Cutting costs, increasing professional image and remaining competitive can be overwhelming. The solution is very simple as it is found in tour telephone line.

Your phone system is your first interaction with a potential client. First impressions can affect the outcome of how professional your business looks. Keeping ahead of older technologies means that choosing a VoIP PBX system is important. Businesses then have their own private system to handle calls, customize calling branches and developing a navigable network that showcases professionalism.

The drawback to a VoIP PBX system is that it can be a costly and complicated investment that many smaller companies cannot afford. Infrastructure is important and sometimes making the investment in upgrading systems is necessary.

The benefits of a VoIP PBX system are endless. This system gives a business the capability to put their entire system online, running through the broadband Internet lines and this eliminates the need to install a network of messy wires. Hosting the system with an outside company saves on overhead, maintenance and it saves on unnecessary stress.

Outsourced VoIP PBX systems do not mean a loss of control over the phone systems. Some companies have experienced that they have more control. A hosting company has the technological expertise to design a system that meets individual specifications. VoIP PBX systems can be customized so getting exactly what you want is made simple.

Switching to VoIP PBX system is the easiest way to cut costs and remain competitive in today’s global market.

With the help of the latest technologies and advancements, the world is shrinking to comparatively smaller village. The ability to communicate with people across the globe by means of written messages or chat rooms on the internet has been faded with desire to speak to people on the telephone. But, while talking over to traditional telephone services, the users have to empty their pocket at the end of the month. Considering the various issues regrading previous network and services, cheap international calls have been a big hit in the hot telecom domain.

These international calls help the users to make local, national and international calls at discounted rates. With cheap international calling services, the users can really feel at home, by talking to their family or the near and dear ones. Therefore, it can be said that advancement in the technology is a way to make common men ‘life easier and comfortable’. Unlike PSTN, the VoIP technology has made the dream come true which was earlier unthinkable in context with the frequent and long distance international calls. The VoIP is a low-priced and high tech answer to make international calls economical and affordable. In comparison to the PSTN services, the cost of making VoIP calls is at least three times cheaper.

The latest fiber optics or internet telephony services have made it possible to talk with the people on other side of the globe without a great deal of expense. Behind this trend, the internet is the main driving force which helps the users to enjoy “unified” communication. The packet switching technique has been forced to deal with the cost issue of international calls. Moreover, without dialing a PIN, one can get value-added features such as call history, online phone book, call waiting and call forwarding.

Nowadays, various international call plans are available in the market. One can choose the plan that is most suitable for his or her needs. With the help of international calling plans, businesses with global presence have increased their profits by almost double folds, as they lowered down their monthly bills up to 40 to 60 percent. Most businesses have opted for this option because their business demands- frequent and regular networking with their customers.

While calling over the IP networks, the business entities enjoy excellent voice quality which improves the productivity. Unlike the PSTN services, the VoIP technology is backed with clear and free voice reception among the sender and receiver.

Interestingly, it is the bandwidth which governs the quality of the voice over the internet. As a matter of fact, with a high bandwidth connection one can get better sound quality. This is because, the voice data is passed even when there is apparent network congestion. The VoIP services are up loaded like any other software application.

The VoIP or voice over IP services are well known for fast and excellent “unified” communication. Unlike, the circuit switching technique, the advanced telecommunication boasts of packet switching technique. This technique digitalises voice signals into IP packets. This voice over IP process is one of the cheapest way of calling across the globe. The internet telephony provides a single cable for sending and receiving voice, video, data and images. While calling over the internet, there is a reduction in per minute call costs, which in turn translates into an efficient use of resources.

To avail the benefit of cheap international calls, the users must always compare the offers from various providers. The competition in VoIP is quite high, unlike before and it has motivated providers to come up with bundled services to attract users.

It is well proclaimed fact that people cannot live without talking to their relatives and friends living far somewhere in the other country. And talking at STD and ISD over mobile phones is very expensive for a common man. So, understanding better the need of communication in this era, technology puts forward its best foot to establish a network of VoIP (Voice-over Internet Protocol). This latest technology offers cheap calls across the globe through Internet. For making free international calls, VoIP is the best way. Calling through Internet is spreading its wings, more than the telecommunication, in the life of general public as well. There is no death in the calling plans that facilitates their users to make cheap VoIP calls anywhere on this planet.

