Is A Virtual Private Branch Exchange Right For Your Small Business?

If you have created a home office or started a small business, you will already know the importance of having a good reliable communications system as the cornerstone of your enterprise. Customers and clients must have a simple and effective way to reach your business, regardless of the time of day or where either of you may be located. Many small business owners are turning to a virtual way to handle all their business transactions - in our case, a virtual PBX service.

PBX stands for "Private Branch Exchange" and going the "virtual" route simply means your communications are outsourced or hosted by an online third party, usually by a company specializing in these types of services. Some business owners shy away from placing their sensitive business transactions in the hands of others, but the advantages of using a virtual PBX service far outweigh any common misconceptions.

There are several reasons why business owners are opting for the virtual route, but perhaps, the most important is the cheaper cost. A small business doesn't have to install any lines, buy equipment or even hire a receptionist. Furthermore, a virtual phone, fax and even a front office can be set up in a matter of minutes and save a company big bucks, especially if you look at your operating costs over the long term.

For one small monthly fee, all your phone, fax, email, message forwarding, voice mail... even a virtual receptionist, are covered. It is a simple way of projecting a "big company profile" even if you're a very small operation.

Another major reason many companies take this option, has to do with the way business is done in our computer obsessed world. One that is wireless, mobile and completely connected. By going the virtual PBX route you instantly connect or tie all your business communications with your computers... streamlining operations and making file storing and retrieval a breeze. In the process, this can make your business, no matter how small or big, very efficient.

Keep in mind, these are professional run services by some big brand companies such as MyFax, eFax, RingCentral... just to name a few. Your communication are secure and in some cases, your messages can be encrypted for greater security. Also remember, most of these services are also completely scalable, you can quickly adjust your number of lines depending on how fast your business is growing.

Overall, going with a virtual PBX system for your small business can be cost-effective, very simple to set up and very easy to use. Plus, it will instantly modernize your business, connecting it with all your computers and our wireless mobile world. It can make any small business more professional, more efficient and much easier to run or operate. What more can you ask for?

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For more information on acquiring a virtual PBX service click here: http://www.onlinefaxguide.com/virtual_pbx.htm.

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How to Choose the Best Phone Service for Business

There has been tremendous advancements in telecommunications and the business community is today confronted with too wide a choice and unable to determine which business phone system will meet its needs best.

The heartening fact is there are several reliable business phone service providers who can offer you with the phone service you exactly require. The rapid advancements in telephone technology have caused the market to offer you highly efficient and sophisticated phone systems at affordable costs.

Interestingly, business phone service providers now offer packages that include multiple lines, unlimited minutes with no domestic long distance charges. Many providers offer extended features like fax numbers and virtual PBX systems.

As your business phone services consumes a large share of your budget, you should ensure that you are selecting a business phone service provider that offers you the best deals at competitive pricing and also offers additional features your business will need.

Your field staff and employees stationed outside will have to be equipped with the best mobile communication facilities. With the right kind of business phone services you can interact with your customers, employees and other stakeholders better and improve your overall productivity.

It is worthwhile you ponder over the following when deciding on the phone system for your business:

• Since your business will steadily grow over the years and your communication needs will commensurately expand, opt for a system that is scalable.
• Telecoms systems today offer a host of useful features like call forwarding, call transfer, auto-attendant, caller ID, conferencing facilities, speakerphone options, abbreviated dialing etc. Choose the features you would definitely find helpful and do not overbuy.
• If the volume of international calls is likely to be high, then, VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phones can mean substantial savings in call costs.
• If you have employees who work remotely most of the time, then VOIP could be a wise option.
• Please understand the size of your business and the scale of your operations. Generally speaking, small businesses will use a Key System Unit (KSU) while midsize and large enterprises will use a PBX (Private Branch Exchange). But if you want in factor data, then your business will have to consider ISDN.

For small businesses VOIP looks like a veritable boon, as it can offer free calls, but there are a number of other considerations you should look into before choosing VOIP. Please ensure you have a fast and reliable Internet connection to allow VOIP systems to operate efficiently.

You can have a hosted PBX service (virtual phone system) that offers a wide array of features and flexibility and can be controlled through a web portal.

With Unified Messaging, employees can receive critical fax and voicemail communications directly into their email inboxes. With the voicemail to email solution, important voice messages get automatically forwarded to the secure email inbox.

It is prudent to consultant a telecom professional who will assess your precise communication needs and offer a profile of the equipment that could ideally meet your business requirements.

With so many systems currently available, take your time when drawing up a shortlist of vendors and equipment to ensure you acquire the best before spending your money.

To get more information about internet fax as well as finding more information about Business VOIP, check our website for updates.

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Capture Customer Attention by Using Business 1800 Number

If you are not able to get customer's call because they are too reluctant to contact your business over phone due to the phone call charges, the best, easiest and most cost-effective way out is to opt for a toll free number. Getting a business 1800 number can be an effective marketing tool regardless of the size and scale of your business. Also, getting a toll free number also lends your business a Fortune 500 image and better credibility.

With the help of a toll free number, prospective customers will also develop trust in you and have complete sense of confidence while dealing with you. Once the toll free number is possessed, your business will straight away acquire a complete level playing field with large and already established corporations. There is no denying the fact that the success of a business depends on the satisfaction of its customers, which means that giving a free facility will act as an additional incentive build their trust and add to their trust and satisfaction.

In fact, 800 numbers will also enlarge the customer base that will ultimately lead to increased sales and concomitant profits. Stats have also shown that mentioning a toll free number in a trade advertisement also increases the response of the customers up to 60%. Apart from gathering customer attention, another significant reason why an 800 number search can benefit you is 24*7 availability.

With the help of a toll free number, you can easily attend the call of the customers anytime during the day and night, which ultimately increases your productivity and reduce the global time issues. You may also transfer this number to your mobile and attend calls while on the go. If used properly, these numbers can act as a boon to your organization.

