The Cloud-Based Telephone Solution That’s Revolutionizing Louisiana Businesses

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Speed and dependability are the beacons of business communication. What’s faster than a
cloud-based telephone system? LineOne provides instant access to Fortune 500
communication features for all Louisiana businesses. It also achieves dependability with
unlimited support and upgrades. No matter what your needs are, no matter when you need
them, GreenSky offers a unique solution for Louisiana business owners looking to upgrade their
phone systems.

Why Choose LineOne as Your Cloud-Based Telephone
System?

If you are looking to upgrade your phone system, there are four factors you should consider.
Reflecting on the purpose of your phone system, you need it to stay connected internally and
with your customers at all times. In order to do this effectively and efficiently, you need a
versatile system that can handle all of your needs, no matter what the scenario.

Mobility

Ever heard the phrase, ‘Anytime, anywhere’, and thought to yourself, “That would be great for
my business communications, but how do I make it happen?” That’s exactly what you will get
with this cloud-based telephone system. LineOne can connect to your employees’ cell
phones, tablets and laptops, for complete connectivity anytime, anywhere.

Versatility

From being able to reach your team on the other end of your building, or on the other end of the
globe, to a plethora of dynamic features, LineOne has the versatility to keep you up to pace
in the most competitive of business environments. Get the call management features you need
to give your customers an experience that’s always worth 5 stars.

Unity

Bring in all of your communication needs into one system. Get a direct line for all of your users.
Send your voicemails directly to email. LineOne is a complete telephone service that is
extremely user-friendly and efficient for businesses that are looking to simplify their process,
without compromising the necessary features your business needs to thrive in the Louisiana
market.

You can also create unity within your company by staying connected internally. LineOne
offers direct messaging for quick internal communication, regardless of physical boundaries.
Reach your mobile employees in an instant or get a quick answer from a coworker on a different
floor. Direct messaging keeps your team engaged and able to stay on task by avoiding
distracting trips from desk to desk.

Scalability

Upgrade your system at any time or even downscale at any time. LineOne offers unlimited
programming changes and best of all, a pay as you grow structure that is ideal for Louisiana
businesses of all sizes and potential. LineOne can take you all the way from startup to
industry leader and has all the features you’ll need along the way.

If you are looking for an affordable cloud-based telephone system, look no further. Contact the
experts at Universal ComOne to schedule your system install today.

What Avaya’s Bankruptcy Means for Business Communications

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Last month, telecommunications company Avaya filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. As a multinational technology company that has dominated the market for the past decade or so, this came as a shock to many in the tech world. One of the reasons that the company found themselves in this situation is due to their late arrival in the cloud space. Avaya’s decision to file for bankruptcy has many in the telecom world wondering, has the cloud won?

What Avaya’s Bankruptcy Reveals About Business Communications

Avaya’s story reveals an important challenge that many telecommunication companies face. In its transition from hardware to software and services, Avaya accumulated about $6.3 billion in debt. This is because their capital structure was put into place to support their older business model as a hardware-focused company. Now that they have filed for bankruptcy, this will allow them to reduce their debt load and reinvest their resources to accommodate for the big shift in the telecom industry that has taken companies from hardware to software and service-based business models.

Even though in 2016, Avaya made 75 percent of its revenue in software and services, the company was too slow in its transition to cloud-based solutions. Today, we are seeing more and more businesses move to cloud-based environments to meet their business communication needs. However, this does not mean that there is no place for on-premise systems. In fact, many large companies such as American Express still operate contact-center environments. What Avaya’s bankruptcy suggests is that telecom companies need to be more flexible in their solutions in order to accommodate a wide range of business communication needs.

Though the cloud may not have “won” yet, it is clear that the future of telecommunications is leaning toward cloud-based environments. The telecommunications companies who do not anticipate this shift and adjust their business model accordingly may very well find themselves in a similar situation as Avaya. It’s vital that business owners look for telecom companies that offer flexible solutions that can accommodate both their current and future business communication needs. Those telecom companies who fail to provide more flexible and cloud-based solutions are likely to get left behind as technology continues to advance.

Where Do We Go From Here?

With this recent bankruptcy decision, many Avaya customers may be wondering what the future will hold for them. In addition to concern about their current business communication services, some business owners may also take this as an opportunity to explore other telecommunications options that have the ability to meet their organization’s growing needs.

Toshiba provides an alternative for those who are seeking stability and a forward-thinking business model. Toshiba has always been on the forefront of technology and offers both on premise and cloud/hosted solutions. If you are an Avaya customer looking for new alternatives or just want to explore what Universal ComOne Louisiana can offer your business, give us a call today: (337) 205-9364.

 

 

A Cloud Phone is Considered Wise. Why?

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Cloud technology including cloud phone has turned out to be a fascinating field. More and more companies are switching to various cloud services, including cloud telephones. Cloud is all about storing information and at the same time running applications that can be accessed through the internet. Data on the cloud is stored in huge servers that are provided by big cloud technology companies.

