Industry Leader to Lend His Expertise and Years of Experience to U.S. and Canada’s Top Technology Providers at TAG’s Annual Convention
NEW BERLIN, WI — January 30, 2011 — Phones Plus, Inc., an industry leader in unified communications, announced today that Technology Assurance Group (TAG), an international organization of leading independently owned unified communications companies representing over $350 million in annual sales, invited Thomas Sodemann, Vice President of Phones Plus, Inc., to present on the latest technologies impacting small to mid-sized businesses (SMB) at the 11th Annual TAG Convention. Mr. Sodemann will share his extensive industry expertise and company’s experiences with top technology providers located throughout the United States and Canada. TAG’s 2011 Annual Convention will be held on March 16th – 18th in San Antonio, Texas.
With the growth of cloud-based technologies, the theme of the 2011 annual Convention is “Find Your Silver Lining in the Cloud.” SMBs have begun to fully understand the true value of cloud technologies and the market is set to explode. According to predictions by IDC Research, “By 2014, sales of cloud computing products or services will generate almost $56 billion in annual revenues.” The expansion of cloud technologies will not only have a profound impact on the technology sector, but this growth will transform the manner in which SMBs conduct business across all industries. Sodemann will share his views on the future of cloud technologies, virtualization, hosted solutions, and managed services with other industry professionals. As a well-respected business leader in the industry, many of his peers will gain valuable insight on where the cloud is taking businesses.
“We’ve always placed the utmost importance on being on the leading edge of technology which is why we spend so much time and energy educating our employees,” commented Sodemann. “When we truly understand where our industry is headed, it makes it much easier to increase our customers’ profitability and give them a competitive advantage. An ancillary benefit to running our organization in this manner is that we are able to share our experiences with our colleagues at events like the TAG Convention.”
“The TAG Convention brings the brightest minds and most innovative thinkers in our industry together to share best practices, learn from one another and plan for a successful future,” stated Brian Suerth, EVP and Partner of Technology Assurance Group. “We are honored to have Vice President Sodemann at our event, and we all look forward to learning from him.”
ABOUT TECHNOLOGY ASSURANCE GROUP (TAG)
Technology Assurance Group, LLC (TAG) is an international organization of leading independently owned unified communications companies. TAG provides its members with the competitive advantages necessary to achieve a dominant position in their marketplace. Members benefit from programs including strategic partnerships with communication solution providers, best businessand management practices, and advanced sales training programs. TAG’s mission is to increase its Members' sales and profits through education and to ease their introduction of new technology tothe marketplace by leveraging their combined intellect and purchasing power. For more information on TAG, please call 858-673-5800 or visit www.tagnational.com.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Thursday, January 6, 2011
INTERNET ABUSE CAN KILL A COMPANY – WHAT CAN YOU DO ABOUT IT?
NEW BERLIN, WI —
December 22, 2010 — The Internet has proven itself to be one of the most powerful tools known to man. It has completely transformed the way we interact, the way we learn, and the way that we do business with each other. However, with such a robust tool at our fingertips we’ve become so infatuated with technology that we no longer question whether or not it’s actually making us more productive. We can access anything we want, at any time, from any place, but is that actually a good thing?
According to most SMBs, the answer is “it depends.” Allowing open Internet access to any and all technology can reduce productivity, expose the network to security threats, jam up bandwidth, deteriorate the quality of service in IP based applications and slow down critical programs that are running the business. However, most organizations are finding the “happy medium” through Acceptable Use Policies (AUPs). Also known as policies of utilization, these are simply a set of rules and procedures by which all employees must adhere to when interacting with technology. By now large companies are expected in utilize AUPs, and small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are beginning to see the value in establishing a set of policies in their own right.
One topic that AUPs cover revolves around what software employees should be able to access during work. One suggested policy is that employees should be able to access whatever software they need in order to become more productive, as long as they receive approval from the IT department. This is one of the safest policies to have in place, but it is also one of the most time-consuming to enforce. One way to get around this obstacle is to utilize a Technology Advisor, who can recommend specific programs and applications to use, and which to avoid. Unless you’re working with an abundance of IT resources, many companies are looking to outsource these sorts of mundane procedures to Managed Service Providers (MSPs) at a much lower cost. Business owners are usually thrilled with these sorts of changes because their employees can now spend less time performing brainless Microsoft Office installations, and more time working on their primary objectives.
The Internet is another key area that needs to be regulated because SMBs need to make sure that they’re not exposing themselves to security breaches. According to Businessweek.com, “70% of Internet porn traffic occurs between the hours of 9am and 5pm.” Aside from its vulgar nature, this sort of content is plagued with all sorts of dangerous viruses, spyware and malware. Now as much as we want to plug our ears and shout “La-lala, I can’t hear you” this is a reality and needs to be dealt with.