When it comes to buying business 1800 number, it is highly advisable that you select a reputed provider out of many available online. However, make sure to check the credibility of the provider before availing the services to make sure that you are getting a positive deal. You may browse through the testimonial column of the website and check what customers have to say. Apart from that, it is also advisable that you check the services that the provider is providing and decide whether you need all of them or require to add additional benefits.

Perform 800 number search online and make the most of your business!

Ankita Shrivastava has a marketing background and writes useful information for Business Owners on a variety of topics. You can get 1800 number by toll free number search at http://www.virtualcallsystem.com/.

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Good Phone Support For Your Business

Automated phone support is something that was not considered important a few years ago. However, now more companies are looking to such phone systems as they attempt to streamline their business and make it more lucrative for customers to work with them. Having proper IT and phone support is one of the things that every legitimate business strives towards nowadays. Not only can working with an IT company for support be useful to your customers, but it is also convenient. Instead of having employees deal with such issues, it can be outsourced to experts who know what they are doing.

Here are a few major reasons why top phone systems will help your business and ensure that customers will always be satisfied with your service:

1. A proper phone support and IT company will have knowledge that you or your employees might not possess. This specialist information will help your business keep up with modern technology and the advancements that are taking place every day.

2. Having an outsourced support system is a lot cheaper than doing it at your own office. Not only would you need more office space, but extra employees would have to be hired and trained. Then there is the cost of setting up various phone lines and giving them computers to work on. Instead of all that hassle, these services can be outsourced for a much cheaper rate.

3. Customers are impressed with a company that has all kinds of phone support. This phone support is available to you and your employees if need be, but it is also there for customers who buy your products and/or services. Having email support, live chat support, and telephone support is crucial nowadays. For example, a tech company cannot sell products without having all these avenues of support. Customers have all sorts of questions and if they can get them answered in a way that is convenient for them, they will come back to your business in the future.

4. Efficiency and budget concerns are taken care of when you outsource phone support. At times employees who work for you do not handle such tasks too well. They might think that providing phone support is a menial task that does not require their full attention. On the other hand, a professional phone support company will do everything to ensure that they do a perfect job. In fact, when jobs are outsourced there is always a contract agreed. A certain amount is paid for a certain level of service. If this service is not maintained or the level is not reached, then payment is not made and you will outsource with another company. This will push your phone support partners to work even harder.

For more information on IT support and technical assistance, visit Barton Technology who are experts in the field. For more details, take a look at the London phone systems section to get a better idea.

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Call Recording Benefits for Small Business

Imagine that day you're out of the office and an email pops into your mobile's email inbox from an unhappy customer.

You've known the customer for years and they are a very lucrative account for the business.

Now imagine the email, it states that a member of your team has misquoted a price for a product and that the staff member has tried to charge a higher price, which is in fact the correct price for that particular product.

The customer is upset and threatens to take their business elsewhere stating that you promised a price and therefore you must stick to the deal.

You return to the office later that afternoon and discuss the problem with the sales person who has been accused of providing the wrong price.

In discussion, your sales person says "I never misquoted, the price I charged was the price I quoted on the telephone last week."

You now have a dilemma, who do you believe?

Do you:

A) Credit the customer the difference to keep him happy.

B) Believe your sales person and potentially lose your customer

C) Believe the customer, discipline the sales person

D) Do nothing.

Whichever option you take someone loses out.

Buy a voice recorder and dispute resolution is evidenced by the truth. You can quickly search and play back the call and bring your complaint to a conclusion.

Call recording not only protects your business commercially, it protects your staff and the customer. Therefore everyone involved benefits from a call recording solution.

Fraud Protection

If you are processing orders over the phone the you are not required at present to record calls. However a recorder will deter and prevent fraudulent activity when taking orders using the telephone. PCI compliance (payment card industry) is more than likely going to enforce mandatory recording at some stage in the future due to large amounts of fraud taking place using stolen credit cards.

Training and Quality Control

A very popular tool for maintaining quality and improving customer experience is a call recorder. By monitoring calls made you can address staff training, enforce call scripts and processes and most importantly develop and improve your staff's skills on the telephone.

If your staff are selling, appointment setting, generating leads or market intelligence a call recording solution is a sound investment with clear ROI. (return on investment)

If you are looking at voice recording solutions contact the guy that wrote this article for expert advice. Google Denwa, call us and ask for Rob Scott.

Looking for a call management solution? visit us here: Call Logging Software

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What Can a Virtual Phone System Do for Your Direct Sales Business?

A direct sale is a term for the process by which products and services are sold to customers, without the use of any third parties or middlemen. A virtual phone system can be an integral part in helping any direct sales business to succeed because it provides optimal communications that are beneficial to the business and the customer.

Customer Courtesy

One of the most important facets of running a successful business is treating customers with the utmost respect and courtesy. As part of this, telephone communications should be optimized in such a way that customers are never placed on hold for lengthy amounts of time, or transferred several times, to reach their intended destinations. A virtual phone system is a great way to ensure that the communications remain organized. With an auto attendant, customers are always greeted with a friendly voice and they can choose the best person to handle their call from the automated system.

Provide Information Simply and Easily

Consumers often want information about products and services before they are ready to buy. For this reason, they will often call a place of business to ask their questions. While every business should be willing to provide this service to their potential customers, it would impact the company's productivity if one or more employees were charged with the task of answering these questions day in and day out. Thankfully, a virtual phone system also provides businesses with a feature known as an info hotline or sizzle line. Here, the business owner can attach a pre-recorded message that explains the products, pricing and more automatically when a caller selects the corresponding option.

Close Sales on the Go

Depending upon the size of the business, it may not be feasible for an employee to remain in the same physical location at all times for the purpose of fielding telephone calls. This task can become very mundane and has a huge impact on the business's overall productivity. With a call forwarding feature as part of a virtual phone system, it is incredibly simple for business owners and their employees to forward their incoming calls to their mobile phones in order to take calls while they are out in the field, out to lunch or even at home.

