More T-Mobile USA Employees Get the Axe
After the collapse of its proposed $39 billion merger with AT&T earlier this year, T-Mobile USA sought to assure the public that it is in a position to recoup and maintain its customer base. The provider’s President and CEO, Philipp Humm, explained that his company made substantial progress during uncertain times, and “will compete aggressively to win and retain customers by delivering compelling 4G services — all at a great value.”
Then in February, the company announced several planned strategic investments, including a $4 billion network rejuvenation. However, while that is all great news for T-Mobile customers, it seems as though the provider’s employees aren’t so lucky.
Just a few months after Humm’s announcement, T-Mobile disclosed plans to reduce its number of call centers from 24 to 17, in an attempt to keep up with the competitors. The 7 centers that are scheduled to be shut down are located in: Thornton, Colorado, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Brownsville and Frisco, Texas, Lenexa, Kansas, Allentown, Pennsylvania, and Redmond, Oregon. The consolidation will cost almost 2,000 workers their jobs, and while he was not looking forward to the cuts, Humm stated “they are necessary to realize efficiency in order to invest for growth.”
For those workers who did get the axe, the provider is offering outplacement support, severance pay, and two months of continued health coverage for those who elect COBRA benefits. T-Mobile also plans on using the 7 call centers it plans to shut down as career centers that will offer access to job search tools, training and technologies as well as personal career coaches.
Flash forward to this week, and T-Mobile announced it is planning to make even more cuts. According to The Wall Street Journal, the provider’s second round of layoffs will cost nearly 1,000 employees their jobs. T-Mobile asserts that it is streamlining operations and restructuring its organization in an effort to “make critical decisions better and faster.” The company went on to say that by optimizing operations and reducing its cost structure, “T-Mobile will be able to invest in areas where we anticipate the strongest return.”
About T-Mobile USA
Headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, T-Mobile USA is the nation’s fourth largest wireless operator. T-Mobile USA is a national provider of wireless voice, messaging, and data services capable of reaching over 293 million Americans.
No Comments »The New and Improved XO Communications
Since becoming a private company in the fall of 2011, XO Communications has undergone a company-wide transformation that puts emphasis first and foremost on customer service.
XO Communication’s chief marketing officer, Don MacNeil, explained that while XO and its competitors offer the same technologies, the provider believes it will differentiate itself from the pack by offering a more customer-focused experience. According to MacNeil, XO is “great at technology, but what really drives XO is that our employees are passionate about providing great customer experience.”
From the time that XO first launched almost 12 years ago, much has changed – and not just within the company. While MacNeil addressed the new logo and change from being a provider that is “focused on technology to a brand focused on the customer experience,” he also noted the transform of XO’s customer base and their needs as well as the evolution of available technology.
At the start of this year, XO Communications commenced its three year strategic plan that involved streamlining its product offering. XO’s executive VP of sales and marketing, Ernie Ortega, stated that the provider’s plans to eliminate the majority of TDM services began with the shutdown of all wholesale long distance services in October of last year; XO also plans to shore up its communication service delivery with improved processes and tools.
In addition, XO is working on taking a page from its wholesale business, and is in the midst of dealing with the recognized issues with the quote-to-provisioning processes, and is working on eliminating the red tape and investing in automation. According to Ortega, the approach will be threefold, and includes new quoting tools, greater efficiencies via specialized product types, and improved CLEC self-service tools.
About XO Communications
XO Communications is one of the nation’s largest communications service providers.
Additional Information
We would like to hear your thoughts on XO Communications’ move toward establishing a “customer first” strategy. Do you think putting emphasis on customer service over technology is the right way to go? Send us a comment!
And if you’re interested in finding the ideal Internet T1, Bonded Internet T1, DSL, Ethernet, MPLS, Internet T3, Internet DS3, Voice T1, Voice PRI, Integrated access, Long Distance T1, or VoIP service for your business, give one of our professional account managers a call today or visit us at T1Evereywhere.com for an instant, no obligation quote.
Recycle Your Old Computer and Help Make the World A Better Place
Every year, Earth Day marks the anniversary of what many people consider the birth of the modern environmental movement in 1970.
