HostedPowerDialer.com

September 4, 2010

The Benefits Of Fiber Optics For Business

Filed under: phone — Tags: , , , , , , , , — Dave Davies @ 1:45 pm

The invention of fiber optics has had quite a broad impact on industries and businesses worldwide. While most people are aware that fiber optics are used in telecommunications, there are a number of other applications that impact various industries. Whether you are a small home-based business or a large multi-national corporation, it is almost certain that in some way fiber optic cables help to make your business more efficient. Let’s take a more detailed look at what fiber optic cables are and what their various business applications entail.

How Do Fiber Optic Cables Work?

Fiber optics work on the principle of light pulses being transmitted through a specific type of cable. A fiber optic cable is made up of several components. The inner core carries the light pulses that are transmitted. The core is surrounded by cladding which reflects the light pulses back into the core. These two components are surrounded by a buffer coating which is basically the protective layer of the cable. It ensures that no moisture gets into the core or cladding, and protects them from environmental damage. When a light pulse is passed through the cable, it reflects and bounces off the cladding and transmits data at an incredible speed, and with greater clarity and less interference than old technology copper cables do.

Why Are Fiber Optics So Efficient?

As mentioned, fiber optics are used extensively in the communications industry. Fiber optics technology allows the transmission of data over a far greater distance than wire cables. Fiber optic cables are also able to transmit much larger bandwidths of data at a time. This makes for far more efficient communications. One of the major benefits of fiber optic cable over wire cables is that there is less signal loss over distances. Fiber optic cables do not generate any electricity. Because of this, they don’t cause electromagnetic interference. With standard wire cabling, it needs to be properly insulated, otherwise interference and cross talk can occur between cables. Electric cables also cannot be used in environments where explosive fumes are present as they could be an ignition source. Fiber optic cables are not ignition sources because they do not conduct electricity and are therefore considered safer to use in such hazardous environments.

Fiber optic cables are also ideal for use in high-voltage environments because they do not conduct electricity. In this way, they protect surrounding communications equipment. The same applies to tall metal structures, such as power lines and telephone poles, which are prone to lightening strikes. Towers that are fitted with fiber optic cabling will have less risk of equipment damaged.

Different Applications for Fiber Optics

The most extensive application of fiber optics is in the telecommunications industry. Fiber optics are often used for video transmissions as they can transport images across thousands of miles with incredible clarity. In security systems, fiber optic sensors are used to detect movement. Generally, a fiber optic sensor will be placed along a fence line and linked to a module which reflects the signal. If the signal is disturbed, it is electronically analyzed and can trigger an alarm. Fiber optics are also used in a wide range of illumination applications. Many art galleries, museums and shops use fiber optics to enhance their displays. Stores that have Swarovski crystals are known to use fiber optics to illuminate the crystal displays using only a single light source. Artificial Christmas trees use fiber optics to light up and reflect different colors. In architectural applications, fiber optical cables can be used to transmit natural light throughout a building. These types of cables are known as non-imaging optics.

In the medical field, fiber optics are used in advanced surgery. Often, there are cases where a bright light needs to be shone on an area that does not have a direct line of sight. Because fiber optic cables are flexible, they can be efficiently used for such applications. This fiber optical equipment is known as an endoscope. This technology is particularly useful when sensitive surgery needs to be performed or when exploratory surgery is required. One of the benefits is that procedures which use endoscopes are not very invasive. This allows patients to heal more quickly following their surgeries. Similar technology is used in industrial applications where objects that are hard to reach need to be inspected, such as with jet engines. Fiber optics are also becoming more popular as sighting mechanisms on handguns. These sights provide a greater level of accuracy when shooting.

No matter your size, we’ve got you covered. For over a decade, our High-Performance Network has internet business solutions from coast-to-coast. Because we own and operate a continent-wide fiber optic network, wherever you are, we’re there too!

August 29, 2010

Hire A Phone Systems Technician Or DIY?

Filed under: phone — Tags: , , , , , , , — Karri Owens @ 6:17 pm

For a small business just setting up or expanding, it seems logical to save money by installing your own business telephone system. After all, there is a wealth of information on the Internet, and you know your PBX from your VOIP, right?