Personal Attention

Though some direct sales businesses consist of only a single employee who is also the business owner, others may have more employees in order to reach a broader audience. This is particularly true when door-to-door sales and in-home demonstrations are an important part of product sales. Many consumers enjoy getting to know a certain salesperson or company representative and then doing business only with that person in the future. With the help of a virtual phone system, call forwarding and individual extensions, any employee is just a telephone call away, and their privacy is completely protected.

The direct sales industry is one that is growing rapidly, and more and more people are seeking to become involved in this industry growth by creating their own start-ups. With the help of a virtual phone system, any direct sales business owner can get a leg up on the competition through communications.

This article was written by Kevin John, Online Marketing Executive at iTeleCenter. He has extensive marketing experience and is extremely knowledgeable about vanity numbers, local numbers, toll free numbers and auto attendant in conjunction with virtual phone system. He is happy to share his knowledge with small business owners on how to protect company image.

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What Is IVR and Why It Is Needed in Your Business

An interactive voice response is a technology which allows to communicate with customers in a form of keypad or voice commands. It is an automated telephony technology that is used for interacting to the client database. Most IVR is used for BPO, KPO, and banks. Some even use IVR systems in-house and in offices to save money and resources. IVR is particularly useful when limited inquiry is asked like. for example, when a customer checks for bank balances, checking about store hours, locations, or ordering an item. Compared to recruiting a few employees, interactive voice response will do just that. Imagine having to save from the costly salary, perks, and funds by just using an IVR in your system.

The IVR systems work in a voice form when the customers asks about something this system will then reply in a simple "yes" or "no" plus other information the customer might need, this is all done by a human-recorded voice. It also asks questions relating to the customer's query and the customer can give a reply by pressing a number on their phone's keypad like 1, 2, or 3. Some IVR systems can now reply to a human voice when the customer says "yes", "no" or "return". Usually IVR hosting are installed in-house, but now it has been used by outsourcing solutions providers. In terms with the cost, an IVR hosting system will be a sizable investment for your company. This is why you need to take considerations before you buy such systems. The good thing is some IVR systems are available to try for free. With savings, IVR systems can save up to 95% with your expenses as you won't be hiring agents and operators to deal with such basic tasks. Moreover, if you have a hosted IVR service, this will generally reduce the amount you need to pay. With IVR hosting, you will just pay for the professional services, not buy an entire IVR system.

When your company has significant calls that don't want to get routed to the IVR, consider an IVR system that offers specialized telephone routing. These are personalized call redirecting in which the system automatically knows where to direct the call. Other features, which should be considered are call path diagrams and auto call distribution. No need for an IT staff because if the IVR system is in excellent quality, the system has fault management system in occasions when systems fail. Other than that, the IVR hosting provider should have device analysis along with full-time assistance and fixes. In this way, the system will work without complications and can function even without the interaction of a person therefore, you will no longer need an IT department to deal with it. When it comes to the try-before-you buy program, the IVR hosting provider should offer the installation free of charge. In that way, you can test how the system works without you needing to pay for anything first. IVR has a several functions you can use to provide better IVR system for your company, some of the recommended functions are automated call distribution, analog level support, call data transfer, data store entry, voice customization, and text to speech.

Arnel Colar is a freelance writer that writes anything that can provide knowledge to the readers around the world. He writes articles ranging from environment preservation, social education, finance and loans, money, and anything that he can think of. With good research, convincing details, and creative insights added with passion, articles can become a masterpiece.

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Samsung DS-5007s Is A Viable Option For Business Organization

Maintaining high quality output, productivity and efficiency is a challenge for any growing organization. In order to beat the challenge, many business enterprises resort towards the use of technology as it facilitates their daily operations. The advanced technologies in the form of equipments, devices and machines reduce the work load and produces reliable accurate results thereby, increasing the efficiency of the workplace. One of the groundbreaking state of the art equipment that is popularly used in corporations today is the Samsung DS-5007s. It is a key phone designed by Samsung. Opting for such a telephonic communication system reduces the hassles from business operations.

The Samsung DS-5007s is particularly apt for businesses with fewer than 500 extensions. It proves to be a good choice for such organizations, due to the countless features available within a favorable cost. When compared with the competition in similar price range, the Samsung DS-5007s completely outperforms all the other telephonic systems. It leaves the competition far behind in numerous areas and provides the users with optimum benefits. The innumerable features derived from such devices are one of the compelling reasons behind its growing popularity. It is equipped with seven programmable fast dial keys which saves time for the users. The LCD display is adjustable with two lines and a thirty two character limit, which displays the duration of a phone call along with other information.

The Samsung DS-5007s offers high resilience when compared with other devices. It is designed by the leading manufacturers in the world keeping in mind the best interests of the users. It comes with a SD card slot in the processor which can be programmed to feed the important information. It can be programmed to take regular back ups of vital data which can prove to be beneficial during the malfunctioning of the device. During disaster, the crucial data is safely stored in the SD card which can be inserted in another device, to continue and sustain the work flow. The device is capable of reducing the work of the engineers who find this device easy to work on, and the favor it because of its blade architecture which makes swapping task as easy as it can get.

An amazing aspect about Samsung DS-5007s is the fact that it is extremely easy to use. The user interface is extremely simple and can be understood by a non tech savvy person. In case, you fail to understand the device, then it comes with a user manual which makes it easier for users to comprehend the functionality of the device.

In order to make the most of your money's worth, it is important to make purchases from reliable stores. The Samsung DS-5007s is made available across several stores both, in the online and offline market. Many people prefer making their purchases from online stores as it provides them with multitudes of benefits. Consumers can sit at the comfort of their house and order for these telephonic devices within a few clicks of the button.

Truman Redford is the author of this article on DS-5007S. Find more information, about DS-5007S here

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Call Forwarding Keeps You in Touch With Your Business

Any small business owner will likely agree that it is stressful to leave another employee in charge while away from the office. Whether leaving for the day or taking a week-long vacation, call forwarding is a great way for business owners to stay in touch with their employees or even their customers at all times.

What is Call Forwarding?