Brain drain is very common for today’s lifestyle and attracting wider population. People are moving abroad for better living and secure future. Students generally dreams to pursue their higher education abroad, similarly students from abroad loves to visit India to achieve quality education offered by our country. India has well organised education system which attracts number of student from other countries as well. Enrolling in the university is a lengthy process which require frequent calling from the student’s side to confirm some formalities. If he/she rely on mobile phones then it would cost them almost half of the cost of their admission fees. So, this latest technology is a a great find for them to make VoIP calls to India at very cheaper rates. VoIP is also beneficial for the recruitment in overseas countries, because it enables to conduct interview sitting at home.

To catch larger population, may lucrative deals are being offered by the VoIP providers. VoIP technology is very simple to use. Herculean portals are available on the web that offer special calling plans to make cheap VoIP calls to Pakistan, UK, Bangladesh, India and many other countries. You just need a PC and a speedy Internet connection to make calls through VoIP. It takes hardly couple of minutes to download the supporting software, after that you are free to make PC to PC and PC to phone calls anywhere through VoIP. Best feature of this advance technology is that caller experience disruption free calling with high voice quality. So, there is no need to hold your breath while making cheap international calls, just take a deep breath and feel free to make calls at low rates.

We’ve had mobile phones with cameras, music and internet. Well, now there’s one with Skype: the amazing 3 Skype phone.
Witness the amazing 3 Skype phone

Released by the network 3, the 3 Skype phone is, quite literally, the first phone in history to be fully integrated with, and include, Skype straight out of the box. Oh sure a few mobile phones have let you download it in the past, but that’s always taken time, and up until now, none of them have come with it straight out the box, fully featured, and ready to rock within minutes!

As we take our guided tour round the Skype phone, let’s take in some of the cool features it has. Starting with the exterior of this exceptional mobile phone, it really is a clean-lined, chic beauty, with a gorgeous screen and well laid out, nicely lit keypad. And riiiight in the centre of the phone is a button labelled Skype. I’ll come back to that in a second, but I’ll give you 3 guesses what that button does! Around the back, you’ll find a great 2 megapixel camera, which, while not huge, is nicely big enough to give you great photos on the spur of the moment!
Features that put other mobile phones to shame!

Ok, I can tell you’re dying to see what happens when you press the Skype button, so let’s find out. Well, as you may have guessed (and if you’ve seen the name ‘Skype phone’, you really should’ve done!), that button kickstarts the Skype messenger service into life. Now, anyone who’s used it will know what it’s all about, but for those don’t, Skype is what’s called a VoIP program. That’s Voice-over-IP, or internet phone calls, to you and me. It lets you make calls to any other Skype user in the world, without using or your minutes or credit on your normal mobile phone plan. Even better than that, though, is the fact that if you already use Skype, you can log in using your existing details, and just use your existing contacts with, and I say this emphatically, ABSOLUTELY NO FUSS WHATSOEVER!

But of course, the Skype phone isn’t just a one trick phone. It’s not just built around 1 cool trick. It does lots of cool tricks! So, as well as Skype, you get Facebook access, straight out the box, Yahoo! and Google tools, internet access… in fact, as mobile phones go, the Skype phone is quite simply stunning! So, check it out today!

Now anybody can have a cable TV, not just the wealthy. Technologies like HDTV Cable TV are helping to boost Cable TVs lately. Comcast is the name that comes to one’s mind when one talks about Cable TVs, since they are providing quality services for a very long time. Their customer’s benefit from the use of the latest technology and consistently reliable services. They ensure that all of the pitfalls of satellite TV are avoided. Comcast is not only offering digital cable but is pleased to offer new services like digital phone and Internet as well.