Although in the long run it makes more sense to hire a phone systems technician. Phone systems technicians have exposure to and training with a large variety of systems from simple 4-line setups to complex networks spread over multiple locations and with dozens of custom components. Also, a good phone systems technician will calculate your needs and recommend the optimum setup for your situation, using the most fitting equipment and efficient phone layouts. They are up to date on the latest technology and know where to find the best deals on hardware, including possibilities like refurbished systems, or even upgrading and expanding your existing system instead of the full replacement you had envisioned.

A phone systems technician can save you immeasurable time and frustration. He or she knows that you need to focus on your business, and as a small business person even a few hours off line can cost you dearly in terms of money and clients! The tech can plan and prepare for the install so that any cutover to a new system takes place during a period of low or no call volume and will plan for any downtime needed for troubleshooting and tweaking to fall over a weekend or other off time, and will commit to doing whatever it takes to have you up and running on Monday morning.

Also, the phone service technician can be a helpful resource to you and your staff. Rather than each person struggling to learn the system, assign extensions, establish rollover patterns, select hold music and ringtones, and set up voicemail accounts, the tech can complete all these tasks and even contribute training to all employees or one or two as a “train the trainer” service so that everyone is familiar with the new system the minute it goes live.

An excellent phone service technician’s job is not over when you receive your first incoming call. He or she will remain a resource to you going forward, able to advise and troubleshoot on any issues or needs that arise, keeping your business’s link to the outside world in perfect working order.

Learn more about San Juan Telephone Systems? Stop by www.ctsphones.com where you can find out all about Irvine Telephone Systems and what they can offer your business.

August 25, 2010

Do I Need A VoIP PBX?

Filed under: phone — Tags: , , , , , , — Michael Keilhofer @ 12:49 pm

Almost all businesses use a PBX (Private Branch Exchange) as a local phone system to receive and place calls. A PBX provides business oriented features that your local phone company cannot offer.

An IP-PBX is just a PBX that uses VoIP (Voice over IP) technologies as a way to transport the voice and signaling used to get phone calls from once place to another.

The ability to offer features like letting your business callers reach you on your cell phone even when you’re out of the office is one feature only an IP-PBX typically can offer.

Some of the features older phone systems typically cannot offer are: find me/follow me, personalized call screening and presence detection.

Two of the most common claimed advantages of VoIP is that it’s free and you don’t need additional wiring for your phones. We all know that nothing is free. And you might be able to use your current network wiring for your phones.

The calculations for Bandwidth utilization when utilizing VoIP are beyond the scope of this article. It is usually a good idea to think of needing 80Kb per conversation though this does depend on how your VoIP equipment is set up. To get a good idea, you will need to estimate the maximum number of simultaneous phone conversations expected.

But bandwidth is only part of what needs to be considered. The real issue with using VoIP is that voice traffic should be considered a higher priority transmission than data. And while VoIP devices usually do a good job of setting the appropriate information to let the world know it is voice, many older network devices still do a poor job of honoring this information.

Since VoIP is just digital data, each piece of network equipment adds a little delay to the voice. If you have a large number of devices in between two VoIP connected phones, a delay of several hundred milliseconds or more is possible.

Your VoIP network in the work place is a LAN (Local Area Network) giving you complete control of network devices. And because most businesses have a 10/100 rated LAN and small number of switches, there shouldn’t be too many devices between any two extensions.

Can you use your existing network data connections for your voice traffic? Sometimes. If your business does a lot of heavy movement of data, such as downloads or uploads to or from the Internet or moving or printing large files, then you might want to consider either using a separate LAN or using your legacy telephone wiring as the other LAN for your voice traffic.

Existing telephone wiring may work fine as a separate network if it is Cat 5 or better wiring and you change the connectors from the typical RJ11 to RJ45. Only some testing will tell for sure.

Before discussing the cost of moving to a VoIP phone system, I recommend having your VoIP reseller perform an on site evaluation of your network cabling and equipment. Most VoIP phone system resellers have a good understanding of potential issues and want to make sure you’re happy with your new system.

