Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Discover the Innovations in Voice Messaging Service and Marketing



Have you considered the innovations in technology and how they can help you make your marketing endeavors more effective with a voice messaging service? There have been upgrades in the types of systems and the software that can integrate your email, SMS messaging, print and direct mail marketing campaigns with an effective and personalized voice message marketing campaign. There is a variety of voice message options to consider, whether you just want to send a basic voice call or provide a customized and interactive voice message that includes call transfer to an inbound sales call center or live operators.

When you combine your marketing efforts and take advantage of this is to deliver a personalized message to your potential customers, marketing ROI will likely increase. There are many potential customers that like the emotional inflection that can only be delivered through a this service. There are a number of ways you can integrate your marketing endeavors, but when you consider the most recent innovations in technology and software, there are ways you can be more effective with voice messaging and it can mean more sales conversions. Automated dialers can reach mass audiences and voice subscriber list tracking can yield reports that are easy to view on the web.

There are a number of products that can be used in the integration process, including your customer relationship management software, or CRM and a voice messaging service, for example. Having a knowledgeable and informed strategy for your marketing campaigns is easier to obtain because there are different ways that technologies can be integrated. When you consider there are certain parts of your potential customer base that might prefer personalized voice messages, this service is an effective way to reach a target market that might not respond any other way. It is possible to increase your sales when customers are listening, especially if you give them the opportunity to ask more questions from a live operator. Call transfers can make your call center more effective, when you integrate these two components, as another example.

As you can see, there are ways to combine the components in the marketing department to make all of them more effective. This is especially true when you consider the various ways to integrate your system with some of your other marketing efforts. A multi-faceted approach to reaching your potential customer base is the smartest way to incorporate mass communication to make more sales and better ROI for your marketing dollars. There are ways you can use messaging for a variety of other purposes, including new product launches, customer feedback and special event announcements.

Because there are different system integration tools on the market, you can make your marketing efforts focused and you can use voice messages to build customer loyalty and offer a more personalized approach. If you think about the different ways you can integrate a voice messaging campaign with your other marketing campaigns, it is possible that you can reach a larger group of potential customers and enjoy higher sales conversion numbers, which means more profits!

PostCalls offers the most reliable Voice Broadcasting Service. Our Voice Messaging Service company is trusted by thousands of businesses nation-wide. To try our voice messaging services absolutely free, simply visit our website to begin your free trial.




Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Choose VoIP For Modern Communication Technology



VoIP, or voice over Internet protocol, should be your choice for modern audio transmission technology. Although audio transmissions over the Internet have been happening for quite some time now, newer technologies such as VoIP is providing many companies with the realization that there is great potential for offering this service in competition to making traditional landline-based telephone calls. Users will find the actual setup is much simpler and the costs are much more effective than those provided through traditional methods. Some people believe that this type of communication will overtake traditional methods for making long-distance phone calls based on the fact that the technology is improving every day. There are three ways to make phone calls through VoIP.

ATA or Analog Telephone Adapter
You can connect your regular telephone to your computer and onto the Internet using an adapter. This will convert your analog data to digital while it is being transmitted through the Internet. All you need for a setup is a cable connection from your phone to the computer.

Your Computer to Someone Else's
You can now make free calls from one computer to another computer. You need to secure necessary software installed on your computer in order to make these calls.

New VoIP Phones
Another way is to obtain a VoIP phone that looks just like your typical traditional landline phone. These do have a handset, cradle and the typical buttons found on any phone. But, these phones use RJ-45 Ethernet connectors. Standard telephones use RJ-11 connectors. Your VoIP phone is connected directly to the computer's router. Although necessary hardware and software is built right into the phone as nothing additional needed to make Internet-based telephone calls.

Andrew Wayman is a voip phone specialist who works for online backup company and helps provide a structured service to many businesses in Southern England.




Monday, August 29, 2011

The Business Saver - VoIP Telephone Systems



Looking for ways to trim your small business' bottom line? We live in an era of 10% unemployment, fractured banking with all but dried up credit lines and (perhaps worst of all) continuous political bungling; with this economic climate, you'd be foolish not to try and squeeze every last dime out of your company. Only the leanest and fittest entrepreneurial enterprises can outlast times like these. Usually saving money requires an opportunity cost; the choice between a hamburger or steak. Wouldn't you rather have your cake and eat it, too?

With VoIP telephone systems, you can now have both!! VoIP ("Voice-over-IP") sends your phone conversation over the internet as a digital file, rather than through traditional analog landlines. As digital signals do not have the same issues with interference as analog signals, VoIP telephone systems have crystal clear sound quality in even the most remote locations (including those with poor landline coverage). This means no more hang-ups or crackly connections when conversing with important partners or clients in remote areas of the globe.

VoIP telephone systems also include "Virtual PBX" systems that offer features above and beyond those of a traditional analog office PBX system. For example, Virtual PBX systems offer digital voicemail service. Digital voicemails can be automatically transcribed into text documents and emailed to their intended recipients in your office. Additionally, digital voicemails can be saved on online "cloud" storage websites, an accessed anywhere internet connectivity is available.

What's more, VoIP telephone systems can allow your small business to pose as a much larger, more cohesive company. Does your business not operate out of single office? Do you have contacts that live or operate in different time zones, countries or continents?? With VoIP, current and prospective clients can call one number to reach you and your disparately located partners and employees. This provides a more professional and impressive experience for the client. No traditional analog phone system can offer this advantage!

Most importantly, though, VoIP telephone systems are far cheaper than their analog counterparts. They also offer easy and convenient set up. Can your small business afford to waste money on outdated and expensive traditional analog phone systems. Can you live without the improved client relations fostered by a superior PBX office phone system? There is no point in sacrifice when you don't have to using VoIP telephone systems!




Sunday, August 28, 2011

VOIP - The Most Reasonable Broadband Phone Service



In the past, sending voice through internet was just a dream. With the broadband phone service this dream turned into reality. This is renowned as VOIP or voice over Internet.

Internet protocol is the root of the data transfer. The VOIP is well received by the masses all throughout the globe. You can so many diverse ways to send instant messages.

Still there was not at all an effective way to explore the possibilities of the broadband for sending voice. Now with the emergence of VOIP, a way is opened to stay connected with your loved ones that too practically with no cost.

Now the world shrinking smaller and smaller as the VOIP has emerged as a breakthrough. You have to spend a lot of money to make a call abroad, there comes the incomparable advantage of this broadband phone service. It is the cheapest mode of voice communication.

Now you do not have to hesitate to make an international call. You can start enjoying this facility just now if you have a high speed broadband connection.

You may think that it is a brand new concept, but surprisingly it is not. First of all, you can move on to the advantages of this award winning technology. The prime factor behind its popularity is the cost itself. You just need to have a high speed internet connection to enable this.

Usually the PC to PC service is free. Even if you have to pay something for the PC to PC it is much reasonable when compared to the money you can save.

You do not have to pay a significant amount of tax for using VOIP. You can enjoy this facility wherever you go. You just have to logging in to your VOIP account with the use of a high speed broadband connection. It does not make any difference whether you are in UK or US. You can make calls from wherever you go.

If you are using a land phone you will not be able to shift the number to wherever you go. In the case of mobile phones also there arise some restrictions to carry the number along with you. In case of VOIP you can carry the virtual number wherever you go.

You can expect so many attractive features along with VOIP, such as call forwarding, call waiting, caller ID, and three way calling with not imposing any extra cost.

Whenever a VOIP account is activated the subscriber will be given a converter that allows to integrate the service with the regular phone number.

Whenever you are on a journey you can carry this converter to make a large number of calls if you have a high speed broadband connection. Video conferencing is the yet another advanced feature associated with the service.

Every coin has two sides. It is a universal truth. The VOIP also is no exception. Now just have to know some disadvantages before going for a VOIP connection. You cannot use the service when there is any power failure or when the broadband connection fails.

If you are making an emergency call that the receiver should trace out your location to escape you from some trouble, it will fail in the case of VOIP. Since, VOIP does not have any physical address.

The service is susceptible to the malicious attacks such as virus or malware. Anyway these insignificant flaws are not enough to make you hesitant towards this highly advantageous service.

Compare Broadband offers, deals and read exclusive reviews, broadband guides at Broadband Comparison Website.




