Choosing the Right Wireless Headset: DECT vs. Bluetooth

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As you’re hunting around for wireless headset to go with your unified communications implementation (because, as we’ve discussed, a proper wireless headset is crucial to user acceptance), you’ll likely come across the DECT standard. You may find yourself wondering just what DECT is and how it differs from Bluetooth. This simple post will, hopefully, put the matter to rest.

DECT stands for Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications, although it’s also known as Digital European Cordless Telecommunications – which makes sense because it’s a standard that originated in Europe. It is used to connect a cordless phone to a base station mainly on wireless phone systems. DECT is also used for various other applications, ranging from
baby monitors to industrial remote controls, but for our purposes, we’ll focus on the phone systems.

DECT is used for both consumer and corporate phones. In the latter case, it can be used with a PBX (IP- or TDM-based) and a wireless LAN, enabling users to move around an office without losing their calls.

The standard is widely used in or near the 1.9 GHz frequency band; however, it does not interfere with other wireless technologies including Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Security

People are often concerned that others could tap into their phone call via a wireless connection; however, according to Dennis Majikas, a service engineer with Jabra, “That is almost impossible to do once authentication is established. There are two areas of potential concern, the first is when the headset to base authentication is established which includes a number of handshakes and allows for establishment of a secure link. Once that happens the wireless headset then turns voice into digital data, encrypts that, and passes only the encrypted data back to the base (for both standards), making the conversation highly secure.”

Majikas adds, “DECT uses 64 bit encryption, and Bluetooth has 128 bit encryption, so once the wireless headsets are appropriately paired with their base stations the chances of someone effectively listening in on a call is virtually nil.”

The Distance Dilemma

DECT offers a much greater range than Bluetooth. DECT has a range of about 100 meters, whereas, Bluetooth ranges from 1-30 meters (depending on its class).

  • Class 1 goes up to about 30 meters
  • Class 2 about 10 meters
  • Class 3 is 1 meter.

In an office environment, a Bluetooth-capable base station for a wireless headset would typically be Class 1. But a smartphone would be Class 2 so if the headset was to answer a call from the smartphone, it would automatically adjust itself to Class 2 power level. Class 3 is typically used for devices such as keyboards and mice.

Connectivity Considerations

Another difference is that a DECT wireless headset only connects to its base station to provide connection to the phone network. Multiple base stations can be placed throughout a facility, so if you go outside the range of one base station, it will seamlessly hop to the next base station in order to provide continuous connection without ever dropping a call.

On the other hand, a Bluetooth device can connect to up to 8 other devices simultaneously.  For example, a headset can be connected to a user’s mobile phone, computer-based soft phone and desk phone.

So the choice in wireless headset will largely depend on how it will be used. For office environments where users need it for their desk or computer-based phones, a DECT headset makes sense. The headsets will allow users to move around as much as needed.

On the other hand, if the wireless headset will also be used with a mobile phone, then Bluetooth may well make more sense. Mobility will be less of an issue since users have their mobile phones with them anyway, so they will likely remain within the 10-meter limit. The ability to use the same headset for both office and mobile phones is convenient. And if you’ve got a UC system that enables uninterrupted handoffs between computer-based softphones and mobile devices, that’s even better – the single Bluetooth headset should be all your users need.

Unified Communications Trends

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Unified Communications, or UCC, has finally gained momentum and got the industry acceptance that it has been looking for all these years. The universal platform that integrates everything from an email to videoconferencing is here to stay because customers can’t get enough of this latest technology. The fact is that UC has been in the market for quite a long time and it really deserves the limelight. Here are some of the latest Unified Communications trends that is ruling the telecommunication world like never before:

Video Conferencing

This has been long due and customers have been waiting for long to find a UC system that incorporates even the video feature. It is quite a wise decision to use Netflix, Skype or Youtube in the offices because they have not only been successfully tested but are also preferred over travels. Companies are cutting down their travel budget, which has indirectly helped the UC bandwagon to be pushed further.