Looking to find the real information on IP-PBX, then visit us to find information on VoIP Products.

August 14, 2010

The Open Source Asterisk Phone System, Could Help Reduce Business Expenses

Filed under: phone — Tags: , , , , , , , — Adriana Noton @ 7:25 am

The Asterisk phone system has contributed a lot to the Internet revolution. This technology has the potential to make traditional land line phones a thing of the past, within business settings. The use of digital technology, is able to deliver high quality calls to computers, mobile phones and land line phones. It can be configured for use with voice and video calls, conference calls can also be made. When attached to a computer, the system can also transmit computer files during a call. This phone system has been developed as open source software, which is freely available to all.

Digital technology has allowed for the development of VOIP. Voice over Internet Protocol, uses the Internet for making telephone calls. This technology digitizes the voice and video components of the call and transmits them over the Internet. When they are received, they are converted back into voice and video. Due to the number of devices which can make and receive these calls, this technology is becoming more popular.

These calls, because of the volume of digital information being sent, require a fast connection. When video calls are being made, even more digital information is being sent and work best on fast broadband lines. As telecoms companies continue to invest in fiber-optic technologies, these digital telecommunication options will become more viable.

Internet based phone calls are able to revolutionize home and business telecommunications. Call costs for land line and mobile calls are extremely cheap, and from computer to computer are free, except for Internet charges. Internet protocol desktop phones are able to connect through USB cables to a computer, or through wire-less routers. In business settings, the use of Internet Protocol Private Business Exchanges (IP-PBX) will also contribute to the business communications revolution.

Contact centers have become an essential part of a lot of businesses. Being able to manage customers calls and information reliably is extremely important. Open source call center software, is helping a range of companies to become even more competitive. This free software is able to be configured, to suit any business organization. The system can also be adapted as the company grows, to meet it’s ever changing needs.

Internet protocol-private business exchanges (IP-PBX), are another digital technology which is changing organizational telecommunications. These exchanges are helping organizations to save money, by using the Internet to route their phone calls. Companies can save even more off the balance sheet, by getting their non-office based staff to use Internet mobile phone. These portable devices allow free calls over the Internet.

Computer based Internet calls are great for companies with overseas offices. Long distance and international calls, can sound crisp and clear. By using a headset and microphone at a computer or laptop, cost free video calls can be made at any time of the day or night. Whilst at the computer, it is easy to share photos, sound and other files with the person to whom you are talking.

As technology continues to advance, and Internet based telephony which is widely adapted by open source call center Toronto continues to grow, more options will become available to those ready to accept them. The Asterisk phone system will continue to be developed in line with the most advanced technologies, and companies will be able to adapt the system as needed With Internet speeds continuing to develop, the clarity of Internet calls will only improve, allowing even better communication.

Asterix phone system provider offers support on Business Center solutions for VOIP PBX Vancouver.

August 12, 2010

Say Goodbye To Old Phones And Hello To New Voice Services

Filed under: phone — Tags: , , , , , , , — Dave Davies @ 11:08 am

There are many new terms being bandied about that have to do with the latest phone technology, or telephony. There are so many that sometimes it seems there are more terms than products, services and online customer service representatives. There are hosted services and networked services, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and plain old IP telephony, plus plenty of terms, plans and service packages with facts, figures and claims about scalability, reliability, service quality, security, privacy and storage. It is a lot to digest.

Small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) may have taken the lead in implementing the new voice services, but large enterprises are finding rationales and reasons to follow the SMBs down this digital pathway. Because defining and explaining the advantage of the new voice services initially took a back seat to the hype-and-buzz machine, companies supplying these services have made the value proposition hard to grasp. There are a number of major issues you need to consider before you start deciding what new digital voice services are best for your firm.

In-house IT expertise

When you start using VoIP or IP phone technology, for all or part of your voice services solution, you are heading down the path of that oft-misused term, convergence. If you do not have top IT people with state-of-the-art expertise, you will need to add personnel or go for a hosted solution. It will take a leading-edge business communications firm to meet you wherever your firm happens to be on that convergence path, and offer services and support to get the job done the way you want it.

