VoIP For Business

For many of us, meetings at work might be seen as an inconvenience that waste precious time in our day. While the information passed over during business gatherings is sure to be invaluable, you might simply think your time would be better spent elsewhere.

Which is Best?

With new technology like VoIP on the market, many people are beginning to wonder what kind of cost saving and installation are necessary with the new system. A new phone system offers much more flexibility the analog solutions. Users can choose softphones, IP phones with unlimited VoIP PBX options.

The Phone Types

Small Businesses can take advantage of computer based software that lets them take calls and place them from just a computer. The IP phones are a part of a stand-alone system that lets small businesses use an Internet cable for just one use. If the small business chooses to purchase VoIP PBX, they can use a network cable to place and receive phone calls using the internet thus drastically reducing the cost of using analog service. Depending on the kind of system purchased, the price can range drastically. Since VoIP systems use the Internet instead of analog, the price drastically lower. To calculate savings, small business owners look at how much they are currently using their phone service. Analog phone service will be much more expensive than a VoIP based service. For a combination of options, users can choose a VoIP PBX which integrates both technologies.

Prices

With Analog systems, the user must pay for a fixed line and are charged extra for international calls. VoIP offers multiple carrier options and has a higher voice quality. With traditional Analog systems, users typically pay $50 plus taxes for only one line. VoIP normally costs as little as .01 per minute for North American based calls. Overall, an industry-standard VoIP phone will offer exceptional cost savings and avoid the nasty fees associated with traditional landlines. Small businesses can enjoy the benefits of having unlimited minutes and flat-rate billing. As long as there is a broadband connection.

Extra Options

Many of the VoIP phone systems offer services like faxing, caller ID, 3-way calling and voicemail. All of these features are provided without any hidden cost or charges for going over the minute allotments. VoIP providers have worked to provide a system that is flexible enough for small and large businesses and provide the features the business needs to operate smoothly. Due to this new technology, traditional phone companies are going to have to learn to adapt to the rapidly evolving technology.

Call Forwarding

VoIP provides users with call forwarding options, free long distance calling and extension dialing. The phones come with digital displays and a built-in speakerphone. When traveling internationally, VoIP has Anywhere Technology that lets users hook up to the system and save money. Users will save on roaming charges and data connections.

Mixing Analog and VoIP

Business can always mix their current analog and new VoIP phone systems. Many companies on the market allow users to still use their old analog phones and install new VoIP phone connections. Overall, VoIP phones give call centers better integration with their current data systems and more control. The lower cost is provided with more services, technology and more flexibility. As new applications emerge, VoIP phone systems will only become more vital for call centers around the world. VoIP providers are new to the market so the technology is constantly being expanded as new applications and uses are discovered for the phone systems.

Better yet, call centers can use follow-the-sun routing much cheaper. A company who has call centers in London, New York and India could route their phone calls to the office that is currently open. Although this can be done with traditional Analog phone systems, it costs the consumer much more. Call centers can also use the technology to allow workers to connect from within their own home. Instead of paying for a large office in one location, call centers can let their workers connect from their own home. This saves the company on overhead costs and rent while letting them become greener businesses. As the business environment strives for more green technology, this option provides a great way for the company to save money and advertise their environmental approach.Overall, VoIP offers users lower costs, better connectivity and more features than traditional Analog phones. Current call centers can integrate their old technology if they need to, but in general switching to a VoIP phone system will save them money in the long run.

Timthumb is the most popular image re-sizing script used in many WordPress themes and plugins. Recently a security vulnerability was found in it. This security vulnerability allowed anyone to upload any php file into the Timthumb cache directory and execute it to compromise the site.

One way to fix this security issue with timthumb is to NOT use timthumb at all. Just delete it. But make sure that your theme or plugin can work without it.

In case your theme or plugin depend on timthumb heavily and you must use it, then here’s the procedure to fix this security vulnerability.

First download the latest version of timthumb from this link. Rename it from timthumb.php.txt to timthumb.php.

Open this newly downloaded file and make sure that ALLOW_EXTERNAL is set to false.

Replace it with this code,

Now upload this newly downloaded and modified timhumb.php file on your web server to replace the existing timthumb file with it.

That’s it. Now you can use timthumb script safely. If you have any questions related to the timthumb security vulnerability or the procedure to fix this issue, then post it below.

Still has a long way to go, but I love seeing hacks like this. Vision of the future.