Call forwarding is a feature that allows consumers, business owners and employees to forward their telephone numbers to alternate devices. For example, while a consumer is away from home, they may choose to forward all of their landline calls to their mobile phones. In much the same way, a business owner may choose to forward their calls to their mobile phone while they are away from the office. When a customer dials the business telephone number, it immediately rings through to the designated device; the caller is not aware that this is occurring. This way, business owners and employees are always available, even when they are away from their desks or offices.

In-House Forwarding

In-house call forwarding is the process by which one telephone number is forwarded to another in the event that an employee or department is out of the office. This can be as simple as forwarding all of the calls from the front desk to a specific individual or forwarding calls from individual numbers to select extensions. As an example, the sales department may choose to forward all of their calls to the front desk while they are away on lunch or if that department is closed for the day. A business owner may also choose to forward the calls from their extension to the next-in-charge while they are out of the office.

External Forwarding

External forwarding occurs when telephone numbers are forwarded to another location that is outside of the building. This may include calls forwarded to personal landlines and cell phones, though there are other examples. With this method, business owners can easily keep in touch with their business and their employees-even if they are away on vacation. If an employee is out in the field working with customers or running errands, they can still receive all of their telephone calls on their mobile device. This is a great way to ensure that the business runs smoothly and that personal telephone numbers remain private.

On-Call Services

When businesses provide services that are in demand 24 hours a day, such as repair services or technical support, it is imperative that customers can reach someone at all times. Call forwarding can certainly be a lifesaver here, as well; all of the after-hours business calls can be routed to a single individual who is responsible for handling the questions or performing the repairs. This way, there is no need for an employee to remain at the office at all times. This saves plenty of frustration and even cuts down on utility bills while the office is closed.

Call forwarding is a virtual phone system feature that cannot be overlooked when it comes to keeping in touch with customers and employees at all times. It allows business owners and their staff to accept telephone calls while they are at home or even on-the-go, thereby improving the business image and overall customer satisfaction.

This Article was written by Kevin John, Online Marketing Executive at iTeleCenter. He has extensive marketing experience and is extremely knowledgeable about vanity numbers, 1800 Numbers, local numbers and toll free number in conjunction with virtual phone system. He is happy to share his knowledge on call forwarding feature to help small business owners.

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Why a Virtual Phone System Is the Best Solution for Your Small Business

A small business is a very stressful undertaking, especially in the beginning. There is marketing to be concerned with, overhead cost to manage and even communications needs to tackle. With a virtual phone system, however, communications can be simplified and economical, regardless of the business size.

Cost Effective

When most people consider telephone service for a business, their minds are automatically drawn to landline service providers for many different reasons. Landlines are often viewed as traditional and affordable, especially since long distance service is often included in the packages. However, when it comes to adding many lines of service and toll-free calls, these costs can truly add up. A virtual phone system combines all of these costs into one affordable monthly package that is completely customizable based upon the size and needs of the business in general. The main difference is that the service is provided via the Internet rather than standard copper wires and telephone jacks.

Packed with Features

Landline telephone service certainly offers plenty of features that are designed to make communications simpler, but they do not offer much in the way of affordability. Standard features, such as caller ID and perhaps even call waiting, will be included in almost any phone package; everything else must be purchased separately. With a virtual phone system, business owners will get these features and more, including auto attendants, call screening, access to informational hotlines and even hold music that is selected by the business itself. The cost of these features is often included in the price of the phone system package, so there are no unexpected charges or surprises on the bill.

Easy to Use

Businesses that use landline service must often use complicated telephones, and this can be frustrating for business owners and their employees. With a virtual phone system, the interface is available on a computer desktop. When an employee would like to forward his or her calls to their mobile phone for the day, they can simply log onto the interface and make the change with just a few clicks. Checking voicemail, sending and receiving fax and even returning telephone calls has never been simpler.

Privacy and Mobility

Finally, small business owners are often aware that their personal numbers should be kept private from customers and vendors at all times. Otherwise, they would be unable to leave their work lives in the office. A virtual phone system allows employees and business owners to route calls coming into their business lines in any way they see fit, whether to a personal landline telephone or even a mobile phone. The caller has no idea where the call is terminating; all they are aware of is that they called the business and an employee answered. This maintains privacy and also allows for a level of business mobility that could never be achieved with typical landline telephone service.

A small business relies upon communications to build up its clientele and make a name for itself in its chosen industry. A virtual phone system is an affordable and easy-to-use method to stay connected to customers and other employees privately, even when on-the-go.

This Article was written by Kevin John, Online Marketing Executive at iTeleCenter. He has extensive marketing experience and is extremely knowledgeable about vanity numbers, 1800 Numbers, local numbers and toll free numbers in conjunction with virtual phone system. He is happy to share his knowledge with small business owners on how to protect company image.

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How PBX System Supports Small Business?

The PBX systems are becoming increasingly popular amongst small business enterprises for a variety of reasons. Because of the continuing demand, the manufacturers of PBX systems for small businesses are trying to make the system more and more sophisticated as well as affordable.

For a small business, effective and reliable communication with customers, employees, suppliers and other stakeholders is critically important. But at the same time, most small corporations can ill afford to buy or maintain expensive business phone systems.

A Private Branch Exchange (PBX) is a telephone switching system that manages incoming as also outgoing calls for a company's employees. The PBX is connected to the public phone system (PSTN) and automatically directs incoming calls to specific extensions. It also handles multiple lines.

A typical small company PBX system includes external and internal phone lines, a computer server that manages call switching and routing plus a console for manual operations.

An IP based PBX can replicate everything a traditional business PBX does and more. It performs the switching and connecting of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) as well as landline calls.

A traditional PBX requires two separate networks - one for data and another for voice. But, an IP PBX system straightaway runs on an IP data network, which saves costs and also reduces network management for small businesses. You can get a business PBX with smart features that you would want for your business.

A small business can use IP phones, soft phones (which mean only a computer and a microphone headset) and landline phones for an IP PBX phone system. These PBXs have smart features such as time-of-day forwarding and real-time call records, time-of-day call routing, voicemail-to-email and fax-to-email - apart from a host of standard as well as advanced features.