If you firm’s IT is able to manage VoIP and other new voice services, you still need to apportion your in-house expertise to handle all your other work. You may discover that the economic argument for handling new voice services wholly in-house, or even partly, is no longer a slam dunk (if it ever was). Whether it is matter of budgets or of higher strategic priorities for your IT team, if you have one, the move to a new service model may include some hosted features, leaving your IT resources focused more important functions.

What is your motivation?

Many SMBs were motivated to look into new telephony services by the wide-ranging need to reduce costs across the board. If the economic argument is a winner, that may be all it takes to tip the decision in favor of starting down that road to convergence. Businesses with long-term phone company accounts are keenly aware of the high costs as opposed to IP-based voice services, so this is a key consideration or any size or type of firm. Alternatively, some businesses would reap limited economic benefit with new services, hosted or otherwise, but may have a clear strategic justification for outsourcing operations that do not yield a competitive advantage. This brings the consideration out of the accounting department, so to speak, and looks at the big picture, the firm’s mission and position.

New voice services, however deployed, will likely be the way many companies do get on the convergence path for the first time. Once on, only going out of business will take them off the path. When they first implement their new voice services, it will become clear that communication is not solely, or even mainly, about voice. So, in addition to having hosted solutions or customized la carte ones, these businesses will be rewarded with richer telephony experiences. These are likely to spur even more wide-ranging integrated communications, and bring voice, other audio, video and data together in ways that were impossible just a decade ago.

Bottom line

Do you trust the cloud? The extent to which you do is good indicator of how quickly your firm will buy into some parts of the new voice services model, which can include a greater or lesser degree of hosting in the cloud. There are always considerations of trust for outsourcing any job or service, but clearly the cloud model can offer both complementary services as well as an alternative to hosted services. Every company’s situation is unique, so you need to review the foregoing considerations, add more of your own and decide what is right in your particular situation.

It may be that you want to dip your toe in the water before diving all the way in. Be assured that there are plenty of business communications firms with the expertise to chart you a course through the always-choppy waters of technological change. Finding a great vendor you can trust, of course, is of primary importance.

No matter your size, we’ve got you covered. For over a decade, our High-Performance Network has internet business solutions from coast-to-coast. Because we own and operate a continent-wide fiber optic network, wherever you are, we’re there too!

August 8, 2010

Lightyear Voip Offers A Better Phone Service

Filed under: phone — Tags: , , , , , , , — Lawanda Dodson @ 9:21 am

If you like many other customers are tired of large bills and bad service from your traditional phone lines, it may be time to try something different. Lightyear VOIP gives you better service at a lower cost. VOIP service is very dependable and offers many enhanced features that may not be available with traditional land lines.

For your small or medium business, you will find that the services offered by Lightyear work well with your existing PBX. The service allows calls to be answered in a central office and directed to the correct department. There is no need for all phones to ring if you only need to speak with one employee.

If your business does a large amount of long distance calling, VOIP can save you thousands of dollars every month. If you are still paying for long distance service on a per minute basis, you are paying far too much for phone service. VOIP helps to eliminate long distance charges by giving you a flat rate service.

International calling using VOIP service is often offered at very large discounts. If there is one country where most of your international calls are directed, you may be able to add calls to that country to the flat rate long distance for only a small fee.

You may choose to add several other premium features to your service. Features such as enhanced voice mail, three way calling, caller ID and call block can all be added for a nominal fee.

Unlike cellular service, VOIP service can be set up so that 911 services recognize your number and can respond to your call even if you are unable to give an address. If you move the phone to a new location, you will need to change the registered address to match.

Many businesses like the advantage of being able to have local exchanges in several locations that all ring to a central office. With these services, you do not have to choose 800 numbers, but can have local area codes and exchanges for many different cities across the nation. You could have phones from New York City and LA all ring at your local Boise call center. Customers are dialing in on a local number but reach you with no long distance charges.

