AVAD Technologies» Article Index – Business VoIP

5 Business Benefits Of An Auto Attendant

Business VoIP Specialist — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 20:09:46 +0000

Auto-Attendant/IVR Benefits

Present a professional business image.

Save time by routing calls to your most qualified agents.

Available 24/7 (no over-time).

Automatically answer overflow calls your receptionist is unable to answer.

Automate repetitive business processes.

Auto Attendant or IVR (Interactive Voice Response) is a technology that automates interactions with telephone calls to your company. An Auto-Attendant is a hardware component of a traditional PBX phone system and a software component of a Hosted VoIP phone system.

An Auto-Attendant can take the place of, or provide back up to, a live receptionist. Even if your company prefers to have a live receptionist answer calls, an Auto Attendant is still extremely helpful. During peak calling hours, the IVR or Auto-Attendant can answer calls the receptionist is unable to answer.

An Auto Attendant allows businesses to save money and become more efficient by automating certain repetitive business functions. For example, instead of having a receptionist answer and transfer calls, the IVR can do this automatically, even if the employee is located in a different office location or is on a mobile phone.… Continue Reading

Business Hosted VoIP Small Business Benefits

Fair Use Policy

Business VoIP Specialist — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 16:57:53 +0000

Unlimited Calling Does Not Mean Unlimited Calling

Unlimited calling plans are really not unlimited

If one of the reasons you are considering VoIP for your business is because the VoIP Provider offers Unlimited Calling, you need to pay close attention to the fine print.

Most VoIP Providers have a clause in their service agreement called a Fair Use Policy or FUP. Before accepting service, make sure this policy is something your business can live with.

What does a fair use policy clause mean to me?

Business VoIP Providers that offer unlimited calling for one monthly price are really not telling you the truth. These plans almost always include a fair use policy in their Terms of Service. A fair use policy sets a maximum amount of minutes per month you can call. Any calls above this amount will be metered and added to your bill.

The good news is that most VoIP companies will view your account in aggregate.… Continue Reading

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Get Built In Disaster Recovery With Hosted VoIP

Business VoIP Specialist — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:47:58 +0000

Does your business have a disaster recovery plan in place?

In addition to making sure your data is secure, a Disaster Recovery plan should also include a plan for communicating with your employees and customers should your office location become unavailable.

Hosted VoIP Has Disaster Recovery Built In

A Hosted VoIP phone system is the easiest and least expensive way to secure your telecommunications in the event your primary office location becomes inoperable.

By definition, a Hosted VoIP phone system is hosted on a server not at your location. This means that even if your office is completely destroyed, your phone system will continue to operate.

Your employees can immediately route incoming calls to cell phones or home phones. They can also access their voice mail accounts from any phone.

If you are going to be out of your office for an extended period of time, your employees can download soft phones and have all the functionality they had while using their desk phones in your office.… Continue Reading

Worker Mobility Has Its Downside

Business VoIP Specialist — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:59:36 +0000

According to a new study, the accelerating shift of workers to a more mobile lifestyle has a dark side attached to it, and that “overcoming the challenges of the dark side of mobility is essential for well-being and satisfaction in life and work.”

The study, the “Well-being of the Mobile Workforce” from the Institute of Work Psychology at the University of Sheffield in England, compares findings from quarterly iPass Mobile Workforce reports with academic research on the subject of employee well-being.

Read the rest of this article: Mobility can be a drag on workers… but there is a bright side.

AVAD Technologies specializes in Business Hosted VoIP and Hosted Call Center Solutions.

Speak with a VoIP Specialist 800.733.4136

No related posts.… Continue Reading

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Phreaking Telecom Fraud

Business VoIP Specialist — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 15:43:30 +0000

Phreaking is one of more than 400 different kinds of telecommunications fraud (400 at this moment) that could cost your company a serious amount of money.

Unlike other types of theft, telecom fraud does not require the thief to expose themselves to any type of physical risk. Telecom fraudsters do not have to carry weapons, physically break into a structure or risk a physical confrontation of any kind. They don’t even have to be on the same continent to rip you off. Anybody with a computer has the necessary tools. Scarry.

If successful, you will not even know you were robbed until the telecom fraudster is long gone and you are stuck holding an enormous bill.

Relying on your telecom provider to completely protect your company against this type of fraud is like “sticking your head in the sand”. If your company is hit with fraud and there is a financial loss, you should expect your telecom company to pass that expense on to you.… Continue Reading

Install New VoIP Phone System Before Moving Offices

Business VoIP Specialist — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 16:02:10 +0000

One of the most over looked aspects of moving office locations is the impact the move will have on your employees. Moving is a stressfull time for the management responsible for executing the move, but is equally stressfull for the employees.

Your employees must not only get used to new surroundings, they must also conduct business as usual even though for them nothing is as usual.

So why is it that companies add to the stress by changing phone systems on the same day they move to a new location.

Avoid Being Locked Into Long-Term Service Contracts

Business VoIP Specialist — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 22:09:00 +0000

A telecom service contract that locks your business into a minimum amount of services for a fixed period of time only benefits the telecom company.

These contracts are completely one sided and can literally prevent your company from implementing expense saving strategies if business slows and improving customer support.

Instead of innovating to retain their customers, telecommunications companies have responded by locking you in.

Addding a business downturn claus is good business

Can VoIP Be As Reliable As Traditional Phone Service?

Business VoIP Specialist — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 15:51:11 +0000

While VoIP technology has become very stable over the past several years, no technology is 100% reliable. If your company requires 100% reliability, then you must build redundancy into your system.

The cost on building redundancy into a Hosted VoIP phone system depends on your tolerance to outages.

Continue Reading: Can VoIP be as reliable as traditional phone service.

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VoIP Reliability

5 Curable Causes of Poor VoIP Call Quality

Small Business Editor — Mon, 10 Oct 2011 12:39:58 +0000

The causes of poor quality VoIP calls are easy to diagnose and correct. Your VoIP Service Provider should be able to identify and work with you to correct these problems.

More importantly, these problems should not be ongoing. If your VoIP Service Provider is unable to correct your call quality problems, you need to find a different provider.
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Routers are a Critical VoIP Component

Business VoIP FAQ

Commonly Asked Business VoIP Questions

4 Ways To Protect Your Company Against Telecom Fraud

Small Business Editor — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 23:47:02 +0000

Toll fraud is not a crime that you hear about very often. The victims are usually large corporations who prefer not to advertise they have been victimized. This is especially true for banks and credit card companies who the public trusts to safeguard their money and information.

Lately smaller companies have been target by these criminal hackers as more companies have adopted VoIP technology.

There are simple steps that can signigicantly lower your risk of: Telecom Fraud.
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