Saturday, August 27, 2011

Use the PIN-less Dialing Option and Dial Faster



Do you know that people save more than 60% on their phone bills by using prepaid calling cards to make local and international calls? The good news is that many of these prepaid cards now offer PINless dialing, an option that serves as an escape route from the use of complicated call codes when placing a phone call. Prepaid PINless cards are the fastest, easiest and most economical way to make international calls to family and friends. The PIN in a prepaid calling card stands for Personal Identification Number and this number is unique for every phone card. However, most of the phone card companies now offer the option of a prepaid calling card that does not make use of the lengthy PIN numbers. Such phone cards are referred to as PIN-less phone cards and with this card one can directly dial the country code after the access number without having to dial the PIN.

How PIN-less dialing works

The lengthy nature of our traditional calling card PIN numbers, which are usually 10 to 14 digits long, makes them difficult to remember. To address this challenge and save both old and young from the hassle and time-consuming exercise of dialing a PIN when placing a call, the PIN-less phone card was introduced. This evolution in the prepaid calling card sector offers you convenience and still retains all the advantages of the traditional phone card. To use this system of dialing, you must first register your phone numbers i.e. home, office or mobile phone. Then an access number will be provided for you by the PIN-less card operator. Whenever you call that access number, your already registered phone number will be recognized. The system uses of a program called ANI - Automatic Number Identification. Once the program recognizes your registered number, you will not be asked to enter your PIN.

There are many PIN-less calling cards presently available. Some even come along with interesting packages and features such as speed dial, quality customer service and above all, crisp clear voice quality. In making your choice of PIN-less calling card ensure you watch out for these features. The Speed Dial is a feature that enables you to assign one or two digits speed-dial-code to your most frequently dialed numbers, cutting out the stress of dialing a lengthy number every time you want to make a call. Another feature to check out when purchasing a PIN-less calling card is the call rate. Ensure to go for good quality card with economical call rates. Be sure there are no subscription fees, maintenance, connection or hidden charges.

This whole PIN-less card stuff sounds great, doesn't it? Of course it does. Everyday innovations are made that are geared towards making life easier, more convenient and more comfortable for us and the PIN-less phone cards are no exception. They offer a faster and more effective way to make phone calls. What do you expect? After all, we are in the jet age and as such, everything should move along with jet speed. Little wonder, we have fast cars, fast trains, fast money transfer, fast information dissemination devices and even fast food stores everywhere. You asked for it, now you have it: fast dialing - your best bet remains PIN-less phone cards.

Alex Russel writes about calling cards, and about VoIP news. If you're looking for a reliable way to stay in touch with the latest news on international calls and voice over IP (including prepaid calling cards), make sure to read all of Alex Russel's work.

A great resource for high quality PINless phone cards is the website http://www.EnjoyPrepaid.com. All cards from EnjoyPrepaid are rechargeable and offer PINless dialing, 24/7 customer support, and many many bonuses and discounts.




Friday, August 26, 2011

SIP Benefits For Business Phone Systems



Session Initiated Protocol trunking otherwise known as an SIP trunk is a voice/data delivery system that allows business and enterprise level establishments to receive feature rich phone service while eliminating many traditional costs that previously plagued many companies. By reducing costs on business phone services, a business can see improved ROI on their I.T. within their first two quarters.

The benefits of deploying SIP service can be boiled down to these simple beneficial elements:

1. Reduced business telecommunication costs give you a better ROI on telecom expenses.
2. International long distance calling billed as domestic long distance.
3. Increased redundancy within your call center voice networks.
4. Lowered network PBX hardware expenses.
5. Scalability within the network without extensive labor and rewiring.
6. The ability to utilize both Intranet/Internet data and voice communications through one connected bandwidth (T1, T3, Gigabit Ethernet, MPLS, OC3, etc.) line.

What Does SIP Trunking Replace?

Quite simply, SIP replaces many traditional business phone service applications including the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network), ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network), BRI (Basic Rate Interface), DIDs (Direct Inward Dial), and PRI (Primary Rate Interface). This allows for a business or enterprise to be networked for phone services and utilize necessary business features including video conferencing, call routing, caller ID, and more at a reduced cost.

How Are Costs Reduced?

Costs are drastically reduced due to the traffic routing and hosting of the IP PBX being performed by the ITSP (Internet Telephone Service Provider) itself. Businesses need not spare the expense of connecting to the PSTN themselves with their own PBX phone systems. SIP trunking also eliminates the limits imposed by traditional T1 line and T3 line voice channel partitioning giving businesses more flexibility with scalability whether it is business growth or recession.

Want to learn more about business phone service options for high volume call centers? Visit TopSavings.Net online to discover and save on SIP trunk solutions, business long distance, business Internet, private business lines, and more.




Thursday, August 25, 2011

VoIP Security for a Business



VoIP security is still evolving since the threats that have currently been identified are still more or less theoretical in nature. As of now, VoIP calls and VoIP hardware forms a minuscule percentage of the telephone system which is still overwhelmingly PSTN based. Therefore, targeted attacks are still not profitable enough to take the effort over. But this isn't something that we can just sit on till it explodes. PSTN systems are on their way out and we have to deal with possible security solutions now.

Privacy

Privacy is a very important aspect of VoIP - especially when businesses are involved in confidential negotiations and the like. However, this is actually a strong point of VoIP vis a vis PSTN systems. The IP based packets can undergo complex encryption to prevent eavesdropping and the basic infrastructure is already in place. Virtual Private Networks or VPNs as they're called are already used by the vast majority of professional corporations and the VoIP infrastructure can easily piggyback on this.

DDoS attacks

Far more serious, is the possibility of a Denial of service attack that can cripple the network. This involves large amounts of useless data being sent to overwhelm the server or the pipe which suddenly doesn't have the resources to deal with legitimate requests. The danger is made worse by the fact that VoIP is ultra sensitive to this sort of disruption since it's real time in nature and users will have a very low tolerance for this sort of thing.

The solution doesn't differ from those advocated for regular Internet connections. Ensure that the firewalls are properly configured, and make sure anti virus software is up to date. Sometimes, businesses can utilize third party services that route traffic through their servers to filter out suspicious packets.

Another solution is to deploy voice data on another Internet connection entirely or segregate the existing connection into two with one channel being dedicated to voice. Sophisticated intrusion and detection tools can then be deployed on the virtual voice channel that protect it from invasions.

There are many more threats to VoIP that are just now being uncovered. It's not easy to foresee the future, but we can take a leaf from our existing Internet systems. For example, changing the default passwords on all VoIP hardware is essential to prevent easy remote access. Simple things like that will go a long way towards ensuring a safe and secure VoIP system.

Bhagwad is a specialist in Hosted PBX services. He's also an expert in giving advice for implementing VoIP for mobile phones.




Wednesday, August 24, 2011

What a Small Business Phone System Can Do For You



Our economic era is characterized by pervasively low consumer spending, high unemployment and incredibly scarce credit for even the most trustworthy borrowers. As such, this year has been merciless for small businesses across the nation. The current state of our economy shows no mercy; only businesses that have great business plans and can spend money wisely will survive.

How can you make sure your small business outlasts these difficult days? One way is to save money on your small business phone system. Most entrepreneurs will first turn to traditional land line technology when it comes to setting up a PBX or small business phone system. These systems can, however, be unwieldy and much more expensive than VOIP (voice-over-IP) options.

Some consumers might rather erroneously associate VOIP with an unprofessional or casual image. Services like Skype are appealing to the mass consumer audience; however, VOIP systems known as "virtual PBX" are specifically tailored to meet and exceed the needs for a business.

VOIP also boasts extremely high call quality, thanks to the fact that it utilizes a digital (and thus interference free) signal, rather than a traditional analog signal. This is very important for business owners with international clientele. VOIP and Virtual PBX systems can off crystal clear call quality that cannot be matched by phones that run off of PSTN, to exotic or underdeveloped areas of the world.

Additionally, many VOIP business phone systems offer advanced digital features such as digital voicemail. Thanks to their online connectivity and high-tech features, VOIP small business phone systems are capable of e-mailing transcribed voicemails to their intended recipients in your office. Digital voicemail can be stored on online or "cloud" data storage websites, allowing for easy access.

An advantage that VOIP small business phone systems can offer is the perception to others, that your company is a localized, cohesive unit with the virtual call-center feature!

Saving money on a business phone system will add up and loosen the financial burden on your small business.. In fact, they may be the only way for your business to hang until our current economic storm clears and clearer skies return.