Lightyear VOIP is available to both small or medium business and residential customers. VOIP offers improved phone service at a much lower cost than an ordinary land line.

lightyear voip

Looking to find the single source of helpful information on lightyear voip?

categories: voice over ip, voip, communication, language, news, media, telephone

July 25, 2010

SaaS Solutions Sell Fast In A/NZ IT Market After Recession

Filed under: CRM — Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , — Johanna Bennett @ 4:02 pm

Software-as-a-Service providers are in keen demand post-GFC as organisations look to control costs. iStart’s fifth annual Investment Intentions Survey shows that almost two-out-of-three companies are now using SaaS applications – up from a half a year ago…

ICT investment in A/NZ is predicted to improve slightly (+6.7%) in 2010, bouncing back from a 32 percent drop in 2009 according to the survey. This equates to an estimated A$23 million recovery in revenue for the region’s ICT vendors.

The 400 organisations responding to the survey represent a A$373 million share of Australasia’s estimated A$5.0 billion ICT investment market.

Uptake of SaaS (software as a service) or “on demand” applications gained significant share, and are now fimly in common acceptance. While the overall ICT investment market reduced, SaaS applications grabbed market share from their traditional application rivals.

CRM, eMail and Web hosting/content management leading the SaaS application race, although increased usage was seen across all SaaS categories (ERP, CRM, BI, eMarketing), with one exception – eMail hosting – which dropped from 13% to 11% of businesses – most likely due to larger organisations represented in this year’s results.

GM of iStart, Hayden McCall, said that while the increase looked positive, it is up from a low base.

In publishing the results, McCall commented “the question is whether spend will ever fully recover to pre-recession levels, or whether intense competition, ‘right-sizing’ of solutions and SaaS uptake mean lower investment levels are here to stay.”

If readers are considering a technology investment, iStart ‘technology in business’ research portals (ref www.iStart.co.nz or www.istart.com.au) are the place to go with hundreds of case studies on business technology such as financial packages, manufacturing solutions, ERP, CRM and BI across A/NZ and buyers guides for the leading solution providers.

Click here to read the full version of the Survey.

Learn more about the productivity gains possible from investment in technology solutions. The iStart site is where you can research ERP software and what it can do for you.

July 21, 2010

Reason For The Inmate Telephone Systems – Help Inmates To Rehabilitate

Filed under: phone — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Mike Zimmerman @ 12:50 pm

Prisons are getting more and more humane with every passing year. In the 20th century the prison used to be a terrible place in which violence was overwhelming. Nowadays prisons help by keeping all the felons away from the society and impose a punishment against them. Of course different crimes are dealt by different people, this is why the harm done by the inmates often varies, but meaningless what crime the prisoner has committed he has the same rights as all other prisoners. Each of those prisoners is burning of desire to get in touch with his family, household and friends. This is why the telephone system was applied to the prison facilities. It benefits the prisoners by uplifting their psychological state and makes them want to change their life so that they can once again unite with their family and friends.

The inmate telephone system has many benefits like correcting the psychological and spiritual state of the prisoners and making them safer for the society and other inmates. A prisoner who can’t keep in touch his close ones will be most likely to try to escape, hurt somebody or worse. The lack of a relative to talk to is likely to ruin his psychological condition and make him vulnerable bad thoughts and influence. While a talk with a close friends or family member will give the inmate the hope and strength to find and change himself so that he can be a good member of society.

The inmate telephone system keeps the memory about his friends and family alive in the mind of the prisoner. This way he will receive the spiritual power to fight against his old self and try to change to be a better person. His family should try to help him in every way possible while the inmate is in prison and there is no better way to do that than to remind him what he is missing and power his willingness to change.

However not all of the inmates will use the telephone system to do good deeds. Some of them may try to keep in touch with their old friends who probably pushed them into committing the offences because of which they are now in prison. Of course the workers of the inmate telephone system service providers take that in mind and track each call so if such a thing happens the communication will be stopped immediately and the inmate penalized.

But the inmate telephone system doesn’t only benefit to the inmate, but also to the family of the prisoner. The ability for them to know that their family member is fine can help them go through those tough months or years while he is missing more light for them. The inmate telephone system is surely a big step to the rehabilitation programs for inmates which have committed crimes. It allows them to connect with their family and friends who can help them with their spiritual and psychological condition. These telephone systems should be installed in every correctional facility.

