Thursday, November 19, 2009
by Awarding Eagles' Tickets
Exton, PA-November 17, 2009 TelecoWorks of Downingtown, a Sovereign Bank business customer, helped to celebrate the merging of two Sovereign Bank branches by holding a special drawing for two Philadelphia Eagles tickets. The lucky winner of the Redskins/ Eagles match-up is Wendy Dexter of Smaltz's Harley- Davidson of Chester Springs. Pictured with Dexter are (from left), Sovereign Bank Assistant Vice President Linda J. Bishop, TelecoWorks President, Valerie Brauckman Burgess, Dexter and co-sponsor, Beth Suero of Exton IT networking firm, eb-Logix.
TelecoWorks is an independent telecom-consulting firm that can help companies secure a stable network infrastructure to support sustainable business practices. Specializing in VoIP technologies, audio and video conferencing, hosted and virtual solutions, TelecoWorks can improve a company's technology footprint. TelecoWorks serves national and local companies in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware and Maryland. Visit them at www.Telecoworks. For information on TelecoWorks, located in Downingtown, PA, please visit www.Telecoworks.com or call 610-942-7501
Monday, October 26, 2009
PAETEC Announces Continues Expansion of Ethernet Local Loop Access Nationwide
Ethernet access enables businesses to connect buildings or access the PAETEC MPLS network using the same technology commonly used in Local Area Networks, simplifying network management and reducing equipment costs. PAETEC now serves a total of 36 on-net markets with Ethernet access and plans to reach an additional six markets by year-end, serving over half of its 83 core markets nationwide with direct Ethernet access. PAETEC can also reach 100% of its MSA coverage area via Ethernet utilizing existing partnership agreements.
"We've heard from our customers of their desire to use Ethernet as a local loop to drive new speeds and efficiency for their business," said John Chapman, senior vice president of marketing. "Today's announcement is a continuation of our tradition of offering personalized solutions to meet the diverse needs of our customers. We now offer multiple access methods to our network, including Ethernet, T-1 to OC-3 circuits, Fixed Wireless or even direct access in our data centers."
PAETEC offers its Ethernet Local Loop product primarily through Network-to-Network Interface (NNI) connections with various local access providers within its service areas. Earlier in 2009, PAETEC also announced Ethernet capabilities via its own fixed wireless circuits across the United States.
PAETEC now can deliver Ethernet access to areas in Alabama, California, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. The company is planning on future Ethernet access expansions in the west and mid-western areas of the United States.
For More Information of Ethernet products and services contact: Valerie Brauckman at TelecoWorks, 1-800-TELECO-5 OR 610-942-7501
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Teleworkers Seamlessly Connected!
communications solution that simplifies phone communications
for the remote or mobile worker.
With the XO Anywhere package, employees can use your office’s
XO service to make and receive phone calls anytime, from anywhere.
Customers can always reach you anywhere by dialing your office line,
and you can make calls from anywhere as if you were in the office.
You’ll never miss another important call.
With XO Anywhere, you can instantly set up
a remote office and work from anywhere
because your office is where you are.
No more voicemail tag!
Remote Office lets you make outbound
calls from any phone using your office’s
XO service. It dials the phone you’re using
and the number you’re dialing and connects
them seamlessly. Long distance minutes
are automatically charged against your XO
service. And, XO Anywhere displays your
office caller ID on your customer’s phone.
No more using your personal cell minutes,
no more long distance charges on your home
phone, no more giving out multiple phone
numbers to customers. And, because it’s
transparent to your customers, XO Anywhere
ensures a professional appearance no matter
where you are working from.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Celebrate Green IT in Philadelphia
If you work in IT or Business Technology, and want to learn ways to bring your Passion for the Planet to work, come
Celebrate Green IT in Philly, Oct 20, 2009 at 6 PM at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia, at 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway. This event is free, but please RSVP to http://greeninformationtechnology.eventbrite.com/.
For information, see David Calloway's blog at http://www.greenitdigest.blogspot.com/
Meet other Enviro ITers, enjoy refreshments, be entertained and informed by Quiet Riot (not the 80s metal band), and see how one local firm went Green, powerfully and profitably.
Hosted by ANSP’s Center for Environmental Policy
Friday, August 28, 2009
XO Launces XO Connect, a new Multi-Modal Mass Notification Service
You do not need to be an XO customer to take advantage of this service. Please call TelecoWorks for more information at 610-942-7501.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
10 Questions to Ask Your Hosted PBX Provider Before Signing a Contract
Focus Research ©2009
How to save money, get service guarantees and make sure your provider will work for you.
Signing up for a hosted IP PBX provider is just like signing up for cable TV; the provider is trying to lock you in to a long-term contract at terms that give them the most profit, while you’re just trying to get the service and features you need at the lowest possible price. Plus, there are always hidden costs.