One of the very important – but often overlooked – ways you and your business can go green is to donate or recycle your old computers, cell phones, and other electronics. Let’s face it; if every business kept all of the computers they purchased over the past ten years, there would not be any room left for its employees. This is because computers, both personal and office-owned, tend to fizzle and die with their warranties. While this passing is predictable, the discarding of their shells and inner workings provides a dilemma for many owners.
Sadly, you cannot throw them out to sea or burn them and scatter the ashes over the Grand Canyon because they are full of mercury and other toxic chemicals, carcinogens and heavy metals that will, ultimately, seep into the ground and pollute water sources.
To find out more about how computers are recycled, check out this Earth Day video:
No doubt you’ll be amazed at not only how the materials are collected, but also the countless ways in which they can be reused – for everything from additional electronic devices to dental crowns! If you are interested in setting up an electronics recycling and hazardous collection event in your area, contact your local government for more information.
Additional Information
This year, folks in the Toronto area have a chance to turn their old computers into trees. No, it’s not a magic act – it’s a chance to dispose of your unwanted computer equipment in an environmentally sensitive and secure way (all information present on systems will be securely destroyed). Between April 16th and April 22nd, for every major item you recycle with Computation, they will plant a tree on your behalf via a $1 donation to Trees Canada.
Established in 1992, Tree Canada is a non-profit, charitable organization that provides financial support, resources, technical assistance, and education through working partnerships in order to encourage Canadians to plant and care for trees in rural and urban areas.
While the event is free of charge to the general public, those with large quantities, businesses and anyone with asset management or pick-up requirements should contact Computation prior to the event to discuss possible options.
Verizon Wireless to Buy Advanced Wireless Spectrum from Cox Communications
Just a few months ago, Cox Communications declared it was selling its 20 MHz Advanced Wireless Services (AWS) spectrum licenses to Verizon Wireless. The $315 million agreement includes licenses that cover nearly 30 million Points of Presence (POPs), and plays a key part in ensuring customers’ rising demands for mobility can be met.
The two providers also will reportedly become agents, allowing both Cox Communications and Verizon Wireless to vend each other’s commercial and residential services and products via their respective sales channels. Moreover, Cox Communications foresees entering into an agreement with the joint innovation technology venture created by Bright House Networks, Time Warner Cable, Comcast and Verizon Wireless to better integrate wireless and wireline services and products.
President of Cox Communications, Patrick Esser, stated that he and his company are looking forward to the countless benefits this agreement will bring. Esser explained that, the new agreements allow Cox to provide its clients with “key enablers to mobility, such as access to Verizon Wireless’ 4G LTE network and iconic wireless devices.”
About Verizon Wireless
Headquartered in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, Verizon Wireless is a leader in wireless voice and data services. With over 2,000 company-operated stores and kiosks and nearly 82,000 nationwide employees, Verizon Wireless boasts 108 million total connections, including more than 92 million retail customers and 16.5 million wholesale and other connections.
Verizon Wireless also owns and operates the nation’s largest, most reliable 3G network, and the largest 4G LTE network that is expected to cover more than 260 million customers in 400 markets across the U.S. by the end of this year.
Visit www.VerizonWireless.com for more information.
About Cox Communications
Cox Communications is the third-largest cable entertainment and broadband services provider in the U.S. Best known for pioneering the well-known Internet, TV and phone service bundle, Cox Communications’ 22,000+ employees service more than 6 million customers nationwide.
In J.S. Power and Associates 2011 U.S. Major Provider Business Telecommunications Study, Cox Communications ranked first for home-based businesses, and second for small and mid-sized business data service providers. In addition to customer care leadership, Cox is also widely lauded for its commitment to diversity and inclusion and overall corporate strategy.
Cox Communications, Inc. is headquartered in Atlanta, GA. For more information, please visit http://ww2.cox.com/
What Hosted VoIP Can Do for Your Business
Frequently referred to as managed Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), hosted VoIP saves businesses from the expensive costs associated with investing in VoIP equipment and managing the system. Hosted VoIP utilizes packet-switched telephony to transmit calls across via the Internet, as opposed to the circuit-switched telephony utilized by the traditional Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).
As a business owner, finding a reliable, high-quality, and cost-efficient service is a top priority, and hosted VoIP offers exactly that. John Putnam, an industry insider, recently told Small Business that, with hosted VoIP, “the actual box you need to make your phones work, the PBX (News – Alert), Private Branch Exchange, is shared with a bunch of other companies.” This means the only telephony equipment that is required to reside in your office is the actual phones themselves.