SMBs can examine a few different steps to start to get back on track. Firstly, the obvious sites need to be blocked; this means anything that contains obscene, hateful, pornographic, unlawful, violent or illegal materials. Secondly, sites that require large amounts of streaming data, (ex: sites that stream television, videos or music) need to be monitored all the way down to the appliance and the system needs to automatically dump users off these sites if network performance is threatened. Similar capabilities should be required for social networking sites like Facebook.com and Myspace.com as they are detrimental to productivity and are huge distractions.
While many SMBs may be quick to blanket-ban all of these sites, there are consequences that may result in decreased morale. Imagine how frustrating it would be to be denied access to your online banking at work. Consider how helpful music can be for creative professionals, while how much morale could be improved by allowing employees to watch their favorite online television shows at work, provided that it was during the lunch hour of course. Other employees could benefit from having the freedom to learn from educational sites and heighten their expertise. All of these enhance the value of every employee and drive productivity and a positive company culture. While constant monitoring is non-negotiable, most of these types of issues can be easily resolved through compromise.
The key in establishing a successful policy is creating one that is complete, efficient and moves with the development of new technology. At the end of the day its purpose is to safeguard the company from risks and propel the company forward to a brighter, more profitable future.
December 22, 2010 — The Internet has proven itself to be one of the most powerful tools known to man. It has completely transformed the way we interact, the way we learn, and the way that we do business with each other. However, with such a robust tool at our fingertips we’ve become so infatuated with technology that we no longer question whether or not it’s actually making us more productive. We can access anything we want, at any time, from any place, but is that actually a good thing?
According to most SMBs, the answer is “it depends.” Allowing open Internet access to any and all technology can reduce productivity, expose the network to security threats, jam up bandwidth, deteriorate the quality of service in IP based applications and slow down critical programs that are running the business. However, most organizations are finding the “happy medium” through Acceptable Use Policies (AUPs). Also known as policies of utilization, these are simply a set of rules and procedures by which all employees must adhere to when interacting with technology. By now large companies are expected in utilize AUPs, and small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are beginning to see the value in establishing a set of policies in their own right.
One topic that AUPs cover revolves around what software employees should be able to access during work. One suggested policy is that employees should be able to access whatever software they need in order to become more productive, as long as they receive approval from the IT department. This is one of the safest policies to have in place, but it is also one of the most time-consuming to enforce. One way to get around this obstacle is to utilize a Technology Advisor, who can recommend specific programs and applications to use, and which to avoid. Unless you’re working with an abundance of IT resources, many companies are looking to outsource these sorts of mundane procedures to Managed Service Providers (MSPs) at a much lower cost. Business owners are usually thrilled with these sorts of changes because their employees can now spend less time performing brainless Microsoft Office installations, and more time working on their primary objectives.
The Internet is another key area that needs to be regulated because SMBs need to make sure that they’re not exposing themselves to security breaches. According to Businessweek.com, “70% of Internet porn traffic occurs between the hours of 9am and 5pm.” Aside from its vulgar nature, this sort of content is plagued with all sorts of dangerous viruses, spyware and malware. Now as much as we want to plug our ears and shout “La-lala, I can’t hear you” this is a reality and needs to be dealt with.
SMBs can examine a few different steps to start to get back on track. Firstly, the obvious sites need to be blocked; this means anything that contains obscene, hateful, pornographic, unlawful, violent or illegal materials. Secondly, sites that require large amounts of streaming data, (ex: sites that stream television, videos or music) need to be monitored all the way down to the appliance and the system needs to automatically dump users off these sites if network performance is threatened. Similar capabilities should be required for social networking sites like Facebook.com and Myspace.com as they are detrimental to productivity and are huge distractions.
While many SMBs may be quick to blanket-ban all of these sites, there are consequences that may result in decreased morale. Imagine how frustrating it would be to be denied access to your online banking at work. Consider how helpful music can be for creative professionals, while how much morale could be improved by allowing employees to watch their favorite online television shows at work, provided that it was during the lunch hour of course. Other employees could benefit from having the freedom to learn from educational sites and heighten their expertise. All of these enhance the value of every employee and drive productivity and a positive company culture. While constant monitoring is non-negotiable, most of these types of issues can be easily resolved through compromise.
The key in establishing a successful policy is creating one that is complete, efficient and moves with the development of new technology. At the end of the day its purpose is to safeguard the company from risks and propel the company forward to a brighter, more profitable future.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Protecting Your Company Against Deadly Online Threats is Mission Critical Is Your Technology Provider Advising You on What to Do?
