Top Twelve Ways to Use Voice Over Internet Protocol in your Business
July 30, 2009
Gregory Burrus asked:
It seems that each year in this age of the internet, that every day there is a new technology being introduced. If you are like most of us, you are looking for technology to work for you not against you? Have you heard of Voice over internet protocol but not sure if it is worth your time and energy to explore the possible benefits to your business?
In this article we will demonstrate that Voice over internet protocol is a very powerful technology that transcends your normal latest greatest technical tool that is being introduced but you can't see how it applies to you. As the voice component of IOVC strategy and technology, we will list capabilities that you can use to reduce your business expenses and improve your ability to attract customers using just this one technical component.
Voice over internet protocol is a well known technology in some areas and in others it is relatively unknown. However as one of the internet, office, voice and customer management technologies, IOVC, it is a voice over internet protocol technology, which you may not realize, can work wonders for your business. Voice over internet protocol to most people know it as tool that can reduce their phone bill but not necessarily as a tool to help improve and grow their business. But you can use voice over internet protocol technologies:
1. As your phone service and eliminate your current traditional phone service
2. To reduce your phone bill and save some money in your pocket
3. As a marketing tool and let it help you brand your business
4. To run Teleseminars for a very low cost
5. To record audio messages and talk for you when you are not available
6. As your instant support tool and show your customers you are very customer focused
7. For voice mail when you can't be available
8. To open up international office and do this all in 5 minutes
9. For your call forwarding service and let voice over internet protocol enable you to go mobile now
10. As an office extension especially if you need to build a bigger office or add on staff
11. To pay your bills as a convenient way to send money to your Paypal contacts
12. To integrate with Microsoft Outlook and save time, money and energy
As you can see from the list of Voice over internet protocol capabilities above, this voice technology has many beneficial capabilities. It is one of the reasons this IOVC technology is starting to garner more attention in the small business community.
Most people as you can imagine only use Voice over internet protocol as phone replacement technology. But now that you know it can help you market your business, or help you present your business, even when you can't be there in person. The fact it can help you pay your bills while on the road should show you this can be one powerful tool The fact that most of this comes for free should really excite you.
Ultimate Guide To Baby Gender Selection
It seems that each year in this age of the internet, that every day there is a new technology being introduced. If you are like most of us, you are looking for technology to work for you not against you? Have you heard of Voice over internet protocol but not sure if it is worth your time and energy to explore the possible benefits to your business?
In this article we will demonstrate that Voice over internet protocol is a very powerful technology that transcends your normal latest greatest technical tool that is being introduced but you can't see how it applies to you. As the voice component of IOVC strategy and technology, we will list capabilities that you can use to reduce your business expenses and improve your ability to attract customers using just this one technical component.
Voice over internet protocol is a well known technology in some areas and in others it is relatively unknown. However as one of the internet, office, voice and customer management technologies, IOVC, it is a voice over internet protocol technology, which you may not realize, can work wonders for your business. Voice over internet protocol to most people know it as tool that can reduce their phone bill but not necessarily as a tool to help improve and grow their business. But you can use voice over internet protocol technologies:
1. As your phone service and eliminate your current traditional phone service
2. To reduce your phone bill and save some money in your pocket
3. As a marketing tool and let it help you brand your business
4. To run Teleseminars for a very low cost
5. To record audio messages and talk for you when you are not available
6. As your instant support tool and show your customers you are very customer focused
7. For voice mail when you can't be available
8. To open up international office and do this all in 5 minutes
9. For your call forwarding service and let voice over internet protocol enable you to go mobile now
10. As an office extension especially if you need to build a bigger office or add on staff
11. To pay your bills as a convenient way to send money to your Paypal contacts
12. To integrate with Microsoft Outlook and save time, money and energy
As you can see from the list of Voice over internet protocol capabilities above, this voice technology has many beneficial capabilities. It is one of the reasons this IOVC technology is starting to garner more attention in the small business community.
Most people as you can imagine only use Voice over internet protocol as phone replacement technology. But now that you know it can help you market your business, or help you present your business, even when you can't be there in person. The fact it can help you pay your bills while on the road should show you this can be one powerful tool The fact that most of this comes for free should really excite you.