Tuesday, August 23, 2011

How to Beat Economic Uncertainty With VoIP



We live in uncertain economic times. Our broken banking system caused the flow of credit to small businesses to dramatically lower. Entrepreneurs that, collectively, are the primary source of new employment and commercial ingenuity in our nation are in peril. With politicians risking our trade relations with foreign nations by pursuing protectionist tariff policies (such as the recent 35% tariff increase on Chinese produced tires), things are looking particularly grim for businesses with international clientele or partners. In times like these, even the smallest changes can make the difference between success and failure for your business.

Something as small as having a more efficient PBX phone system might save your business just enough money to outlast this turbulent stretch. This is where business VoIP phone services come in. "VoIP" stands for 'Voice-over-IP', meaning that the audio signal from your conversation is transmitted over the internet via a digital signal, rather than a traditional analog signal. Digital signals are not subject to intereference due to their delivery method, so communication with international partners is flawless.

While VoIP service might be most popular amongst consumers, it is also a great fit for all variety of small businesses. Business VoIP phone service can offer your company "virtual PBX" service, which includes all of the convenience of a traditional PBX system and a number of exciting features that traditional PBX systems lack.

Business VoIP service can give your small business the appearance of a much larger company through its many features. Is one of your primary business partners located in China or India? A traditional analog PBX phone system would be unable to forward calls from your main PBX system to an international number. Not so with business VoIP phone service, which will make prospective clients think your firm operates out of a single office (like a larger business) even if your partners are located on different continents.

Business VoIP phone service also offers the advantage of digital voicemail; with business VoIP phone service, you can have your voicemails transcribed into text documents and e-mailed to their intended recipients. You can also have your voicemails digitized and stored on an online "cloud" storage site, which can be accessed anywhere the internet is.

Why pay more for traditional analog PBX phone service, which lacks so many of the useful features offered by Business VoIP phone service? Your business cannot waste money on expensive and inefficient technology.




Monday, August 22, 2011

Hosted PBX VoIP - The Right Solution to Improve Communications



Efficient telecommunication systems can make day-to-day business communications smooth and easy. Hosted PBX VoIP phone system is the right solution for small businesses to improve communications and draw more prospects.

Hosted PBX VoIP Call Features for Quality Customer Service

The hosted PBX VoIP phone system comes with advanced call management features such as auto attendant to handle all your incoming calls. It attends calls and greets the callers with professional sounding greetings. Further, the callers will be given a menu of options to reach the right extensions. The calls are routed to the required extensions of your office, mailboxes, conference rooms and unlimited depths of auto attendants. You can even customize the system to convey information about your products and services. Altogether, callers will get the impression they are communicating with a bigger corporate.

In case there are multiple calls coming in at the same time, hosted PBX VoIP phone systems serve as call centers. The call queues will be directed to the phone line of a group of sales or service agents in your office. The person who attends the call communicates with the caller. Therefore, there is no need to worry about missing any important business calls.

Communicate with Your Callers While on the Move

A PBX VoIP system gives you the versatility to work from any location, while efficiently managing your business calls. The phone system can be integrated to your existing phone, if you have a dedicated broadband connection. The web interface lets you connect to your home network, personal numbers or any number of extension lines. Even if you are not available at your office, calls will be directed to the phone lines where you can be contacted.

There is a customer portal incorporated in the hosted PBX VoIP system, which makes it convenient for you to view call detail records and billing information, listen to and delete your voicemail and upload music on hold. With all such sophisticated features, it is evident that hosted PBX VoIP system is indeed the right solution to improve your business communications.

VoIP PBX - AccessDirect's hosted PBX system comes loaded with features such as voicemail, fax to email, auto attendant and follow me call forwarding.




Sunday, August 21, 2011

Small Business Phone Systems



In today's fast-paced world, small businesses need to be able to compete on every level. One the essential components of any successful business is great communication. Small businesses especially need to ensure that they are on the cutting edge of communication technology. For this reason, small business owners and managers should invest in high tech phone systems for small businesses.

High tech systems often use VoIP technology. VoIP stands for "Voice over Internet Protocol.This system digitizes your phone conversation and transmits the data via the internet rather than through a PSTN. By using VoIP, companies can ensure the call quality they receive will be superb, without the need to worry about location, as they can make calls anywhere they are connected to the internet. This fact is what can determine whether or not you make or break a deal, or lose or gain a client.

Phone systems using VoIP also have other benefits. With traditional phone systems, users are billed either by the minute or the second. However, with VoIP, your phone call is broken down and sent through the internet via packets and reassembles at the receiving end. For this reason, you are billed based upon data usage. The overall cost is typically cheaper than that of traditional calls.

One complaint many small businesses have with their phone system is the hassle of adding other lines. However, with VoIP, small businesses can transmit more than one call over a single broadband connection, eliminating the need for multiple lines entirely.

A phone system for small business also allows for the addition of other high tech features. This can include video chatting, conference calls, or even the ability to send a data file while conversing. Adding these options can increase your job efficiency and performance by a great deal. You will be surprised, for instance, how much more personal telecommuting can feel, or how much closer your employees, whether they work in the New York or San Francisco office, will feel to each other.

VoIP also makes creating a secure telephone line much easier, as the information is already being digitized. VoIP is a very secure system, and is complementary to businesses who much comply with certain security protocols, like HIPPA, or for anyone who wishes to ensure their security.

Whether you're looking to replace an old phone system for your small business or starting from scratch, a high tech VoIP phone system may be right for you.




Saturday, August 20, 2011

Learn How to Make Cheap International VoIP Calls Through Internet and Save Money



There are many uses of internet. You can do search for business information and friends, do shopping, book tickets for train, bus, flight; plan your vacation and book the holidaying spots too. Apart from these, you can make very cheap calls globally using the voice-over internet protocol, called as VoIP. These appear to be normal phones to make calls abroad, just that they are connected to the internet instead of a connection provided by your local telecommunications service provider. Though they assist you in getting connected to various countries instantly and save a lot of money, there are some limitations such as broken voices, stuttered sentences and interrupted calls. You can read further to learn how to make good quality international VoIP calls through the net connection.

1. The physical phone is connected to the computer through the VoIP adapter. So, check if this lightweight device is secured well. At times, shaking of this little tool can cause disconnected calls and bad signal reception with no voice clarity.

2. Disentangle all the chords such as Ethernet, phone and power cables. This also avoids some electrical interference ensuring better call quality.

3. Normally, the voice reception is very good as clear as an alarm bell. However, due to the ISP congestion, there could be instances where the voice echoes or stutters, or reaches you in bits and pieces. In such cases, inform your counterpart, hang up the call and dial after a while. By then the decongestion would have taken effect returning the quality of your call.

4. Power outages can abruptly cut the call. Have a good unrestricted power supply system in place which gives you enough backup to complete the call and cut before the battery runs down.

You can make cheap international VoIP calls over the internet which can reduce your expenses. Moreover, the cheap international calls also fuels the expansion of your business.




Friday, August 19, 2011

International Businesses Can Be Developed by Making Use of VoIP Calls and Their Features



VoIP is Voice-over Internet Protocol, which is a set of rules to enable two telephones communicate with each other through the internet, instead of the regular telephone cables. It is a continuous two way communication where people can interact with each other simultaneously. The VoIP is very cheap option for making international calls and therefore you would need it to connect with your international business counterparts and friends and relatives living abroad. Read more to enable you to understand the features of VoIP facilities.

• Cheapest option: When it comes to international calling, VoIP is considered to be the cheapest option. There are only internet charges applicable and not the international calling charges.

• Why pay for being silent! When we speak, there will be pauses between our sentences and we will remain silent when other person speaks. In normal telephone connection, these silent moments are also charged as meaningful communication is not differentiated. In VoIP calls, charges are applied only for the voice bits transferred in form of packets. The silences are left alone.

• Portability: There are cordless phones that are available for the internet phones, which ensure that the person need not be glued to the phone station throughout the conversation.

• Call back and caller ID: These are vital features to know who is calling you and to avoid unnecessary introduction and conclusions. Moreover, call back is a wonderful option to ensure you return the calls of your potential customers and your kith and kin.

• Conferencing, Forwarding and voice mail: These are the value added services that the voip phones provide for enhanced calling experience.

