• Telecommunications
    Choosing between regular and cloud business VoIP system for small business

    Most of the new business owners think that business VoIP and cloud VoIP system are the same things. But the fact is that the only thing that is similar to them is that they help in reducing the overall calling cost of the business venture. A virtual system is an automated answering system that works well only if you have to receive and record a client call but a cloud business system is a fully integrated and highly professional grade of connection.

    When choosing a cloud VoIP business system for small businesses, some factors help play essential roles in the selection process. Some of these factors have been explained as under:

    • The cloud features are specially designed keeping in mind that it should be accessible to every business user despite the size of the company.
    • A fully integrated system with UC features enables the productivity of employees to increases many times as the system has everything installed in a compact design.
    • A cloud-based phone gives you features such as the business class entity that lets you forward calls, transcribe messages that are on the voicemail, hold call, synchronizes the contact list with office phone system for the ease of use and a three-way conference system so that you can merge more than one person into the same conversation. It also has standard features like the auto attendant that lets you record a generalized message for anyone who calls on the system. The IVR will lead you to the relevant employee in a structured manner.
    • Another feature that makes the cloud VoIP business system for small businesses are coveted option is the softphone feature. It helps you detach your phone connection from the office phone and transfer the calls to your Android or iOS simultaneously. So you can access calls even when you are away from your desk. With the help of this feature, most of the employees have been able to work more productively.
    • There is no need to configure external hardware and keep a dedicated person to manage things on a regular basis. Eventually, the cost is reduced and a lot of time is saved that can be brought to better use.
    • You can get as many extensions as you want in the same system. So, even if the number of employees increases, you won’t have to spend much to connect them to the client.
  • Telecommunications
    The nuances of online video conference call

    Videos conference calls have become the best medium to communicate with people especially in a formal office setup wherein people are in different parts of the country. A business that runs from employee support understands the idea of giving them freedom of work and choice of working from home when required. The idea was brought to life with the help of Internet-based video conferencing if the need arises. The increase in the number of online video conference calling services are being adopted as a medium to communicate in various business setups, it is vital for you to have one too.

    There are a lot of options present when it comes to organizing a call. Some of the most coveted options have been mentioned underneath along with their explanations:

    Online video conference call
    An online video conferencing system enables you to connect to one or more audience with the help of an Internet connection. You may make VoIP calls using the broadband Internet connection. It requires you to download the software and make a login id and password that will help you get into the system. The name chosen for this software can be used to find the person or business you want to connect to. It also has a wide variety of features such as texting, file sharing and ping facility for emergencies. Individuals, as well as company owners, use it.

    Cloud video conferencing
    Cloud video conferencing is a little different than normal online conferencing. Dial number to get through bases the call experience on a shared company directory, so users connect by name instead of. The files shared on these systems cannot be used by others or logged in from anywhere other than the standard office software systems. It is done to make sure that all the information remains within the employee setup and cannot be leaked to competitors in any manner.

    Audio and video conferencing
    This feature helps you in connecting with the desired audience without necessarily using the video feature. You can do this through the use of the Internet. It requires your laptop or desktop to have a camera and a microphone to connect with the target audience. You can also use a headphone with a microscope to ensure that anyone else does not hear the conversation. The telecalling companies who wish to make sales or review products of the company mostly use these features. They are trained to use the software before the actual use.

  • Telecommunications
    Important points to consider before doing cloud migration

    Businesses across the world are moving to the cloud for obvious reasons but cloud migration is not as easy as it sounds. Small business owners usually take it easy when it comes to migrating to the cloud with their itty bitty data. What they fail to consider at that time is that their business will not always be small and the infrastructure they are moving to might need upgrades sooner than later. There are many such considerations that business owners fail to foresee and even big companies make mistakes with cloud migration. Following is a list of considerations that need to be made before cloud migration in order to avoid wasting time, money and resources on the process.

    Resource usage
    Every business moving to a cloud needs to first analyze its resource usage and then invest in the cloud. There is no point in investing a huge amount of storage if it is never going to be used and the opposite is true too as buying less for a business that is rapidly growing will lead to waste of investment and repurchase earlier than the budget can allow.