The Internet Service You Currently Have Is No Competition To The Speed Of Comcast Broadband Connection

Internet as become just as important for entertainment as Cable TV. Comcast offers you broadband internet which doesn’t require you to limit your stay on the net for a given time period, as is often the case with dial-up services. Even though all the members of your family are online simultaneously, Comcast broadband internet won’t slow down anyone. In an effort to make utilizing the internet simpler and safer, high speed internet provider Comcast, provides exciting features for its users. For instance, besides a cable modem for connection to the internet, you will be provided with a router as well. It is a fast, reliable and affordable service that you get. So if you want high speed connectivity to the internet at a low cost, then Comcast broadband is just meant for you!

You Will Get An Astonishing Picture And Sound From Comcast Digital TV

Our lives have changed drastically due to digital technology. A digital TV allows you to interact with your TV in a better way. Besides, the digital format offers sharp pictures and keeps interference away. Comcast Digital TV provides all the big network channels as well as a whole range of great movies on demand and TV shows while costing less than satellite TV service. Comcast’s Digital Television offers features you want, including an electronic program guide, digital sound, music channels, digital receivers and more. You will be guaranteed the best digital TV at a cheap rate.

With Comcast Phone Service You Will Get A Flat, Low Rate Phone Bill

Not only does Comcast provide exceptional telephone services but they also offer huge savings in current service prices. You can get an infinite number of calls from Comcast’s digital phone service. Features include call waiting, forwarding, caller ID, voicemail and several more. With Comcast, you don’t have to worry about surprise billing, everything is charged for by the month. You get nearly anything you could possibly want from the novel technology. A good way to get unlimited long distance calls and other features associated with a basic phone, is from Comcast’s digital voice service.

Comcast just started with the Internet technology in the past few years, and it has a status of a veteran in the cable services. Being the largest cable company in the United States, Comcast is the best bet for any or all of the services as mentioned above.

The Acer Aspire One D150-1920 Notebook has been a big hit in the market. If you’re looking for a light and portable laptop, then this Aspire One Notebook is what you should be looking for. It is perfectly weighted and you can just put it into your bag and carry it wherever you want.

This Aspire One D Series notebook is powered by an Intel Atom N270 1.6 GHz Processor and a 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM. This delivers an amazing performance that has me hooked on to it for hours. The size of the keyboard is compact and the key spacing is almost perfect.

In terms of storage, the 160 GB hard drive lets me save all the files that I want. Its external memory card slots also support most flash card types. I also find the 10.1″ WSVGA display of this Aspire One notebook quite impressive. The picture quality with images rich in color is more than what I could’ve asked for. The display is backed by an Intel Graphics Media Accelerator 950. The audio output of this Acer LU.S560B.103 Notebook is well supplemented by two integrated stereo speakers.

I’ve been tired of the poor networking quality of the laptops I’ve used in the past. But this Acer netbook laptop, with built-in Wi-Fi and fast Ethernet, has brought all my networking problems to an end. Browsing the web, managing e-mails, messaging, making VoIP calls, streaming videos, and viewing photos have all become simple, to say the least.

I think the most prominent feature of this Acer mini laptop is its six-hour battery run-time offered by a six-cell Lithium-ion battery. Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition (SP3) is pre-installed on this Acer laptop computer.

This pretty pink laptop looks quite trendy, and is certainly affordable They say ”great things come in small packages”- it’s very true for this netbook.

A major shift in telecommunications from circuit to packet switched technology, along with increasing sophistication of the corporate LAN/WAN, is prompting businesses of all sizes to consider merging their voice and data networks. Increased bandwidth availability through gigabit Ethernet and fiber trunk lines allow for telephony to be treated as any other application on the IP network, albeit a very needy one.

Whereas the main motivation for individual consumers to make the switch to VoIP may be cost, as evidenced by the acceptance of such upstarts as Vonage, for businesses, the transition to IP telephony (IPT) could mean a costly network upgrade, fueled by aging or depreciated legacy PBX equipment.

The upside is the imediate potential of adding strategic business capabilities – a triple play of voice, video, and data – and future proofing the network for a host of real and non realtime applications under the concept called Unified Communications. Data and communications, all managed and maintained over one network instead of two.

