Small Business Communication Systems

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The domain of small business communication systems is rapidly expanding because it is no longer limited to the traditional PSTN phones or PBX systems. It would be wrong to say that modern businesses have stopped using the PBX systems – there are many that still use digital PBX systems. Several organizations are switching to advanced, more cost effective small business communication systems that facilitate voice and video calls, data sharing, web conferencing, wireless and several other applications that run on one Internet Protocol or IP network.

The latest small business communication systems come loaded with amazing telephony features which you can leverage the power of the new technology to propel the growth of your business. In this article, we are going to look at the benefits of an IP (or VoIP) small business telephone system.

One interface for multiple applications:

Any of the latest small business communication systems that run on your secure network will facilitate the access to other applications. This might include voicemail, video conferencing, softphone and database queries, all of which have a common interface.

Collaboration on a real-time basis:

The latest small business communication systems facilitate real-time collaboration among your employees. This communication solution is not only cost effective but also much more powerful than the traditional phone system. Communication among your employees can be carried out easily, and you or your employees can communicate with suppliers, business partners, vendors or customers using voice, video, data and mobility applications.

Features that you need today and in the future:

The small business communications that are available in the market can meet not only the current business communication needs of your business but also any other future requirements. These business phone systems can grow and adapt to your changing business communication needs. The latest small business system can be loaded with features that you will need like intercom, paging, presence technology and automated attendant. Presence is one feature that helps you to determine which employees are available within the company for quick communication via web conference, phone call, video conference, IM chat and any other interaction. The phone system can also be integrated with several other useful business applications, which are used on a regular basis like CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and calendar. Thus, you will be able to provide your employees with easy to use tools that take care of all their modern communication needs. Integration of useful business applications like CRM will help your customer support representatives with real-time data pertaining to the customers.

There are several reasons why a business should migrate to the latest small business communication system. Some of the most prominent reasons are:

Set monthly budget for communication – It is better to know beforehand the monthly expenses for using your business telephone system. This will help you to keep your budget and expenses in check and there are no chances of overspending.

No extra overhead for IT staff – Small businesses cannot afford to spend their money on maintaining a full-time IT team. The latest small business communication systems do not need any kind of complex management, so you can do with very few technical staff on-hand.

There are several other reasons for migrating to the latest small business communication systems, but it is the cost savings that drive the demand for such systems. Contact us for more information on the small business communication system that best meets your needs.

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.

 

Celebrating 10 Years in Business!

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Happy New Year to You, and Happy Anniversary to Us!

10th Anniversary - with FireworksToday, January 1, 2015, marks our 10th year in business.

Universal ComOne Louisiana, LLC opened its doors in Lafayette, LA, in 2005, but the story didn’t start there. Universal Telephone Company, Inc. was originally founded in 1984; then Universal ComOne, LLC was re-established to resume where our original company left off.

Universal ComOne’s staff is comprised of self-motivated individuals that truly work as a team. Locally owned and dispatched, we strive to gain the respect and trust of each of our customers and to provide cost-effective voice and data solutions.

We are incredibly grateful to our technical and administration staff for each of their talents and contributions to the success of our company.

It has been such a pleasure serving the telecommunications needs of the Acadiana area and throughout South Louisiana. We look forward to serving you for many more years to come!

 

UCOLA CARES Project 2014

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UCOLA Cares 2014
Spreading Smiles to Children and others in our local community!

Each year, we partner with a local charitable organization to show that UCOLA truly “Cares” about blessing the lives of others! This year we had the opportunity to sponsor (20) children under the care of the Louisiana Department of Children & Family Services who are looking for an adoption opportunity. We hope we were able to provide an unexpected blessing for these children who don’t have a permanent home this holiday season.

For more information about adoption, contact the Lafayette Region – Department of Children & Family Services at:

(337) 262-5970
DCFS - Logo

What is the Bandwidth Needed For VoIP?