NEW BERLIN, WI
While the US economy is still reeling from the recent financial turmoil, small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are driving the economic recovery. In today’s marketplace, the Internet is their gas pedal. Everything, ranging from website marketing, to online transactions, to web-based meetings, to industry research is taking place online. While the Internet has presented businesses with access to an unstinted array of resources, it also brings several dangers. We are all familiar with many of the standard security threats – viruses, SPAM, malware, spyware, etc. – but as technology continues to evolve, business owners face an entirely new set of issues. What are my employees actually doing with their time? Are my employees putting my business at risk? How can I protect my business from internal risks, external risks and risks I haven’t even heard of yet?
Many business owners are able to monitor employee web usage. One of the most prevalent issues facing business owners is the decrease in productivity due to the proliferation of social networking sites, such as Facebook or MySpace. When you walk by in the hallway and see your employees working diligently at their computers, they could very well be flipping through the pictures of their friend’s most recent Vegas trip, or chatting online with other friends. Web monitoring software is an easy fix to this type of problem.
Inappropriate sites, such as non-business related sites, and even adult sites pose an alternate risk in that they can be a reservoir for viruses, phishing, spyware and other malicious software. Internet filtering is a quick way to eliminate these risks, yet many businesses are unaware of the preventative steps one can take.
Phishing is the illegal capture of personal data for criminal use, and many times this can result in the accidental dissemination of sensitive information. The legal risks associated with sharing private information can be detrimental to an organization’s health and can be prevented through tools such as Web Defense Plans or Network Security.
Maintaining an adequate amount of Internet bandwidth for legitimate business use is also critical because different technologies require larger amounts of data to travel through a finite space. There is a myriad of different safeguards available, yet each technology demands different applications, which are why many SMBs are partnering with Technology Advisors and leveraging their expertise.
While many businesses are looking for ways to eliminate overhead, one fix is by increasing the number of virtual workers at their organization. Oftentimes there is a substantial difference between the amount of security at the office as compared to the security of a home office network.
These threats are dynamic. As long as hackers and criminals are in existence, new threats will follow. This is why many SMBs are taking a long term view of technology and aligning themselves with Technology Advisors through strategic partnerships. This allows business owners to alleviate their concerns with technology, delegate the management of their technology to a trusted partner, who can protect their organization proactively. In today’s global marketplace, leveraging outside resources are keeping SMBs on track and profitable.
While the US economy is still reeling from the recent financial turmoil, small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are driving the economic recovery. In today’s marketplace, the Internet is their gas pedal. Everything, ranging from website marketing, to online transactions, to web-based meetings, to industry research is taking place online. While the Internet has presented businesses with access to an unstinted array of resources, it also brings several dangers. We are all familiar with many of the standard security threats – viruses, SPAM, malware, spyware, etc. – but as technology continues to evolve, business owners face an entirely new set of issues. What are my employees actually doing with their time? Are my employees putting my business at risk? How can I protect my business from internal risks, external risks and risks I haven’t even heard of yet?
Many business owners are able to monitor employee web usage. One of the most prevalent issues facing business owners is the decrease in productivity due to the proliferation of social networking sites, such as Facebook or MySpace. When you walk by in the hallway and see your employees working diligently at their computers, they could very well be flipping through the pictures of their friend’s most recent Vegas trip, or chatting online with other friends. Web monitoring software is an easy fix to this type of problem.
Inappropriate sites, such as non-business related sites, and even adult sites pose an alternate risk in that they can be a reservoir for viruses, phishing, spyware and other malicious software. Internet filtering is a quick way to eliminate these risks, yet many businesses are unaware of the preventative steps one can take.
Phishing is the illegal capture of personal data for criminal use, and many times this can result in the accidental dissemination of sensitive information. The legal risks associated with sharing private information can be detrimental to an organization’s health and can be prevented through tools such as Web Defense Plans or Network Security.
Maintaining an adequate amount of Internet bandwidth for legitimate business use is also critical because different technologies require larger amounts of data to travel through a finite space. There is a myriad of different safeguards available, yet each technology demands different applications, which are why many SMBs are partnering with Technology Advisors and leveraging their expertise.
While many businesses are looking for ways to eliminate overhead, one fix is by increasing the number of virtual workers at their organization. Oftentimes there is a substantial difference between the amount of security at the office as compared to the security of a home office network.
These threats are dynamic. As long as hackers and criminals are in existence, new threats will follow. This is why many SMBs are taking a long term view of technology and aligning themselves with Technology Advisors through strategic partnerships. This allows business owners to alleviate their concerns with technology, delegate the management of their technology to a trusted partner, who can protect their organization proactively. In today’s global marketplace, leveraging outside resources are keeping SMBs on track and profitable.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Phones Plus Educates Customers on Mobile VoIP Technology
Small to Mid-Sized Companies to Benefit
from Latest Advancements in Mobile
Communications Technology
NEW BERLIN, WI —
October 28, 2010 — Phones Plus,
Inc., an industry leader in Unified
Communications, announced today
that recent statistics by the
industry’s leading research firms
are showing that mobile Voice over
Internet Protocol (VoIP) is poised
to revolutionize the
communications industry. This
technological advancement is
increasing profitability and
providing substantial benefits to
small to medium sized businesses
(SMB) across the globe.