The Life Cycle of an IPT Network

Just like any major network undertaking, best practices dictate that deployment take place in stages, the success of each successive phase depending on the previous. The first stage is planning and assessment, followed by an intense pre deployment testing and implementation stage, and once the migration has taken place, the ongoing operations and optimizations stage. Taken together, these phases of deployment are what is known as the converged IPT network life cycle.

Planning and Assessment: Business Drivers

The business case for convergence must be clear from the beginning. Why trash a perfectly functioning telephone network with a reliable reputation for a new, burgeoning technology, as of yet only minimally tested? If indeed your existing phone system is out of date, replacement parts are getting hard to find, or its functionality no longer suits the needs of a growing organization, one motivation for converging could be the unwillingness to invest in a new Centrex-centric PBX, based on circuit switched technology.

Managing Expectations

A successful deployment from start to finish should take about a year, with a good 6 months devoted to planning and testing. For organizations that have recently upgraded their network infrastructure, deploying a converged network may not be as costly as networks that are older, and require major renovation.

Realistically, it has been observed that migrating from a legacy PBX to an IP PBX will cost as least as much as buying a new TDM PBX. Where you may get your ROI is on moves, adds, and changes (MAC) in the new IP environment. Studies show that MAC on a TDM system averages about $65, vs. $10 on an IP PBX.

Equally important is managing the expectations of your end users. Let them know early on about deployment plans and keep them apprised of your progress. End users should be surveyed on what aspects of the current system they consider critical to their job functions, and what improvements they would like to see in the new system. Call and voice quality are understandably critical factors to users and like the carrier network you are about to replace, Service Level Agreements (SLA) play an important role to insure acceptable customer service.

Planning for Security

Security considerations are of utmost importance in the planning phase. Treat your PBXs as any other critical application server by keeping it protected from public access, perhaps even in it’s own DMZ. Remember that an IP PBX has all the vulnerabilities of IP, and it opens up a whole new Pandora’s Box with a connection to the PSTN. Firewalls and intrusion detection should be utilized appropriately and should be current enough to recognize voice traffic.

Also consider segregating your voice traffic through the use of virtual LANs. A VLAN can help increase network performance while having the added benefit of enhanced security.

Hosted vs. In-house

Early consideration should be given to the options available for the type of voice network to deploy, as well as who will be responsible for the deployment. For businesses simply wanting to implement a VoIP solution, a hosted IP PBX can leap frog you into the future, while saving on equipment costs and reducing the headaches associated with a long drawn out deployment process.

For organizations looking to future proof their network, vendor equipment must be chosen and assessed, as well as the management applications being considered for the deployment. Costs associated with upgrading the skill sets of the IT and/or Telephony staff must also be taken into consideration.

Calling in the Pros

Organizations that plan to migrate to IP telephony themselves but find they lack the necessary expertise, might consider bringing in a Systems Integrator to help with the deployment. A Systems Integrator should be chosen and brought in early in the project. They should work closely with the IT department and can also take on the role of trainer in getting them up to speed on the new technology. The cost of bringing in an outsider can be upwards of 20% of the entire project, but may be worth it to assure a seamless transition.

The Managed Service Provider

A growing trend in the industry is for businesses to offload all or part of VoIP deployment responsibilities to a Managed Service Provider. Carriers, equipment vendors, and professional services that now have a couple of years of experience in the field are finding that companies are willing to pay for their expertise. For businesses that find that their IT staff is not up to the task, or could be utilized better elsewhere, an MSP provides the option of outsourcing projects anywhere from doing the network assessment and capacity planning, to taking on the whole ongoing management phase, much like business was doing with their legacy telephony service providers.

Management Solutions

For the enterprise that is planning to leave it up to the IT and Communications departments, now is the time to consider third party management and analysis applications. Third party solutions are just now coming into the market that take a more holistic approach to management, looking at the effects of both real time and not so real time applications on the network as a whole. Solutions being considered should be assessed for their usefulness in the testing stage of deployment. More on these management applications in the ongoing operations and optimization part of this paper.