    Access mechanisms
    Businesses dealing with a huge number of third parties will have to clearly access how the access mechanisms will change after the cloud migration. They have to ensure that the cloud service platform they choose supports all the mechanisms used by their clients/customers, otherwise they stand to lose a lot in the process.

    Security
    One of the biggest considerations to be made while shifting to the cloud is to carefully assess and implement the security on the cloud because security is one of the major pain areas with cloud computing. Companies dealing with sensitive data might have to set aside extra dollars to ensure data integrity and safety.

    IT service team
    Hiring a cloud service company for data does not mean that the companies can get completely get rid of the server people. Businesses should always consider having a few numbers of people who can directly deal with the cloud host company and work closely to ensure that company’s rules and regulations related to the data are followed. This consideration will also help companies save a number of hassles when things go wrong.

    Integration
    Application hosting calls for a number of integrations between different applications on the cloud. This fact has to be considered much before cloud migration because it will help decide a number of things like the amount of storage needed and also the type of storage needed for the business.

  • Telecommunications
    Top international conference call service providers in 2018

    With more and more companies expanding to different locations and allowing its employees to work from across boundaries, the need for an international calling service has increased dramatically. Companies use it for meetings, impromptu brainstorming session, hosting seminars and even for interviewing the candidates.

    There are many factors that help a company decide the best calling service. Some of the factors are, whether or not it has an option of connecting n number of people, added features like call recording and controls like web controls and last but the least, the budget of the company. With n number of options in the market, this process gets even more confusing. Following is a list of top international conference calling services that have beaten their competitors to stay on the top and provide some of the best services in the industry.

    Conference Calling
    Conference Calling a product from Vast Conference. It tops the list of the best products because it practically offers every facility that a business will want from a calling service. This product offers both operator-assisted services and reservation-less services along with offering multiple price structures which vary based on the usage of the service, the number of people who need access, and many other such important factors.

    FreeConferenceCall.com
    As the name suggests, FreeConferenceCall.com is a free calling service that provides reliable calling services at no cost at all. This is a reservation-less service that provides the best international conference calling facilities to business. It has almost all the in-demand features like call recording, web management, and calendar integration. The company also offers a paid plan but that does not mean the free plan is not good; free plans have almost all the features that are provided by a paid plan

    RingCentral
    RingCentral is one of the top international conferencing service provided by a phone system. This system supports up to 1000 callers at a time which is much more than any other service can offer. This is again a reservation less service system and allows every user to host a conference with up to 1000 participants.

    WebEx
    WebEx is the best choice of companies that have a number of remote employees. This service is a hybrid of web conference service and a teleconference service which means WebEx allows the employees of a company to join a conference call using their phones or a web service. This kind of facility makes it a favorite amongst businesses looking for different logging options.

  • Telecommunications
    Advantages of mobile cloud computing for small businesses

    Cloud computing has changed the way data is stored and shared. This has helped in a number of ways like saving costs, better productivity, and convenient accessibility. Cloud computing is evolving continuously and can be used on mobile phones as well.

    Before we dive into the various pros of using mobile cloud computing, let us first understand what it is exactly. Mobile cloud computing is the technique that allows users to leverage the cloud computing features through mobile apps. These apps are created with due diligence to ensure that it works smoothly on mobile phones without overloading the phone and its other functions.

    Here are some of the advantages of using cloud business mobile applications.

    The first and obvious advantage of cloud business mobile applications is the benefit of the flexibility of use of the cloud storage and computing services. Users can access data from anywhere with just a mobile phone that supports the cloud apps and the Internet. This makes it easier for professionals to share data between the teams even outside the office from remote locations.

    Another advantage of cloud ERP solutions for small businesses is that you can get data in real time without any delays or having to run a latency based application. These apps have information that is up to date at all times. More importantly this up to date and shared data can be accessed and used by more than one person at the same time.

    Cloud business mobile applications have come a long way since its inception and can be used for multiple platform support. The apps are now designed to be compatible with multiple platforms so that users can access and transfer data and application from any platform.

    Mobile cloud computing is a relatively cheaper option as well. The storage fees are affordable and most of the mobile cloud computing service providers have a pay per use policy without the user having to pay any advance upfront costs.