Juniper Research, who
specializes in appraising high
growth opportunities for the mobile
markets, “expects the total number
of mobile VoIP users to exceed 100
million by 2012.” Paired with
InStat’s prediction of “288 million
mobile VoIP users by 2013” it’s
easy to see that mobile VoIP is
making its way to the forefront of
communications. Thomas
Sodemann, Vice President of
Phones Plus, Inc. states, “As our
customer’s trusted technology
advisor, we feel obligated to
educate our customers about the
business benefits of mobile VoIP
and how it can enhance the way
they communicate. It’s up to us to
understand where the
communications industry is headed,
but more importantly it’s absolutely
vital that we find the technologies
that make our customers more
profitable.”
Traditional VoIP has been
around since the 90s, but until
recently the Internet has not been
able to adequately support VoIP.
Past developments have stabilized
VoIP’s performance and this
explains the dramatic increase in
demand for the technology,
especially among SMBs. VoIP’s
primary appeal lies in its sizable
cost savings for end users and in a
struggling economy, VoIP was the
blatantly obvious choice for most
business owners. However, for the
past several years SMBs were
limited to only using VoIP at the
office and at home, which deterred
a large section of the population
from deriving the technology’s
benefits. Mobile VoIP “cuts the
cord” and allows users to enjoy all
of the benefits of VoIP technology
from their cell phone. Mobile VoIP
enhances integrations with
applications such as Presence
Management, Find Me Follow Me
and Unified Messaging.
As smart phones, like Apple’s
iPhone and Motorola’s Droid,
continue to grow in popularity, so
does the market for mobile VoIP.
SMB’s are being educated on the
value of mobile VoIP and as a
result, demand for this technology
is accelerating.
ABOUT PHONES PLUS, INC.
Since 1981, Phones Plus has
committed to establishing lasting
business relationships with our
clients. Phones Plus offers
innovative voice, video, and data
networking solutions that increase
our clients’ profitability and gives
them a competitive advantage in
their marketplace.
Phones Plus recognizes the
critical need for a communications
company that combines leading
technology with top-quality service
and support.
Our mission is to provide
exceptional value through managed
services that eliminate
technological obsolescence, ensure
a fixed cost for our business
partners, and maximize the profits,
productivity, image, and
competitive advantage of those
partners. Highly trained and
motivated professionals give you
measurable results.
from Latest Advancements in Mobile
Communications Technology
NEW BERLIN, WI —
October 28, 2010 — Phones Plus,
Inc., an industry leader in Unified
Communications, announced today
that recent statistics by the
industry’s leading research firms
are showing that mobile Voice over
Internet Protocol (VoIP) is poised
to revolutionize the
communications industry. This
technological advancement is
increasing profitability and
providing substantial benefits to
small to medium sized businesses
(SMB) across the globe.
Juniper Research, who
specializes in appraising high
growth opportunities for the mobile
markets, “expects the total number
of mobile VoIP users to exceed 100
million by 2012.” Paired with
InStat’s prediction of “288 million
mobile VoIP users by 2013” it’s
easy to see that mobile VoIP is
making its way to the forefront of
communications. Thomas
Sodemann, Vice President of
Phones Plus, Inc. states, “As our
customer’s trusted technology
advisor, we feel obligated to
educate our customers about the
business benefits of mobile VoIP
and how it can enhance the way
they communicate. It’s up to us to
understand where the
communications industry is headed,
but more importantly it’s absolutely
vital that we find the technologies
that make our customers more
profitable.”
Traditional VoIP has been
around since the 90s, but until
recently the Internet has not been
able to adequately support VoIP.
Past developments have stabilized
VoIP’s performance and this
explains the dramatic increase in
demand for the technology,
especially among SMBs. VoIP’s
primary appeal lies in its sizable
cost savings for end users and in a
struggling economy, VoIP was the
blatantly obvious choice for most
business owners. However, for the
past several years SMBs were
limited to only using VoIP at the
office and at home, which deterred
a large section of the population
from deriving the technology’s
benefits. Mobile VoIP “cuts the
cord” and allows users to enjoy all
of the benefits of VoIP technology
from their cell phone. Mobile VoIP
enhances integrations with
applications such as Presence
Management, Find Me Follow Me
and Unified Messaging.
As smart phones, like Apple’s
iPhone and Motorola’s Droid,
continue to grow in popularity, so
does the market for mobile VoIP.
SMB’s are being educated on the
value of mobile VoIP and as a
result, demand for this technology
is accelerating.
ABOUT PHONES PLUS, INC.
Since 1981, Phones Plus has
committed to establishing lasting
business relationships with our
clients. Phones Plus offers
innovative voice, video, and data
networking solutions that increase
our clients’ profitability and gives
them a competitive advantage in
their marketplace.
