Telephone Systems UK

Unified Communications (UC)

2010-03-15T07:21:00.000-07:00

Unified Communications was introduced to make it easier to transfer any activity to another medium and to simplify all forms of communications in view to optimise business processes and reduce the response time, manage flows and eliminate device and media dependencies.

One of the keys factors of Unified Communications is to reduce response time, which is essential in decision making and acting upon instructions. It is a concept where multiple modes of business communications can be seamlessly integrated.

It can sometimes be confused with unified messaging, but it is distinct. It is not a single product but more of a solution which consists of various elements which consists of the following:

- Call Control

- multimodal communications

- presence

- instant messaging

- unified messaging

- speech access

- personal assistant

- conferencing

- collaboration tools

- Mobility

- Business Process Integration

UC helps businesses, small and large alike, to streamline information delivery and ensure ease of use. Human delays are also minimised or eliminated, resulting in better faster interaction and service delivery for the customer and cost savings for the business.

CMS - Call Management Software

2010-03-05T07:52:00.000-08:00

All Businesses face the challenge of finding the right technology to help improve their efficiency and increase productivity. Utilising the intelligence built-in to your chosen samsung solution, your business can be assured the the addition of samsung's Call Management Software will allow you to protect and manage both your staff and your business for more effectively.

Call Management Software delivers a class leading range of software based application that delivers real business benefits. By providing you with real-time, accurate data and analysis on system. department and user call activity your business can make informed decisions on resources allocation in order to:

- Create greater staff efficiency

- Manage and improve the running of your call centre operation

- Identify opportunities for cost reduction

- Deliver more effective services to customers

- Maximise the return on your existing and future IT investments

CMS provides a complete call logging and reporting solution with advanced features, such as system statistics reports delivered via e-mail. Exploiting historical data to identify core trends in call traffic and resource usage. CMS is an extremely effective entry-level application for single site, single user working.

Call Logging

2010-03-04T05:04:00.000-08:00

Call logging is also known as "call recording" or "call monitoring". It is a way of listening to, recording and assessing interactions between two people talking over the phone. In an office environment it is used for staff training and development, customer quality control and liability protection.

Contact (Call) center applications that use call recording include:
- Order verification
- Security and safety.
- Customer service

Call centers that implement call logging, recording and monitoring often see an increase in productivity, improved AHT (average handle time) and better customer relations. It is a tool widely used in the businesses that are currently trading and it should be used by every business to maintain trading standards. It is important for every business to improve it's services to satisfy customer requirements and there is no better way to improve your services and manage time.

2010-03-03T03:21:00.000-08:00

Before you go out there to buy any Telephone System, you need to ask yourself the following questions:

What Do I Want My Telephone System To Do For Me?

The answer to this question depends on the following factors:

- Your Industry

- The type of business you have

- The size of your business

- What your competition are doing (ie 08 numbers, on-line ordering, etc)

Are all phone systems the same?

All Telephone System can differ in size limitations, design and add-ons, as well as the technology built into your system. When speaking to your customer you have to know each system’s limitations as well as capabilities.

What can a system provide me?

- Voicemail

- Auto Attendant

- Call Management Software

- Voice Over IP (Internet Protocol)

- CTI (Computer Telephony Integration)

- Around 4,000 features and functions!

Direct Dial Inwards - DDI

2010-03-02T08:41:00.000-08:00

DDI numbers can ring to any:
–Extension
–Ring Group
–Operator
–Voicemail

Direct Dial Inwards numbers can ring different destinations in day / night mode and multiple Direct Dial Inwards to extension or group. Alpha tagging (name) allows names to be associated with a Direct Dial Inwards number and Name appears on keyset display with incoming call.

With CLI & DDI display will show who is calling and why the caller is calling and it allows operator to identify Direct Dial Inwards recalls also allowing identification of calls to extension groups and allocation of ‘hot line’ numbers to major preferred callers

CLI

2010-02-22T03:44:00.000-08:00

If you haven't already figured it out by the name. CLI is used to identify external or internal calls. When someone calls your phone it will display where the call is coming from. Makes it easier to monitor your calls.
CLI has other benefits such as:-
– CLIP of next call camped or waiting at extension
- Save number for redial later
- Store number into keyset personal memory
- Enquire of calls on hold
- ‘ISPY’ - investigate shows call on other extension
- Requires enabling in class of service & password
- Review shows up to last 50 calls to station
- Abandoned Calls Feature up to 50 can be accessed via passcode
- Designed as manager feature

You can also use a feature called Alpha Tagging which translates a number to a name almost like a mobile phone.

Samsung Systems UK

2010-02-15T06:01:00.000-08:00

Samsung Mobile Phones were always big players in the market of communication. Now they have stepped to provide solutions to businesses. A communication solution that connects business to business and business to consumer.