• Do not disturb: These are very important to avoid unnecessary callers while you are in the middle of important business meetings and over-the-phone family conferences.

Making VoIP calls are much cheaper than the regular telephone calls. So, you can develop business with lesser costs by using cheap VoIP calls.




Thursday, August 18, 2011

Improve Your Business by Banishing Your Inner Techno-Phobe For Free



One of the most common fears concerning modern technology in business is how to use the internet successfully and securely. While there are less that reputable sites and viruses circulating around the web, there are many things you can do to protect your computer from threats. If you are an absolute beginner, many websites offer computer and web training, for a small fee or free of charge. Some sites offer tutorials just for women or IT professionals, so try typing 'internet tutorials' into a search engine to see what is on offer. When you are more comfortable with using the internet, think about how you would like to publicise your company. Many popular social networking sites are free to set up and run, and a number of blogging sites also offer their services for no cost.

While the internet is a very useful tool for keeping in touch with colleagues and clients remember that the phone is also great way to stay in contact. But, for the days when you need to speak to more than one person at the same time, it is worth looking into improving your telecommunications. Some companies offer free conference calls, free conference calls which save money and time when trying to conduct meetings with other members of staff or customers who can not make it to the office, because they allow more than two people to listen in and be heard during the call.

With modern technology becoming more advanced as time goes on, it can be very easy for you and your business to become overwhelmed by the wealth of new gadgets and software available. But if the idea of upgrading your computer skills seems a little daunting, here are three inexpensive and accessible tips to help you ease your business and bring it into a new era.

James King has been working in the business services industry for over 15 years. He enjoys writing about business, technology and especially conference call facilities.




Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Video Phone Review



You step into a new millennium filled with fantastic fast digital information exchanges. A group of progressive scientists developed the Video Phone. They worked very hard to deliver comfort and ease of use of their product to everyday people. Video phones open a new window of possibilities in today's business or leisure.

Latest model digital phone combines the power of high definition video, industry standard audio, and expandability of a phone adapter, an enhanced feature not available on any other phones. This unique phone is simple to use and allows a high broadband connection to make and receive calls.

Video phone features: Caller ID, Call forwarding, Conference calling, 911 calling and more.

Enhanced features:

Video voice mail: Now you can not only hear your messages, but see the people who leave them.

Phone book: Easy to access your favorite contacts with click of a button.

Digital photo frame: Use your phone as a digital picture frame when not in use.

Ability to project video call on a large display for special conference needs.

Video phone has a 7" large high quality display. It is portable, very flexible, and folds down for ease of travel. This video phone requires a high-speed internet connection (minimum 200 kbpc), the faster the connection the better quality call you will experience. This technology does not require a computer and does not interfere with your internet use on any other devices.

Benefits of video communications:

Enjoyment of face to face communication, which lets you see and hear the person you are talking to.

Always stay in touch with your family and loved ones (be closer to your parents or kids when they are far away).

For those who choose to work from home, your life just became easier. Now you can communicate with your boss as if you were in the same office, help your customers choose the right product, or make important conference calls.

Making you feel present during special occasions when you can not physically be there.

Calling throughout USA, Canada and Puerto Rico is free.

Lyudmyla Pavlyuk is the leader and expert in the telecommunications industry. She has helped businesses and individuals reduce expenditures on telecommunication bills and has also helped with the latest advancements in the telecom industry. To get more information on reducing telecom costs and utilizing the latest telecom technology click Here




Tuesday, August 16, 2011

The Advantages of Skype For Studying



Skype is software that turns a personal computer into a telephone, using voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) technology. This converts voice signals into data streams that are sent over the Internet and converted back to audio by the recipient's computer. Millions use Skype to make free video and voice calls, send instant messages, and share files with other Skype users, especially individuals and businesses. Every day, people also use Skype to make low-cost calls to landlines and mobiles.

P2P model

Although Skype is not the only company that offers VoIP services for consumers, it functions on a P2P model rather than as a centralized application. With the P2P model, users download a piece of software that allows computers to communicate directly with one another, without having to be routed through a central location. This model allows Skype to function as a robust and distributed medium for communication and hence learning too. The service allows communication between devices that are already equipped with Skype, which is free, or between a Skype device and a telephone for relatively low fees.

Inexpensive Communication

Skype provides an easy way to communicate with people around the world at no cost, opening the door to a wide range of activities that can improve student engagement and comprehension. Learning becomes more authentic as it goes beyond the walls of a classroom, and being able to have a phone call or a video chat with someone on the other side of the world can make learning come alive. Video calling on Skype is simple to set up and offers the ability to see friends and colleagues and have a visual interaction with them. To include multiple Skype contacts in the same call, simply click the conference button in the Skype window and add the desired parties. Skype can conference up to 5 people in a call on any computer. With Video conferencing studying and learning naturally become much faster and easier.

Using Skype

Using Skype is simple. It just requires a small initial investment in a set of headphones and a webcam that is compatible with your computer. Once these are ready, create a Skype Account and visit Skype.com, and click "Download Skype Now." Once the program is downloaded, choose a username and create your profile. Add to your contacts list, the friend you'd like to study with. Type his/ her Skype username into the search box, and invite him/ her to connect with you. Click on your study partner's username in your contact list once you add him/ her and its study time for both!

Sudha writes on the use of Internet for students.




Monday, August 15, 2011

What is an International Call?



An international call is when you call another country from another country. For example if you are in India and make a call to United Kingdom it automatically becomes am international call.

How do I get cheap phone calls? Yes you can get cheap international calls if you carefully source your long distance calling cards. Because nowadays there are many calling cards offering cheap phone calls or cheapest calls whatever it is called. But these cards are loaded with uncountable fees and surcharges to rip you off and at the end you feel robbed. The following are the tips to get a reliable cheap international calls deal

Tip 1
Always source your international calling cards online where you can verify the reputation of the phone card company.

Tip 2
Always go for the company that is prepared to offer you Free Minutes to test the quality of their services or go for the company that is prepared to offer you Free Minutes in addition to your purchase. At least you are better off with the free minutes and it is a way to tell you that they have your interest in mind by offering you Free Minutes. Which is another way to impose confidence so that you can try the quality of their service.

Tip 3
Go for the company that offer some form of guarantee on their phone cards, this shows legitimacy and peace of mind that you will get quality value for your money.

Tip 4
Buying online is save and spot where you can make payment through PayPal and the like offering consumer protection. This is another option to get value for your money because of the consumer protection policy which is of beneficial to you the very moment you route your payment through PayPal or the like secure payment company.

Tip 5
Always look for the phone card with no expiry dates that retains your minutes. There are many of them out there with no surcharges at all.

Tip 6
Always go for the phone card with customer service phone number and or email address.

Tip 7
Nowadays there are soft sip applications that can easily transmit all your calls through the internet to the destination phone number. And fortunately there is presence of quality broadband internet which you can take its advantage and install sip soft phone on your PC and or Laptop. Therefore it is recommended that always go for the phone card company that is prepared to offer you free soft sip phone application that you can install on your PC and Laptop to make quality international phone call. With this application you can easily save your mobile credits, which is another, added advantage.

Cheap Phone Calls




Sunday, August 14, 2011

Desktop Video Conference Solutions - Giving a Lift to Global Economy



In this high pace world, everybody needs a reliable communication network to be able to expand his/her trade circle. The web conference call providers are addressing this problem & using advance communication technology to help customers in the expansion of their business on a global sphere. The desktop video conference is one such invaluable communication technology that has played like a catalyst in increasing the market share of every business type.

These days, every small to large scale business house is seen using desktop video conference for having a real time communication with their business associates, delegates, employees & customers who are positioned in different parts of the world. The conference call providers are taking a lead in bringing this technological innovation at affordable price. A large number of business owners are subscribing to desktop video conferencing service so that they can share their confidential documents, business proposals, marketing strategies & annual sales report with multiple users. It even allows them to monitor the activity of all their employees in different branches. With this inexpensive & faster communication medium, the business owners are now able to initiate a dialogue whenever desired. It is really interesting that made on a laptop or desktop with a web cam facility & high speed internet connection is helping the business professionals to manage their business better.

The web conference call providers are offering two types of desktop video services to business organizations. They are known as the desktop audio & video conferencing call services. A desktop supplied with a microphone & sound card can make an audio conferencing call but a web cam will become necessary for being able to make video conference calls. However, both of these conferencing call services are truly interactive & make communication very smooth for companies. These real-time conferencing solutions have brought an increased business growth for most of them. And they ultimately lead the way to a strengthened global economy.