Phones Plus recognizes the
critical need for a communications
company that combines leading
technology with top-quality service
and support.
Our mission is to provide
exceptional value through managed
services that eliminate
technological obsolescence, ensure
a fixed cost for our business
partners, and maximize the profits,
productivity, image, and
competitive advantage of those
partners. Highly trained and
motivated professionals give you
measurable results.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
5 Reasons Hosted VoIP is Experiencing Explosive Growth
NEW BERLIN, WI –
September 28, 2010 - Hosted VoIP is quickly
expanding its footprint in the small to mid-sized business (SMB)
marketplace because it dramatically improves an organization’s
profitability, reduces its risk and adds an unmatched level of
flexibility to its current operations. In layman’s terms, hosted VoIP is a
solution which enables businesses to utilize their Internet bandwidth
to handle their communications needs, rather than forcing businesses to rely on traditional
solutions, such as PBX hardware TDM switch that reside on site.
According to a report by AMI Partners, “Hosted VoIP in the
North American SMB market is projected to expand from 2%
market penetration to over 30% by 2014.” Adoption rates are keeping
pace with these aggressive growth projections and these can be
explained by five key reasons:
Cost Structure
In today’s unforgiving economic environment, business
owners are being forced to reexamine their expenses to see
what can be eliminated, minimized, or streamlined. The fundamental
reason that businesses are adopting hosted VoIP technology is because
of the profound effects it has on the bottom line. Since, hosted VoIP is
able to “piggyback” phone usage on top of Internet bandwidth,
SMBs are able to enjoy substantial upfront cost savings, as well as
recurring savings when they implement hosted VoIP. The
reason for this is because businesses don’t need to buy
expensive systems or hardware anymore, instead they’re just
purchasing individual VoIP handsets. Instead of purchasing
hardware products, (PBX systems, desk phones, new cables, etc.)
businesses are receiving softwarecentric value (Connectivity, Call
Tracking and Reporting, Voice-totext transcription, softphones, etc.).
This means that a new phone system is no longer a capital
expenditure, but it’s simply a lower level operating expense. Plus, the
ongoing costs associated with hosted VoIP fluctuates as a
function of demand. It Puts Your Communications on
Auto-Pilot… For an SMB, resources are
scarce. Businesses don’t have the time, nor the resources to spend
dozens of hours training or supporting employees with new
technology. Instead of learning how to program button commands
or memorizing extensions, hosted VoIP requires the most minimal
levels of supervision possible and can be remotely handled by the
unified communications partner. Since it’s run off a simple web
interface, businesses don’t need extra IT staff to manage their
communications. With most providers it takes about five
minutes for someone to explain how you use the interface, and
you’ll probably end up figuring it out for yourself before they even
finish talking. One person can manage all the features, add users
and subtract users, so the IT department can focus on fulfilling
its other duties. Not only does hosted VoIP free-up labor hours,
but since it’s web-based, it can update itself and keep pace with the
ever-changing demands of today’s business environment.
Business Continuity
Power outages and natural disasters are threats facing all
businesses but hosted VoIP provides a way for organizations to
minimize the negative impacts associated with these occurrence.
Businesses are attracted to hosted VoIP’s ability to handle these
situations smoothly. The box that runs an SMB’s communications
system is off-premise in a secure location, and is backed up several
times over. What this ultimately means for organizations is that in
the event of a disaster, the business can continue to operate just as if
nothing had happened.
Scalability
In today’s world, business owners are expected to know
what’s around every corner and they can’t afford to be locked into
inflexible technology. Hosted VoIP enables businesses to
neutralize the risk of the volatile economy. Where traditional phone
systems are affixed to a certain number of employees, hosted VoIP
can provide organizations with the flexibility they need to survive.
Whether scaling up, or scaling down, the costs of adjusting your
communications infrastructure to
meet your needs are miniscule.
Freedom
Emergent businesses in the SMB marketplace are using remote
applications to enhance their productivity, whether they’re in the
office or not. Technology such as softphones enable organizations to
work from any location, at any time and still preserve the same levels of
professionalism exhibited by the largest companies in the market.
Hosted VoIP is an absolutely powerful technology that is driving
profitability and improving employee productivity, while
providing companies with a unique competitive advantage. In today’s
rapidly changing business environment, organizations need to
be agile and they cannot afford to be held hostage by static, on
premise technology. Hosted VoIP gives business owners the freedom
to adopt the latest in communications technology and
the peace of mind that it automatically happens.
ABOUT PHONES PLUS, INC.
Since 1981, Phones Plus has committed to establishing lasting
business relationships with our clients. Phones Plus offers
innovative voice, video, and data networking solutions that increase
our clients’ profitability and gives them a competitive advantage in
their marketplace. Phones Plus recognizes the
critical need for a communications company that combines leading
technology with top-quality service and support.