The key to avoiding a contract with more (or less) service than you need is asking the right questions. This list covers what questions you should ask before you sign on the dotted line. If you have specific concerns such as advanced call center features that might affect your business, you’ll want to add them to the list as well.
What is the contract-termination policy?
1. You want to know whether you can get out early without a penalty and what the other termination costs might be. Unfortunately, providers — and particularly their sales teams — often try to lock you into long-term contracts. This is common practice throughout the communications industry and you may not be able to avoid it, but you can do your best to remove arbitrary and excessive early-termination penalties. Several of the newer hosted IP PBX providers are reacting smartly to the situation by providing service with no installation or termination penalties. Be sure to check the policies on equipment, as well as those that apply to the basic service.
What startup costs are there beyond setup and equipment fees?
2. This is where you want to look for hidden costs. Find out exactly what you’ll need to get service. Ask if phones, extra servers, interface cards and other add-ons are included or if they cost extra. If you have the "wrong" kind of network (one that doesn’t work with the hosted provider’s VoIP system) will you end up needing new cards and extra software? Can you use your existing broadband service? If not, can you switch your broadband supplier without penalty (and preferably at an additional saving)?It’s easy to get sucked into a deal with installation and equipment costs at $100 or less per seat, but that’s often for a minimal configuration. You might find out later that you need add-on equipment. Be particularly careful about phones; if the phone is free, it’s quite likely to be extremely basic, and you may need more features. Think of the phone as a piece of equipment you use all day, every day, and you’ll get an idea of why you want the best phone.
What day-to-day usage costs are not covered by my service plan?
3. What are the rates for international calls, for example? This is yet another place where hidden fees lurk. Make sure there aren’t any add-on fees for important features; some providers charge more for conference calling, others for different forms of long-distance and still others for some advanced features. Make a quick list of all the communications needs that you have, then ask about all the items so you can forecast prices accurately. This is particularly true if you make a lot of international or toll-free calls or if you need extensive inbound toll-free calls. One bright spot is that this is an area where you can’t really lose — all hosted IP PBX solutions are cheaper for actual calls than any non-IP or non-VoIP solution.
Can the system handle outbound and inbound faxes out of the box?
4. Can I just plug in a fax machine or do I need special equipment? Faxing is a hidden gotcha of VoIP. Many older systems can’t handle faxes, while others require a special faxing module. The bottom line is that just because you have a phone line with VoIP, it doesn’t mean you can plug a fax into it. Make sure you’re covered and find out what it will cost. A typical solution is to obtain an extra box or adapter for a fax line, which will cost extra. But some solutions are smart enough to route faxes beyond the adapter and deliver them to email inboxes as well. Check the details before you bite.
Do I need add-ons or extras to handle old-style analog phones that I already have or that remote or branch offices have already installed?
5. Fortunately there is a solution to this issue that can save you some money. If you have offices that already have extensive, modern analog phones, some provider systems will work with them as transparently as with more advanced SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) and VoIP phones. That can save you as much as a couple of hundred dollars per phone. This is particularly important for remote branches or offices, especially if you need to do a phased rollout. You will need to double check what features are supported on analog phones and how they are operated. If it is too difficult to transfer calls for example, this feature, even if it is supported by the provider, might as well not be there.
How does the system handle remote and mobile workers?
6. The key here is to find out whether the experience is the same for a telecommuter in a rural area as it is for someone at a head office and how it will handle people on the road.If you don’t have mobile or remote requirements, obviously this isn’t a concern right now, but in time it may be. And if you do have remote and mobile employees, then you need to find out what the provider can and cannot do for you. Some providers can handle any mobile or remote phone almost as easily as an extension in the main office, but others cannot. Creative solutions might save you more money than going to a system that can handle remote employees. For example, getting a single line for a remote employee on a different plan then using your system’s call-forwarding features might end up being more cost-effective. Since many hosted IP PBXs handle remote users very well — including ‘road warriors’ who travel a lot — this can be a great extension for your business.
If I underestimate my requirements and need a major upgrade or my company
7. grows, what are the additional costs for upgrading? There isn’t too much you can do here — miscalculating requirements is going to be a problem no matter what. But you can minimize the pain with a provider that is willing to work with you and that provides good service. At least find out what the issues might be down the road as you’ll need to know how to handle business growth anyway.
How do you guarantee your quality of service?