Samsung have a wide range of products (telephone systems) to suit every company's need whether it be it a multi-national company or a small retail. The aim is to provide to everyone across the globe with a better communication solution by being ever so innovative.

They introduce products and invent ways to communicate better so frequently for companies to benefit from it. Not only are they a leading brand but they also lead the way in terms of being greener. They have just introduced a scrappage scheme similar to car scrapage scheme to encourange businesses to be more greener and help the environment.

Avaya System UK

2010-02-15T05:53:00.000-08:00

A leading global provider of business communications applications focused on meeting the needs of businesses and organisations large to small.

By designing, building and managing some of the world’s most advanced communications solutions, Avaya is helping its customers achieve sustained advantage through superior business results.

Avaya is dedicated to helping businesses reduce costs, lower risk and grow revenues.
Intelligent Communications is about embedding communications into the very fabric of the business—into the business processes—to transform how the business serves its customers, how employees work on a daily basis, and how its various locations operate separately as well as together as a distributed enterprise.

Business Phone Systems

2010-02-15T05:39:00.000-08:00

The telephone is an extremely important piece of equipment and a good phone system is at the centre of any smoothly run company. In today’s modern corporate environment it is impossible to do business without them. Good phone systems enable you to stay in touch with your staff and your customers at all times, helping to improve the profitability and efficiency of your company.By using your business telephone systems to take advantage of features such as voice mail and call forwarding, you will be able manage all incoming calls and direct callers to the correct department. By implementing one of the many multi line phone systems available, your customers will be able to call on more than one line, increasing the efficiency of your office. You can even set up some phone systems with distinctive ring tones, again allowing you to direct certain callers to other departments within your company.Some handsets for many phone systems can be easily programmed to suit the individual needs of a user. You will be able to make use of speed dialling by programming frequently used telephone numbers into the handset, thus increasing the efficiency of your phone system.
Most business telephone systems offer functions that give your business flexibility in making and receiving telephone calls. These functions can help improve communication within your business and with your customers.
One of the simplest telephone functions is voicemail, which allows callers to leave messages while you're away from the phone or on another call. Voicemail allows information to be acted upon in the absence of a conversation - it can speed your work up and retain business you might otherwise have lost. Voicemails can be stored, redirected and accessed remotely. You should be aware that leaving voicemail on for long periods of time can be a major irritation to customers. If you are likely to be unavailable for any length of time, consider using call re-direction.
DDI makes it quicker for customers to reach the person they're calling. Whether or not you want DDI is an important factor in deciding whether to use analogue or digital phone lines. Analogue DDI is available, but not as widely as digital DDI using ISDN (integrated services digital network) - the modern digital telephony service that replaced the older analogue service.
Think about the kind of individual handsets you need:
· cordless units let you move between different departments or around a site
· hands-free units allow employees to type and write while on the phone
· some phones have microphones and speakers for conference calls
If you search the internet there are many different types of phone systems available. You need to do your research thoroughly and take great care on deliberating which phone system to purchase. The internet is a great source of information on different types of phone systems. Good phone systems can present customers with an excellent professional image of your company as well bringing many additional benefits to your office.

Headsets for Office

2010-02-10T05:46:00.000-08:00

People need to realise the importance of Headsets in the working world. Not only do headsets give you the ability to multitask, they also increase productivity by a large margin. One of the key things people forget is health and safety at work.

If there is a person at your work place who sits and answers calls all day or someone who has many things to do as well as make/take calls then the chances of that person’s health being in danger increases. For example you will often see people putting the handset receiver between their shoulder and neck while they write something or try to perform another task. This can add serious amount of strain on the persons back and neck.

Today to prevent those health issues at work place there are many different types of Headsets in the market. You can get corded ones for those who sit in one place and make or take calls. You can go wireless which gives you the ability to move around freely in their range while you perform other tasks. There are Bluetooth and PC compatible headsets also available in the market. So to put it in a nutshell they are suitable for all businesses in the modern day working environment.

By not using these tools that are available in the market, you are waiting for someone to get hurt or end up with an injury. The corded ones are usually cheaper but for better quality and performance I would always suggest cordless mechanism. You can also get some of these on free trial for 7 days and see how you feel after using them. You have nothing to lose and lots to gain by using this tool for your business.

A lot of people do consider them to be a waste of money but they don’t realise how cost effective they are. Not only do they save you money and increase your productivity but they also save you a lot of time. Some brands also give 2 years warrantee for piece of mind, which means if there’s a technical fault then you don’t need to worry at all because it will just get replaced.

In the UK the best brand at this moment and time is Plantronics with their wide range of products but in the Europian market Jabra are leaders. Jabra usually introduce new technology a lot faster than Plantronics however Plantronics market their products more sufficiently throughout the UK which is why they are leading here by a huge Margin.