Our mission is to provide exceptional value through managed
services that eliminate technological obsolescence, ensure
a fixed cost for our business partners, and maximize the profits,
productivity, image, and competitive advantage of those
partners. Highly trained and motivated professionals give you
measurable results.
September 28, 2010 - Hosted VoIP is quickly
expanding its footprint in the small to mid-sized business (SMB)
marketplace because it dramatically improves an organization’s
profitability, reduces its risk and adds an unmatched level of
flexibility to its current operations. In layman’s terms, hosted VoIP is a
solution which enables businesses to utilize their Internet bandwidth
to handle their communications needs, rather than forcing businesses to rely on traditional
solutions, such as PBX hardware TDM switch that reside on site.
According to a report by AMI Partners, “Hosted VoIP in the
North American SMB market is projected to expand from 2%
market penetration to over 30% by 2014.” Adoption rates are keeping
pace with these aggressive growth projections and these can be
explained by five key reasons:
Cost Structure
In today’s unforgiving economic environment, business
owners are being forced to reexamine their expenses to see
what can be eliminated, minimized, or streamlined. The fundamental
reason that businesses are adopting hosted VoIP technology is because
of the profound effects it has on the bottom line. Since, hosted VoIP is
able to “piggyback” phone usage on top of Internet bandwidth,
SMBs are able to enjoy substantial upfront cost savings, as well as
recurring savings when they implement hosted VoIP. The
reason for this is because businesses don’t need to buy
expensive systems or hardware anymore, instead they’re just
purchasing individual VoIP handsets. Instead of purchasing
hardware products, (PBX systems, desk phones, new cables, etc.)
businesses are receiving softwarecentric value (Connectivity, Call
Tracking and Reporting, Voice-totext transcription, softphones, etc.).
This means that a new phone system is no longer a capital
expenditure, but it’s simply a lower level operating expense. Plus, the
ongoing costs associated with hosted VoIP fluctuates as a
function of demand. It Puts Your Communications on
Auto-Pilot… For an SMB, resources are
scarce. Businesses don’t have the time, nor the resources to spend
dozens of hours training or supporting employees with new
technology. Instead of learning how to program button commands
or memorizing extensions, hosted VoIP requires the most minimal
levels of supervision possible and can be remotely handled by the
unified communications partner. Since it’s run off a simple web
interface, businesses don’t need extra IT staff to manage their
communications. With most providers it takes about five
minutes for someone to explain how you use the interface, and
you’ll probably end up figuring it out for yourself before they even
finish talking. One person can manage all the features, add users
and subtract users, so the IT department can focus on fulfilling
its other duties. Not only does hosted VoIP free-up labor hours,
but since it’s web-based, it can update itself and keep pace with the
ever-changing demands of today’s business environment.
Business Continuity
Power outages and natural disasters are threats facing all
businesses but hosted VoIP provides a way for organizations to
minimize the negative impacts associated with these occurrence.
Businesses are attracted to hosted VoIP’s ability to handle these
situations smoothly. The box that runs an SMB’s communications
system is off-premise in a secure location, and is backed up several
times over. What this ultimately means for organizations is that in
the event of a disaster, the business can continue to operate just as if
nothing had happened.
Scalability
In today’s world, business owners are expected to know
what’s around every corner and they can’t afford to be locked into
inflexible technology. Hosted VoIP enables businesses to
neutralize the risk of the volatile economy. Where traditional phone
systems are affixed to a certain number of employees, hosted VoIP
can provide organizations with the flexibility they need to survive.
Whether scaling up, or scaling down, the costs of adjusting your
communications infrastructure to
meet your needs are miniscule.
Freedom
Emergent businesses in the SMB marketplace are using remote
applications to enhance their productivity, whether they’re in the
office or not. Technology such as softphones enable organizations to
work from any location, at any time and still preserve the same levels of
professionalism exhibited by the largest companies in the market.
Hosted VoIP is an absolutely powerful technology that is driving
profitability and improving employee productivity, while
providing companies with a unique competitive advantage. In today’s
rapidly changing business environment, organizations need to
be agile and they cannot afford to be held hostage by static, on
premise technology. Hosted VoIP gives business owners the freedom
to adopt the latest in communications technology and
the peace of mind that it automatically happens.
ABOUT PHONES PLUS, INC.
Since 1981, Phones Plus has committed to establishing lasting
business relationships with our clients. Phones Plus offers
innovative voice, video, and data networking solutions that increase
our clients’ profitability and gives them a competitive advantage in
their marketplace. Phones Plus recognizes the
critical need for a communications company that combines leading
technology with top-quality service and support.
