500

‘Find Me, Follow Me’. How did you manage without it…?

Most modern VoIP telephone systems offer a plethora of advanced features which in turn have direct business benefits. Over the coming weeks we will peel back the layers on such advanced features and demonstrate how useful they can be.

What is ‘Find Me, Follow Me’…?
‘Find Me, Follow Me’ is more than a sophisticated call forwarding function, it is an intelligent service that ensures you are in contact when you need to be, no matter where you are, no matter what phones you have access to. Our 500 Premises product from Zultys implements sophisticated ‘Find Me, Follow Me’ rules via the personal unified communications client, ‘MXIE’. Each phone system user can use MXIE – at company site or remotely – to manage communications in a quick and simple manner. Rising above similar products, MXIE is extremely intuitive and is independent of computer operating system.

Flexibility…
The ‘Find Me, Follow Me’ functionality provides additional flexibility to an existing set of very advanced call handling rules already available within MXIE. It allows you to receive calls at up to sixteen different contact points – no other phone system is capable of doing this – through a set of a pre-defined numbers including internal, external numbers such as home and mobile numbers. The rules allow these numbers to be rung simultaneously or sequentially; if the latter then the order in which they are rung can also be determined, as can how long they ring for.

Our intelligent systems call the appropriate contact numbers to find you when an incoming call is received. Callers may be optionally advised that the system is trying to find you – or may be totally unaware that over the course of, say, five rings, several different phones have been called. Calls may be connected immediately upon answer or alternatively you may explicitly accept or reject the offered call if you wish, again, unbeknown to your caller.

An example: it takes just a minute to set up a rule to try your desk phone for three rings, then your mobile, then try a colleague or hunt group, then to your switchboard operator or voicemail. Alternatively, you way wish your home office phone to ring at the same time as your work office phone or you may wish your mobile phone to ring as soon as you are away from your desk for more than five minutes but only during working hours and when you’re not on holiday. The rules are simple or as granular as you wish.

Power…
‘Find Me, Follow Me’ rules also allow you to direct calls based on a time schedule or presence status. For example, any incoming call during a lunch break – determined by time or by a status – could be directed to a mobile number or a hunt group. The ‘Find Me, Follow Me’ functionality is extremely flexible, it can be set up by event – for example on ‘no answer’ or ‘any incoming call’ – or by certain conditions such as ‘time of the day’ or ‘holidays’ or ‘call from…’ a particular client or a combination of all of these.

Another example to illustrate: if a user is in a business meeting off site, they may have set up their call handling rules so that their calls will be directed to their colleagues in the marketing team. However, the user knows that they are due an important call from the Director / CEO and so has specifically set up the rule (or amended an existing rule) so that this call will be routed through to their mobile number. This type of functionality is also often used to recognise overdue accounts. The benefits of such functionality are clear.

“I’m sorry, I can’t take your call right now”…
‘Find Me, Follow Me’ is not just good news for you, it’s good news for your clients too as they are much more likely to be able to find you and so much less likely to end up leaving a voicemail or worse, simply hanging up or calling elsewhere.

Below is a screen shot of MXIE showing how easy it is to set up a sophisticated ‘Find Me, Follow Me’ call handling rule.

You truly will wonder how you coped without it – and so will your profit margins.

If you have any questions or would like to find out more about 500 Premises, then call us on 0845 0000 500, or alternatively fill in our Contact Form.

Supply and Demand…

Demand for VoIP continues to grow, especially in today’s increasingly tough climate. In addition to cost benefits, one of the drivers in uptake has been the flexibility of hosted VoIP in terms of a small businesses paying per user per month without the need for any large capital expenditure. According to Diana Myers, directing analyst at Infonetics: “Managed IP PBX, hosted IP PBX and hosted UC services accounted for three-fourths of the business VoIP total. We expect hosted UC services to take off, with worldwide revenue doubling between 2009 and 2013.”

However, no matter how good a technology is or how high its adoption rate, how do you go about ensuring you get the VoIP solution you want, not just the one you are told you need? Consider asking the follow questions before you sign on the dotted line:

Think Local…

Where is your prospective VoIP reseller located?
When thinking of entering the VoIP arena, SME’s would do well to ‘think local’ – especially true when considering premises-based VoIP. Review the packages offered by local resellers with a proven track record. Flexible service solutions – for example fully or locally managed services – will ensure quick response times. It stands to reason that if local resellers are offering VoIP-only systems and are not prepared to tailor their services to suit your needs (for example, you might require a hybrid of traditional and VoIP, or a mixture of connectivity to the outside world, and this may not be on offer) then you might be forced to look further afield to avoid being tied into a solution that does not meet requirements.

Good Groundwork…

Is the VoIP reseller prepared to conduct a thorough analysis of your existing network before recommending the best solution, or are they focused on ‘box shifting’?