Whether you use Plantronics or Jabra, the bottom line is that every business should be introducing these tools for the safety of their staff and for the benefit of their business.

Business Mobile Phones

2010-02-10T05:28:00.000-08:00

Go back about 15 to 20 years in time, when Mobiles emerged. In those days it was considered as a solution to millions of people who could communicate from anywhere at any time. The sole purpose of a mobile was to make and take calls and some used its SMS (text) feature. Who would have thought that it was going to become a revolution?

Today Mobiles have become an essential part of everyone’s life. It is no longer considered as a device that can just make to take calls. The first change that took place in the mobile industry was a camera which was in-built and it allowed people to send MMS (Multi Media Messaging) Service. As time went by the quality of camera in mobile phones improved. Then it was time for video cameras to be introduced in the world of mobile.

Just when we thought we had it all on the palm of our hands, the mobile industry had other plans. The industry launched 3G services on Mobiles. People got the opportunity to use internet on their mobile and make video calls. Being able to use the internet on mobile phones had a huge impact on businesses around the globe.

Over the years internet has played a key role in every industry. Deals were being signed via emails. From small to large businesses decision makers preferred emails as opposed to calls or meetings. The idea of receiving/sending emails via mobile phones was nothing less than an invention. It saved money, time and increased productivity. We are now at a stage where we are talking about unified communication.

We can be anywhere in this world but it won’t affect the way we work with the help of unified communication. Everything comes together now. You can use mobile, which will also be connected with your desktop phone at work and you can answer your calls on your mobile even when you are not in the office. Not only can you make calls from your mobile via your desktop phone but you can transfer those call from your mobile to another colleague who could be sitting in the office while you are out.

A mobile is no longer just a phone it is has become the most popular mean of communication.

Voicemail

2010-02-10T04:52:00.000-08:00

Voicemail is a centralized system of managing telephone messages for a large group of people. The term is also used more broadly to denote any system of conveying voice message, including the answering machine.
In its simplest form it has only the functions of an answering machine, using a standard telephone handset for the user interface but it can use a centralized, computerized system rather than equipment at the individual telephone. Voicemail systems can be much more sophisticated than answering machines in that they can:
Answer many phones at the same time.
Store incoming voice messages in personalized mailboxes associated with the user’s phone number.
Enable users to forward received messages to another voice mailbox.
Send messages to one or more other user voice mailboxes.
Add a voice introduction to a forwarded message.
Store voice messages for future delivery.
Make calls to a telephone or paging service to notify the user a message has arrived in his/her mailbox.
Provide message notification by SMS, a special dial tone or using Caller ID signaling.
Transfer callers to another phone number for personal assistance.
Play different message greetings to different callers.
Voicemail’s introduction enabled people to leave lengthy, secure and detailed messages in natural voice, working hand-in-hand with corporate phone systems. The adoption of voicemail in corporations improved the flow of communications and saved huge amounts of money.
Voicemail has two main modes of operation: telephone answering and voice messaging. Telephone answering mode answers outside calls and takes a message from any outside caller (either because the extension was busy or rang no-answer). Voice messaging enables any subscriber (someone with a mailbox number) to send messages directly to any or many subscribers’ mailboxes without first calling them.
One of the advantages of a PBX (private branch exchange/ telephone exchange) is its ability to forward calls. If a person is using his phone or does not answer it, calls to his extension are forwarded automatically by the PBX to another extension, presumably someone (like a secretary) who can answer the call and take a message. With a voicemail system installed, the PBX is programmed to forward busy or unanswered extensions to a machine, the voicemail system.
Suppose an outside caller calls someone in a company. For example; if Fred’s phone rings "no answer" or "busy", the PBX will forward the call to the voicemail system. Somehow the PBX needs to tell the voicemail system that Fred’s phone is the one that the call is being forwarded to so that the voicemail system can answer with Fred’s personal greeting. Without this information, the voicemail system would have no idea whose phone it was answering. Once a message is left, the voicemail system illuminates the message waiting light on Fred’s phone. It does this by sending a signal to the PBX to tell it which light to light. When Fred returns to his desk and calls the voicemail system (or calls in remotely) he is presented only with the messages in his personal mailbox even though thousands of messages belonging to other people are stored on the same system. Once the messages are played, the voicemail system signals the PBX to turn off the message waiting light on Fred’s phone.

IP and VOIP Telephony

2010-02-10T03:57:00.000-08:00

The rapid evolution of communications technology is more than just a “paper-or-plastic” proposition. In more literal terms, the present communications infrastructure around the world is being ripped out and replaced with a completely new type of IP-based technology to carry voice and other types of communications that were previously carried on slow and expensive circuit-switched networks.