Our mission is to provide exceptional value through managed
services that eliminate technological obsolescence, ensure
a fixed cost for our business partners, and maximize the profits,
productivity, image, and competitive advantage of those
partners. Highly trained and motivated professionals give you
measurable results.
Thursday, September 2, 2010
If You’re Dialing a 1 or a 9 Before You Make a Phone Call, Something’s Wrong…
Thomas Sodemann of Phones Plus Explains How SIP is Sweeping
the Industry Off Its Feet…
NEW BERLIN, WI – August 31, 2010 – Recent developments in technology have rapidly changed the way companies are communicating to their employees, customers and business partners. How can you tell? Try dialing an outside line beginning with the area code or the number first. Those calls that go through are utilizing today’s voice and data transport of choice, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). If you have to dial a 1 or a 9 before you make a phone call, you might as well be using smoke signals to communicate. Now ready for prime time, SIP has opened the floodgates for small to mid-sized businesses to benefit from greater business applications, reduced costs, and enhanced efficiency.
SIP is an Internet-based protocol that is enabling an unseen level of flexibility to end-users. Similar to the way Apple’s iPhone redefined what we expect from our cell phone’s functionality, SIP is on the leading edge of Unified Communications. The convergence of voice and data onto the same network has forced the demand in the marketplace for a single solution. SIP is the “missing link” required to connect these two networks and the cost justifications are supporting this transition.
What makes SIP so special?
In simple terms, SIP supports any form of real-time communication regardless of whether the content is voice, video, instant messaging, or a collaboration application. Additionally, SIP enables users to inform others of their status, their availability, and how they can be contacted before communication is even initiated. Due to the nature of IP communications, these benefits often cost justify and provide business owners the return on investment they need to run their businesses efficiently and effectively.
SIP grows up…
SIP is no longer in its infancy. According to Frost & Sullivan, SIP trunks will increase from 950,000 in 2006 to about 14.52 million in 2012. The early majority is beginning to see SIP’s value and adoption is increasing at an accelerating rate. The core reason SIP is here to stay is because it’s simple. Rather than having to track, analyze and spend money managing several different streams of communication, SIP gives businesses a single transport to focus on. A few years ago the market didn’t have the capability to properly support SIP, but technology has evolved.
For most companies, the transition to SIP will come with all new technology including a phone system containing all of the latest applications that drive profitability, employee productivity and competitive advantages. By eliminating traditional phone lines and turning to SIP, the ROI for new equipment comes in a matter of months rather than years. With the recent AT&T statement advising the federal government to move away from "plain-old telephone service", known in the industry as POTS and the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), SIP is eventually inevitable for all businesses. So the question becomes why not benefit from SIP now and gain a leg up on the competition, instead of waiting for the train to pass you by later. The SIP train is here… all aboard.
ABOUT PHONES PLUS, INC.
Since 1981, Phones Plus has committed to establishing lasting business relationships with our clients. Phones Plus offers innovative voice, video, and data networking solutions that increase our clients’ profitability and gives them a competitive advantage in their marketplace.
Phones Plus recognizes the critical need for a communications company that combines leading technology with top-quality service and support.
Our mission is to provide exceptional value through managed services that eliminate technological obsolescence, ensure a fixed cost for our business partners, and maximize the profits, productivity, image, and competitive advantage of those partners. Highly trained and motivated professionals give you measurable results.
the Industry Off Its Feet…
NEW BERLIN, WI – August 31, 2010 – Recent developments in technology have rapidly changed the way companies are communicating to their employees, customers and business partners. How can you tell? Try dialing an outside line beginning with the area code or the number first. Those calls that go through are utilizing today’s voice and data transport of choice, Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). If you have to dial a 1 or a 9 before you make a phone call, you might as well be using smoke signals to communicate. Now ready for prime time, SIP has opened the floodgates for small to mid-sized businesses to benefit from greater business applications, reduced costs, and enhanced efficiency.
SIP is an Internet-based protocol that is enabling an unseen level of flexibility to end-users. Similar to the way Apple’s iPhone redefined what we expect from our cell phone’s functionality, SIP is on the leading edge of Unified Communications. The convergence of voice and data onto the same network has forced the demand in the marketplace for a single solution. SIP is the “missing link” required to connect these two networks and the cost justifications are supporting this transition.
What makes SIP so special?
In simple terms, SIP supports any form of real-time communication regardless of whether the content is voice, video, instant messaging, or a collaboration application. Additionally, SIP enables users to inform others of their status, their availability, and how they can be contacted before communication is even initiated. Due to the nature of IP communications, these benefits often cost justify and provide business owners the return on investment they need to run their businesses efficiently and effectively.
SIP grows up…
SIP is no longer in its infancy. According to Frost & Sullivan, SIP trunks will increase from 950,000 in 2006 to about 14.52 million in 2012. The early majority is beginning to see SIP’s value and adoption is increasing at an accelerating rate. The core reason SIP is here to stay is because it’s simple. Rather than having to track, analyze and spend money managing several different streams of communication, SIP gives businesses a single transport to focus on. A few years ago the market didn’t have the capability to properly support SIP, but technology has evolved.