What’s more is that with a hosted VoIP system, you will see significant savings, and you don’t have to worry about network infrastructure issues, maintenance, software upgrades, or rolling out the newest features, because it’s all taken care of for you.
Moreover, as today’s workforce continues to become more mobile, a hosted VoIP system allows you and your team to conduct business while out on location – regardless of wherever that may be.
By routing voice calls over the Internet, hosted VoIP is much more cost-efficient and flexible than a traditional phone line, and allows you and your employees to communicate and work with each other from anywhere. According to IT veteran Alex Desberg, the key to getting the best ROI is to choose your VoIP system wisely, take the time to train your employees, and know where to go in the event that an issue arises; basically, don’t skimp on the basics. Desberg also adds that you should “think of hosted VoIP as freedom,” – freedom from being weighed down by landlines.
Additional Information
Whether you end up implementing a hosted VoIP solution or not, at the very least you should consider it. If you are still on the fence as to whether a VoIP or hosted VoIP solution is right for your business, give one of our account managers a call today. Our team is well versed in all of today’s top communications solutions and we can walk you through it all to help you find the ideal solution for your business.
Big Moves Being Made By Telarus
New Headquarters
Not long ago, Telarus Inc. announced it was moving its corporate office to Sandy, Utah’s Centennial Plaza Tower. The move has been in the works for some time now; it took over one year for the executive team to find the ideal location – and even more time after that to tear down and then custom build the space for large-scale telecommunications management per Telarus’ exact specifications. The master agency’s new 6,000 sq. ft. office space boasts 10 executive offices, a break room, software development room, idea room, board room, agent training room and a support operations center (SOC) equipped with LCD screens.
Patrick Oborn, Co-founder of Telarus noted that, when sitting down with the architects, his team knew that brainstorming, accounting, software development, agent training and sales support were key company areas that would require their own dedicated spaces. Oborn has been thrilled with the results, reporting that, “Since making the move, we have seen a spike in productivity, morale, and most of all, in agents coming to spend time with us in our new headquarters
New Deal with Cbeyond
Around the same time Telarus moved into its new headquarter location, the master agency also signed an agreement with Cbeyond, a provider of communications and IT services to small business throughout the United States that serves over 60,000 small business customers. To prepare for the launch, Cbeyond’s solutions, including local and long-distance voice services, data T1, integrated T1, bonded T1, and more were added into Telarus’ real-time online quoting system GeoQuote, which is used by agents to research price and availability.
The new deal is expected to help boost the master agency’s move into cloud services, and enables Telarus agents to sell Cbeyond’s business data, voice, and cloud-based managed services to SMBs. Telarus’ VP of sales, Robert Butler, added that, “with the help of Cbeyond’s renowned training system, we look forward to education our partners and helping them expand their sales capabilities into new and exciting areas of growth.”
New Deal with EarthLink
Shortly after Telarus signed a new deal with Cbeyond, the master agency announced it had joined Telecom Consulting Group, World Telecom Group, X4 Solutions and Telephony Partners and signed EarthLink Business’ new nationwide Channel Partner agreement. The updated agreement enables Telarus agents to sell all EarthLink Business managed, data and voice services nationwide.
In a press statement, Adam Edwards, President of Telarus stated, “The addition of the EarthLink Business southeastern network, which we previously could not source, combined with the rollout of the new EarthLink Complete nationwide voice and data IP service and its new managed services platform, is a welcome addition to our portfolio.”
Internet Connection Slows Down by Ship Anchor
Anchors Away!
What a difference an anchor makes
When a ship lowered its anchor off the coast of Mombasa, Kenya earlier this week, it unknowingly severed
the t1 Internet access to over a handful of East African countries, including Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, and South Sudan’s capital of Juba.
The Indian Ocean East Africa Marine Systems (TEAMS) cable was cut after the ship dropped its anchor in an area that is considered restricted due to the presence of sea cabling. Created as an alternative to the South Africa-owned East African Submarine Cable System (EASSy), the TEAMS cable is owned by the Kenyan government, in conjunction with Etisalat, an Emirati company. The Wall Street Journal reported that the TEAMS cable, which connects East Africa to the United Arab Emirates, carried transmitted traffic from a previous severing of three other cables located in the Red Sea.