The desktop video conference call service providers are encouraging their customers to use wireless head phones & get an uninterrupted discussion with an improved call quality. The blue tooth technology will help install these headphones to the desktop used for making. More number of business houses is opting for this conference call technique to get non-stop trade discussion for hours.

The business organization of all sizes is appreciating the role of conference call providers who help them to save time & time & avoid taking business trips. They have made it easy for companies to communicate their business related information instantly & effectively. That's why, every day, the user pool for this conferencing call service keeps on growing & helping companies to achieve their business objective in a more cost-effective manner.

The desktop video conferencing has brought a beautiful combination of technology & creativity. Here, participants will be able to see each other & they can even interact in a more personalized way. Large as well as small business houses have started to discover great business profits in these fully functional & cost-effective conference calls. The global business world has been benefited a lot with desktop video conferencing facility.

Hope Dever is the founder of A+ Conferencing, one of the best

In this high pace world, everybody needs a reliable communication network to be able to expand his/her trade circle. The web conference call providers are addressing this problem & using advance communication technology to help customers in the expansion of their business on a global sphere. The desktop video conference is one such invaluable communication technology that has played like a catalyst in increasing the market share of every business type.

These days, every small to large scale business house is seen using desktop video conference for having a real time communication with their business associates, delegates, employees & customers who are positioned in different parts of the world. The conference call providers are taking a lead in bringing this technological innovation at affordable price. A large number of business owners are subscribing to desktop video conferencing service so that they can share their confidential documents, business proposals, marketing strategies & annual sales report with multiple users. It even allows them to monitor the activity of all their employees in different branches. With this inexpensive & faster communication medium, the business owners are now able to initiate a dialogue whenever desired. It is really interesting that made on a laptop or desktop with a web cam facility & high speed internet connection is helping the business professionals to manage their business better.

The web conference call providers are offering two types of desktop video services to business organizations. They are known as the desktop audio & video conferencing call services. A desktop supplied with a microphone & sound card can make an audio conferencing call but a web cam will become necessary for being able to make video conference calls. However, both of these conferencing call services are truly interactive & make communication very smooth for companies. These real-time conferencing solutions have brought an increased business growth for most of them. And they ultimately lead the way to a strengthened global economy.

The desktop video conference call service providers are encouraging their customers to use wireless head phones & get an uninterrupted discussion with an improved call quality. The blue tooth technology will help install these headphones to the desktop used for making. More number of business houses is opting for this conference call technique to get non-stop trade discussion for hours.

The business organization of all sizes is appreciating the role of conference call providers who help them to save time & time & avoid taking business trips. They have made it easy for companies to communicate their business related information instantly & effectively. That's why, every day, the user pool for this conferencing call service keeps on growing & helping companies to achieve their business objective in a more cost-effective manner.

The desktop video conferencing has brought a beautiful combination of technology & creativity. Here, participants will be able to see each other & they can even interact in a more personalized way. Large as well as small business houses have started to discover great business profits in these fully functional & cost-effective conference calls. The global business world has been benefited a lot with desktop video conferencing facility.

Hope Dever is the founder of A+ Conferencing, one of the best conference call providers in Texas, USA. His company offers audio conferencing, web conferencing & desktop video conferencing services at affordable prices.

in Texas, USA. His company offers audio conferencing, web conferencing & desktop video conferencing services at affordable prices.




Saturday, August 13, 2011

What is Skype? - Skype FAQ



Unless you don't make any long-distance or international calls you must have definitely heard of Skype. But do you know what is Skype, how it works and whether you need it or not?

The Skype service started in 2003. This lets to talk to receive messages via text and have video chats. So, all you need is a computer connected to the internet and you can use Skype. To get started, you have install the software from their website and register your user profile. That's just the beginning of course.

When you first open it up and start using it, you will wonder what all the fuss is about. It's like any other chat program you have ever used. The same options of adding friends/contacts, blocking users and sending messages are available in this software too. This is where Skype becomes more than just a chat program. You can talk to other users on Skype for free. So Skype-to-Skype calling doesn't incur any charges. You might be wondering how do they make any money? Will this remain free forever? The answers to both those questions are related. Skype provides such excellent free features that its userbase is in the millions. Once you start using this service and realize how convenient it is, you might start looking for other options to call mobile phones or other devices. You can use something called 'Skype credits' to make such calls. These credits are basically bought in advance by the user and used up on the amount of time spent while talking to someone on a landline or mobile phone. This is what is also called a 'pay as you go' system. If you like the call quality and are considering the credits option we would recommend spending a little and not using automatic payments (at least not in the beginning). Give it a spin and see what you think.

There are other Skype features that you should be aware of:

SkypeIn

This is a cool paid feature using which you can receive calls on a fixed number from users around the globe. The calls will be received on your computer or internet device while you are free to move around. At the time of writing this feature is available in United States, United Kingdom, Denmark, Brazil, Finland, Estonia, France, Hong Kong, Germany, Sweden, Poland and Switzerland. You might want to check the Skype website because they update this list from time to time.

SkypeOut

This is a paid feature using which you can make calls to telephones (landlines) and mobile phones at great rates around the globe. The rates are pretty much the same in all countries and are very affordable.

To learn one more cool thing you can do with voice over IP click here.




Friday, August 12, 2011

How to Make Free Phone Calls to Landline Phones - A Guide



With multiple voip providers popping up all over the place, international calling is cheap and getting cheaper. Did you know that calling internationally can be done for free? Yes, you read that right. Lets dig deeper.

There are a few communication providers that let you make free calls from your phone. You'll have to dial the number provided by them before you dial the main number you are trying to reach so that you can access their network. The good part is that you won't need to ask for a different company or a different number. No switching needed. Just use your current network and number.

How do these companies let you make free calls?

- So that we're clear, calls made to landlines aren't unlimited. This is not some loophole that few people know about. There are a small number of calls that you can make.

- There are advertisements before you are connected to your main number. The advertisers are in essence paying for your listening time. So, your calls are free.

- There are a few services that will give you the device that lets you connect to this free calling network. But, there is a small initiation fee or membership cost associated with it (e.g. MagicJack). Sometimes, you have a low-cost yearly membership. So, this qualifies under the dirt cheap and almost free category. If you do go down this path, check the fine print to confirm that your destination country is on the list of approved countries. Sometimes such lists exist. Its better to check in advance.

No-cost or free Landline calls using voip

You must've heard of the PC to PC calls using voip being free. Did you know that voip calls to a landline can also be free.

There are services like VOIPCheap that let you make calls to a few numbers (that you provide) in a list of countries without any costs associated with it. The only caveat is that you will have to buy credits in advance of making the calls. If you use this company for other services then being able to make these calls is worthwhile. Using this service just to make calls might not be worthwhile.

These days a few people are using an innovative way of making calls from various personal numbers using voip. Lets assume that you have signed up with vonage world where you pay $29.95 a month. To implement this strategy, you set your vonage phone to forward to any international number that you can dial (as part of your vonage international plan). Then you call your own vonage number from any number e.g. your mobile or your work phone. Since your vonage phone connects is forwarded, you are connected to the international number for no additional charge while using a local number. So, if you know someone who has vonage world and the country you want to call is on their country list then you ask them to forward their phone to the international number and you can call their number (which could be local or long-distance depending on whether they are out-of-state). I personally love this way of making calls since I only make a few calls and don't need a monthly or yearly subscription.

To learn about more cool ways to use voip and save money click here.




Thursday, August 11, 2011

VoIP Phone Systems



As small and medium sized companies continue to reevaluate cost, a rising number of business are realizing significant savings without sacrificing convenience or productivity by replacing traditional land line phone systems with Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP phone systems. VoIP, one of the fastest growing technologies, converts a voice signal into a digital signal so that it can be transmitted over the internet as data. Then the signal is converted back to a voice signal on the receiving side so that users can speak to someone with this or any other kind of phone. This gives you the ability to use the internet as a huge global phone network and eliminate many additional service and long distance fees along the way.