For most companies, the transition to SIP will come with all new technology including a phone system containing all of the latest applications that drive profitability, employee productivity and competitive advantages. By eliminating traditional phone lines and turning to SIP, the ROI for new equipment comes in a matter of months rather than years. With the recent AT&T statement advising the federal government to move away from "plain-old telephone service", known in the industry as POTS and the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), SIP is eventually inevitable for all businesses. So the question becomes why not benefit from SIP now and gain a leg up on the competition, instead of waiting for the train to pass you by later. The SIP train is here… all aboard.
ABOUT PHONES PLUS, INC.
Since 1981, Phones Plus has committed to establishing lasting business relationships with our clients. Phones Plus offers innovative voice, video, and data networking solutions that increase our clients’ profitability and gives them a competitive advantage in their marketplace.
Phones Plus recognizes the critical need for a communications company that combines leading technology with top-quality service and support.
Our mission is to provide exceptional value through managed services that eliminate technological obsolescence, ensure a fixed cost for our business partners, and maximize the profits, productivity, image, and competitive advantage of those partners. Highly trained and motivated professionals give you measurable results.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
New Webinar Series
Hi again everyone. I wanted to write something today to give all of our current and potential future customers some information on upcoming events here at Phones Plus.
First of all, we are coming up with a monthly webinar series which will start some time this fall when all of the hustle and bustle of summer calms down a bit for us all. These webinars will focus on the very important offerings of our partners. We will most likely start with Do IT Smarter, our partner who provides on and off site data backup and recovery. They provide solutions that range from simple on site back up to a version with a year of data retention and a full virtual server for minimal down time if your network should happen to fail. We feel it is very important to supply you with information on this valuable service because of the research included in our press release on the topic which says that 70% of businesses that suffer serious data loss are out of business within the next 2 years. We are going the extra mile to expand our offerings so we can provide a more global approach to business, allowing our customers to come to us for help with a wide range of needs.
Other partners that will be included in this webinar series will be a conferencing service, our VoIP provider, disaster recovery for if your phones go down along with others as we see a need to provide further information on new technology. If there is something you would like to learn more about, please do not hesitate to let us know what you would like us to cover and we will do our best to provide that information.
In other Phones Plus news, our most recent addition to the Phones Plus family, Bryn, our new trainer is working on revamping all of our training materials to make them more user friendly. She has just been through some intensive Zultys training so she is well versed on not only features, but the administrative side of those products as well. She is also working on developing a web series of her own which will be called Feature Friday. As we get closer to deploying this series, I will be sure to give you some more information on what is going to be covered.
This is a busy time for us here at Phones Plus and we are thrilled to be helping so many people find great solutions to their telecommunications needs. If you have any questions about our products, our partners, or any service we provide, please feel free to contact us any time. We are here to help! Thanks so much for checking in and have a great week everyone.
Phones Plus, Inc.
2745 S Calhoun Rd
New Berlin, WI 53151
262-784-2311
First of all, we are coming up with a monthly webinar series which will start some time this fall when all of the hustle and bustle of summer calms down a bit for us all. These webinars will focus on the very important offerings of our partners. We will most likely start with Do IT Smarter, our partner who provides on and off site data backup and recovery. They provide solutions that range from simple on site back up to a version with a year of data retention and a full virtual server for minimal down time if your network should happen to fail. We feel it is very important to supply you with information on this valuable service because of the research included in our press release on the topic which says that 70% of businesses that suffer serious data loss are out of business within the next 2 years. We are going the extra mile to expand our offerings so we can provide a more global approach to business, allowing our customers to come to us for help with a wide range of needs.
Other partners that will be included in this webinar series will be a conferencing service, our VoIP provider, disaster recovery for if your phones go down along with others as we see a need to provide further information on new technology. If there is something you would like to learn more about, please do not hesitate to let us know what you would like us to cover and we will do our best to provide that information.
In other Phones Plus news, our most recent addition to the Phones Plus family, Bryn, our new trainer is working on revamping all of our training materials to make them more user friendly. She has just been through some intensive Zultys training so she is well versed on not only features, but the administrative side of those products as well. She is also working on developing a web series of her own which will be called Feature Friday. As we get closer to deploying this series, I will be sure to give you some more information on what is going to be covered.
This is a busy time for us here at Phones Plus and we are thrilled to be helping so many people find great solutions to their telecommunications needs. If you have any questions about our products, our partners, or any service we provide, please feel free to contact us any time. We are here to help! Thanks so much for checking in and have a great week everyone.
Phones Plus, Inc.
2745 S Calhoun Rd
New Berlin, WI 53151
262-784-2311
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