Any reseller worth their salt will not sell you a VoIP solution without first suggesting and conducting a thorough network analysis. Providing a solution without analysing a network – both LAN and WAN – could mean that the existing network is not able to support the voice traffic you are aiming to carry on it. Ensuring that voice traffic and data traffic are treated appropriately is also an important factor to consider. Alongside these fundamental capacity issues, a reputable VoIP provider should also be asking questions such as what features you might want in the future and what your day to day requirements are at present to ensure that you get the best possible service. (For more information, look at the list ‘Questions for your provider‘).

Value for Money…

Is the solution they are offering actually value for money in the long run?
Value for money is not just about the cheapest price solution. Over the long run, there are key factors that will influence the quality and performance of your VoIP service. Regarding a businesses delivery network (internet / telephony connectivity) it is essential for any small business to check particulars, especially when using broadband services: local loop unbundling platforms, contention ratios, maintenance contracts and service level agreements are all important factors to consider before deciding if the overall contract demonstrates ‘value’ to them.

Delivery Network…

Is the right broadband service available and being recommended?
As a part of BT’s deregulation, a process known as local loop unbundling (LLU) was put in place to provide competition and help drive down connectivity costs. This means that a wide range of telecommunication operators are now able to use and ‘take control’ of lines within the BT network. The subsequent DSL services that they offer (which are overlaid on the physical BT line) are generally cheaper but this price competitiveness has to be offset against service issues. Be aware that cheaper services can mean a lower grade service provision, due to more traffic being run over the line. The key question to ask your reseller here is do you know ‘what the contention ratio on this package is’? Although BT are tending to move away from the term, a supplier should be able to quote the contention ratio of the service – the lower the better. A 50:1 contention ratio is no better than what is offered on a residential broadband connection for example – not good for a business grade service! The contention ratio quoted needs to be guaranteed from the business premises through the network, at exchange level. One gets what one pays for so it pays to be wary of providers offering 1:1 contention services at very cheap rates.

What broadband maintenance contract is your VoIP reseller offering you?
Many new VoIP providers are now looking to provide maintenance contracts, similar to those available with leased lines. For any business, large or small, it is worth taking time to find out what exactly is included in the price within the contract you are about to sign? For instance, what type of maintenance package is in place? Is pre-configuring of hardware inclusive? What IP addressing is included? What is the length of contract? What do the termination clauses state?

A business must consider maintenance contracts when thinking of ‘value’. In the past this was not such an important question, as most SME’s were on BT lines, with business calling plans and clear service level agreements on a year or two year contract. However your service level will now depend on the LLU service that your selected reseller has chosen. It does not matter how good the supplier might be: if the maintenance at the exchange is weak then the service is likely to fail. Over 95% of DSL line related faults occur at exchange level or within the ‘first mile’ from a business site. Your reseller will know which LLU providers are available in your area, what the expected quality of service should be in your area and which of these providers traditionally offer the best service levels.

What is a good service level agreement?
Have you ever read the small print… after you bought the product? Well, the same is true of making a decision on selecting your VoIP reseller to work with and agreeing the type of service level you expect. Whether this be 24/7 fault monitoring, a 2 to 4 hour response time or a 24 hour fix time you need to decide what level of service you require from your supplier. Clarifying this from the outset ensures that you get the service level you require, avoiding later problems.

Come on in, the water’s fine…!

Here at 500, we have found that our customers value the high quality of consultancy advice we are able to offer them. One of our strengths and a key differentiator is that we provide solutions that are scalable, offer full resilience and are value for money. With our VoIP expertise and our knowledge-base we can also guarantee 100% up time by routing calls over our diverse networks. We concentrate on your telephony allowing you to concentrate on your core business.

If you require any further information, then call us on 0845 0000 500

Sean Ryan, a director at 500, explains to CIOs how they can make the most of IP telephony, without incurring a security induced headache.

Full article is available in the VitAL May / June 2009 Publication, pages 18-24.

VitAL Magazine is a UK based business to business journal for directors and senior managers who are concerned about the business issues surrounding the implementation of IT and the impact it has on their business. It has a circulation just shy of 10,000 senior professionals.

An express delivery of a presentation plaque in this morning’s post from Zultys head office in Silicon Valley granted 500 Limited Zultys Premier Reseller status!

Steve Rothenberg, CEO of Zultys Inc. acknowledged the commitment 500 has made in expanding the presence of Zultys solutions in the market and for bringing the benefits of Open Standards SIP-based Unified Communications to businesses.  He went on to say:

“On behalf of Zultys, please accept this token of recognition to 500 Limited for having earned Premier Reseller status.  Not only have you shown commitment in working to expand your business base, but you have proven your expertise in Zultys Unified Communications solutions and IP PBX and SIP phone products, and have demonstrated your ability to implement effective Zultys solutions for your customers.”

500 is committed to providing ‘best of breed’ premises-based IP PBX systems.  We believe that Zultys is currently the best open standards SIP PBX solutions provider available, having a proven track record and a committment to on-going product development such as ‘find me, follow me’, integrated web conferencing and later this year telepresence (video conferencing), ensuring the ongoing benefits of VoIP - and all at price point typically 25%-45% less than other offerings.

If you have any queries or questions then please call us on 0845 0000 500.