You’ve just called your bank for the 4th time this month.  You are put on hold and notice that you can whistle or hum their On Hold music in your sleep.  Why?  It wasn’t this way in the past?  You call your doctor’s office for the 4th time this month and are put on hold.  Their On Hold Messaging program tells you about the new doctor that has just joined the practice.  It’s the same message you hear EVERY TIME you call them.  Now instead of being educated, you are getting annoyed.  Why?

Here’s why.  The bank and the doctor’s office recently installed Hosted IP telephone systems.   In the past, when you called these businesses, your ‘hold’ experience was a bit more engaging and varied.  The music changed from time to time, and you heard different messages.  It seemed like the time you were on hold was shorter than it is now.

What’s the difference?  Instead of the On Hold program being played as a continuous loop for the full 6 minutes, many Hosted IP systems play the audio program from the beginning every time a call goes on hold.  This means the caller hears the same beginning message every time they’re put on hold…instead of the traditional method of looping the audio program so that the part of the program callers On Hold hear is random based on where the program happens to be playing at that moment.

What value did the bank or doctor’s office gain by going to Hosted IP?  Possibly a ton!  Perhaps they were able to save money on dial-tone by combining it with other Internet bandwidth.  New features, lower maintenance costs and cooler phones may have played into the decision.   Maybe the old system was just tired, broken and needed a new life as a boat anchor.  The purpose of this article is not to attack what may appear as a somewhat minor shortcoming with respect to how Hosted IP solutions neglect a few traditional features, but to simply point out a few points to consider.

For purposes of discussion, by ‘Hosted IP’, we mean that the software powering the telecommunications environment is NOT housed at the customer’s site.  It is a subset of ‘cloud computing’. The hosting solution software is typically housed at the provider’s secure and well protected site and connects to the customer’s phones via an Internet / Router solution.  Most providers bundle Internet, LD, local services, equipment (occasionally) into one bundled monthly price on a per user basis.  Some providers require the customer to purchase any equipment that is required on site to support the application such as phones and routers. We’ve seen pricing range from as low as $25 per month (per user) up to as high as $80 per month. Customers have varied amounts of control managing their systems, depending on their provider.

Some Hosted IP solutions offer the most serious challenges to properly configuring On Hold Messaging content for the end-user customer.  Success depends completely on the host software’s ability or the host’s willingness to load a customized audio file or a content player.  Many traditional business phone system owners that move to hosting services don’t find out until after the migration to the hosting service that they have lost their customized On Hold capability completely.  As of this writing, our company has ascertained several of the largest Hosted Providers are the most likely to NOT support their customers desire for a customized On Hold program. The reasons given for NOT supporting a customized file are that they have concerns from a legal perspective and simply don’t care to manage the updating and installation.   If you look closely at their marketing materials, they offer ONLY a canned music solution.  Unfortunately, this is often not a point of discussion during the sales process.  It is important for the customer to be aware of these potential shortcomings, and to cover them with their potential providers in advance.

Finally, it’s important to note that many (but not all) of the ‘wav file / mp3 scenarios work in the following manner within a Hosted VoIP solution.  When the HOLD button is pressed on a telephone, the host software requests for a ‘file’ to be initiated and the caller hears the file from the beginning each and every time they call.  This is somewhat against the grain of how an On Hold program should work.  Most On Hold providers create 4-6 minute programs in an effort to provide more content to callers, so as they call in time and time again, they hear different content via the ‘looped’ program feel that most 3rd party equipment solutions provide.   Cisco (sometimes used as the hosting software) does provide a method to ‘loop’ the program as long as the network is configured in a manner to allow for it.   As for the Hosted IP groups that will accept a Customized On Hold File, there is a bit of engineering that needs to happen within their platform to allow for the file to play in a ‘looped’ manner.  This varies from company to company.  Some of these groups have addressed this issue, while many others have not and don’t plan to until their customers raise the issue.

In closing, the world of telephony and its convergence with the data world is happening at a whirlwind pace.  There are benefits to be had, and gains to be made.  And though there certainly may be a plethora of advantages associated with any emerging technologies, there are often trade-offs and features…….. once coveted and taken for granted……. that are lost in transition.