IP Mobility

Mobility broke into the UC scene as IT managers found it really difficult to coordinate with their AV counterparts. The companies are fast adopting BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) and CYOD (Choose Your Own Device) that are bound to change everything that we perceived about UC and mobility. The users are now able to work on a variety of devices, which either belong to them or they choose from a range of mobile devices offered by their organizations. Employees are able to work with their smartphones or tablets and that too while staying connected to their UC platform.

WebRTC

Google gave away the source code for the development of WebRTC in the year 2011 and by the start of 2013 we were flooded with various WebRTC applications. This technology allows the users to carry out video conferencing over the internet by using their browsers. Neither do you require any application nor do you need any kind of a dedicated hardware. It is one feature that can directly use the UC resources and make video conferencing look like a walk in the park.

Cloud Computing and Cloud Communication

Hosting UC on the cloud can make things extremely easy for the users as they are able to avail all the latest features of UC without having to worry about any hardware or software infrastructure. All that a user will need to do is have an internet connection and they are set to avail all the latest features being offered by UC.

Pro AV

Pro AV is being adopted by the organizations along with their UC package because it offers high-definition video delivered around the world. With the growth in the UC systems, Pro AV will be integrated and offered in an integrated manner while being accessed from the cloud.

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.

Data Recovery Services vs Software

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There are two ways in which the lost data can be recovered – by using data recovery services that are offered by various companies, or using certain specific data recovery software.

These data recovery service providers themselves use data recovery software in order to recover lost data from your hard drive. The question therefore is which is better? Is it the software or the service? Let us see.

How Did You Lose Data?

You need to consider all your options when deciding whether to use data recovery software or hire a data recovery service provider. Data recovery software is quite effective when data loss occurs due to reasons other than mechanical glitches. Unfortunately, recovery software available in the market does more harm than good when not used properly. You need to be really experienced at using these recovery software packages as they involve critical and complex steps. Use of the software packages can help you resolve simple data loss issues but when you have a complex situation at hand, these packages may not be of much help.
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How To Detect Reason for Data Loss?

If the drive keeps on making some kind of clicking noise or there are small spells of minor vibrations then refrain from using any software. These symptoms are the unmistakable signs of some kind of problem.

In numerous cases, hard drives experience mechanical or electrical snags and data recovery becomes impossible. Data recovery software will hardly be able to do anything except spinning the drive and causing further damage, possibly followed by permanent loss of data.

Once a hard drive crashes or develops any technical snag, it is advisable not to take the software recovery path. You should definitely contact a data recovery service provider. Technical experts from these companies can help you recover the lost data.

Unfortunately, many feel that by using software for data retrieval they will be able to save money as well as time. They often fail to realize that the use of software packages will further aggravate the damage and this will leave them with a bigger hole in their pockets.

Data Recovery Services Companies

The software companies offering data recovery services use highly advanced software that is operated by specialized and trained technicians. These companies do not disclose the name of the software and keep it a trade secret. Many of these data recovery services companies are given specialized software by the hard drive manufacturers which are not available to the common public.

Using experience and special tools, these data recovery services companies do whatever is needed at a more or less cost effective rate. These companies can retrieve valuable data and save your business. The highly trained technicians can solve even the most complex data loss cases and within the shortest possible time.

Therefore, using data recovery services to retrieve lost data is a better idea than using software. The use of software can result in permanent loss of data, and further loss in terms of intellectual properties as well as assets. Data loss can often be permanent which means recovery becomes impossible.

The next time you encounter any hard disk related problem with your PC or laptop, call on your nearest data recovery services provider to save time, money and valuable data.

100% Solution from Universal ComOne

Universal ComOne offers NSight, a 100% reliable solution for the safety of your data. NSight offers military grade back up services. Our NSight Online Data Back will backup all your files to an offsite facility every night, When needed, backup can be triggered every few hours also. Data is encrypted and never be accessed by anyone else. For additional redundancy, the backup is duplicated in multiple locations so that you can always recover your data.