Communication is critically important for all sizes of business enterprises including small corporations. There are today PBX systems specially designed for small businesses. These PBX systems are affordable, reliable and full-featured. They combine an IP PBX with robust telephony features to enhance business communications and to increase overall productivity.

You can greet your callers with a professional business greeting every time they call and give your small business the image of a large corporation.

With an intelligent queuing facility, the PBX can route your callers to the right employee in the right department all the time.

With a virtual PBX phone system, you can route incoming calls to any type of phone, anywhere. This is a boon to your employees who work from the office, from residence, work sites, or even those on the move.

These PBX systems are wholly scalable and you can keep expanding the size and adding features as your business grows - while only paying for what you need and use at any given point in time.

The latest trend amongst small businesses is Cloud PBX (a phone service which is provided via the internet) that is a scalable, flexible and reliable telephone solution. Because Cloud PBX operates through the internet, you can connect a telephone to the hosted PBX service regardless of geographic boundaries.

There is no need to bother about maintaining the PBX as the phone service provider is wholly responsible for your Cloud PBX system's maintenance. Choose a provider who owns the PBX technology and that way they are totally responsible for the systems. Make sure you receive 24/7 service back-up support. Also, check there are no hidden fees, taxes or charges.

To get more information about internet fax as well as finding more information about Business VOIP, check our website for updates.

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How ShoreTel Can Improve Your Business

The range of systems and devices also means business communication has never been so complex. What you need is a unified communications (UC) strategy backed by the ingenuity and expertise of a leading service provider.

Benefits
ShoreTel's UC products and services give you precisely what you're looking for. You gain unrivalled benefits thanks to the unique and simple solutions ShoreTel has developed.

Easy-to-Use Business VoIP
ShoreTel takes full advantage of VoIP technology on your behalf. It brings together all the different aspects of your communications such as multimedia, personal data and applications. ShoreTel's Communicator then enables you to manage and use these from one central control.

This means you can turn a phone call into a multimedia experience. You can collaborate with colleagues and clients across varied communication platforms quickly and easily.

None of this is hard to learn, either. The training to use the system is minimal.

Scalability
By integrating your communications, ShoreTel gives your VoIP system the capabilities of a single platform. As a result, you can grow the system as your business expands, even when the growth is international.

Your new IP phones and voice switches are ready the moment you plug them in. Your online directory updates dynamically. And you can manage the system wherever you happen to be on your network.

System Availability
Some companies raise concerns about business VoIP availability. ShoreTel uses its expertise to ensure you have business continuity. ShoreTel Business VoIP provides 99.999% availability.

Even if your wireless area network (WAN) fails, your phone system will stay up-and-running. ShoreTel's UC system simply diverts calls through the public switched telephone network (PSTN).

Virtualisation
If you have a virtualised infrastructure, ShoreTel applications are compatible. You can install system administration and unified messaging, for example, on virtual or physical servers. You can use a method of deployment to suit your strategy and business model.

Mobility
Today, many staff use smartphones and tablets for business. ShoreTel can combine these with your communications infrastructure.

Your staff can be at any location, on any network. ShoreTel makes cost-effective BYOD (bring your own device) a reality.

Lowest TCO of the UC Industry
With ShoreTel, you have the lowest total cost of ownership (TCO) in the UC industry. You can achieve an ROI in 12 months, which means your long-term communication costs go down.

Integration
ShoreTel integrates your communications with a simple, cost-effective solution. You save money, gain control and boost productivity.

Contact Award Winning IT Reseller Proximity Communications to see how ShoreTel can improve your business 0845 372 9010.

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Improve Your Image With a Small Business Phone Service

When a small business opens its doors, it is likely that there will be a certain volume of telephone calls on a daily basis. By choosing to use a small business phone service, a company can improve its professional image with a myriad of features.

Residential vs. Business Phone Service

A small business with only a few employees may not receive as many telephone calls as a huge corporation, but that does not mean that a company should neglect its communications systems. A business that opens its doors with only a single landline meant for residential use will undoubtedly find that communications are mediocre, at best. Business employees should be available during business hours-and sometimes even around the clock-to handle customer calls and address any issues that may arise. A small business phone service is designed to do exactly that, and it is often more affordable than adding lines and features to typical residential landline service.

Business-Related Features

While standard phone lines may come with useful features like call waiting, caller ID and call forwarding, many of the features that a business could use to promote their image are not available. These include multiple extensions, advanced voicemail capabilities, automated attendants, call capture, call screening and even the ability to send and receive faxes directly from a computer desktop via the internet. These features are more than just convenient for the business owner; they make handling customer calls and ensuring satisfaction a breeze. Small business phone service includes all of these and more, creating a professional atmosphere for both the customers and the employees.

Improve Customer Satisfaction

The sole purpose of a business is to provide products and services that are in demand to the consumers who want and need them. If consumers are not satisfied with the service they receive from one business, they will simply take their money somewhere else. Callers who frequently experience busy signals or whose calls go unanswered will often become frustrated and look for alternative ways to procure the products and services they need. By effectively answering and handling every single call, businesses will develop a good reputation for customer relations and will make more money as a result. As such, business phone service is a must as it is designed to make these calls simpler for everyone involved.

Friendly Greetings and Seamless Transfers

When a customer calls a business for any reason, first impressions are everything. By using an automated assistant-a feature available with a small business phone service-each and every call is answered with a friendly greeting. The callers can then listen to the options available to them and select the one that best suits their reasons for calling. In fact, the entire process is very quick and most callers will agree that the ability to be transferred to the designated person or department without delay is important to them. After all, there is a reason behind the call and that reason should be addressed immediately by the person best suited to do so.

Improving the image of any business starts with providing an excellent product and ends with providing the best customer service in the industry. With the help of a small business phone service, ensuring customer satisfaction is simple and affordable.

This Article was written by Kevin John, Online Marketing Executive at iTeleCenter. He has extensive marketing experience and is extremely knowledgeable about vanity numbers, 1800 Numbers, local numbers and toll free number in conjunction with virtual phone system. He is happy to share his knowledge on small business phone service to help small business owners.