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Bandwidth for a layman translates to the speed of the Internet connection but there is a broader definition as well as use of the term. Technically, bandwidth is the frequency range through which data transmission takes place. Bandwidth is not only restricted to the Internet and is used for all kinds of radio and wireless transmission. If we are talking about large bandwidth then it implies that at any point in time, a large amount of data can be transmitted. Once again I reiterate – Bandwidth does not mean Internet speed but you can use that meaning for your convenience.

How to measure bandwidth?

Hertz, Kilohertz, and Megahertz are the units used for measuring bandwidth.  When someone says 1 MegaHertz then they essentially mean one million Hertz.

This is different from an Internet connection speed which is is measured in Kbps (Kilo bits per second) or Mbps that refers to 1 million bits per second. This is a measurement of the number of bits transmitted in a second. Data Transmission speed is the correct way of describing Internet transmission speed. You will be able to decide whether your connection speed is good or not. This in turn will give you an idea whether it is feasible to use VoIP with the existing connection or upgrades are needed.

The Need to Check Your Connection Speeds

For all the organizations using Internet for both data and voice transmission, it becomes imperative to run a check on the bandwidth for ensuring good call quality. VoIP itself does not have any upfront fees but you will have to get the right bandwidth and this can be pretty costly. Bandwidth costs incurred by organizations are often high and if you are using the same Internet connection for data as well as voice then it is mandatory to use higher bandwidth. Voice signals are bulkier compared to the text signals and this is why it uses higher bandwidth during transmission. So when you have a connection with higher speed or higher bandwidth, you are going to experience better voice quality.

With the passage of time, bandwidth is getting less expensive, and now even the smaller companies can afford connections with higher bandwidth. Broadband in its latest avatar offers greater speed as compared to the old dial up connections.

Bandwidth Calculation

A normal voice call on VoIP has two components – an upstream and a downstream. In the upstream, your voice travels to the other party. In the downstream, the other party’s voice travels to you.

The lowest quality calls need roughly 15 kbps for each stream or a total of 30 kbps for each call. Mind you, I said each call. So if you have ten calls, you need 300 kbps. A good quality voice call would need 90 kbps for each call. So you now have a simple multiplication factor. Guess the number of simultaneous calls you have during peak times, and multiply that by 90.

There is small catch. This number you calculated is only for VoIP voice calls, and should be allocated for that task only. It cannot be mixed with your regular data usage.

If you are planning for video conferencing, each video call would need 1.2 mbps at a minimum.

Other Factors That Play

If you are calculating bandwidth then you should never assume that all the channels are used for every communication. For instance, when there is a normal conversation then there is a lot of silence, which implies that data packets are not at all sent during that period. Thus, full bandwidth is almost never used during VoIP calls. The usage of bandwidth depends on the datalink protocols and there are numerous factors that actually influence the bandwidth usage. Some of the factors that impact bandwidth are VPN headers, ATM cell headers, payload size, IAX2 Trunked and header compression.

You can use a bandwidth calculator like this to calculate your existing Internet connection speed.

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.

Section 179 Tax Deductions

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Buy a phone system before the end of the year, and save 35% with the Section 179 tax deduction! The Section 179 Deduction limit is $25,000 and will expire at midnight on December 31, 2014.

Calculate your savings here:  http://alturl.com/paaor

Section 179 - Infographic

BYOD Trends in 2014

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This year bring your own device or BYOD is going to keep the IT industry busy with many more PCs and tablets are being used in the office space. Security concerns are being raised about BYOD. Mobile device management, mandatory BYOD and wearable BYOD technology are some of the trends we will see this year.

Bring Your Own Device, BYOD trends in 2014

BYOD trends this year

Top 5 Benefits of Using a Wireless Headset

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What can a cordless headset do for you?

Regardless how much time you spend on the phone each day, cradling a phone on your shoulder can cause neck and back pain. By using a headset as part of your daily work routine, you will become less fatigued and you will notice improvements in your posture.

  1. Freedom:

Wireless headsets give you the additional freedom to leave your desk and move around during phone calls, currently up to 350ft from your phone.

  1. Productivity:

Free up both hands while on the phone call, so you can type on the computer, gather files, or take notes. This allows you to be more productive throughout the day.