According to Noel Mwakugu, the BBC’s Nairobi correspondent, during the three weeks that the TEAMS cable is being repaired, the six East African countries will be forced to function at a reduced speed that will impede the usual flow by approximately 20%.
Meanwhile, Kenya’s suffered substantial losses. The country’s permanent secretary in the Ministry of Communications and Information, Bitenge Ndemo, asserted that, while they do not yet know the total cost, it will likely be in the millions given that both “TEAMS and EASSy carry almost 70 percent of the traffic from the East African Region.” Ndemo added that, by his own estimations, Kenya could lose as much as $500 million by the time the repairs are finished.
While the outage itself is unfortunate, it is made even more so at a time where the recent availability of reliable, high-speed broadband connections have allowed Kenya – specifically its capital of Nairobi – to assume a leading role in both technological innovation and entrepreneurship. Laid in 2009, the underwater fiber-optic cables have sparked the country’s high-tech industry, and been the driving force behind the recent near doubled number of Internet users in Kenya
As a result of the cut, network speeds have slowed significantly, affecting the quality of some service providers. Luckily however, of the 3 East African cable connections, one was left untouched. Kenya’s ITC Board CEO, Paul Kukubo, stated “we are lucky to have this redundancy on our undersea cables.”
The outage could affect growing foreign investment.
Additional Information
For more information on telecommunications services available in your area, give us a call today!
The Ordering Process Unveiled (Continued)
As we mentioned in an earlier post, many customers are likely surprised to learn that service order rejections are a common delay in the order process. In an effort to help lower the number of rejected service orders, we discussed the start of the ordering process and covered the first three pieces of information required to facilitate your order through your carrier’s system: your business name, location where your new t1 service will be installed, and the DMARC, or Demarcation Point. This week, we will conclude the ordering process and cover the last three pieces of required information: the on-site telephone number, on-site contact, and the technical bits and pieces.
Providing an on-site telephone number is often misconstrued. For starters, carriers do not ask for an on-site phone number because they want to contact the client, but so they can determine which Central Office (CO) should be used to service them, and/or to verify the location address. Analog POTS (which stands for Plain Old Telephone Service) line or a fax number is preferred, so they can obtain a Local Exchange Carrier-issued number for authentication.
If they do need to contact the client, the carrier will call the person who was designated as the on-site contact on the order. This can be anyone – not just the IT guy or gal – who works from that site that can provide access (unlock doors, gates, etc.) and show the dispatched technician where the circuit should be installed. Whether it’s the secretary, intern, maintenance person, or property-owner, it is imperative that the on-site contact has access and is available.
Last but not least, the technical stuff. This covers a multitude of things, including what product it is that you want, how it should be configured, if any numbers are porting, what the protocols should be, if there are faxes – the list goes on. This is one of the most complex aspects of the ordering process, so we will go into more detail in a future post; but it is important to know that if you do not know this information you will need to recruit either the current carrier or the equipment vendor to collect it.
There you have it – the six key pieces of information required to facilitate your t1 service order through your carrier’s system. As we said before, every carrier will differ in the paperwork needed to service your order, but the basic information is generally the same. Good luck and happy ordering!
How to Find Your Ideal IP Phone (Continued)
Earlier this month, we discussed the first five steps that you should take in order to find the ideal IP phone for your unique needs.
In this post, we continue our list with four more steps:
Sixth step : Determine whether or not you require an IP phone with routing capabilities. If your business already has a Voice Local Area Network (LAN) set up, you will do fine with an IP phone that has a single RJ45 Ethernet port. However, a large number of today’s offices have a single Ethernet run to each computer, which would require both your computer and IP phone to share a single Ethernet connection. This would require you to have an IP phone with dual RJ45 Ethernet ports.
Seventh step : Decide whether or not you will be using Power over Ethernet (PoE). PoE is a technology for wired Ethernet LANs that permits the electrical current necessary for the operation of each device to be carried by the data cables rather than by power cords. PoE reduces the number of wires that need to be strung to install your network, which results in greater installation flexibility, simplified maintenance, less downtime and less cost than traditional wiring. If you plan on using PoE, you will need an IP phone that supports it.
