Lose
weight...stop smoking...get in shape....The list goes on. Now that
we're well into the New Year, how many of your resolutions have you
already broken? I won't tell you how many I have.
With over thirty years in business under
my belt I have been in a position to hear a lot of resolutions, many of
them from fellow business owners. Some are specific to their companies,
but there are others that we can all relate to.
And, given the speed at which technology
and the workplace are changing we need to, as Steve Jobs so aptly put
it, "think different" to survive, let alone thrive.
Here are four resolutions that will breathe new life into your organization. Let me know what you would add!
Embrace the Future:
The old adage "if you can't beat 'em, join 'em" has never been more
apropos than in today's age of mobile phones, social media and instant
access to just about anything. For those of you "of a certain age" who
may find yourself leery of exploring new technology and new management
styles, it may be time to re-calibrate your thinking. Encourage your
team to bring new ideas to the table; especially younger employees.
There is some real untapped pote ntial out there; time to tap into it.
Update and Automate:
Still hanging on to those old laptops? If it "ain't broke", don't fix
it. Instead, consider replacing it! Make a check list of all your
equipment, software, and other applications you have been using. Put
someone in charge of checking with suppliers and service providers as to
what it would take to upgrade. Once you start, it will get easier.
Build More Relationships:
When a business is young, its owners tend to do a lot of reaching out
to friends and colleagues for advice and referral business. Once they
have a few years (or decades!) under their belts, the tendency is to
become more self-contained and less inclined to go outside their four
walls to form new partnerships and alliances. Make this the year you and
your team rekindle old relationships and build new ones. Make it a goal
to add at least one new business relationship per quarter. It will not
only pump new life into your business, but add some new revenue streams as well.
Spend Less Time in the Office:
Speaking of those four walls, it's time to spend less time at your desk
and more time out talking with clients, colleagues and friends; or even
attending local business meetings and conferences. The best ideas don't
come from inside your business; they come from outside your business.
But you have to work at it. Start by booking a single client or
colleague visit, then another. Build a new habit of collecting fresh
input from outside your office. It's a healthy habit you can start
today.
So, along with
that cool looking Fitbit, the Nicorette gum and your newly minted gym
membership, get these resolutions going. Be sure to let us know how it goes. We'll do a follow up in our July newsletter!
"Technology is not only fueling major business transformation across
industries, it's also changing how technology enterprises sell their
products and services, operate and plan for future growth," says Paul
Sallomi, vice chairman and the Global Technology, Media &
Telecommunications Industry leader for Deloitte LLP.
than Josh Mayfield, the developer who created GWX Control Panel.
CDR-Data applications are supported by products that, collectively, provide you with all the resources needed to
effectively manage your communications and personnel expenses without having to add resources.
eCDR®:
All the reporting options and flexibility needed to effectively manage
and allocate telecommunications expense. Easy to use and customizable.
eBill-Back®:
Fast, accurate telecommunications billing system for business centers,
shared-tenant environments and any business requiring bill back of end
users.
When evaluating the network for your IP Telephony
deployment, you need to be aware of some of the differences between a
hosted PBX and an onsite-PBX.
In order to simplify this, we will break the network down into two
separate concepts: The Local, onsite network (or LAN), and the
wide-area, external network (or WAN, typically provided across the
Internet).
Hosted PBX
Hosted PBX
In the case of a hosted PBX, all of the PBX intelligence will be located offsite.
The only things located at the site will be the telephone sets, and the
network components required to connect those sets through the internet
to the hosted system.
Advantages of a Hosted PBX
No server onsite to maintain
Higher-quality server environment (redundant power, HVAC, internet, etc)
Software updates usually included
OPEX generally more popular with C-level execs
Onsite requirements can usually be handled by network team
Disadvantages of a Hosted PBX
Recurring costs – more expensive in the long term
Bandwidth requirements – desk-to-desk calls still have to pass through data center
On-site PBX
An on-site PBX provides all the services to the phone sets from the premises.
Sets do not even require internet access, as all their requirements
(provisioning files, time and date, firmware updates, security) can be
handled through the PBX system.
Advantages of an On-site PBX
Once it’s paid for, it only needs to be maintained
Physical control of hardware
Easier termination of legacy PSTN circuits
Typically lower long-term costs
Lower bandwidth requirements
Disadvantages of an On-site PBX
Requires available technical team to maintain system
Server environment may require construction and other costs
CAPEX not always an easy sell to C-level execs
Decision time: Hosted or On-site?
In both cases—Hosted or On-site—the underlying technologies are
essentially the same. We use the LAN to replace the traditional
telephone wiring, and the WAN to replace the traditional carrier circuit
(PRI, POTS lines, etc). For hosted, we additionally handle PBX
connections from the sets in the WAN as well.
If you have any questions about making sense of IP Telephony, please feel free to reach out and speak to us.
The next blog in this series will look at the onsite network
environment, and the considerations for a Converged versus Dedicated
LAN.
treams as well.
An on-site PBX provides all the services to the phone sets from the premises.
Sets do not even require internet access, as all their requirements
(provisioning files, time and date, firmware updates, security) can be
handled through the PBX system.