Hosted VoIP Phone System for Business

10 Reasons NOT to Choose Google Voice for Your Business

Now that it is integrated with G Suite, there is a lot of buzz these days about using Google Voice as a business telecommunications solution. Unfortunately, some businesses that have headed in that direction have found the experience frustrating, costly, and regrettable. Here are 10 key reasons why: 1. No Business Caller ID Every business knows that caller ID is an absolute must-have feature. In fact, it shouldn’t even be called a “feature” at all. It’s a basic staple that simply can’t not be an option. This is not 1992 anymore. There are three major problems with Google Voice caller ID: The first problem is that when you make outgoing calls through the Google Voice app, your business’s phone number…

15 Jul 21 Nicky Smith

Video Conference Security is More Important Than Ever

In today’s current climate, video conference security has become more important than ever before. More people are remote working in light of the coronavirus lockdown. Getting used to remote working isn’t easy. You need to get your routine figured out and you need to get used to the different tools you will be using while working from home. It’s a big shift! And, this is represented effectively when it comes to the different statistics out there in regards to collaboration tools and the usage of online video context. Let’s take a look at the case of Zoom… We only need to look at the statistics regarding Zoom participants to see the massive changes that have happened. In December 2019, the…

14 Jul 21 Nicky Smith

Why Switching to a VoIP Small Business Phone System is a HUGE Money Saver

While some larger organizations can afford to waste money (at least for a little while), most small businesses do not have much margin for error. If they fail to keep a close eye on the bottom line, then they eventually will fold. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics: Approximately 20 percent of small businesses fail within 12 months of launching. A further 10 percent disappear within 24 months. Another 20 percent are gone within 36 months. Yet another 20 percent bid farewell within 60 months. By the end of a decade, a staggering 70 percent have entered the dustbin of history. While there are many reasons why small businesses fail, cash flow problems will always be the number one…

9 Jul 21 Nicky Smith

Customer Service Above and Beyond

Fleet-Plummer is a family business that was founded in 1949 as a hardware store in Greensboro, North Carolina, and remains one of the Triad’s oldest retail stores. Over the years, Fleet-Plummer has grown into an eclectic lifestyle retail destination that offers anything you need for gracious living with Southern style. https://videos.files.wordpress.com/tcG8u9gQ/fleet-plummer-testimonial_mov_hd.mp4 While they offer everything from grills and patio furniture to greeting cards and jewelry, the one thing that Fleet-Plummer was lacking was a dependable telephone system and provider. So, when their telephone system was down for three days, they were desperately trying to find a solution. After a Google search on the internet turned up Carolina Digital Phone and a large number of five-star ratings, Manager Reid Plummer made…

9 Jul 21 Nicky Smith

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…

15 May 21 Nicky Smith

5 Best Techniques for Working at Home

Welcome to lockdown! This is a weird time for everyone, and that’s putting it lightly/ so many of us are used to waking up early and rushing through morning exercise, breakfast, a coffee or two, and even kissing our partners on the cheek goodbye. Often, we may not see our family before leaving the house. However, with lockdown, everything has changed. Working from home is the new normal for many, and if you’ve never worked from home before, then it can be a challenge to adjust. To help you overcome this sudden and unexpected shift in your life, here are five tips and techniques on how to work and live at home without going crazy. 1. Learn How to Use…

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…