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Eighth step : Establish what codec and protocol your IP PBX/service provider supports. The majority of today’s IP phones support all of the major voice codec’s and Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), however this isn’t the case for all phones – and you don’t want to get stuck with an IP phone that is incompatible with your voice service or phone system.
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Ninth step : Determine your budget. Today’s market is flooded with hundreds of IP phones, and prices range anywhere from $50 to more than $500 each. But while price is a major factor for many businesses when choosing an IP phone, it should not be the only one. Sure, selecting the least expensive IP phone might save you in up-front costs, but if it is not capable of achieving exactly what your business needs, you’re likely going to pay much more over the life of your service.
Additional Information
If you’d like to find out more about IP phones and how they can enhance your business, give us a call today
The Ordering Process Unveiled
You’ve done your research, found the ideal product for your business, worked with an agent and signed the papers. Now you’re ready to reap the rewards of your latest telecommunications investment – but not so fast! Before you pat yourself on the back, you might want to first make sure your order was accepted by your carrier.
Most customers might be surprised to learn that order rejects are a common delay in the order process. And while sometimes the rejection appears arbitrary, there is a reason each piece of information you are asked to provide is needed.
Your order will have to first go through the carrier’s system and then the LEC’s (Local Exchange Carrier’s) system before installation and activation. So what is it that the carriers need to facilitate your order through their systems? Well, each carrier requires different paperwork; however the basic information is generally the same:
- Business Name
- Location where the service will be installed
- The DMARC, or Demarcation Point
- On-site Contact
- On-site Phone Number
- The technical bits and pieces
In most cases, your company’s name is the easiest piece of the puzzle. Carriers use your company name to verify a number of things, including your company’s current credit status and whether there is a potential for bad credit to develop, as in the case with newer companies. However, this can be complicated if you are an international company with headquarters outside of the United States and are opening new smaller companies with little or no established credit. If your company falls under this category, you can help avoid any billing department stalls by providing your parent company’s name along with the registered legal U.S. name.
The location where the service will be installed also seems reasonably simple, but issues can arise if you plan on occupying a new suite in an existing building or if the location is under construction. So, while you might think submitting your order early would equate to a shorter wait period, carriers are unable to place orders with the LEC if the due date is over 2 – 3 months out.
Another important piece of information is your demarcation (DMARC) point. This is the physical location wherein your service will be installed. The more detailed and precise you are the better. In order to keep things moving forward, it’s routine practice for an agent to note the demarcation point as being the first floor phone room until you are able to provide the true position. However, by doing this you run the risk that the circuit will be delivered to that exact location, in which case you will have to pay an additional fee to have it extended to your server closet. Be sure to discuss with your IT staff/agent the proper location for your circuit; a little groundwork up-front can save you from a big headache later on.
How to Find Your Ideal IP Phone
IP phones are designed to work within the Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) environment, allowing you to make telephone calls over the IP network. This is done by converging both data and voice over the same connection, and works as an alternative to the standard Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). Any call made with an IP phone traverses either the private IP network of a particular corporation, or the Internet.
Today’s market is flooded with hundreds of IP phones, making it extremely difficult to find the best one for your specific needs – but have no fear! We have compiled a list of steps that will help determine exactly what you need to find the ideal IP phone for you.
- First step: Ascertain what VoIP service provider or phone system you currently use. Contrary to what some IP phone retailers might tell you, not all IP phones are compatible with all systems and services. Your incumbent service provider pr phone system vendor should also be able to provide you with a list of compatible IP phones.
- Second step: Establish who will be using your IP phone(s). Each user will have a different set of requirements depending upon their job. For example, while a receptionist may only be concerned about the total number of calls that can be dealt with simultaneously, an executive might be interested in having all of the latest and greatest features and add-ons.
- Third step: Determine what functionality and features each user will require. The majority of users will need basic features, such as call transfer, call waiting, etc. More advanced features include sidecar capability for additional extensions, a large display and speakerphone. Cisco’s Unified IP Phones for example, focus on voice quality, vibrant color displays and other user experience-centric features, and are targeted to meet the needs of a broad range of users.
- Fourth step: Verify how often each IP phone will be used. In the IP phone world, you often get what you pay for in many respects – quality included. If your users are on the phone daily, it would be wise to invest in a set of high-quality IP phone, as they will last longer and offer enhanced call quality.