Learn how to save money on inmate phone calls to keep in touch with your loved ones, including methods of using local numbers to call nationally. Check out our website on inmate phone services and save.

July 15, 2010

Get Better Phone System Business Features And Lower Cost With Hosted VoIP Phone Systems

Filed under: phone — Tags: , , , , , , — Rolf Versluis @ 2:05 pm

A Hosted VoIP Phone system is a great way for an organization with 50 users or less to get all the benefits of an Office VoIP Phone system without any of the problems that come with taking care of it.

A Hosted VoIP system can provide much better voice and messaging capabilities than traditional in-office PBX phone systems. For example, any voicemail messages can be forwarded to an email address for listening to right away. Many of the capabilities that users have on their cellphones are available on a Hosted VoIP system, like a listing of missed, received, and dialed calls. Also, inbound calls can be sent both to the desk phone and cellphone of a user at the same time.

A traditional PBX was very reliable, but a Hosted VoIP system actually has a higher level of reliability. One of the many benefits of using VoIP is the ability to send a call to a phone that can be reached through a reliable internet path. If, for example, your employees are unable to come into work due to a bad traffic jam, earthquake, or other problem, the calls could still be sent to different locations, like VoIP phones at another office, or to VoIP phones at your employees homes, or even to people’s cellphones.

The most significant advantage of Hosted VoIP is the lower price. Because there is no large system to buy, the upfront cost is limited to the VoIP phones and some basic network upgrades to support reliable VoIP call delivery. The monthly cost is also lower, since there is no need to have a maintenance contract with a local telephone company.

Voice sound quality, and call reliability, on a Hosted VoIP Phone system can be better than on traditional office phone systems as well, as long as some good network guidelines are followed.

Read more about VoIP solutions from Rolf Versluis, an Electrical Engineer and Cisco Certfied Voice Professional who has been designing, installing, and supporting VoIP for business since 2000.

July 14, 2010

A/NZ IT Market Keen On SaaS Solutions Post-recession

Filed under: CRM — Tags: , , , , , , , , , — Johanna Bennett @ 6:39 pm

SaaS solutions are under demand in the fall-out from the GFC as businesses look to contain costs. iStart’s 5th annual Investment Intentions Survey shows that almost two-thirds of companies are using software-as-a-service applications – up from just half a year ago.

ICT investment in A/NZ is predicted to improve slightly (+6.7%) in 2010, bouncing back from a 32 percent drop in 2009 according to the survey. This equates to an estimated A$23 million recovery in revenue for the region’s ICT vendors.

The 400 businesses completing to the survey represent a A$373 million chunk of Australasia’s A$5.0 billion ICT investment spend.

Uptake of SaaS (software as a service) or “on demand” applications gained significant share, and are now fimly in common acceptance. While the overall ICT investment market reduced, SaaS applications grabbed market share from their traditional application rivals.

CRM, eMail and Web hosting/content management are the leading SaaS applications, but increased usage has occurred across all SaaS categories (ERP, CRM, BI, eMarketing), with just one exception – eMail hosting – which declined from 13 percent to 11 percent of organisations – most likely reflective of a larger organisational skew in this year’s results.

GM of iStart, Hayden McCall, said that while the increase looked positive, it is up from a low base.

In releasing the results, McCall said “the question is whether spend will ever recover to pre-GFC levels, or whether tough competition, ‘right-sizing’ of solutions and the lower overall costs of SaaS soluitons mean lower investment levels are here to stay.”

If readers are considering a technology investment, iStart ‘technology in business’ research portals (ref www.iStart.co.nz or www.istart.com.au) are the place to go with hundreds of case studies on business technology such as financial packages, manufacturing solutions, ERP, CRM and BI across A/NZ and buyers guides for the leading solution providers.

Click here to read the full version of the iStart Investment Intentions Survey

http://www.istart.co.nz/index/HM20/PC0/PVC197/EX245/AR213279

Looking to find out about the best business software, then visit www.iStart.com.au to search case studies, thought leadership articles and buyers guides on ERP, CRM, BI and eCommerce solutions relevant to your business.

Older Posts »

Powered by WordPress