Ultimate Guide To Baby Gender Selection
Safi Systems Introduces Safi Workshop (alpha): an Enterprise Level Asterisk Call Flow Editor and Server
July 20, 2009
Eric Erickson asked:
Safi Systems LLC is pleased to announce the inaugural release of their software product: SafiWorkshop (currently distributed in alpha version). This release is a fully functional trial version for non-commercial use and will give Asterisk administrators the ability to fully evaluate the software.
SafiWorkshop is a visual call flow designer that allows Asterisk administrators to quickly create and deploy powerful IVR, auto-attendants, and call routing applications by creating diagrams that reflect the desired function. These diagrams, or Saflets, can then be executed remotely on Safi Systems’ standalone server component: SafiServer.
SafiServer is the heart of the Safi Systems’ call handling infrastructure. A mini-version of SafiServer is embedded in SafiWorkshop allowing for seamless testing and debugging of applications created by the designer. SafiServer is built using a Service Oriented Architecture (or SOA) model and is based on Java™ Technology. By utilizing the FastAGI connection to a given Asterisk server; SafiServer is able to handle the call control logic outside the Asterisk environment, making many advanced features possible including the ability to control multiple Asterisk servers with a single SafiServer instance. Another major advantage to the SafiServer architecture is that call applications can be updated and deployed without impact to live call processing.
Along with a commercial release of SafiServer; future Safi releases will include features such as: database connectivity, web services, email and a whole host of other features that will bolster the Safi Systems offering.
The trial version of SafiWorkshop (with the embedded mini-version of SafiServer) is available for download via the company web site:
www.safisystems.com
VOIP Security made Easy
Safi Systems LLC is pleased to announce the inaugural release of their software product: SafiWorkshop (currently distributed in alpha version). This release is a fully functional trial version for non-commercial use and will give Asterisk administrators the ability to fully evaluate the software.
SafiWorkshop is a visual call flow designer that allows Asterisk administrators to quickly create and deploy powerful IVR, auto-attendants, and call routing applications by creating diagrams that reflect the desired function. These diagrams, or Saflets, can then be executed remotely on Safi Systems’ standalone server component: SafiServer.
SafiServer is the heart of the Safi Systems’ call handling infrastructure. A mini-version of SafiServer is embedded in SafiWorkshop allowing for seamless testing and debugging of applications created by the designer. SafiServer is built using a Service Oriented Architecture (or SOA) model and is based on Java™ Technology. By utilizing the FastAGI connection to a given Asterisk server; SafiServer is able to handle the call control logic outside the Asterisk environment, making many advanced features possible including the ability to control multiple Asterisk servers with a single SafiServer instance. Another major advantage to the SafiServer architecture is that call applications can be updated and deployed without impact to live call processing.
Along with a commercial release of SafiServer; future Safi releases will include features such as: database connectivity, web services, email and a whole host of other features that will bolster the Safi Systems offering.
The trial version of SafiWorkshop (with the embedded mini-version of SafiServer) is available for download via the company web site:
www.safisystems.com
VOIP Security made Easy
Internet Voice for Small Businesses
July 16, 2009
Digital Landing asked:
Internet voice offers plenty of potential savings and productivity for small businesses. You can pay a fixed fee for monthly calling plans that include unlimited long distance coverage of North America and have the ability to program your phone to follow your movements without ever having to talk to a phone company representative ever again.
As an example, you have access to a wide range of business services that previously were only available to larger corporate users, including: call forwarding, multiple simultaneous rings (where an incoming call can be answered wherever it is more convenient), follow me (where incoming calls are routed to particular numbers at particular times of the day), and do-not-disturb. All are now part of most Internet voice service plans at no extra charge.
The downside is that your phone is more closely tied to your Internet service, which is less reliable than standard land-line phones. If your connection goes south, so does your phone service.