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Samsung DS-5007s Is A Viable Option For Business Organization

Maintaining high quality output, productivity and efficiency is a challenge for any growing organization. In order to beat the challenge, many business enterprises resort towards the use of technology as it facilitates their daily operations. The advanced technologies in the form of equipments, devices and machines reduce the work load and produces reliable accurate results thereby, increasing the efficiency of the workplace. One of the groundbreaking state of the art equipment that is popularly used in corporations today is the Samsung DS-5007s. It is a key phone designed by Samsung. Opting for such a telephonic communication system reduces the hassles from business operations.

The Samsung DS-5007s is particularly apt for businesses with fewer than 500 extensions. It proves to be a good choice for such organizations, due to the countless features available within a favorable cost. When compared with the competition in similar price range, the Samsung DS-5007s completely outperforms all the other telephonic systems. It leaves the competition far behind in numerous areas and provides the users with optimum benefits. The innumerable features derived from such devices are one of the compelling reasons behind its growing popularity. It is equipped with seven programmable fast dial keys which saves time for the users. The LCD display is adjustable with two lines and a thirty two character limit, which displays the duration of a phone call along with other information.

The Samsung DS-5007s offers high resilience when compared with other devices. It is designed by the leading manufacturers in the world keeping in mind the best interests of the users. It comes with a SD card slot in the processor which can be programmed to feed the important information. It can be programmed to take regular back ups of vital data which can prove to be beneficial during the malfunctioning of the device. During disaster, the crucial data is safely stored in the SD card which can be inserted in another device, to continue and sustain the work flow. The device is capable of reducing the work of the engineers who find this device easy to work on, and the favor it because of its blade architecture which makes swapping task as easy as it can get.

An amazing aspect about Samsung DS-5007s is the fact that it is extremely easy to use. The user interface is extremely simple and can be understood by a non tech savvy person. In case, you fail to understand the device, then it comes with a user manual which makes it easier for users to comprehend the functionality of the device.

In order to make the most of your money's worth, it is important to make purchases from reliable stores. The Samsung DS-5007s is made available across several stores both, in the online and offline market. Many people prefer making their purchases from online stores as it provides them with multitudes of benefits. Consumers can sit at the comfort of their house and order for these telephonic devices within a few clicks of the button.

Truman Redford is the author of this article on DS-5007S. Find more information, about DS-5007S here

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Call Forwarding Keeps You in Touch With Your Business

Any small business owner will likely agree that it is stressful to leave another employee in charge while away from the office. Whether leaving for the day or taking a week-long vacation, call forwarding is a great way for business owners to stay in touch with their employees or even their customers at all times.

What is Call Forwarding?

Call forwarding is a feature that allows consumers, business owners and employees to forward their telephone numbers to alternate devices. For example, while a consumer is away from home, they may choose to forward all of their landline calls to their mobile phones. In much the same way, a business owner may choose to forward their calls to their mobile phone while they are away from the office. When a customer dials the business telephone number, it immediately rings through to the designated device; the caller is not aware that this is occurring. This way, business owners and employees are always available, even when they are away from their desks or offices.

In-House Forwarding

In-house call forwarding is the process by which one telephone number is forwarded to another in the event that an employee or department is out of the office. This can be as simple as forwarding all of the calls from the front desk to a specific individual or forwarding calls from individual numbers to select extensions. As an example, the sales department may choose to forward all of their calls to the front desk while they are away on lunch or if that department is closed for the day. A business owner may also choose to forward the calls from their extension to the next-in-charge while they are out of the office.

External Forwarding

External forwarding occurs when telephone numbers are forwarded to another location that is outside of the building. This may include calls forwarded to personal landlines and cell phones, though there are other examples. With this method, business owners can easily keep in touch with their business and their employees-even if they are away on vacation. If an employee is out in the field working with customers or running errands, they can still receive all of their telephone calls on their mobile device. This is a great way to ensure that the business runs smoothly and that personal telephone numbers remain private.

On-Call Services

When businesses provide services that are in demand 24 hours a day, such as repair services or technical support, it is imperative that customers can reach someone at all times. Call forwarding can certainly be a lifesaver here, as well; all of the after-hours business calls can be routed to a single individual who is responsible for handling the questions or performing the repairs. This way, there is no need for an employee to remain at the office at all times. This saves plenty of frustration and even cuts down on utility bills while the office is closed.

Call forwarding is a virtual phone system feature that cannot be overlooked when it comes to keeping in touch with customers and employees at all times. It allows business owners and their staff to accept telephone calls while they are at home or even on-the-go, thereby improving the business image and overall customer satisfaction.

This Article was written by Kevin John, Online Marketing Executive at iTeleCenter. He has extensive marketing experience and is extremely knowledgeable about vanity numbers, 1800 Numbers, local numbers and toll free number in conjunction with virtual phone system. He is happy to share his knowledge on call forwarding feature to help small business owners.

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How to Choose the Best Phone Service for Business

There has been tremendous advancements in telecommunications and the business community is today confronted with too wide a choice and unable to determine which business phone system will meet its needs best.

The heartening fact is there are several reliable business phone service providers who can offer you with the phone service you exactly require. The rapid advancements in telephone technology have caused the market to offer you highly efficient and sophisticated phone systems at affordable costs.

Interestingly, business phone service providers now offer packages that include multiple lines, unlimited minutes with no domestic long distance charges. Many providers offer extended features like fax numbers and virtual PBX systems.

As your business phone services consumes a large share of your budget, you should ensure that you are selecting a business phone service provider that offers you the best deals at competitive pricing and also offers additional features your business will need.

Your field staff and employees stationed outside will have to be equipped with the best mobile communication facilities. With the right kind of business phone services you can interact with your customers, employees and other stakeholders better and improve your overall productivity.