  1. Call Management:

With easy one-touch buttons on the headset, you can answer calls, end calls, increase/ decrease the volume, and even mute yourself during a phone call. Manage your calls from up to 350 feet from the charging base.

  1. Audio Quality:

You have a choice of narrow or wideband grade audio quality – narrowband will extend your talk time, whereas, wideband mode will provide clearer conversations. With a noise-canceling microphone, any disruptive background noise will be filtered out, so your listeners will hear a clear conversation.

  1. Eliminate Neck Cramps:

Using your shoulder to hold up the phone handset to your ear can lead to neck and back discomfort. This will eventually lead to poor posture. The use of a headset is recommended by The American Physical Therapy Association as well as many doctors and chiropractors.

 

“Wired” vs. “Wireless” Headsets

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We all know that cradling a phone on our shoulder during a phone call can cause serious neck camps. By the end of the day, we feel like we need a shoulder rub or even a back massage. By using a headset during your workday, you will eliminate the neck cramping and even start to see improvements in your posture.

Headsets that have a cord attached to your desk phone will certainly free up one hand to improve your productivity; however, having a wireless headset will allow you to free up both hands and become mobile during a phone call. You will no longer be restrained to the length of the attached cord. Our wireless headset will allow you to go up to 350 feet from your phone, so now you can pull a file from the other room while you are still on the phone with your client. Or if you get put on-hold for a long time, you can freely go get a cup of coffee while you wait. A wireless headset gives you a freedom to roam around your office that a wired headset does not permit.

Headset - 40 OFF (Coupon Code)

Is VoIP Right For Your Business?

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Why Should Businesses Adopt VoIP Phone Systems?

In order to grow, businesses have to tap into new markets to increase their customer base. It is imperative to maintain an impeccable communication system. An efficient communication system allows a business to not only maintain seamless connectivity with customers and employees, it also lowers their telephone bills. VoIP is a new technology that businesses across the world are banking upon to solve all their communication woes and, at the same time, bring down their monthly telephone expenses.

Small businesses in particular should consider the latest communication systems like a Hosted VoIP business phone system in order to stay ahead of competition. The Voice over Internet Protocol is perfect for small, medium and large businesses. Not only is it easy to subscribe to VoIP services, it is also easy to scale the packages up or down depending on your usage. VoIP uses the Internet to transmit voice signals in the form of data packets over a secured network. It is not only a secure form of communication for the companies but also a very reliable and efficient solution.

Let us understand why VoIP suits businesses and adopting VoIP phone systems is the logical way to building a robust communication system:

• VoIP helps to serve customers better:

Pleasing customers is vital for all businesses and is even more important for small businesses that want to survive stiff competition in the market. It not only helps businesses acquire new clients but also retain the old ones by providing better services. VoIP has several features like automated call routing, call holding, IVR etc., which helps companies attend to all customer calls and queries on a priority basis. No customer calls are missed and customers get a feeling that the company cares for them, so they are more likely to return with more business.

• VoIP helps to make business processes efficient:

Businesses have started to realize the importance of staying connected to customers as well as employees – this is easily achieved by implementing VoIP. VoIP lets the users log in from anywhere; even when they are not sitting at their desk. Thus important voicemails, messages and other communications are never missed. Important issues can be easily solved by getting in touch with the respective department or executive. All this eventually helps in better decision making.

• Bringing down costs:

This is probably the biggest advantage that businesses enjoy by migrating to VoIP. The telephone bills footed by many companies run up to thousands of dollars a month when they are using the old PSTN telephones. This is never the case with VoIP. The only costs that the customer bears is the charge for the Internet connection within a stipulated FUP. Since VoIP communications can be initiated with just an Internet connection and some basic hardware, the high installation costs are avoided too. Companies do not have to pay any upfront bills for installation and maintenance, so this translates into heavy savings.

Companies that need to make overseas calls on a frequent basis can take advantage of VoIP. If the other party is also on a digital circuit, there are no additional costs for international calls. If the other party is on mobile or land lines, you can use SIP trunking with fixed rates to call anyone, anywhere.

Thus, we get to see that VoIP is the most practical option available to business owners if they truly want to establish a seamless communication service for their 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.

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