There are three basic different types of business Internet voice service. Most providers offer monthly plans that start at $50 per line including Verizon's VoiceWing for Business, AT&T's CallVantage, Packet8.com's Virtual Office and various business phone plans from other high-speed Internet providers that are basically a two-line version of their consumer service. All of those offer minimal features and are designed for a single office location. They also make use of standard or analog telephones that you buy in any office supply store.
The next step up from these plans are ones from what is called a "hosted service" that is provided by VirtualPBX.com, M5Net.com, Bandwidth.com and numerous others. Basically, those providers rent you space on their systems and connect up your offices via high-speed Internet lines. They typically start at several hundred dollars a month but also include a high-speed Internet connection that you can use for other applications such as Web and email.
The most expensive level is buying your own Internet voice PBX, or phone switch. That can cost more than $1,000 for the switch, and more than $500 a month for the various plans, and is designed for larger offices. Both Linksys and D-Link offer less expensive switches but require configuration and help from a consultant.
Here are some questions to ask before you decide on which business plan is the right one for you.
1. How many incoming phone numbers do you need?
If you have inbound fax lines and analog answering machines that you can't or won't get rid of, you need to figure out a plan for either keeping these lines or substituting work-arounds to continue using these phones. The various Internet voice services also vary in their support for inbound analog lines, something that is also worth investigating.
This is also a good time to calculate how many new digital phones you'll need to buy. Given that prices are rapidly dropping on phones, it doesn't make much sense to buy any more than what you need at first.
Also, you will want to investigate whether you can keep your existing inbound office number(s) when you move to the new Internet voice system. Some of the providers can move your numbers in some locations, and some can't. It is worth checking: There are many reasons why they can't be transferred - some political, some technical - but if you need to keep your existing numbers you may have to continue to pay your local phone company for minimal service for these lines.
2. How many different offices will you want to tie together under a single plan?
If you are just buying service for a single location, start with the simplest plans and see if they will meet your calling needs. Things get complicated quickly as you involve having multiple, geographically distant offices that can be connected via one central office number. Do you want everyone in these offices to have their own extension, to give the impression that they are all working out of the same "office?" That is what providers such as VirtualPBX.com are geared toward.
3. What kind of high-speed Internet service do you presently have to your office?
The type of connection is critically important to your experience with Internet voice business service. Voice quality is directly related to things such as network latency and packet delays that can cause drop-outs and degrade the overall audio of your calls. You will need to hire someone who specializes in Internet voice applications or spend some time understanding these issues and testing your existing connection. If you hire an Internet voice consultant, he or she should be able to do that for you.
Before you attempt anything, a good place to start is with TestYourVOIP.com, a free service that can indicate whether your connection is fast enough to support voice applications. Ideally, you want to purchase what is called a T-1 line for an office that has more than five people.
4. Do you need to upgrade your office wiring and network?
If you are working out of a home office or a place where you can wire up your phones, then you are in better shape for Internet voice, because you will probably need to do some wiring. Internet phones require more recent and higher quality network wiring than your average computer. Again, your voice consultant should be able to make the appropriate recommendations, but realize that this could be part of the cost of the overall job, and it could get pricey if you have to replace switches, routers and other network gear.
A second issue is whether you want to deploy Power over Ethernet switches to power your new digital phones. Sure, you can plug the new phone into a standard AC wall socket, but that might not be convenient or as reliable as having them get their power from a central wiring closet that has battery backup in case of power failures. Here again, you may be looking at buying new switches to handle that.
5. Do you want to make or receive calls from your laptop?
One of the big advantages of Internet voice is being able to take a phone and connect it anywhere on the Internet and have it work as if it is sitting in your office. But to get to this point, you need equipment that can support remote users. In some cases, you will need a phone that has a built-in Virtual Private Network client (Snom.com sells such IP phones, for example) to connect to your corporate network, just like a remote PC user uses. You'll also need a good quality USB headset to make the calls and have software that works with your Internet Service voice provider.
Baby Sleep Tonight
Internet voice offers plenty of potential savings and productivity for small businesses. You can pay a fixed fee for monthly calling plans that include unlimited long distance coverage of North America and have the ability to program your phone to follow your movements without ever having to talk to a phone company representative ever again.