The new technologies are also permitting new types of communications that did not exist before, or are themselves being transformed. Voice technologies are being moved from dedicated networks and integrated with corporate data networks. Voice communications are being integrated with other communications technologies such as instant messaging, audio/video conferencing and email.

VoIP is communications technology that brings with it several new capabilities that have changed the way in which the telephone call is done. VoIP means voice transmitted over a data network and is often spoken in the same breath with another term, IP Telephony. IP Telephony makes use of the popular and familiar IP networking protocols to combine both voice and data in a single network. Simply put, your voice is converted into data packets and transmitted over a network.

So what does this mean for you and your business? IP Telephony can help you lower costs by moving all of your communications to a single manageable network. Site-to-site call costs are eliminated and teamwork is vastly improved. Management and administration get significantly streamlined and simplified. Overall, this forms the foundation for you to bring all applications together, enabling you to link people, products, office sites and customers in more efficient, more effective ways.

Conferencing

2010-02-10T03:46:00.000-08:00

We are all being asked to be "Green" as a business to help the environment. You are probably wondering what it has to do with conferencing. Let me tell you how conferencing can have a huge impact on the environment. In 2008 A London Media Company invested in Video Conferencing to communicate with key decision makers in USA and Europe. As a result of this they reduced their carbon footprint by hundreds of thousands tons of Co2 Emmision because they didn't have to travel to different parts of the world to be able to meet key decision makers to make an important decision. It was done in a Private room speciafically made for video conferencing and only key members were given access to this room.

With IP as your foundation and the growing trend to ‘virtualize’ the capability to host conferences, whether audio, data (that is Web), or video, becomes much easier and more powerful. Although the concept of collaboration has been around for many years, we can now add much more of a Jetsons flavour to what’s possible. Conference bridges can be used for meetings, presentations, internal or external training or real-time working sessions. You can purchase conferencing solutions as ‘pay as you use’ service or you can buy them outright to integrate with your existing network and applications. Videoconferencing can help you save on travel expenses and may also boost productivity by letting your staff collaborate on a live document and share data in real time over an IP connection.

Many of you will remember business trips for the purpose of attending group meetings. Teleconferencing, videoconferencing and web-based conferencing are reducing the need for people to meet in conference rooms face to face. In other words, the cost of business travel for the sake of meeting others is becoming harder to justify. Emerging communications technologies continue to drive this trend.

Unified communications makes conferencing work for users employing whatever technologies they have available at the time. So if a web-based conference is scheduled and one of the attendees is on a mobile device, he or she might be able to receive documents and low-res images or at least get the voice portion of the conference. SIP-enabled conferencing services can work with whatever people have available when they join.

Vehicle Tracking

2010-02-09T03:53:00.000-08:00

Trackers are introduced with an edge by Navman Wireless. Forget the tracking device that are just used to track where your vehicle is. Navman wireless is an extremely powerful solution which enables you to achieve higher productivity by having total visibility of your business operations. Whatever your industry or the size of your fleet, Navman offers you affordable productivity.

Navman wireless is designed to reduce your company overheads by:
- Real-time vehicle tracking: Find out exactly where your vehicles are at any time. All you need is the software, username and password.

- Daily activity report: A report that will show you every movement of your vehicle from the time it starts to the time it stops.

- Control & reduce your team overtime, fuel and vehicle usage

- Improve your route planning: Tells you which is the best route to take if you get stuck in traffic or if roads are closed

- Identify your operation's inefficiencies

- Manage compliancy with the working directive.

Navman wireless is made to act smart, to increase productivity and help you save money and time. Navman trackers are the next best thing for any business that uses vehicle and would like to improve its services and make customers more satisfied.

Telephone Systems UK

2010-02-03T06:47:00.000-08:00

How important is it for Businesses in UK to useTelephone Systems?

We have to find ways to cut cost down and increase our revenue in this economic climate. One of the many ways to do this is to review your current system and your current spend on telecoms. Telephone Systems UK is a way to help you understand how you can do that at a low cost.

I can't stress enough how a telephone system can have a huge impact on your business because you might think it will cost you but the amount you save from your current spend can actually pay for your system and it will help increase your revenue at the same time so it's a win win situation. One of the things that people do get too concerend about is how much they will spend if they buy a system rather than thinking how much it will benefit their business.

Through Telephone Systems UK I want people to realise that it's ok to go ahead and install a system which gives you extra features compared to a normal analoue phone and it will help you better your standards. Not only does it raise your standard as a business but makes your customer feel as though they are in good care. At the end of the day we are now moving towards a complete digtal planet.

Small business' feel as though they can just work with an analogue phone and yet bring in the revenue but what they dont realise is that with a small system in their office it will make a huge difference not only to their sales but their reputation as a business. We all want the best for our business at low cost and there is a system out there which is suitable for every small medium or large business so why not make the most of it and better ourselves.

It is important that we understand the importance of a telephone system.