Traditional phone systems have high costs associated with employee moves, adds and changes. This is a growing problem as more offices and work stations are virtual. As long as you have access to a broadband connection, you can use your VoIP system anywhere, such as in a hotel room or at home. Customers and employees can stay in touch just by calling your regular business phone number. Many VoIP phone numbers can be configured to simultaneously ring on multiple devices including a cell and landline phone before rolling to voice mail. To move an IP phone (or traditional phone with a VoIP adapter) to a new location or different broadband network just locate the network jack and plug it in. Since these systems are not tied to a specific location you can often chose your own area code which can be particularly beneficial if you are looking to do business with companies in another area.

In addition to the cost savings there are more functional benefits to using VoIP. Because it goes through the data network and is run on a server, VoIP can integrate with other applications making your service highly flexible. Just to name a few, you can talk on your laptop using a headphone, microphone or unit connected to your computer. This is helpful during online meetings and webinars. Also, with this service you won't miss any important phone calls while working online from a remote location. Forward your voice mails and faxes to your email inbox so that you receive all correspondence in one easy place and easily archive or forward them to others.

Before implementing a new system consider the following

1. You should not notice a change in sound quality in a VoIP solution if you are using a broadband connection. It should be identical to that of a traditional land line or better.

2. Check with your current provider to make sure you know when your existing contract (if you have one) ends and what the penalties would be to terminate the service earlier. This is likely to affect your start date with a new system.

3. Address your network security. There are many other important reasons to make sure that your network security is up to date and functioning properly but because VoIP is increasing in popularity it is also attracting the attention from hackers looking to digitally intercept VoIP signals and rendering the system useless. If you haven't already, this is a good time to address any security issues.

4. Rather than switching everyone simultaneously test the services with a few users. Once you are satisfied and have a chance to address any potential issues you can include all employees in the plan. You may also consider keeping the old system during the transition for backup or you may decide that a VoIP solution is a compliment to your traditional system instead of a replacement.

VoIP is an excellent solution for small and medium size companies because of its flexibility and low cost. It allows smaller businesses to take advantage of the advanced communication tools without integrating large systems with significant setup costs. However, no single solution is right for every business. The best system for your business is one that can address your current needs and have the ability to grow and change as your needs evolve.

Alex Famili is the co-founder and principal of Twist Solutions, LP. Twist Solutions is a Dallas Computer Support Company specializing in computer system management, IT support and a full range of Computer Services.




Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Why Switch to VOIP If I'm Happy With My Existing Phone Service?



For those who have never had a reason to complain about their regular phone service, all the talk about VoIP can be quite confusing. After all, why change something when it's working well? One of the greatest achievements of the normal PSTN phone system has been to get us to lower our expectations of what we need for proper communication. In most cases, users don't even realize what it is they're missing.

For example in the US, most people see nothing wrong with the practice of buying expensive handsets and paying massive fees for two years. They're so used to not having the freedom to change phones and having to pay for incoming calls, that they accept it as part of life. Those US citizens who have traveled widely however, know what they're missing and are unable to feel happy about the situation back home. The same sort of logic is true for VoIP and PSTN phones.

Take the simple question of voice quality for example. How many times have we had problems spelling our name over the phone, using tricks like "A for alpha" to make sure that the other person clearly understands what we're saying? This isn't a pleasant situation, but we've gotten used to it. The reason of course, is that normal phones cut off higher and lower frequencies to save on bandwidth.

Using VoIP however, you suddenly find you no longer need to take such great pains to figure out what the other person is saying. It's more like speaking normally - after all, how often do you have problems giving your name to another person when you meet them? Hardly ever.

Another big problem is price. No matter what phone system you're on, you're probably overpaying to use the service. Even if you're happy with your normal phone line, you'll be shocked at how much VoIP can save you. The system really shines when you check out the International prices of VoIP calls. You can talk for hours and hours and hardly even notice your balance getting depleted. It's truly remarkable.

Of course, VoIP has many other great features that only time will teach us how to use properly. Once more and more individuals are converted to the VoIP experience, it'll be impossible to go back to what they were used to in the past.

And that is the real reason to look at VoIP. You don't know what you're missing out on.

Bhagwad is a specialist in Hosted VoIP services with PBX. He's also an expert in giving advice on implementing VoIP for small businesses.




Tuesday, August 9, 2011

A Beginner's Guide to Business VOIP PBX



This is probably the worst time in the last twenty years to be vying for a traditional nine-to-five job. Becoming an entrepreneur is probably the best way to survive and even thrive in this snail slow economy, which is hardly rising, if not rising at all. But don't be discouraged- it was in an economy similar to this that Apple, Inc was launched in a dark, dreary room with a wooden computer that didn't even have a keyboard or a screen. Today, it is one of the most respected and profitable consumer electronics companies in the world.

Looking to make your new small business last and grow on the same meteoric trajectory as Apple? The only way you will even have a chance at making it as far as Apple did is to follow Rockefeller's example by being extra thrifty on the money. Most of the time, unfortunately, saving money requires a sacrifice. Luckily, you can have your cake and eat it, too, with Business VOIP Systems. Business VOIP Systems can save you up to 50 to 85 % monthly over a traditional PBX system, without sacrificing on any features or quality.

In truth, the functions which the 'old school' PBX systems offer not only cost more, but don't live up to what business VOIP systems can offer. Many small businesses either cannot afford or do not wish to operate out of a single office. These partners could be from different parts of the world. From a different prospective, the world is now a global marketplace which hardly ever has one person sitting at one office all the time. The 'old school' PBX system just can't work for people whose needs are so unique.

Luckily, hosted pbx can accommodate those with multiple offices or even those who only have cellular access in the work day, while still providing the impressive quality of a much larger company with a cohesive central office. Prospective clients can call just one number for your office and get redirected to different states, nations or even a cellphone at no additional cost (because hosted PBX operates over the internet) while still under the impression they are calling a single office.

Hosted PBX systems also have the unique ability to switch a call to a different phone in the middle of any call? This service is referred to as 'call flip' and is integral to the business person on the go.

Business VoIP systems provides a service which forwards your call to multiple numbers if you are unsure of your actual location at a particular time in the day.

Don't you hate calling a traditional PBX system and listening to a massive list of options in order to get to the person you want to talk to? With Business VoIP Systems, your prospective clients can reach you more easily with the dial by name directory feature, which allows a caller to simply dial the numbers that correspond to the letters in the last name of the person they are trying to reach.

If you're gonna survive, you've gotta be smart and savvy. Those that make smart choices rather than tough choices are far more likely to make the cut.

Mehndi Rao is a passionate writer. She writes about just about anything that pops into her mind. Her current topic of interest is the oh-so-dynamic hosted pbx and what every business owner should have: business VOIP systems.




Monday, August 8, 2011

Advantages and Disadvantages Of VoIP Services



VoIP which is a short phrase for Voice over Internet Protocol, is also known as broadband phone. It is called as broadband phone because it needs broadband internet connection either to receive or make a call. This is the technology which allows your conversation into digital signal which is converted over the internet and then to voice after when it reaches the final destination.

Most important advantage of VoIP is reduction in cost. Since it is a voice over internet, it is considered as data service and you will be exempted from the fees of long distance. This is the reason many VoIp service provider offer low rates for long distance and internationals calls.

Extra services like caller ID, call waiting, conference calls are also offered by some VoIp providers if you are ready to pay extra cost for it. You can also choose a virtual phone number with an area code different from yours with some broadband phone providers. For instance, if you live in NY and your relatives or friends live in Ohio. You can choose a virtual number for Ohio. When they call you from Ohio, they will not be charged for long distance calls.

Along with these advantages, there are some disadvantages as well from VoIP phone services, VoIP phones depend on the quality of your internet service, if you have good internet then the quality of calls will also be very good, if not then you will notice a bad quality calls. And for VoIP phones services, you need a broadband internet and dial up will not work in this case.

If you are out of power, then VoIP phone will not work for you, or if your internet service is down then it will not work again. It is always safe to have second phone line in case of emergencies.

Author is associated with Flint Telecom Group which is a fast growing Telecoms Technology & Services Organization with a portfolio of companies that deliver next-generation IP communications Products and VOIP Services.




Sunday, August 7, 2011

8 Reasons Hosted PBX Hosted VoIP Offer Fax to Email Services



Believe it or not, facsimile machines or faxes have been in operation since the mid-nineteenth century. However, it was not until the 1980s that the technology in faxes became sufficient and the cost was practical for widespread use among businesses. Although faxes are receiving tremendous amounts of competition from e-mail and other electronic forms of document communication, they are still in widespread use for several reasons including privacy and security.