[su_button url=”https://universalcomonela.com/services/business-recovery/nsight-data-backup/” target=”blank” background=”#195fad” size=”10″ center=”yes”]Click here to read more about Nsight.[/su_button]

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.

 

Three Steps to Ensure IP-PBX Security

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Businesses are fast adopting IP-PBX systems to strengthen their communications as well as make them more efficient. The deployment phase of IP-PBX is extremely critical and great care should be taken in terms of the security of the system. Cyberattacks are on the rise and with every passing day the hackers are resorting to more complex and smarter ways of breaching system security. You need to take the right steps to ensure that your organization is leveraging the power of this extremely efficient communications system.

Here is a list of 3 critical steps to ensure IP-PBX security:

1. Deploy Security Software

Probably the most basic step when deploying an IP-PBX system is to install security software—anti-virus, firewall and anti-malware should be implemented. Once these have been installed, it is important to continue updating them from time to time so that hackers are not able to break the old code (which they can do). The companies that manufacture security software keep updating their products and release them for their users to provide better protection. The intrusion detection system keeps a vigil on the network and the moment it detects suspicious activities, access for the non-trusted user is immediately restricted. Thus, protection of the IP-PBX phone system is a process that keeps running in the background while you are busy making and receiving calls. In order to combat the security and hacking threats, your network needs to have the appropriate software shield.

2. Set Tough Passwords

The majority of IP-PBX severs can be configured from a web interface and will require a password to gain access. Thus, if you use a weak password, it can provide just the right opening a hacker is looking for. Your system will be extremely vulnerable when there is a security gap in the form of a weak password. You will need to set a strong password and keep changing it from time to time so that it becomes extremely tough for the hacker to break. It is better to use a combination of numbers, letters, special characters etc. – these types of combinations are more complex and are not as easily breakable.

3. Watch System Usage

It is extremely important that you keep monitoring the system for usage in order to detect any unusual or suspicious activities. You should monitor network activity on a regular basis and collect information about network users, applications and even the peak time usage. There are a several monitoring tools available, which can provide you graphical data on usage.

There are several other methods to protect your IP-PBX system, but the above three are the most critical, which would go a long way in making optimum use of this advanced communication system.

Universal ComOne will consult with your company to determine the appropriate security measures needed, as well as monitor your system usage periodically. It is our goal to ensure seamless communications for you and your users at all times.

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.

The Power of VOIP during Disaster Recovery

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Businesses can be severely affected due to natural disasters like floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes etc. that not only damage the office space but also force the staff to relocate. The latest earthquake in Nepal is the biggest example of the veracity of nature and its disastrous implications on humans. Commercial buildings were completely destroyed and offices were buried under the rubble. VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol is an essential tool that can help you to maintain continuity in your business operations and a little planning would help you in disaster recovery while helping your staff to work from any location.

If you have implemented VoIP then you will be best placed to design a disaster recovery strategy as per your business and infrastructural needs. Contingency plans are often driven by budget and existing infrastructure; however, VoIP offers the appropriate flexibility needed to handle all types of disasters. You can choose to reroute your calls through the existing IP PBX or through the cloud.

There are several organizations that have IP-PBX installed at their offices for which they make significant investments on hardware, software and staff training for supporting in-house communication needs, remote offices and even the contact centers. During a disaster, if it is the office premises and staff that are affected and not the PBX server then it is easy to reroute the calls (though planning and testing) to the individual homes, remote offices and other sites unaffected by the disaster. Organizations that have already implemented teleworking or support the remote offices have an edge over the others because they have the requisite experience and capability of rerouting the calls to the alternate extensions, home phones and mobile phones.