As an example, you have access to a wide range of business services that previously were only available to larger corporate users, including: call forwarding, multiple simultaneous rings (where an incoming call can be answered wherever it is more convenient), follow me (where incoming calls are routed to particular numbers at particular times of the day), and do-not-disturb. All are now part of most Internet voice service plans at no extra charge.
The downside is that your phone is more closely tied to your Internet service, which is less reliable than standard land-line phones. If your connection goes south, so does your phone service.
There are three basic different types of business Internet voice service. Most providers offer monthly plans that start at $50 per line including Verizon's VoiceWing for Business, AT&T's CallVantage, Packet8.com's Virtual Office and various business phone plans from other high-speed Internet providers that are basically a two-line version of their consumer service. All of those offer minimal features and are designed for a single office location. They also make use of standard or analog telephones that you buy in any office supply store.
The next step up from these plans are ones from what is called a "hosted service" that is provided by VirtualPBX.com, M5Net.com, Bandwidth.com and numerous others. Basically, those providers rent you space on their systems and connect up your offices via high-speed Internet lines. They typically start at several hundred dollars a month but also include a high-speed Internet connection that you can use for other applications such as Web and email.
The most expensive level is buying your own Internet voice PBX, or phone switch. That can cost more than $1,000 for the switch, and more than $500 a month for the various plans, and is designed for larger offices. Both Linksys and D-Link offer less expensive switches but require configuration and help from a consultant.
Here are some questions to ask before you decide on which business plan is the right one for you.
1. How many incoming phone numbers do you need?
If you have inbound fax lines and analog answering machines that you can't or won't get rid of, you need to figure out a plan for either keeping these lines or substituting work-arounds to continue using these phones. The various Internet voice services also vary in their support for inbound analog lines, something that is also worth investigating.
This is also a good time to calculate how many new digital phones you'll need to buy. Given that prices are rapidly dropping on phones, it doesn't make much sense to buy any more than what you need at first.
Also, you will want to investigate whether you can keep your existing inbound office number(s) when you move to the new Internet voice system. Some of the providers can move your numbers in some locations, and some can't. It is worth checking: There are many reasons why they can't be transferred - some political, some technical - but if you need to keep your existing numbers you may have to continue to pay your local phone company for minimal service for these lines.
2. How many different offices will you want to tie together under a single plan?
If you are just buying service for a single location, start with the simplest plans and see if they will meet your calling needs. Things get complicated quickly as you involve having multiple, geographically distant offices that can be connected via one central office number. Do you want everyone in these offices to have their own extension, to give the impression that they are all working out of the same "office?" That is what providers such as VirtualPBX.com are geared toward.
3. What kind of high-speed Internet service do you presently have to your office?
The type of connection is critically important to your experience with Internet voice business service. Voice quality is directly related to things such as network latency and packet delays that can cause drop-outs and degrade the overall audio of your calls. You will need to hire someone who specializes in Internet voice applications or spend some time understanding these issues and testing your existing connection. If you hire an Internet voice consultant, he or she should be able to do that for you.
Before you attempt anything, a good place to start is with TestYourVOIP.com, a free service that can indicate whether your connection is fast enough to support voice applications. Ideally, you want to purchase what is called a T-1 line for an office that has more than five people.
4. Do you need to upgrade your office wiring and network?
If you are working out of a home office or a place where you can wire up your phones, then you are in better shape for Internet voice, because you will probably need to do some wiring. Internet phones require more recent and higher quality network wiring than your average computer. Again, your voice consultant should be able to make the appropriate recommendations, but realize that this could be part of the cost of the overall job, and it could get pricey if you have to replace switches, routers and other network gear.
A second issue is whether you want to deploy Power over Ethernet switches to power your new digital phones. Sure, you can plug the new phone into a standard AC wall socket, but that might not be convenient or as reliable as having them get their power from a central wiring closet that has battery backup in case of power failures. Here again, you may be looking at buying new switches to handle that.