Definition: The predictive dialer uses a variety of algorithms to predict both the availability of agents and called party answers, adjusting the calling process to the number of agents it predicts will be available when the calls it places are expected to be answered.

What it means: A predictive dialer is a computerized hardware system that automatically dials batches of telephone numbers on multiple lines for connection to agents assigned to call stations. Predictive dialers are widely used in call centers and are very effective when ran correctly.

My favorite type of predictive dialing is the hardware based systems that have NO VOICE RECOGNITION. This is a program that causes a slight delay due to the software trying to figure out which calls are reaching live people. It is designed to eliminate disconnects and answering machines. However from my experience you lose about 35% of you’re pitchable connects due to the customer saying hello twice. In my office we use a 6 man dialer that calls out on 8 phone lines. My reps pitch 100% of every person that answers the phone because they hear the call ring into the home owner. Each six man dialer should be able to generate about 30-40 mortgage leads per day.

HOSTED PREDICTIVE DIALERS

Hosted predictive dialers (aka: Web-based predictive dialer, or VoIP Predictive Dialers) use the hosted servers in their model to provide organizations and individuals with a predictive dialer capability without having to buy expensive hardware or phone systems.

Pros:
-No required investments in computer or telephone hardware
-No required investments in software or licenses
-Administration and support are handled by the service provider
-Links into the system are remote, enabling agents and supervisors to connect from any location
-Software updates and upgrades included.

Cons:
-Service is dependent on an internet connection; when the internet goes down, so does the service
-Providers using VOIP as their primary delivery method experience limited reliability and performance. There are services with analog phone capabilities but they usually limit you to a certain computer. The services that offer a full VOIP are usually a fix cost and unlimited dialing capabilities.
Auto Dialers

Definition: An auto dialer is an electronic device that can automatically dial telephone numbers to communicate between any two points in the telephone, mobile phone and pager networks. Once the call has been established (through the telephone exchange) the auto dialer will announce verbal messages or transmit digital data (like SMS messages) to the called party.

What it means: the key technology for auto dialers is the ability to detect the difference between a live human pickup and answering machine or disconnect. These are a little outdated with the newer predictive dialers and hosted services being so much better. I don’t know of any auto dialers that can come close to the basic predictive solutions out there.

OVERVIEW AND CONCLUSION

With over 8 years of dialer experience in different sized call centers I have come to one major conclusion in dialing as we know it. Predictive dialing is the absolute best way to go. I use the 6 agents x 8 lines per dialer method because my reps get to pitch every single person. This model is great for the small to midsized operations. The nice thing with my hardware systems is that you can stack multiple dialers on one computer so growth is pretty inexpensive in comparison with some autodialing systems that require a computer at each station.

The Auto dialers are almost a thing of the past. The only settings they are good for is big call centers that have 100s of agents and really need to use the Voice Recognition. Due to big payroll costs. These centers have to be only talking to live people even if they loose 35% of the pitches due to the delay. These are not good fro small to mid size operations.

The one down side to the predictive dialers is that they are an investment. They can be costly and for most small business it’s hard to come up with the capitol for a system like this. What I suggest for shops like this is to start out using a cheaper hosted service until you make enough to invest in the in house system. Hosted dialing can be very good but it’s still just a stepping stone to the hardware systems.

July 03, 2008 – Toronto, Canada – McGraw-Hill Ryerson brings new knowledges to the 2008 Wireless & Mobile Expo and Conference as a leading publisher in Canada.

McGraw-Hill Ryerson is a leading publisher of educational, business, language, medical and professional titles authored by the brightest and most highly-distinguished educators, academics and business thinkers. LEARN MORE…DO MORE with McGraw-Hill Ryerson.

The Wireless Mobile Expo and Conference will bring into light the latest products and solutions that brought appreciable revolution in the worlds approach to the technology in the Wireless and Mobile service industry, such as Enterprise Wireless Networking, Wi-Fi, Mobile Convergence, Bluetooth, WiMax, Wireless Broadband, Mobile Devices, Wireless Security, Mobile Computing, VoIP and much more. 

About WowGao Inc.

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