For several organizations, their IP-PBX is the most critical point of failure and there are only a few companies that actually create and test their contingency plans. Seldom do they consider service interruption resulting out of enterprise communication system because of physical damage of equipment and cyberattacks. In order to maintain distributed hardware across multiple locations to handle huge call volume when one PBX server is down, organizations will have to invest a huge amount and this is possible only if the company is a big one.

There are several specialized telecommunication firms and service providers who are offering cloud based service as an alternative to IP-PBX. These service providers are known to set up virtual PBX mirror that functions just like the IP-PBX while performing all the call handling. Whenever the IP-PBX is offline, the cloud mirror starts up with just a few commands or a call to your cloud service provider. All the incoming calls would be instantly routed to the cloud mirror server and you will be able to handle all the calls without even worrying about the downed IP-PBX server. You will be charged for the setup and the monthly contingency feel till the time you keep using the service.

Opting for the cloud based VoIP solution is the best way to ensure continuity and help you during disaster recovery. However, you will have to have to keep in mind that cloud based solutions really do not provide all the features or flexibility that you would probably require to carry out all the business operations. Cloud PBX is not quite appropriate for the organizations that follow regularity reporting requirements like legal, medical and financial businesses.

You will have to weigh your options carefully before planning, creating and implementing disaster recovery strategies involving VoIP.

 

How Cloud Computing Increases Your Business Efficiency

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How Cloud Computing Increases Your Business Efficiency

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Cloud Phones – New Face of Enterprise Communication

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In 2015, as in the past two years, there has been a surge in adoption of cloud telephone systems all over the world. Businesses, small and large, have scaled taller heights by leveraging the power of VoIP or Voice over Internet Protocol. For those who have been stonewalling or procrastinating on any effort to switch to VoIP, they should realize that within the next few years it will be cloud phones and associated technologies that will rule the enterprise communication market.

The Power of Cloud Phones

Cloud phone system has enabled companies to identify, purchase and launch a variety of sophisticated solutions for their businesses without facing operational or financial issues. The telecommunication industry has gotten a facelift with the emergence of VoIP and allied services. The internet of Things has had a major impact on the functioning of employees in an organization and analysts are of the opinion that at least 80 billion devices will be connected to the internet by the end of 2020. Thus, the need for cloud based solutions are increasing with every passing day. Organizations that are using a variety of endpoint devices need not suffer the increase in complexity anymore and should instead go for the cloud solutions without any hesitation.

Hosted PBX – The Perfect Choice

Hosted PBX solutions are the preferred choice of organizations that want to enjoy seamless and hassle free enterprise communication. People prefer the hosted PBX because it is one of the most flexible platforms and it proves to be effective and budget-friendly. It is really amazing to find the numerous advantages offered by the cloud telephony system when compared to the legacy telephone system. There are organizations that consider their VoIP solution to be the lifeblood of their organization for the simple fact that it offers several advanced telephony features which can even be used in tandem with the other enterprise solutions.

Cloud Phones Increase Corporate Efficiency

Cloud phone systems has helped companies increase efficiencies; therefore, it is not at all surprising for analysts to find that VoIP actually helps to increase productivity, which in turn leads to greater profits. Employees are able to access the latest telephony features like automated attendant, Find Me/Follow Me, Music-On-Hold, etc. This facilitates better and seamless communication with clients, vendors and colleagues, which is the prerequisite for maintaining smooth working relationships.

The way employees function is going to be immensely impacted by the Internet of Things, and there is going to be a huge demand for cloud solutions which can support a large range of endpoint devices without having to make too many changes.

Benefits Small Businesses

The cloud phone system is becoming the preferred system because it is highly scalable, cost-effective and flexible in comparison to the legacy phone systems. Smaller businesses are the biggest beneficiaries of cloud telephony because their enterprise communication needs are being met by the cloud solutions.

The VoIP market is growing rapidly, and it is poised to become one of the largest by 2020 where it is going to replace the majority of traditional phone systems. No businesses, small or large, can ignore the numerous advanced telephony features that enhance business communications like never before. These features are going to improve productivity and make businesses leaner.

