office. The phones have a huge LCD with soft-buttons for voicemail, don’t disturb, and each feature you would expect in a corporate PBX. I personally discovered the system elementary to utilise however as well incredibly flexible. Phone functions are managed applying the phone’s LCD and its buttons, while extension assignment, routing, auto-attendant, and system-related functions are managed through the PBX’s Web interface.
Packet8’s sound quality was incredibly fantastic. Calls between Packet8 VoIP lines were clear with no noticeable delay. Calls between Packet8 VoIP phones and standard phone lines were equally clear. The quality of the overall system was even more than acceptable.
This is the kind of system that fits any virtual office whose employees require to produce lots of long-distance calls. The Packet8 system is particularly well suited to today’s distributed virtual businesses. The fact that all the extensions are section of the equivalent system and operate as a seamless phone system puts a consolidated face on the distributed office.
Packet8 Virtual Office Features:
Price: $40 per extension per month, plus setup costs of $100 for equipment and $40 activation fee per line
Unlimited calling within the U.S. and Canada
Full-featured conference bridge for up to 20 participants
Auto-Attendant
Voicemail with message forwarding and e-mail notification
Call transfer and automatic call forwarding
3-way conferencing
Music/messaging on hold
Distinctive ringing for internal/external calls
Caller ID and call-waiting caller ID
Stutter tone notifications
Call park/call pick-up
Voip Service Review For Business Users
by Rashme Wong
Many companies are finding that installation of VoIP phones is simpler than traditional Private Branch eXchange (PBX) systems, since the desk sets can share the Ethernet cables already in place for the desktop computers. Now, I m going to review 3 most popular Voip Services providers who offer full service products primarily aimed at the small to medium sized business telephone market. Such companies typically support multi-line telephone systems, small PBX gateways and hosted VoIP.
Vonage will bring VoIP service without routing calls through your PC. When you sign higher for its DigitalVoice service, the company gives you a phone number in the area code of your option and sends you a free ashtray-size devices device known as an analog telephone adapter or even ATA. You easily plug the adapter into your network router and attach your phone to the adapter, and you’re ready to produce calls. If you like, you are able to plug the adapter to a wall jack, connecting each phone in the home.
For corporations that want extensions and services that are even more closely identified with PBXs uncovered in the corporate globe, Vonage isn’t a very good option. Its Microscopic Business Project is built on a lone line, similar to a residential line, and does not provide facilities for multiple extensions, call transfers, administrative functions, and the more tasks virtually all corporate users take for granted. 2 more vendors are better suited for the corporate environment.
Vonage Features:
Equipment required: Broadband telephone adapter (included in activation fee) , Motorola VT1005V
$30 activation fee. No contract.
$39.99 termination fee after 14 days (refunded if you return the adapter)
call waiting, caller ID and conference calling.
911 service
TalkSwitch 48-CVA
The TalkSwitch uses your phone company’s existing phone lines and phone numbers to connect to the outside world, but uses your Internet connection to connect to other TalkSwitches in your company’s remote offices. This setup is simple to install and lets you keep your existing phone numbers and lines. It also lets you keep your existing phone bills, since your long-distance calls still travel over your phone-company lines. (Of course, you could replace your traditional phone lines with Vonage lines if your long-distance volume dictates such a move.)
Where TalkSwitch shines is in its features as a PBX and its ability to connect remote offices and treat them as a single phone system. When two or more TalkSwitches connect through the Internet, the company has a virtual PBX. The offices can make calls to one another by dialing extensions that may be in the same office or at a remote office without incurring long-distance charges.
The same connection can be used to make standard calls to phone numbers that are local to the remote office but long-distance from the calling office. I found this feature worked well, but it requires the person making the call to know whether the number is local to the remote office. That’s something many callers won’t make the effort to deal with.