- Fifth step: Find out how the number of incoming calls each user will entertain at a time. That number will influence the amount of line appearances each user’s IP phone should have. Typically, receptionists, office administrators and operators will require over 10 line appearances, while the average worker will only need 3 to 5.
But that’s not all; in our next post we will continue our list of steps to help you find the ideal IP phone for your needs – stay tuned!
Internet T3 Lines
An Internet T3 line, also referred to as a DS3 line, is a high-speed connection capable of transmitting data at speeds of up to 45 Mb per second. A single T3 line is comprised of 28 T1 lines, each operating at a total signaling rate of 1.54 Mb per second, and is equivalent to 672 traditional voice-grade phone lines, each of which supports 64 Kb per second. As a result, an Internet T3 connection can easily transmit real-time, full-motion video as well as large documents and files over a network.
As the second fastest, non-optical connection offered in North America, T3 lines are frequently installed as a major networking artery for organizations 
with high-volume network traffic, such as:
- Universities
- Large enterprises
- Software development corporations
- Video conference and call centers
- Research labs
- Internet service providers
A T3 line is a great solution for those who demand more than a standard T1 line offers. Available in both full and fractional increments, Internet T3 service is the ideal choice for anyone requiring large-scale bandwidth on an as-needed basis, supporting Web hosting, or hosting high-traffic websites. What’s more is that they ordinarily incorporate Service Level Agreements (SLAs) that guarantee high-quality performance and up to 99.999% uptime.
In addition, T-line connections can be used to integrate multiple services, including both voice and data. For example, integrated T1 and T3 lines are regularly employed for dedicated Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service, replacing the standard telephone company. This allows you to allocate a specific number channels to data, and the rest to voice calls, providing you with potentially significant cost-savings and superior call quality.
When it comes to pricing, a T-line connection is comprised of two monthly charges: the port and the local loop. The local loop charge is the cost the local incumbent charges to transport the signal from your Central Office (CO) to the Point-of-Presence (POP) of the provider. The port charge is the fee to access the Internet or telephone network through the carrier’s network. Generally, the loop price is based on geography – the father the CO and POP, the higher the loop costs – while the port price is based upon access speed and the length of your contract. With that said, almost every provider prices loops differently, so it would be in your best interest to price a T1 or T3 line with multiple providers.
Additional Information: Want to learn more? Give us a call today!
How to Find the Ideal VoIP Solution for Your Business (Continued)
How long until you see a ROI?
In order to calculate how soon you will see a Return On your Investment (ROI), all you need to do is determine the total monthly cost savings you will receive by making the switch to VoIP, and then divide that number by your total upfront costs. This will reveal how many months it will take for your business to break-even on your upfront investment.
Hosted or on-premise?
The biggest factor in determining whether a hosted or an on-premise VoIP solution would work best is the size of your company. If you employ less than 30 people and/or have no desire to handle a phone system, then a hosted VoIP service is something you should consider. With hosted VoIP, your service provider hosts your phone system for you. For companies that employ 30 or more staff members, an on-premise VoIP service is likely going to give you the best return on your investment.
How strong is your in-house IT team?
While VoIP systems are a great deal easier to use and maintain when compared to the alternatives, having a qualified employee available to manage the system is crucial to keeping your services running smoothly in the event of an unforeseen issue. Unfortunately, this means that your cousin, neighbor, (or fill in the blank with whoever it is you know that can jailbreak an iPhone or hack into a WiFi network) might not always fit the bill. If that’s the case, our team can help you find a qualified technician.
What about a backup plan?
Believe it or not, many businesses actually overlook setting up a back-up plan in advance; but rest assured those are the same folks that are kicking themselves in the back-side as soon as their service goes down due to the weather or any other number of issues. Adding building redundancy and power protection into your VoIP service is a wise idea – especially since VoIP utilized the Internet as well as your network to transport calls.
What is your budget?
Last, but certainly not least, do you know how much you are able to spend on deploying your business’s VoIP solution? Pricing for today’s business-class VoIP solutions varies greatly due to the number of providers and ways that it is able to be deployed, especially when dealing with SMBs, allowing you to decide whether you want to pay for everything in advance, split it up into monthly fees, or make a down-payment and pay the rest off monthly.