30 year old fax technology still has a role in modern communication, but that does not mean businesses are stuck with outdated fax machines. Faxmail is the equivalent of attaching a fax image to an e-mail. Faxmail can be implemented through installing a fax server or is frequently offered through Hosted PBX or Virtual PBX services from Hosted VoIP providers.

Here are the top 8 reasons why businesses MUST throw away the old fax machine and start receiving faxes with Faxmail:

1. Stop Wasting Time Standing Over the Fax Machine. Have you ever been waiting on an important fax and wanted to know the moment it arrived? Or you wanted to make sure that it did not get lost. Likely, you stood next to or near the fax machine checking every fax that was received. Faxmail messages are delivered directly to your e-mail client immediately after they are received.

2. Keep Private and Confidential Information Safe. Faxmail messages can be directed to an individual's e-mail client. As long as an individual's e-mail client is secure, they will be the first to see and review any new faxes. Confidential faxes are secured by not laying openly on a fax machine's output tray.

3. Faxes Do Not Get Lost. Busy fax machines that receive many inbound faxes may have several different faxes in their output tray at a time. Faxes can get lost on the back of other faxes as there is no means of automatically separating them. Faxes sent to Faxmail boxes are received and e-mailed one at a time. They are separated as distinct e-mail messages.

4. Faxes Are Distributed as Easily as E-mails. Faxmail messages are received as an image attachment to an ordinary e-mail. As an ordinary e-mail, they are distributed and saved as easily as any e-mail. They can be forwarded to an individual e-mail address or group lists just as any e-mail with an attachment. They can also be saved in folders for later reference.

5. Receive Important Faxes While Traveling. As an e-mail, Faxmail messages can be received anywhere e-mails are received. While on the road, faxes will not pile up in an inbox on a desk. Important faxes will not require a lookout waiting for the fax and having to find a hotel fax number to forward.

6. Receive Faxes While Sending at the Same Time. Have you ever been waiting on an important fax to learn someone was already using the fax machine to send one out? Faxmail messages are received on the fax server at the Hosted PBX or Hosted VoIP provider. Inbound faxes do not use the company's fax line or fax machine. Thus, fax line and fax machine can be used for outbound purposes and will never interfere with an inbound fax.

7. Receive Multiple Inbound Faxes at Once. Inbound faxes are received electronically at the Hosted PBX or Hosted VoIP provider on circuits that can handle multiple calls simultaneously to one telephone number.

8. Faxes Can Be Delivered to Groups of People or Departments Instantly. Individual fax numbers can be forwarded upon receipt to multiple e-mail addresses with most fax services from Hosted VoIP providers. Each e-mail account in the list will receive the fax instantly after it arrives.

Although many technologies and forms of electronic communication compete with faxes today, they have an integral role in modern business. Receiving faxes on a commonly used fax machine is archaic and inefficient. Fax services through Hosted VoIP providers and fax servers are affordable and easy to implement.

Virtual and Private Faxmail boxes are just one of many reasons to use a Hosted PBX service instead of a traditional telephone system. Visit my website to learn how Hosted PBX and Hosted VoIP providers can benefit your business or call 866-242-6161.




Saturday, August 6, 2011

How to Convince Your Boss That Telecommuting is the Way Forward



The most important thing is to create a well-planned proposal. This is something that can not be suggested on a whim. It is important to clearly outline why telecommuting would be beneficial for you and your business. There are many reasons why an employee may want to telecommute. This may be because they have a long commute that they hate, that they have childcare issues, that they hate being cubicle bound, etc. However, when suggesting telecommuting an employee must make their proposal from the perspective of their business.

The primary concern for your boss is whether working at home will decrease costs and increase productivity. If one can convince their boss that these goals will be aided by having one of their employees working from home then it is much more likely that it will become a reality. It is important to take into consideration that an employee is an asset, and an employer may not want to leave one their assets to their own devices where they cannot be managed day-to-day.

If the case is made effectively that telecommuting will decrease costs and increase productivity, then it is important to outline how workload would be managed. Will you check in every day via conference call, will deadlines be set for everything, if something unexpected happens, how this is communicated, etc. If a prospective telecommuter outlines a steadfast process then their request will be looked on favourably. The most important thing is to create an organised proposal. This means that whatever the outcome, there will be no negative responses from a request.

Niamh Walters has over 15 years experience in the Telecoms industry. She is passionate about telecommunication and its social and financial impact. She loves writing about the telecoms industry, especially the latest developments in phone conference technology.




Friday, August 5, 2011

VoIP - Advancement in Communication Technology



VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol that is a revolutionary advancement in the communication technology. It is a technology that permits to make voice calls at distant places using a broadband internet. No fixed lines or telephone numbers are required for such kind of communication; it works simply on the effectiveness of the internet connection.

The system works on the principle of voice conversion in the form of a digital signal. It requires a computer, an internet connection, or VoIP phone. When anyone make calls through the computer, or a VoIP phone, or a traditional phone connected to a special adapter, the voice from the system converts to digital signal that travels over the internet. Voice from any handset, mike, or VoIP phone is an analog signal that generates electrical signals inside the gadgets and then converts that into digital sound. This conversion of analog to digital voice is channeled through various gateways and servers that support the technology. PSTN or Public Switched Telephone Network is an important circuit-switched network that ensures voice transmission in a way that it is audible to human ear. During the entire process of transmission, a protocol like SIP is used to control the call in terms of connection set-up, dialing, and disconnection. SIP is the short form of Session Initiation Protocol that is an IP telephony signaling protocol used to establish and modify VoIP calls.

There is a heavy influx of demand on VoIP services with the bunch of benefits it offers. The most important benefit is the cost efficiency in terms of cheap phone calls at remote locations. Many companies and multinationals today have also embraced the technology with open hands. They are now able to save in millions that accounts for about thirty to fifty percent of the traditional phone bills. It also offers the flexibility of browsing the web, using e-mails while communicating over the distance voice calls. It has also helped companies and organizations improve their productivity as it enables attachment of documents to voice messages and is comparatively cheaper with better sound clarity. Apart from attached documents users can also share presentations, files, applications, projects, and essentials of the board meeting simultaneously with different offices at the same time.

The VoIP generation is exponentially growing with influx of demand by users. It is a big revolution in the communication market especially in corporations, multinationals, and the entire business world.

Check more for Cheap Phone Calls.




Thursday, August 4, 2011

VOIP Solutions to Save Your Small Business Money



Every small business has a struggle to keep up with it's larger competitors. One of the areas that can be hard to compete with is investing in the lastest technology.

VOIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol technology is one of the areas where small business can find a cost effective solution to enable them to compete more effectively in the market place.

What Is VOIP.

Is a nutshell, VOIP is a way of using the Internet to route all of your existing telephone communications. As well as voice data, you can also send video streams and data. This has massive cost saving implications as your business only has to deal with one type of telecommunications network.

If you already have a broadband network in your office, then this will probably be the way you access your VOIP network. Your phone lines will become more or less redundant and you will immediately see the benefits of getting rid of this unnecessary expense. If you wish to upgrade in the future, you might want to look into the possibility of a fiber optic connection, as this will give you higher data speeds and better communications in terms of video networking.

Saving Money

One of the biggest benefits of small business VOIP solutions is a reduction on phone bills. Because all of your calls are routed through the Internet, geographical location becomes irrelevant. So if you have a large number of customers abroad or living on the other side of the country, you'll be paying local call charges across the board.

You also have the opportunity to offer toll free numbers on your VOIP system. Previously, achieving this through a regular phone operator was costly but now small businesses can offer their customer a free of charge contact number with very little cost to the actual business itself.

Flexible Technology

It's not just phones that can utilize VOIP technology. The range of modern gadgets that can access data and voice services includes cell phones, laptops, PDA's and other handheld devices. This means that small businesses can have flexibility in the way they communicate in the office or when away at meetings or business trips.

Conference calls are also made much easier through VOIP. Special software can enable several users to get on the same call, pretty much at the click of a button. What's more, video conferencing is much easier to facilitate and can be accomplished with inexpensive software and web cams as opposed to expensive dedicated hardware.

You'll also save money on many services that traditional phone companies like to bill you for as extras. Feature like call forwarding, Call waiting, and three way calling are easily to set up with a VOIP solution and don't require costly additional hardware or a subscription.