Cloud phone is the new face of communication in the corporate world, and in the years to come, it is going to give rise to smarter solutions.

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.

Nominated “Best Place to Work” in 2015

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Best of 2015 - LogoWe are thrilled to have been nominated as Best Place to Work in 2015! Universal ComOne was founded in 2005 with an enthusiastic team spirit. That spirit remains over a decade later.  We have an amazing group of people each with exceptional talent. As a team, we strive to provide industry-leading service to each of our customers.

It’s not just about telecommunications for us…it’s about relationships, and it’s about friendships!

We would also like to recognize that many of our customers are finalists in the Best of 2015 nominations too. Congratulations to all the finalist, and thanks to Times of Acadiana for promoting local businesses!

[su_note]According to the Times of Acadiana:  Finalist voting is open! Cast your votes for your favorite finalist in each category through Wednesday May 13. The top 3 finalists in each category with the most votes will be named the 2015 Times of Acadiana Best Of winners! All winners will be published in the Times of Acadiana Best Of winners edition in late June, and featured on theadvertiser.com. [/su_note]

 

3 Reasons Why You Need a Business IP-PBX Phone System

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Businesses are fast dumping their old PBX systems and are switching to the powerful IP-PBX system. The IP-PBX system facilitates the routing of calls over a dedicated IP network and the calls are transmitted in the form of data packets. This technology not only encapsulates the latest communication features but also facilitates robustness and scalability. Another great feature of IP-PBX system is that it can be easily connected with the PSTN lines with the help of the optional gateway. Thus, you will be able to upgrade your enterprise communication system to the most advanced data and voice network without making any changes to your existing infrastructure or operations.

Enterprises don’t need to disrupt their current external communication infrastructure and operations. With an IP-PBX deployed, an enterprise can even keep its regular telephone numbers. This way, the IP-PBX switches local calls over the data network inside the enterprise and allows all users to share the same external phone lines.

Constituents of an IP-PBX

The primary constituents of an IP PBX system are one or multiple SIP phones, a VOIP gateway (for connecting to the PSTN Lines) and an IP-PBX server. Just like a proxy server, IP-PBX server also functions in a similar manner. The SIP clients are either the desk phones or the soft phones that connect to the IP PBX server and request it to complete a call. The IP-PBX server maintains a directory of the users/phones along with their corresponding SIP addresses, which helps it connect the internal calls directly. In the event of an external call, it is routed via the VoIP service provider or VoIP gateway.

Here is a list of 3 compelling reasons why you need a business PBX phone system:

Easier to install, configure and manage

The IP-PBX system is nothing but an application that can easily leverage the processing power of a PC along with the user interface and the Windows features. Installation of an IP-PBX is extremely easy and people from the IT team of a company would need only a day to get the system up and running. However, if you are working with the legacy systems, you will need specialized technicians who are trained for the installation purpose only. Managing the IP-PBX system too is extremely hassle-free because it comes with an easy to use web-based GUI. You will be able to configure and maintain the system from the web GUI (Graphical User Interface). Thus fine tuning your IP-PBX system is super easy when you manage it from an easy-to-use interface.

Eliminate complex wiring and save money

By implementing the IP telephone system, you will be able to eliminate the complex wiring. This latest network based PBX system facilitates the connection of IP Phones directly to the computer port. Even the soft phones can be used without any kind of wiring. This not only frees up office space but also saves a lot of money that you would have spent on buying expensive telephone system and hardware.

Great scalability

It has been often observed that the proprietary systems fail to grow with the business and find it extremely difficult to cope with the growth. Addition of greater number of extensions or phones lines often needs more hardware equipment, which again is expensive. However, IP-PBX offers great scalability as it can grow with your business without any new investments. You can increase the number of phone lines or extensions with ease.

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.

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.