How to Find the Ideal VoIP Solution for Your Business
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service can dramatically enhance a business’s efficiency, productivity, and cost savings. However, that does not mean all VoIP services are identical. We’ve compiled a list of questions to ask yourself that are aimed to help guide you to your business’s ideal VoIP solution.
Does your Local Area Network (LAN) support VoIP calls?
You cannot realize the full potential of a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport (now dubbed the world’s fastest car) if you only drive it on a gravel road. When working with VoIP service, think of your service as a car and your network as the road. In order for you to make the most of your VoIP service it is imperative that you have a well-paved road devoid of congestion. If your business requires the frequent sending/receiving of large files or depends heavily on the Internet, then you should want to consider employing a network specifically for voice services. This might sound costly; however with provider’s constantly lowering prices to stay competitive, the minor cost investment is likely worth the ability to ensure a superior Quality of Service (QoS) level for your voice service.
Which provider should you choose?
In today’s market there are a host of VoIP providers that offer all shapes, sizes and types of VoIP services. As a result, it is important to look into what they provide as far as Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and service availability/up-time. Another good idea is to look for customer recommendations or company reviews.
How much bandwidth do you have?
While rare, there is the possibility that you can experience an issue with your VoIP service. The majority of the time, issues generally stem from the “last mile” of Internet service – particularly when dealing with small or medium-sized businesses. This is because SMBs often overlook the fact that, in order to account for the additional traffic that will be sent/received, they will need a greater amount of bandwidth.
Does your business make more local or long distance calls?
When it comes to VoIP, companies that conduct more long distance calls stand to see a greater cost savings than those that make more local calls.
What about the PSTN?
As mentioned in the previous answer, some companies will benefit more from employing a VoIP solution than others who could be better off conducting calls over the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). That being said, it is a best practice for all companies to retain at least one PSTN line as a back-up in the event that your network goes down.
Per minute rate or a flat monthly fee?
The majority of VoIP providers will let you choose between paying a set, per minute rate or a flat, monthly fee. Take a look at the volume of calls your company makes to determine which option would be best for your business.
Level 3 Closes the Year Out Strongly
Back at the end of September of this year, Level 3 announced its latest Wide Area Networking solution. This cutting-edge WAN solution presents a complete approach to enterprise networking needs in order to better facilitate businesses to optimize critical business application performance.
In addition to extending its own professional services portfolio, the provider also packaged services such as managed services, Ethernet services; Multi Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) based Virtual Private Network (VPN) services, and Dedicated Internet Access (DIA) services. Level 3’s new Wide Area Networking solution includes numerous components that provide an integrated approach to deciphering complicated network management, and includes:
- A comprehensive portfolio of the provider’s data solutions
- WAN optimization for enhanced visibility into app performance
- Firewalls that are network based to speed up cloud app access
- Varying levels of managed solutions for customer equipment
- Superior WAN assessment and design that includes professional services
According to Level 3, with the increasing adoption of cloud applications, mobility and virtualization, companies are progressively struggling with complicated networks, and as a result are calling for complete solutions that are able to accelerate and prioritize vital applications as well as enhance their performance.
Then in early October, Level 3 completed its acquisition of IP solutions provider Global Crossing under a merger that execs said improves the breadth of its worldwide communications business and financial position. You can read more about that here – http://www.easyt1.net/blog/level-3-global-crossing-merger-is-a-done-deal
At the end of October, Level 3 Communication’s president and COO, Jeff Story, along with VP and CFO, Sunit Patel rang the opening bell on the New York Stock Exchange to celebrate the transfer of Level 3 stock to the NYSE from the NASDAQ.
But Level 3 didn’t stop there
In mid November, it was announced that the provider expanded its suite of services and network capacity to meet rising broadband demand in Mexico in hopes to better serve worldwide carriers and companies that conduct business in the country. The new infrastructure connects Mazatlan, Mexico City, Monterrey, and Guadalajara in a 3,484 km ring, and is capable of providing terabits of capacity to transmit multimedia, data and voice services.
According to Gartner, the market for IP VPN, Ethernet and broadband Internet access in Mexico is anticipated to grow at a compound annual growth rate of over 15% last year and 2015.
Additional Information
As you can probably see, it’s been quite the year for Level 3 Communications. If you’re interested in learning more about the solutions offered by Level 3 or any other telecommunications services, give one of our professional account managers a call today!