Jess Munter is an online journalist and has been writing for various websites for over 7 years. She also writes for a website where you can learn how to lose fat gain muscle fast.




Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Internet Phone Systems - Benefits For Business



Internet phone systems are gaining popularity as a fundamental communication tool for businesses today. First gaining prominence in 2004, virtual phone systems are now recognized for providing a tremendous value for large corporations and home offices alike.

Internet phone systems are available from a number of VoIP phone providers. VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, phone services convert the analog signal used for telephone conversations into digital transmissions that can travel over the Internet. The technology is also known as "Voice over Broadband" and "IP Telephony". This type of service is secure and high quality, indistinguishable from traditional telephone service.

Any business with an Internet connection can utilize an internet phone system; although for best quality a broadband connection of 256K or higher speed is usually recommended. Some virtual phone provider services are based on open source standards, while others utilize proprietary protocols. An open source service is usually more flexible over time.

For a company of any size, the cost savings realized by utilizing a virtual phone service are attractive. While the rates charged by each provider will vary, most fees are much less than traditional phone services. Many internet phone service plans include unlimited calls throughout a specific region or country for one monthly fee, eliminating long distance charges. On average, businesses report saving 30% annually by converting to a virtual phone system. Further, there are currently no taxes or miscellaneous fees tagged on to VoIP services, although several governments worldwide are actively regulating this industry.

For the small business, a virtual phone service is compelling for several additional reasons. First, since many VoIP phone providers offer powerful feature options, a small business can enjoy all the advantages of a state-of-the-art, big business phone system by subscribing to a full virtual business office. Available features include:

• "Desk-to-desk" calling between multiple office locations.
• Voice mail; some services also forward voice mail messages to email.
• Call forwarding.
• Caller ID.
• Automated attendant.
• Customized 'on hold' messages and music.
• Conference bridges.
• Ability to set up 'hunt groups' or 'ring groups', as needed for inbound care or sales teams.
• Video conferencing.
• Fax services.

With these types of capabilities, a small business or home business can present a professional image to customers, ensure reliable communications and good customer service. Another appealing aspect of internet phone systems for business is the ease of activation. If a broadband connection is in place, VoIP service can be implemented almost instantly.

The equipment required will vary depending upon the VoIP phone provider, but is generally quite simple to install. Some services utilize an "ATA", or Analog Telephone Adapter, which connects a standard phone to a computer connected to the Internet. With VoIP software running on the computer, phone calls can be made and received over the Internet.

Standard PBX systems can often be easily converted to VoIP with minor software and hardware upgrades. Other virtual office solutions utilize special IP phones and routers, which are networked to a central broadband connection.

An internet phone system is highly scalable. New users can be turned up quickly, the only limitation being the capacity of the Internet connection. For the growing business, this translates to additional cost savings. Maintenance is simple, usually in the form of periodic software updates.

Another benefit of a virtual phone system for business is portability. If the business moves to a new location, bringing the phone system along is an easy, do-it-yourself task. Whether a sole proprietorship or an international firm, businesses can benefit by converting to an Internet phone system and profit from a great business virtual office.

While running two home based offices, Laurence Brette has found that when selecting an internet phone system, it is important to choose based on your needs. This will save you time and money.




Tuesday, August 2, 2011

How to Make Sure You're Running an Efficient Business



In this technological world, business interactions do not exist solely in person anymore. And thus it's not enough for one to be prominent within a hundred mile radius of your home base. The first step to accomplishing this is by running a tight ship that is effective and lean in it's budget. Communication is the key to having a successful business that generates revenue which will eventually transform into a profit. Many traditional phone systems leave much to be desired, especially in the face of today's changing world. The new way to speak to your potential business, the people who work for you, and the people you do business with has become the business VoIP system.

VoIP stands for "voice over internet protocol," and describes an increasingly popular system of internet phone communications. VoIP uses the internet to send and receive telephone calls. This simple change from traditional phone systems allows businesses many new options that before were complicated and confusing. The business VoIP system has the features of the 1990's PBX system in addition to cooler, better features. Users can employ call forwarding, call transfer, and call logs. That's not all, with hosted VoIP systems, the small business owner can enjoy special features like "voice mail transcriptions." "Voice mail transcriptions" sends a text transcription and the actual voice file to you email inbox. Then there is "Outlook Integration" which allows you to make a call by choosing from list of contacts in your Microsoft Outlook address book. And then finally there is also something called "virtual departments" which divided your call list by job descriptions.

Steadily growing in popularity and use since 2004, the hosted VoIP system is steadily becoming the standard for exchanging information. The main tool needed to ensure that hosted VoIP system works is a broadband high speed internet connection. So not only will you be using the hosted VoIP system for delivering voice files, but also data files. This can also substantially reduce overall communication costs. The beauty of the business VoIP system is that it's easy and absolutely perfect for anyone who does not have a massive budget and wants to still venture out in the world of entrepreneurship but taking a plunge into a potential market with limited resources and very little man power.

Now, an additional feature is the ability to transfer a data file while one is actually still in conversation with the person one is sending the data file to, making the business voice system a business gem that is absolutely essential in the current economic climate. So it's like combining the best of everything into one, nifty package that's not only top-notch but pretty in-expensive. This makes any small business competitive in this economic climate.

With a hosted VoIP system in place, you can move around without fear of losing business. With the features of a small business VoIP system and the ease of use, conference calls are simple, no matter where the attendees are physically in the world. Executives in Shang Hai can converse with their counterparts in San Francisco with the touch of a button.

The center for business interaction is no more a radius of one hundred miles. Small businesses are just as competitive as larger ones when they have the right tools. With a hosted small business VoIP system, small business owners and their employees can streamline all communications and work together to present the most efficient front possible. By investing in a business VoIP system, one would be investing in a successful future. It's the best way to create a foundation for a successful business.

Mehndi Rao is a affluent writer. She writes about a range of things ranging from fashion, style, and technology to love, life and dating. Her passion is the business VoIP System and business VoIP PBX




Monday, August 1, 2011

Small Business Phone System - The Hard Facts



When utilized in the right manner, office technology just makes everyone more productive while making their lives easier. It can save you both time as well as money. If you aren't up to date on the newest tech products, however, reviewing all the potentially useful products for your business can be a daunting task. The important thing is to address new tech products one at a time. This article will review the different benefits of a small business phone system for your small businesses or firm.

First you should consider location-if your company has multiple locations and branches, a VoIP phone system makes a lot of sense. Why? Well with a VoIP system you can share every single feature of your phone system with all of your locations. One step further- if your two offices are in New York and Los Angeles, VoIP allows you to make phone calls from one office to another with a simple extension dialing. This means each call would end up costing you nothing. If your branches demand communication between locations, this small business phone system could end up saving you a bundle.

VoIP doesn't require new cables to be laid down to open new lines, so VoIP is a great solution for a rapidly expanding small business. This means that setting a new phone system up will not be part of the long list of things you have to concern yourself with when setting up a new office. And your company will have plenty of room for that coveted growth and expansion because it's easy to add new lines. Of course, all the new lines can be added to the same free extension dialing service.

One thing to remember and be wary of is that you will probably have to have an outside vendor to install your business VoIP service. Make sure you choose this vendor wisely, and be upfront regarding customer support. Ensure that they have been around for a few years and have a solid service record. The technical resources can be a huge positive or a huge negative depending your VoIP provider so make sure you shop around before you choose a vendor. The right technical team can make your VoIP phone system experience either extremely pleasurable, or they can make the experience an extreme nightmare.

VoIP is also ideal for cutting down on your required face-to-face meetings. Think about how much money you would save on travel costs, especially if you have employees in distant places from each other that require frequent extended communication. There are a bunch of options to consider when deciding on your small business phone system. Don't feel rushed and harried, however, into making a lightning decision without thinking thoroughly. Take a deep breath and stay calm. Make sure you're asking yourself the important questions and don't be scared to shop around a few vendors until you find the one that matches your needs. A new system could be an exciting benefit, so you need to ask yourself the necessary questions before selecting a system. There is definitely a VoIP system that exists specifically for you, and armed with the above knowledge, you are now prepared to go find it! Go find the perfect business VoIP service for you!

Tony Fliven is a blogger and technology enthusiast from Atlanta, GA. His most recent interests involve writing about and comparing the best office phone systems and how to find find the perfect business VoIP service for you.