5. Do you want to make or receive calls from your laptop?
One of the big advantages of Internet voice is being able to take a phone and connect it anywhere on the Internet and have it work as if it is sitting in your office. But to get to this point, you need equipment that can support remote users. In some cases, you will need a phone that has a built-in Virtual Private Network client (Snom.com sells such IP phones, for example) to connect to your corporate network, just like a remote PC user uses. You'll also need a good quality USB headset to make the calls and have software that works with your Internet Service voice provider.
Baby Sleep Tonight
Why Asterisk?
July 12, 2009
Phil Lam asked:
Firstly, to use a product, you will have to know what it is. Asterisk is an Open Source PBX telecommunication platform. It is flexible because it is able to run on different operating systems – Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Open BSD, etc. Only basic software is required. Asterisk comes with high end features like IVR, voice mail, automatic call distribution, etc. It is highly programmable and it able to handle VoIP calls over multiple VoIP protocols.
You are able to easily integrate PSTN with VoIP. Asterisk also allows mix match of analog, IP and digital phones. Even if you have no knowledge of how to change from traditional PBX to Asterisk, fear not! Asterisk allows you to migrate from traditional PBX easily. It gives the user a complete control of telephony. What’s more, it is free! It is licensed under the GPL open source. A commercial license version is also available.
I quote, Joshua Stephens, CEO of Switchvox, “With Asterisk, you can build any phone system you want. It’s irreplaceable when you need custom programming. It lets you build PBXs with the kinds of features that otherwise would cost many tens of thousands of dollars.”
Just like any other open source project, the need for Asterisk was also there. It started with Mark Spencer, creator of Asterisk. Mark felt traditional PBX was too expensive for his business, and started writing software, which was the first version of Asterisk. In actual fact, voice lines can hook up to PC via expansion cards and process itself by software.
Mark teamed up with Jim Dixon to build inexpensive expansion cards for inexpensive PCs to interface with PSTN. These inexpensive expansion cards are known as Digium PCI cards. Today, Asterisk is the de facto standard for voice switching and PBX functions in open source space.
Asterisk allows one to take control of their phone system, and the costs are very low. It allows you to integrate with business systems or existing PBX and it is in an easy development environment. Asterisk is not tied down by proprietary systems and it comes with a powerful and flexible dial plan. You can have advanced telephone features for a low cost access.
The customer has a lower deployment cost and has freedom for him in the network implementation. It frees the customer from single vendor dependency, and eliminates upgrade-path costs. The calls cost less, and provides the alternative avenues for support big fixes.
The supplier benefits from the broad base of potential users, with a technically savvy user base. Because the existing software is very expensive and the need for extreme customization, customers would take an easy way out and leave it all to the supplier. The supplier has a potential hardware market and there is a strong advantage for entering the fast expanding convergence market.
VOIP Security made Easy
Firstly, to use a product, you will have to know what it is. Asterisk is an Open Source PBX telecommunication platform. It is flexible because it is able to run on different operating systems – Windows, Linux, Mac OS X, Open BSD, etc. Only basic software is required. Asterisk comes with high end features like IVR, voice mail, automatic call distribution, etc. It is highly programmable and it able to handle VoIP calls over multiple VoIP protocols.
You are able to easily integrate PSTN with VoIP. Asterisk also allows mix match of analog, IP and digital phones. Even if you have no knowledge of how to change from traditional PBX to Asterisk, fear not! Asterisk allows you to migrate from traditional PBX easily. It gives the user a complete control of telephony. What’s more, it is free! It is licensed under the GPL open source. A commercial license version is also available.
I quote, Joshua Stephens, CEO of Switchvox, “With Asterisk, you can build any phone system you want. It’s irreplaceable when you need custom programming. It lets you build PBXs with the kinds of features that otherwise would cost many tens of thousands of dollars.”
Just like any other open source project, the need for Asterisk was also there. It started with Mark Spencer, creator of Asterisk. Mark felt traditional PBX was too expensive for his business, and started writing software, which was the first version of Asterisk. In actual fact, voice lines can hook up to PC via expansion cards and process itself by software.