TalkSwitch 48-CVA Features:
Price: $1,795
4 lines in
4 VoIP trunks
8 local extensions
8 remote extensions
Expandable to a 16-line, 32-extension phone system by networking up to four 48-CA or 48-CVA units on the LAN
9 Auto Attendants
26 voice mailboxes
Built-in traditional and VoIP trunks for combined network access
Full-featured PBX telephone system
Customer installable and configurable via PC interface
Works with standard analog cordless or corded phones and TalkSwitch TS 100 phone sets
Packet8 Virtual Office
Packet8 is a service provider. It will bring a “virtual office” by means of a hosted PBX that you are able to attach to from any broadband connection. The equipment consists of 1 DTA and 1 phone for every extension. Minimum configuration for a Packet8 system is 3 extensions, however there appears to be no upper limit to the number of extensions. Every DTA and phone combination costs $100, and there exists a $40 activation fee per line.
Because all the extensions attach to the equivalent PBX, calls to extensions and calls to outside amounts are processed just as they usually are in a corporate office. The phones have a huge LCD with soft-buttons for voicemail, don’t disturb, and each feature you would expect in a corporate PBX. I personally discovered the system elementary to utilise however as well incredibly flexible. Phone functions are managed applying the phone’s LCD and its buttons, while extension assignment, routing, auto-attendant, and system-related functions are managed through the PBX’s Web interface.
Packet8’s sound quality was incredibly fantastic. Calls between Packet8 VoIP lines were clear with no noticeable delay. Calls between Packet8 VoIP phones and standard phone lines were equally clear. The quality of the overall system was even more than acceptable.
This is the kind of system that fits any virtual office whose employees require to produce lots of long-distance calls. The Packet8 system is particularly well suited to today’s distributed virtual businesses. The fact that all the extensions are section of the equivalent system and operate as a seamless phone system puts a consolidated face on the distributed office.
Packet8 Virtual Office Features:
Price: $40 per extension per month, plus setup costs of $100 for equipment and $40 activation fee per line
Unlimited calling within the U.S. and Canada
Full-featured conference bridge for up to 20 participants
Auto-Attendant
Voicemail with message forwarding and e-mail notification
Call transfer and automatic call forwarding
3-way conferencing
Music/messaging on hold
Distinctive ringing for internal/external calls
Caller ID and call-waiting caller ID
Stutter tone notifications
Call park/call pick-up
Voip Service Review For Business Users
by Rashme Wong
VOIP For Your Business
Many businesses are considering VOIP for their telephone businees needs. Many don’t know exactly when they should consider it an option for them. Many do not understand how it differs from regular telephone service and how the two differ.
Many companies are now beginning to look into alternatives to high priced telephone systems currently in use. They are realizing that there are huge benefits financially to those switching over to VOIP. They are realizing there is greater functionality with VOIP as well as cost savings and room for growth.
The simple basics of VOIP is that it uses high speed internet lines to carry voice traffic instead of telephone lines.
There are two basic technologies.
IP telephony runs over a local area network also known as a LAN. this is a very cost effective way for communicating within an organization. It allows voice transmissions between people within a company who are part of an internal network.
VoIP is carried over a wide area network also know as a WAN. VoIP can be used to transmit voice through a WAN (such as the internet) or carry voice over a public WAN (such as the Internet) or a private WAN, which provides enhanced security for communications.
Why would a business consider making this change?
Large companies currenly use PBX systems. This is a private phone system within an organization. Users work with a certain number of lines for all external calls.
Some companies use a cental office exchange service know as Centrex, which is basically a PBX in which all routing occurs not on a company’s premises, but at the local telephone company.
Some use “Key systems”, which are very small PBXs, designed primarily for small offices.
These systems all share the same problem. When it comes to long distance the costs are enormous. As more and more this becomes a global world, long distance becomes a major necessity and this means one thing…large long-distance bills, Coupled with this these systems are difficult to change or expand with company growth and are unsuited to support more technically advanced communications. Because these systems are based upon proprietary technologies, companies are limited to only what the phone companies provide.
VOIP services make this a thing of the past. As VOIP gains popularity among companies seeking more cost effective services these antiquated phone systems are slowing disappearing. Expansion of services will be a breeze because of the technology involved with VOIP.