    The advantages seem attractive but it is also important to understand the cons of mobile cloud computing which include security issues and failure of the accessibility owing to coverage issues.

    Read the terms and conditions of the mobile cloud computing services before you sign for any particular one. As a firm, try to leverage mobile cloud computing for a number of benefits. Cloud computing is a convenient storage option for firms with large data and if you are one, sign up for a mobile cloud computing service today.

  • Telecommunications
    The importance of server monitoring services

    A vast number of businesses depend on IT network and services to keep running their businesses smoothly. The high dependence makes it very important to ensure good and proactive maintenance of the server continuously to prevent any downtime.

    The process of monitoring a server’s system for checking on system resources like the consumption of memory, CPU performance, and usage, processes etc. is referred to as server monitoring. It helps to understand whether the system resources are optimally used and are leveraged to get the best results.

    This is important for a number of applications, especially the cloud-based applications. A well-serviced server ensures smooth hosting and running of the various applications it supports. The monitoring ensures that the various aspects of the server are working fine. Some of these aspects include the operating systems, hardware, network traffic, memory and more.

    When choosing a server monitoring service provider, choose one that offers features and services that can be run round the clock. This will help the right teams be alerted on time in case there is something wrong with the servers’ functioning. This gives them the opportunity to fix the issues in time as such server crashes can cost money and time. This ensures service availability.

    Most server monitoring services companies have their own software that is installed into the users’ computer. The interface shows all the main characteristics and parameters of the server and whether or not they are functioning properly. These parameters and characteristics include those of the software as well as hardware including all processes and services.

    The system alerts the user of any problem as and when an issue in the server rise like losing contact with the server or if it stops working.

    The reports and alerts that are sent to the users’ system may vary in nature depending on the firm. A number of the server monitoring companies offer responses that can be customized for different companies. Users can even set up specific alerts and response in a personalized manner.

    Getting server monitoring services can ensure that the teams and business owner can be at peace and be alerted in time to fix any small issues that may otherwise escalate into major ones. This helps businesses concentrate on other non-server related aspects that are important for the growth of the business.

  • Telecommunications
    Popular cloud service solutions for small businesses

    Every business, small or big needs access to their data while they go through their everyday routines. Data is needed on the go for even the simplest processes, so it is best to have a cloud storage that will provide for quick accesses. This matters more for small businesses because a cloud storage saves a lot of money otherwise spent on storage maintenance. Cloud Storage is an efficient solution when it comes to efficiency as well as price and hence, it is a good idea to find a good cloud server solution for small businesses. Following is a list of some of the best in the industry.

    Amazon Web Services
    Amazon Web Services is also known as (AWS). It offers a huge number of cloud hosting services. These include options like Pay less when you reserve, Pay as you go, Custom pricing, etc. It offers a number of hosting services like website hosting, app hosting, game hosting and much more at reasonable and competitive prices. Small businesses can take time to first understand which of the plans work best for them and then pay for the service.

    Box
    Box is one of the most popular cloud services being used by small businesses. This cloud platform offers services like file sync, file sharing, IT and admin controls, cross platforms, dedicated technical support and much more to small businesses that looking to expand their horizon. Box has a personal plan which is free and offers 10GB of storage. Beyond that, every storage capacity is paid but the prices and what you get in exchange will surprise you.

    Dropbox
    Most individuals have heard about Dropbox and used it at some point in time. This cloud service is one of the most used services across the small and big-sized businesses. The company started small and today has clients like Hyatt, Macquarie Bank and National Geographic in their client list. Dropbox is effortless when it comes to storage, backup, sync, file sharing, and integration but one thing that sets it apart is its capability of sharing files with a user who is not using Dropbox.

    Syncplicity
    Syncplicity is a great cloud service for small businesses that deal in sensitive data and would want a good control over their data and access. It provides for a clutter-free interface while providing for robust reporting systems and options for detailed monitoring of data usage. It offers a free personal plan that comes with 10 GB of storage. Storage above that capacity needs to be paid and has a fair pricing system. A paid account needs to have at least three users.