Archive for 'VoIP'

ShoreTel claims lowest total cost of ownership – guaranteed

Share Buying a unified communications (UC) system can be incredibly confusing. But what if you could simply plug some variables into a piece of software and suddenly be comparing apples to apples? You can, with the ShoreTel Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) tool. TCO calculations include costs that may not turn up in initial budgets [...]

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For VoIP, does open standard beat packaged systems?

Share There exists a running debate on the merits of an open standard corporate phone system. On one side are open source software offerings such as Asterisk. Battling against these more open formats are packaged, proprietary systems from major vendors such as ShoreTel, Avaya and Cisco. Each approach has merit, and the buyer must decide [...]

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Do awards matter when choosing a UC integrator?

Share This blog first appeared on Best in UC. Your potential integrator is walking slowly through his presentation. He shows a slide with logos of his clients. He flips to another page that lists capabilities. Finally, he flashes you the awards. It’s tempting to ignore those medals that boast excellence. After all, can’t any integrator [...]

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DIY repairs offer flexibility, lower costs for VoIP

Share This blog first appeared on Best in UC. “Don’t touch that wire! It might void your warranty.” That’s just one of the many understandable fears businesses have about their phone systems. When a problem comes up or the system goes down, the options are rarely attractive. You can delve into the issue yourself in [...]

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New ShoreTel phone offers most advanced features yet

Share This blog first appeared on Best in UC.  Can an office phone be revolutionary? Now, the answer to that question is a definite “yes.” ShoreTel has released its IP Phone 655, which boasts a large backlit touchscreen and advanced speakerphone capabilities. The design includes the same user-friendly features that many consumers already enjoy [...]

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Most companies overpay for phone service – every month

Share This blog first appeared on Best in UC. Your company is probably being over-billed for phone service. Unfortunately, most phone carriers send out long, complex and hard-to-understand bills. Companies simply write a check, hoping that the charges were accurate. But chances are, they paid too much. We hear the stories from our clients all [...]

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SIP trunking on the rise as VoIP surges

Share This blog first appeared on Best in UC. As the VoIP and unified communications (UC) markets made a comeback in 2010, SIP trunking had a break-out year. This is according to a report by Infonetics Research, which found that the VoIP service market reached $49.8 billion in 2010, a 43 percent increase from 2008. [...]

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Your VoIP expenses could be cut in half

Share This article first appeared on Best in UC. Is your VoIP phone system a fixed expense? For most organizations, the answer to this question is a resounding “No!” It’s not a fixed expense. It’s an ever-increasing one! But that response is not simply based on more or less mobile usage over the month. The [...]

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Disaster recovery for VoIP solutions

Share This blog first appeared on Best in UC. Earthquakes. Tornados. Floods. When natural disasters make headlines, we’re all reminded of the inherent weaknesses that are part of our everyday technology infrastructure. No system is ever disaster-proof. That’s why every organization should have a disaster management plan that includes specific steps to support its phone [...]

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Counting total cost of ownership for unified communications

Share This blog first appeared on Best in UC. It’s easy to compare the up-front prices of unified communications (UC) solutions. But the true costs are much more complex – and have more variation than you might think. An educated choice should include an analysis of the total cost of ownership for various options. The [...]

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