Companies will benefit from reduced overall costs as IP-based voice technology can virtually eliminate toll calls. It also slashes the cost of making add-ons, moves and changes to the system.
Enhanced functionality. VOIP offers all the options that callers are used to using such as call waiting, caller ID, unified messaging, directory services and vertical-specific applications. In addition, VOIP is a standard, open protocol, allowing companies to build their own audio applications or purchase other applications that will come from software developers.
Easy Expanion. As your company expands and grows this cost effective system will allow for expansion with very little cost.
Easy To Use. With VOIP, employees wil have many options–they can use a VOIP phone that is identical to a regular desk phone or use a “softphone” which loads into desktops, laptops or PDAs as software. Added benefit is that they will be able to use their telephone number in any location.
In time VOIP networks will become even more usefull as it will be able to support the convergence of data, video and voice services. This will enable companies to be ready for a plethora of multimedia applications that are emerging from developers. VOIP technology will give guaranteed levels of reliability, quality of service and security.
VOIP is now a fully developed technology, providing companies with a valuable voice system today, and allowing for the latest technological advances that will develop in the future.
Companies need to get in on the ground floor to take advantage of all the new technology that is coming and the savings it will afford.
VOIP For Your Business
by Jean Sutherland
Many companies are now beginning to look into alternatives to high priced telephone systems currently in use. They are realizing that there are huge benefits financially to those switching over to VOIP. They are realizing there is greater functionality with VOIP as well as cost savings and room for growth.
The simple basics of VOIP is that it uses high speed internet lines to carry voice traffic instead of telephone lines.
There are two basic technologies.
IP telephony runs over a local area network also known as a LAN. this is a very cost effective way for communicating within an organization. It allows voice transmissions between people within a company who are part of an internal network.
VoIP is carried over a wide area network also know as a WAN. VoIP can be used to transmit voice through a WAN (such as the internet) or carry voice over a public WAN (such as the Internet) or a private WAN, which provides enhanced security for communications.
Why would a business consider making this change?
Large companies currenly use PBX systems. This is a private phone system within an organization. Users work with a certain number of lines for all external calls.
Some companies use a cental office exchange service know as Centrex, which is basically a PBX in which all routing occurs not on a company’s premises, but at the local telephone company.
Some use “Key systems”, which are very small PBXs, designed primarily for small offices.
These systems all share the same problem. When it comes to long distance the costs are enormous. As more and more this becomes a global world, long distance becomes a major necessity and this means one thing…large long-distance bills, Coupled with this these systems are difficult to change or expand with company growth and are unsuited to support more technically advanced communications. Because these systems are based upon proprietary technologies, companies are limited to only what the phone companies provide.
VOIP services make this a thing of the past. As VOIP gains popularity among companies seeking more cost effective services these antiquated phone systems are slowing disappearing. Expansion of services will be a breeze because of the technology involved with VOIP.
Companies will benefit from reduced overall costs as IP-based voice technology can virtually eliminate toll calls. It also slashes the cost of making add-ons, moves and changes to the system.
Enhanced functionality. VOIP offers all the options that callers are used to using such as call waiting, caller ID, unified messaging, directory services and vertical-specific applications. In addition, VOIP is a standard, open protocol, allowing companies to build their own audio applications or purchase other applications that will come from software developers.
Easy Expanion. As your company expands and grows this cost effective system will allow for expansion with very little cost.
Easy To Use. With VOIP, employees wil have many options–they can use a VOIP phone that is identical to a regular desk phone or use a “softphone” which loads into desktops, laptops or PDAs as software. Added benefit is that they will be able to use their telephone number in any location.
In time VOIP networks will become even more usefull as it will be able to support the convergence of data, video and voice services. This will enable companies to be ready for a plethora of multimedia applications that are emerging from developers. VOIP technology will give guaranteed levels of reliability, quality of service and security.
VOIP is now a fully developed technology, providing companies with a valuable voice system today, and allowing for the latest technological advances that will develop in the future.
Companies need to get in on the ground floor to take advantage of all the new technology that is coming and the savings it will afford.
VOIP For Your Business
by Jean Sutherland
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