Mark teamed up with Jim Dixon to build inexpensive expansion cards for inexpensive PCs to interface with PSTN. These inexpensive expansion cards are known as Digium PCI cards. Today, Asterisk is the de facto standard for voice switching and PBX functions in open source space.
Asterisk allows one to take control of their phone system, and the costs are very low. It allows you to integrate with business systems or existing PBX and it is in an easy development environment. Asterisk is not tied down by proprietary systems and it comes with a powerful and flexible dial plan. You can have advanced telephone features for a low cost access.
The customer has a lower deployment cost and has freedom for him in the network implementation. It frees the customer from single vendor dependency, and eliminates upgrade-path costs. The calls cost less, and provides the alternative avenues for support big fixes.
The supplier benefits from the broad base of potential users, with a technically savvy user base. Because the existing software is very expensive and the need for extreme customization, customers would take an easy way out and leave it all to the supplier. The supplier has a potential hardware market and there is a strong advantage for entering the fast expanding convergence market.
VOIP Security made Easy
Voice Prompts and Voicemail Greetings by Professional Voice Talent Boosts Image
July 4, 2009
Lecia Macryn Voice Services asked:
More and more businesses who use voicemail and voice prompts for their phone system including pbx, auto attendant and IVR system developers are realizing that their telephone voicemail and voice prompt recordings play a large role in impressing customers and bolstering their image. Those businesses and voice prompt developers who want their company to reflect a professional image are utilizing professional voice talent such as Lecia Macryn Voice Services www.Macryn.com who specialize in recording custom voice prompts and voicemail greetings for all types of phone systems, cell phones, auto attendant, pbx systems, and IVR (Interactive Voice Response).
Professionally recorded voice greetings and prompts help clients feel they are associating with a stable, established company and make a positive impression. Callers are more apt to place more confidence in a company or phone interaction where the phone presence is confident, clear and professional.
Voice greetings and voice prompts can be sent via internet in any format or recorded into any phone, including mobile/cell phones. Lecia Macryn Voice Services, www.Macryn.com works with small and large businesses, ivr developers, customer satisfaction survey companies, auto attendant/pbx systems, and all types of telephony applications and projects. Most recording requests can be delivered same day, if needed and a free sample audition is provided as well to ensure the voice recordings are what the client wants.
Lecia Macryn Voice Services has been providing recordings for clients worldwide since 1993 and can accommodate the small business owner who has just one basic voicemail recording ...to the most extensive voice prompt application entailing thousands of recordings,
Demos and more information is available at: www.Macryn.com or call Lecia Macryn Voice Services at (248) 288-2242.
Pick Your Babys Gender
More and more businesses who use voicemail and voice prompts for their phone system including pbx, auto attendant and IVR system developers are realizing that their telephone voicemail and voice prompt recordings play a large role in impressing customers and bolstering their image. Those businesses and voice prompt developers who want their company to reflect a professional image are utilizing professional voice talent such as Lecia Macryn Voice Services www.Macryn.com who specialize in recording custom voice prompts and voicemail greetings for all types of phone systems, cell phones, auto attendant, pbx systems, and IVR (Interactive Voice Response).
Professionally recorded voice greetings and prompts help clients feel they are associating with a stable, established company and make a positive impression. Callers are more apt to place more confidence in a company or phone interaction where the phone presence is confident, clear and professional.
Voice greetings and voice prompts can be sent via internet in any format or recorded into any phone, including mobile/cell phones. Lecia Macryn Voice Services, www.Macryn.com works with small and large businesses, ivr developers, customer satisfaction survey companies, auto attendant/pbx systems, and all types of telephony applications and projects. Most recording requests can be delivered same day, if needed and a free sample audition is provided as well to ensure the voice recordings are what the client wants.
Lecia Macryn Voice Services has been providing recordings for clients worldwide since 1993 and can accommodate the small business owner who has just one basic voicemail recording ...to the most extensive voice prompt application entailing thousands of recordings,
Demos and more information is available at: www.Macryn.com or call Lecia Macryn Voice Services at (248) 288-2242.
Pick Your Babys Gender