Why is there such a growing buzz about cloud computing and cloud phone services? Critics of this popular technology might point to various drawbacks. However, the advantages and benefits offered by cloud phone surely outweigh the disadvantages. In this article we are going to look at this technology from the perspective of the cloud phone services. Let’s see why choosing the cloud solution is considered wise:

Cloud Phone Offers Unbelievable Cost Savings

Companies always lookout for technologies and ways that can help them save money. Cloud phones help them do that without having to scale down their operations. Companies do not need to invest in hardware and software, yet they get access to the most advanced phone systems.

No upfront investments are needed. Organizations can use their dedicated IT staff elsewhere. Cloud phone service providing companies take care of maintenance and services.. This results in huge cost savings and better profit figures for the company. You need to pay only a monthly subscription fee based on the number of users or phone lines. This brings down costs by quite a few hundred dollars every month.

No Shortage of Storage Space

Some companies like to store voice calls and recorded data for later. This can be done very easily when using cloud phones. The cloud telephony services offer a huge amount of space, which can be increased or decreased based on the usage. Thus, organizations do not need to invest in servers or other hardware when they need more storage. Subscribing for higher storage can be done within minutes and often with just the click of a button!

Push for Automation

Cloud phone services will certainly give a boost to the automation drive in your company. The cloud service providing company automatically take care of software and upgrades. Cloud telephone systems are intelligent and keep track of your usage. The systems provide flexibility when you need more calls and features. On the other hand, when you need less usage of cloud resources, you can easily scale back and save money.

Super Flexibility

When it comes to flexibility, nothing can beat cloud telephony. You pay as you go and need not spend even an extra penny on resources or features you don’t need. You can also scale up and add more phone lines the moment your operational needs go up.

Better Mobility

You can log in and use your cloud phone services from anywhere you please. You will only need an internet connection to get started. Stay in touch with your employees and colleagues anytime and from anywhere around the world.

Cloud phone service providing companies use data encryption, division and various other security measures to protect your company’s data in the cloud. However, as a user, you too need to safeguard your equipment like PC’s and the office network by implementing stringent security checks. Cloud phones will ultimately prove to be a great solution for your company.

About Universal ComOne

Universal ComOne offers award winning business telephone systems that are right for any business. We can design a solution to fit your needs. Please visit our VoIP Phone Systems page to get more details on our business phone capabilities.

Call 337-205-9364 for all your business phone system, data cabling and communication needs.

Toshiba Strata CIX IP Communication Systems Family

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7 Amazing Growth Features of Cloud Phone System

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Tired of making space for the PBX system and maintaining it? You are not alone; there are thousands of offices and businesses who are suffering from the same problem and looking for a way out! It is the cloud phone system that offers some reprieve here! This phone system, as the name suggests, is hosted in the cloud. In cloud hosting, multiple servers are used to host data that are all interconnected while feeding on each other’s computing and storage capabilities. Data is stored on a secure cloud server can be accessed using the Internet. It is hosted by a third party provider, and you do not have to worry about the traditional landlines. So, it’s not only easy to use but is less expensive too.

Some features of a Cloud phone system that can reduce your operating costs are:

#1 Avoid Costly Equipment

Cloud phone systems give you freedom from the costly equipment that you must buy and install in order to manage your traditional phone systems. Forget about the costly PBX system or any software upgrades. All you need is telephones to make and receive calls. Some hosted solutions don’t even require you to purchase the telephones. With a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) option, employees can use your smartphone or tablet as an extension on the phone system. Therefore, it can save on internal maintenance costs and cuts down the budget for capital expenditures.

#2 Quick Set-Up

Setting up a traditional phone system can be timely and may require a certificated technician. However, most cloud-based telephone solutions are just plug and play. It is still a good idea to make sure your vendor offers training on the cloud phones. Fancy phones with a lot of features will serve little purpose if the users do not know how to use them properly. To maximize the cost efficiencies of a cloud phone system, make sure all employees are comfortable using the phones and can remain productive.

#3 Convenient Management

Forget about hiring a telecommunications professional. Your admin person will have the ability to manage and configure users at any location. Changes can be made at anytime from anywhere as long as you have internet access. Most of the features can also be controlled by individual users. They are empowered to control their own settings thus reducing the work of any particular individual.

#4 Easy to Understand, Predictable Billing

The billing system with a cloud phone system is different than a traditional dial tone provider. Cloud phone services usually include a flat rate. So say goodbye to those times when the main topic of discussion at finance meetings were high telephone costs and confusing telephone bills. No need to spend money on complicated hardware or spend time finding out the reasons behind the high phone bills.

#5 More Leverage With More Features

Cloud phone systems allow you to manage the telephony system in a smarter way. Call forwarding to any number or your support team is no longer a concern. Record your own voicemail and send it across to your employees throughout the organization. Choose either from traditional phones to take calls or give your employees mobile phones that will work with the cloud phone system. Integrate these features for all your employees that embrace BYOD too. You can integrate BYOD into this system thus making things more commutable and easy. The cloud phone system can be used by employees across multiple locations.

#6 Access To 911

In any emergency, you can call 911 or any other directory assistance. This feature is not always available in other telephony solutions such as SKYPE which does not allow you to call emergency numbers.