It is worthwhile you ponder over the following when deciding on the phone system for your business:

• Since your business will steadily grow over the years and your communication needs will commensurately expand, opt for a system that is scalable.
• Telecoms systems today offer a host of useful features like call forwarding, call transfer, auto-attendant, caller ID, conferencing facilities, speakerphone options, abbreviated dialing etc. Choose the features you would definitely find helpful and do not overbuy.
• If the volume of international calls is likely to be high, then, VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phones can mean substantial savings in call costs.
• If you have employees who work remotely most of the time, then VOIP could be a wise option.
• Please understand the size of your business and the scale of your operations. Generally speaking, small businesses will use a Key System Unit (KSU) while midsize and large enterprises will use a PBX (Private Branch Exchange). But if you want in factor data, then your business will have to consider ISDN.

For small businesses VOIP looks like a veritable boon, as it can offer free calls, but there are a number of other considerations you should look into before choosing VOIP. Please ensure you have a fast and reliable Internet connection to allow VOIP systems to operate efficiently.

You can have a hosted PBX service (virtual phone system) that offers a wide array of features and flexibility and can be controlled through a web portal.

With Unified Messaging, employees can receive critical fax and voicemail communications directly into their email inboxes. With the voicemail to email solution, important voice messages get automatically forwarded to the secure email inbox.

It is prudent to consultant a telecom professional who will assess your precise communication needs and offer a profile of the equipment that could ideally meet your business requirements.

With so many systems currently available, take your time when drawing up a shortlist of vendors and equipment to ensure you acquire the best before spending your money.

To get more information about internet fax as well as finding more information about Business VOIP, check our website for updates.

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A Small Business Phone Service Does Not Need to Cost an Arm and a Leg

One of the most common misconceptions about small business phone service is that it is more expensive than the typical phone services used in homes all around the country. In fact, business phone service is surprisingly affordable and may actually save business owners money in the long run.

The Cost of Traditional Phone Services

On average, the monthly cost of a single traditional landline with no long distance and bare-minimum features hovers somewhere around $30.00 after taxes and fees. Businesses that want to add on features like toll free numbers, additional lines and the ability to send faxes can expect to pay much, much more. In fact, most telephone companies charge around $100.00 to install a single telephone jack in an office and even more to repair an existing jack that has been damaged in some way. Traditional telephone service may be a great option for homeowners, but there are better choices when it comes to running a business.

The Cost of Virtual Phone Services

Due to the already high cost of landline telephone service, most business owners feel that small business phone service must be incredibly expensive and attempt to make do with their single line of service. Virtual service is actually very inexpensive and most of the small business packages start at less than $25.00 a month; some even include unlimited extensions. For this price, businesses will receive nationwide long distance, internet fax services and features like caller ID and call forwarding. Additional features are also available and business owners can customize their packages to suit the needs of their customers and their employees.

Get More for the Money

Essentially, business owners can enjoy the convenience of small business service for the same price as a single line of standard phone service. This is made possible due to the wonders of the internet. Most small business phone services are VoIP-based and are therefore simple to maintain. Since there are no costs for maintaining wires, poles and switchboards for the telephone companies, these savings can be passed along to the end users. The service is incredibly reliable and provides crystal-clear call quality that cannot be duplicated by any copper wire. For less than the price of a typical landline with unlimited long distance calls, users can enjoy all of the features that will help the business thrive.

Instant Scalability

All businesses hope to grow as they gain new clients and customers, and the growth of the business will undoubtedly lead to the addition of new employees. Depending upon their roles in the company, these employees may need to be provided with their own telephone extensions in order to maintain productivity. While adding a line to typical phone service can be a lengthy and expensive process, this is not so with a virtual small business phone system. The service is completely scalable, meaning that extensions can be added and removed almost instantaneously.

Telephone service is a very important part of any small business. It is the primary method of communication between employees and customers and should never be second-rate. As a result, a small business phone service is always the best option as it provides all of the features necessary for staying connected at a rate that anyone can afford.

This Article was written by Kevin John, Online Marketing Executive at iTeleCenter. He has extensive marketing experience and is extremely knowledgeable about vanity numbers, 1800 Numbers, local numbers and toll free number in conjunction with virtual phone system. He is happy to share his knowledge on small business phone service to help small business owners.

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How a Virtual Phone System Changed My Home Business

When I first started my home-based cleaning business, I had a handful of clients whom I could count on. However, as time went by and my clientele grew larger, it became difficult to manage my telephone calls. A virtual phone system changed all of this, and now I am able to enjoy a larger client base than ever before-and I make more money as a result.

In The Beginning

When my business first got off the ground, there were so many expenses to contend with that I did not even consider adding a second telephone line at home, much less a virtual phone system. I used the existing telephone number-the same number on which my husband and children receive telephone calls-to take my business calls. When there were only a handful of clients, this was acceptable; these clients were friends and family members who did not mind the hustle and bustle of the household and were not shocked when my six-year-old daughter answered the phone. However, as the business grew, it became evident that something needed to change.

The Saturday that Changed it All

I can distinctly remember a particular client whom I will call Mr. Smith. He was an elderly gentleman who had lost his wife several years earlier, and he had hired me to come into his home once per week for light cleaning and laundry duties. After having been to Mr. Smith's home on several occasions, he began to call every now and then with something extra that he needed to have done, and this worked well up until the Saturday that changed my business forever. Mr. Smith called at about 10 o'clock that morning, but since I was in the shower, my daughter answered the telephone. Mr. Smith was unable to communicate with her clearly, and as a result, he disconnected the call with her.

The First Lost Client

I called Mr. Smith back immediately, but he was frustrated with his previous experience with my daughter and stated that he needed someone who was more professional to handle his cleaning needs. This was the first client I had ever lost and his words certainly stung, especially when my daughter had meant no harm. That day, I began researching the rates for adding a second line of service-a private line for the business-when I stumbled across an article for a virtual phone system. I was intrigued by this, but at the same time, I was a little put-off. After all, how could something so inexpensive be so effective?