500 Hosted is built on BroadWorks’ SIP based soft switch platform, called BroadSoft.

BroadSoft, Inc., the worldwide leader in VoIP applications, recently announced that Technology Marketing Corporation’s (TMC®) Unified Communications magazine has named the company’s Hosted Unified Communications solution a recipient of its 2008 Product of the Year Award.

“UC is quickly becoming the holy grail of enterprise communications for its ability to transform business processes and increase workforce productivity. Unfortunately, small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) are unable to realize its power due to the high cost and complexity of deploying an on-premise solution,” said Alex Doyle, senior director of solutions at BroadSoft. “BroadSoft’s hosted solutions eliminate this burden, thus enabling companies of any size to reap the benefits of advanced communications solutions. UC is not just for large enterprises anymore.”

The full press release is available to read at Broadsoft receives UC Magazine Award

The NGN Leadership Award, from Next Generation Network magazine, has been established to recognize outstanding achievement in the IP Communications community, including outstanding products, services and technologies relating to IMS and NGN environments.  Zultys received this award for their recently delivered SIP next generation networking, mobility, and collaboration solutions.

“Zultys has been recognized for their exceptional work in advancing IMS and NGN services and technologies, and we honor Zultys with an NGN Leadership Award. With the significant growth in next generation network technologies, receiving this award distinguishes them as a leader in the
industry,” stated Rich Tehrani, president of TMC.

“Zultys is delighted to be the recipient of this prestigious award” said Steve Rothenberg, “We embraced open SIP standards at the inception of the company, which has allowed us to create innovative, energy efficient
SIP IP PBX solutions that pack a lot of features and functionality into a single server. This allows us to provide a lot of performance, with fewer servers, making our solution the most ‘green’ small and medium business Unified Communication and networking solution available”

MX250 IP PBX Recognized for Outstanding Innovation

Zultys, the premier developer and manufacturer of pure SIP-based Unified Communication solutions for businesses and enterprises, today announced that the company has been recognized with the 2008 Product of the Year Award from Unified Communications magazine (Technology Marketing Corporation–TMC®) for innovations to its family of advanced IP PBX products (such as the MX250 and MX30) and Unified Communications solutions.

“It’s very gratifying to be recognized by Unified Communications magazine with the 2008 Product of the Year Award for the difference we’re making in the global Unified Communication Marketplace,” said Steve Rothenberg, CEO of Zultys. “We’ve seen a warm reception by the market to the innovations we’ve made to our all-in-one IP PBX products, and the new features and capabilities we’ve been introducing that make it easier than ever to deploy and maintain organization-wide UC services that really impact a company’s bottom line. We’re continuing the momentum with our upcoming Release 5.0 with features such as “Find Me, Follow Me,” and MXconnect™ -the ability to make any phone, anywhere, your personal business phone, and much more.”

“Zultys has proven they are committed to quality and excellence while addressing real needs in the marketplace. Unified Communications is pleased to grant a 2008 Product of the Year Award to their MX250 IP PBX and the innovations in their Release 4.0 series of enhancements,” said Rich Tehrani, TMC President and Editor-in-Chief of Unified Communications magazine. “We’re pleased to honor their hard work and accomplishments, and look forward to more innovative solutions from Zultys in the future.”

A full list of Product of the Year winners will be published in the March/April, 2009 issue of Unified Communications magazine, www.uc-mag.com.

An Insurance Age lead story this week was ‘Brokers warned of telecoms firms mis-selling call-recording devices’.

Insurance brokers are being urged not to fall victim to telecoms firms pitching call-recording equipment on the grounds of regulatory compliance.

Sean Ryan, a director of 500, was asked to comment.  He claimed they were exploiting the vague wording of the regulations, saying: “The FSA had to take a broad-brush approach to ensure it covers businesses that may offer cross-over services.

“However, it is not surprising to hear that some telecommunications companies may be mis-selling call-recording products and services following the FSA’s policy statement. Ignorance of the applicability of the policy may be used as an opportunity for pushing call-recording technology to companies that do not require it.”

Here at 500 you can be assured not only of our knowledge and expertise but also of our integrity and honesty.

The full article can be read at:
insuranceage.com - ‘Brokers warned of telecoms firms mis-selling call-recording devices’.

The Financial Times Advisor’s lead story ‘IFAs Falsely Targeted over FSA Telephone Recording Rules’ stated that IFA firms are being warned to ignore demands from telecommunication firms insisting that new telephone systems costing up to £30,000 must be bought to comply with new Financial Services Authority (FSA) regulation. Owing to our extensive research in this area, Séan Ryan, a director at 500 Limited, was asked to comment, saying “It’s not so surprising to hear that some telecommunications companies may be miss-selling call recording products and services following the FSA’s policy statement. Ignorance regarding the applicability of the policy may be being used as an opportunity to push call recording to companies who do not require it.” Here at 500 you can be assured not only of our knowledge and expertise but also of our integrity and honesty.

The full FT article can be read at:
FT Advisor.com: ‘IFAs falsely targeted over FSA telephone recording rules’