#7 Unified Communications

Organizations that have heavy phone workload will always think of unified communications (UC) as a blessing. UC allows you to use other devices like computers for making and taking calls, seamlessly.

By allowing unified communication, cloud phone systems not only save time but also make the whole system more productive. So online meetings will not be a hassle and can be conducted without the help of an IT professional. Keep in mind, if your organization is not ready to change out its communications solution, many cloud phone systems can integration with an existing system.

About Universal ComOne

Universal ComOne offers award winning business telephone systems that are right for any business. We can design a solution to fit your needs.

Call 337-205-9364 for all your communication needs.

Attention VIPedge Customers! New Music-On-Hold!

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Have you downloaded Toshiba’s UCedge app?

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Let your smartphone and/or tablet also be your extension on your Toshiba business phone system. The best part is, you no longer have to give clients your cell phone number; you can protect your private mobile number by displaying only the office number in Caller ID. Stay connected wherever your work takes you.

Work Smart. Anywhere.

  • Take/ make office calls
  • Transfer calls within phone system
  • Instant message (IM) co-workers
  • Keep cell phone number private
  • Check office voicemail
  • View call history
  • See when employees are on phone

Start Taking Advantage

  • For Android: Go to Google Play™ Store under apps and search UCedge.
  • For iPhone: Go to the iTunes® app store and search UCedge.

GooglePlayAppStore

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Once you download the app, view our Step-By-Step Setup Guide.

 

How Cloud Computing Increases Your Business Efficiency

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How Cloud Computing Increases Your Business Efficiency

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The Severity of PBX Hacking – How to Protect Yourself

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Modern day businesses believe in maintaining the latest communication systems for their enterprise communications. Not only does it help to maintain a seamless communication both within the company as well as outside, it also enhances the prospects of beating the cut-throat competition in the market. The latest communication systems like VoIP and cloud telephony are known to provide a huge boost to the productivity of an organization and at the same time enhance the profit figures.

Of late there has been a lot of talk about cloud telephony or VoIP and how they are better than on-premise IP-PBX systems. PBX systems have been around for more than three decades. The technology used has moved from analog to digital, but the basic idea remains the same. It has always been the safest bet for companies that wanted to have complete control over their enterprise communication. However, recently it has been revealed that PBX has accounted for huge loses as they were wrongfully used by miscreants or hackers. The affected organizations had to pay up $4.4 million in extra telephone bills in the year 2013 as their PBX systems were hacked.

Now, this is a serious crime and looking at the colossal figures, one can only wonder why no one is taking note of it and formulating strategies to secure their PBX systems. Companies are busy with managing their business and not every organization has a dedicated IT team to take care of the security needs of their communication system. In such a scenario, businesses often end up paying hefty phone bills even when they have not made expensive calls.

How do companies get a handle on their vulnerable communication systems and stop hackers?

Prior to learning about the ways to stop hackers, we need to first understand what PBX hacking is all about.

PBX hacking is an illegal practice whereby an unauthorized individual can access the system by using means that include the voicemail, maintenance port of the PBX system and the direct inward system access or DISA feature of PBX systems. Hackers can even impersonate an employee of an organization and gain access to the system.

Some of the common methods used by hackers is using the auto-diallers for scanning a system that has modems and even infiltrating the system when passwords are left unchanged by users. It is very important that every user changes their passwords at regular intervals. It is also recommended that users create complex passwords by using alphanumeric combinations. It has often been observed that owners and users keep their default passwords unchanged – this can make your PBX system a sitting duck for hackers.

Some useful tips that can help you to keep PBX fraud at bay:

  • Monitor the calls made from your phone system and try to find out about the calls made after office hours. The majority of hackers prefer to hack and make calls after business hours as it helps them to operate without any worries.
  • If the official mailbox of the system is left unused then you should get it blocked or deleted. Even the unallocated mailboxes can be used by the hackers, so change the default pins.
  • Unused services should either be restricted or completely stopped as those can serve as easy entry points for hackers.
  • Calls made to international numbers should have restricted access.
  • You should ensure that all the default passwords for the system are changed after acquiring a system.
  • Keep a tab on the calls that are made from the PBX system of your office.
  • The physical location of your system should be secured.

About Universal ComOne

Universal ComOne offers award winning business telephone systems that are right for any business. We can design a solution to fit your needs.

Call 337-205-9364 for all your communication needs.

Toshiba Releases UCedge!

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One of the hindrances of using a business phone system is the wide variety of end devices you may need to use. For example, you will use an IP or Digital phone to make a call. At the same time, if you want to access a data file, you may need to use a computer. But what if all these can be combined to a single end device, and at the same time, give you mobility and flexibility? That is exactly what UCedge does.

Designed to work with VIPedge, IPEdge, and Strata CIX, UCedge has an application that you can download and install on your Windows or Mac laptop, any tablet and your Apple or Android smartphone. Once the application is installed, UCedge can federate multiple networks and give you access to all the features on the server.

For more details on the product release, click here.

About Universal ComOne

Universal ComOne offers award winning business telephone systems that are right for any business. We can design a solution to fit your needs.

Call 337-205-9364 for all your communication needs.