The New Telephone Line

Since the installation fees associated with adding a line of service were non-existent and the monthly cost was affordable, I decided to go ahead and purchase the virtual phone system. Within just a few hours, everything I needed had been downloaded to my computer and I was ready to go. I was extremely shocked by how easy the interface was to navigate, and the auto attendant feature added that level of professionalism that clients like Mr. Smith would have appreciated. To this day, I have not lost another customer due to inferior communications, and I can easily forward calls from my virtual telephone to my mobile phone when I cannot be at home to take them.

While I can certainly understand the need to save money wherever possible when starting or running a home business, I can assure you that a virtual phone system will save you time and money in your ventures. As a matter of fact, it may even help you make more money than you ever thought possible.

This article was written by Kevin John, Online Marketing Executive at iTeleCenter. He has extensive marketing experience and is extremely knowledgeable about vanity numbers, 1800 numbers local numbers and toll free numbers in conjunction with virtual phone system. He is happy to share his knowledge with small business owners on how to protect company image.

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Virtual Phone System - The Secret to a Successful Home Business

There are many things to consider when it comes to running a successful home business, but communication with clients and customers is one of the most important. A virtual phone system is a great way to ensure that home business owners are never out of reach, even when they are not at home.

Always Available

The great thing about using a virtual phone system is that it allows the business owner to always be available to their clients and customers. While it may be important to set regular business hours and stick to them, it may not be feasible for the business owner to stay near the home telephone waiting for calls to come through. The virtual phone allows users to forward calls to mobile devices or other locations with just a few clicks of the mouse, and this is important for people who are always on the go. This way, running a business and a household at the same time becomes much easier, and business owners are less stressed and more productive.

Better Organization

One of the difficulties associated with running a small business from home is staying organized in the wake of household schedules and business schedules. Juggling telephone calls from schools, clients, customers, doctors and more can certainly become a hassle, particularly if all of the calls are coming in to the same telephone number. With a virtual phone system, it is easier for business owners to set up secondary telephone numbers, and this helps calls remain better organized. The desktop application makes it easier to check voicemails and view the calls that came in to each individual telephone number.

Call Management

Running a small business from home can be extremely difficult during busy periods, particularly when there is only the business owner to handle the call volume. A virtual phone system provides plenty of features that help with call management; everything from an auto attendant to information hotlines can make communication easier in the long run. When a call cannot be answered right away, the virtual voicemail system will pick it up and provide the business owner with a notification. This voicemail can be checked via any telephone at all or even through the desktop interface. Calls can be easily prioritized, and those calls that require immediate responses can be handled.

Cost Effectiveness

There are many different options available for handling communications needs in a home-based business, but none are as cost-effective as a virtual phone system. A single landline is expensive enough, but when a second is added to suit the needs of the business, the cost can grow exponentially. Jacks must be installed, hardware must be purchased, and expensive monthly fees are imposed. Virtual telephones do not require the purchase of any additional equipment, and the monthly fees are much less than those associated with typical landline services.

All in all, enjoying a successful home-based business comes from combining excellent products or services with great customer service. The quality of customer service provided has much to do with the type of communications selected, and a virtual phone system is always a fantastic choice.

This Article was written by Kevin John, Online Marketing Executive at iTeleCenter. He has extensive marketing experience and is extremely knowledgeable about vanity numbers, local numbers, toll free numbers and auto attendant in conjunction with virtual phone system. He is happy to share his knowledge with small business owners on how to protect company image.

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How PBX System Supports Small Business?

The PBX systems are becoming increasingly popular amongst small business enterprises for a variety of reasons. Because of the continuing demand, the manufacturers of PBX systems for small businesses are trying to make the system more and more sophisticated as well as affordable.

For a small business, effective and reliable communication with customers, employees, suppliers and other stakeholders is critically important. But at the same time, most small corporations can ill afford to buy or maintain expensive business phone systems.

A Private Branch Exchange (PBX) is a telephone switching system that manages incoming as also outgoing calls for a company's employees. The PBX is connected to the public phone system (PSTN) and automatically directs incoming calls to specific extensions. It also handles multiple lines.

A typical small company PBX system includes external and internal phone lines, a computer server that manages call switching and routing plus a console for manual operations.

An IP based PBX can replicate everything a traditional business PBX does and more. It performs the switching and connecting of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) as well as landline calls.

A traditional PBX requires two separate networks - one for data and another for voice. But, an IP PBX system straightaway runs on an IP data network, which saves costs and also reduces network management for small businesses. You can get a business PBX with smart features that you would want for your business.

A small business can use IP phones, soft phones (which mean only a computer and a microphone headset) and landline phones for an IP PBX phone system. These PBXs have smart features such as time-of-day forwarding and real-time call records, time-of-day call routing, voicemail-to-email and fax-to-email - apart from a host of standard as well as advanced features.

Communication is critically important for all sizes of business enterprises including small corporations. There are today PBX systems specially designed for small businesses. These PBX systems are affordable, reliable and full-featured. They combine an IP PBX with robust telephony features to enhance business communications and to increase overall productivity.

You can greet your callers with a professional business greeting every time they call and give your small business the image of a large corporation.

With an intelligent queuing facility, the PBX can route your callers to the right employee in the right department all the time.

With a virtual PBX phone system, you can route incoming calls to any type of phone, anywhere. This is a boon to your employees who work from the office, from residence, work sites, or even those on the move.

These PBX systems are wholly scalable and you can keep expanding the size and adding features as your business grows - while only paying for what you need and use at any given point in time.

The latest trend amongst small businesses is Cloud PBX (a phone service which is provided via the internet) that is a scalable, flexible and reliable telephone solution. Because Cloud PBX operates through the internet, you can connect a telephone to the hosted PBX service regardless of geographic boundaries.

There is no need to bother about maintaining the PBX as the phone service provider is wholly responsible for your Cloud PBX system's maintenance. Choose a provider who owns the PBX technology and that way they are totally responsible for the systems. Make sure you receive 24/7 service back-up support. Also, check there are no hidden fees, taxes or charges.

To get more information about internet fax as well as finding more information about Business VOIP, check our website for updates.

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