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Why Your Hybrid Workplace Needs VoIP and Unified Communications

Before the pandemic, there were generally two types of workers. There were those who worked in the corporate office, and there were those who worked in their home office. Now though, there is a third type of worker that HR experts say will dominate the workforce landscape for the foreseeable future: the hybrid worker. This individual spends time in both environments (e.g. Monday and Wednesday in the corporate office; Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday in their home office). The term for this configuration is “hybrid workplace,” and the engine that makes it function for hybrid workers and their employers alike is unified communications. What is Unified Communications? Unified communications (or UC) refers to products that integrate and deliver multiple enterprise communication…

1 Jul 21 Nicky Smith

How Much Bandwidth Do We Need for Cloud-Based Phones?

When upgrading from a conventional landline phone system to a state-of-the-art cloud-based phone system, one of the most important factors to consider is how much bandwidth will be required. For those unfamiliar with this term, bandwidth refers to the capacity of an internet connection to transfer a certain amount of data/information in a specific period of time. This is usually expressed as megabits per second or Mbps. For example, an internet connection with a bandwidth of 25 Mbps is capable of transferring 25 million bits of data per second. Why is choosing the optimal bandwidth so important? Because the bandwidth is insufficient (i.e. if it is “too slow” or “too low”), then the cloud-based phone system will not be able…

21 Jun 21 Nicky Smith

The IP Desktop Phone Is Here to Stay

While many of us are used to our hard-wired phones and the reliability they offer in communications, this channel does not offer easy integration into the all-IP network. A number of companies have already made the move to deploy IP phones in order to leverage VoIP capabilities in the enterprise, yet the recession halted some of that spending. You may not realize just how big of a business it is, though. According to the latest statistics, there are one billion people using VoIP services by the end of 2017. Given that there are only 7.5 billion people in the world, that means that approximately one in every eight people uses VoIP at home, at work, or at some other point…

20 Jun 21 Nicky Smith

IT Professionals

Dear IT Professionals: Let’s start with this: there has been a lot of talk about “essential workers” during the pandemic — and for good reason. But you, Mr. or Ms. IT Professional, are essential ALWAYS. In fact, if you weren’t on the job, end-users would experience chaos and customers would get irate. Basically, the entire organization would grind to a halt. Things would get ugly in a hurry. And speaking of ugly… Let’s talk about your other job. You know, the one that you never applied for: serving as the organization’s “Phone System Guru.” You are the go-to person for phone system moves, adds, and changes (MACs), and probably for end-user phone system support and training, as well. Do you…

5 May 21 Nicky Smith

5 Ways That Cloud Office Phone Systems Cut Costs

These days, the need for businesses to “do more with less” is not just important: it’s essential! And that’s why a growing number of companies — from small firms to large enterprises — are upgrading to cloud (a.k.a. VoIP) office phone systems. Here are the 5 biggest reasons why 1. No PBX Costs With Office Phone Systems Conventional phone systems require an on-site private branch exchange (PBX). These are extremely expensive. While the exact amount depends on the size of the organization, generally the cost is about $1,000 per employee. So, a company with 15 employees would have to spend $15,000 — or possibly more — just to make and receive calls. Conversely, cloud office phone systems do not require…

10 Jan 21 Nicky Smith

Is 3CX Really Free?

No, nothing is ever really free, even if it might seem that way at first glance. Many businesses today are making the move to cloud-based telephone services, and you might be tempted to do the same. Most cloud-based services run on either SIP trunking or VoIP protocol, basically using virtual connections, instead of wires and cables and using existing internet connection cables to convert audio into data to be transported. This can have many advantages. Landlines are quickly becoming a thing of the past. You might not have one at home at all. But, at work, having a phone is still beneficial. It gives your customers an easy way to speak to you. It can help you to build your…