8. Quality of service is a big differentiator among providers. What you want to know here is, if you have issues with quality, how you’ll get support, who you should contact and how fast fixes will happen. When there is a complex problem and your network equipment supplier, your broadband supplier and your service provider are all pointing fingers at each other, you want a provider that will step up to solve the problem.These are all questions to ask the provider directly. If they can’t more than satisfy you in this area, look elsewhere. Your communications system is vital to your success, so don’t put yourself in a position of being held hostage by an incompetent provider. It obviously helps if your broadband supplier and your IP phone provider are one and the same, but regardless, if they aren’t willing to even step up to try to solve your problems, then how good will they be at actually solving them? Take the time to understand all the issues. For example, if there is a major backhaul network failure (the network that connects most of the Internet together in the background), then your provider is unlikely to be able to do a single thing about it, but check if they will at least provide failovers to an old-style analog line for emergencies.
What about emergency services — do you provide full 911 or E911 services?
9. Will dispatchers know my location automatically — and how about remote workers? This is a flat-out requirement that many VoIP providers don’t like to talk about. If they don’t have a solution right now, they ought to have one in the pipeline. Fortunately, since 911 compliance has been made a federal mandate, the problem is being solved very rapidly. But do ask how the system will know things like location for someone on the road. And that leads us to the last question ...
How do I know you are going to be around in two years, let alone three?
10. Communications and VoIP is an industry of consolidation and aggressive competition. Find out if your provider is stable and make sure your contract is binding even if your provider gets acquired. Ideally, you want the new provider to take up your contract with no change, while giving you the option of moving on without penalty if you don’t like the new arrangement.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Swine Flu threat raises telework questions
By Ann Bednarz , Network World , 04/28/2009
The possibility of a widespread swine flu outbreak is prompting companies to think about business continuity and how options such as telework may become a necessity.
Companies that have solid telework plans in place are in good shape, says Chuck Wilsker, president and CEO of The Telework Coalition in Washington, D.C. Those that aren't prepared to have employees work offsite may find operations at a standstill if the swine flu threat were to escalate to the point of widespread absenteeism or building closures. "This is a really lousy economic time for businesses to have to go cold turkey and not be able to carry on," Wilsker says.
Introduction to Oracle Role Manager: Download now
So far, most businesses that are inquiring about telework to address swine flu concerns are curious, but not overreacting, Wilsker says. "I'm seeing interest and concern, not panic. But people are asking if telework is something that can be used to offset this."
Wilsker sees the swine flu threat as one more reason for companies to get serious about enabling telework. Just as the 9/11 terrorist attacks, hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the 2005 New York transit strike and the Minneapolis bridge collapse highlighted the need for business continuity plans, "it's one more thing to make organizations realize that once you're prepared for something like this, you're prepared," he says.
For more on this article go to: http://www.networkworld.com/news/2009/042809-swine-flu-telework.html
Call me for affordable teleworking options!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
BroadBand Nation: What Factors Are Most Critical In Deciding Bandwidth Requirements For A Voice/Data Network Solution?
BroadBand Nation: What Factors Are Most Critical In Deciding Bandwidth Requirements For A Voice/Data Network Solution?
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
DS3 Internet Port for just $990.00 per month
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Reduce your carbon footprint...and be more productive
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Good news in a challenging economy.
Key Findings
In November of 2008, as the impact of current economic conditions became clear, the worldwide Webtorials community was invited to participate in a survey concerning their companies' economic outlook for 2009. While the User base was the primary focus for the survey, additional perspectives were considered as well.*
There are two goals of this document. First, it is intended to provide Enterprise network C-Levels, planners and administrators with a baseline to compare their plans with those of their colleagues, In particular, this should be helpful in obtaining approval for additional funding as needed. Secondly, it is intended to help reinforce methods by which networking technology can be used to redefine business processes to increase/preserve profitability.
- While there will be a negative impact on 2009 telecommunications budgets, this impact is not expected to be severe, and over one-third of the companies expect no impact or some degree of increased funding. Overall, a quantitative index for Users showed the anticipated impact to be halfway between "no impact" and a "moderate negative impact."
- Companies will be dependent on telecommunications more than ever, but there will be little additional funding (or, overall, a decrease in funding) to support both ongoing and new initiatives.
- Funding for telecommunications services and staff salaries will be the least affected of the areas about which the respondents were queried. These two subcategories will, for all practical purposes, see no significant change.
The bottom line from the above-mentioned trends is that the effective use of telecommunications networks will not only be a key component in surviving the current economic conditions, but effective use can actually allow a company to thrive in these conditions.
For a complete copy of the report, please e-mail me at vbrauckman@telecoworks.com.
*In addition to users who are actively involved in the on-going planning and operation of their networks, we also solicited responses from the broader base of individuals who were representative of the portion of the Webtorials base that comes from within the industry. Overall, there were 300 respondents to at least a part of the survey and almost 250 responded tot he entire survey. Of the users responding to the survey, the distribution by company size (in number of employees) was 1-00, 11%; 100-149, 19%; 500-999, 8%; 1,000 - 4,999, 22%; 5,000-9,999, 8%; 10,000-49,999, 14%; 50,000 or more, 18%.