SoundTel – Seattle area top provider of telecommunication since 1984

Phone Tips and Tricks for NEC 8100 System Managers

July 20, 2015Karl de Vera

SoundTel presents a series of “Tips and Tricks” to help you better utilize your phone system. For more Tips and Tricks go to our website support page.

When receiving calls from another extension you have two options. The two options are:

Hands free Answerback – after a short beep you can immediately speak to the extension you called. They do not need to touch their phone but can answer your call hands free.
Force Ringing for Intercom Calls – the phone rings when receiving an internal call. The receiver will have to answer your call by lifting the handset, hitting the speaker button or picking up your call with their headset.

Why would you want to switch between the modes? It’s convenient to have the Hands free Answerback mode since it saves time on waiting for the receiver to pick up the call. Plus the receiver can respond without touching their phone. On the other hand, having the phone ring is more private and for some less disruptive. The default setting selected by your system administrator will be programmed for you, but you can switch between these two options by following the instructions below (IPK I, IPK II and SV8100):

Initiate an intercom call
Press 1 to toggle between voice announce or ringing the extension

For users of IPK II and SV8100, you are able to change how your phone responds to an Intercom Call by following these steps:

Hands free Answerback
Press the Speaker Key
Dial 721
Press the Speaker Key
Forced Ringing for Intercom Calls
Press the Speaker Key
Dial 723
Press the Speaker Key

Have a question or want to suggest a topic?

Email us at phonetips@soundtel.com
For other inquiries contact us at 425-481-5493 or service@soundtel.com

For 30 years, we have assisted companies like yours in their every communications need. We are a local, family-owned business invested in our community. Contact SoundTel or call 425.481.5493 or 800.797.3663 to learn more.

SV9000 Series Available from SoundTel

November 11, 2014Karl de Vera

NEC has created the next evolution of their award-winning communications technologies with its UNIVERGE SV9000 Series Communications Platforms. The SV9000 Series smart enterprise and SMB solutions leverage technologies which optimize business practices, drive workforce engagement, and create a competitive advantage – resulting in your business being more efficient, flexible, and productive. These powerful communications solutions are designed to fit your business’s unique needs and provide you with high-efficiency, easy-to-deploy technology that you require.

The SV9000 Series enhances the overall user experience. From IT staff and office workers to the receptionist and all other employees, the SV9000 Series provides communication tools that can be tailored to individual roles to streamline information delivery and increase productivity.

The SV9000 offers:

Native UC on all platforms
New licensing software delivery models
Easy administration and deployment tools
Enhanced vertical workflow solutions

With SoundTel, you can be assured of best-in-class service, support and prices.

SoundTel can help you upgrade or replace for your current NEC system or replace an out-of-date system from another manufacturer. For 30 years, we have assisted companies like yours in their every communications need. We are a local, family-owned business invested in our community. Contact SoundTel or call 425.481.5493 or 800.797.3663 to learn more.

NEC Ranks Highest in Customer Service, Trust, and Technology

August 18, 2014Karl de Vera

Recently, Nemertes Research surveyed 500 IT decision-makers to determine how they rate their technology vendors.NEC logo The survey asked 20 key questions that were designed to help determine which IP telephony vendor has the best customer service, and what that service actually means when put into context.

The survey results show that NEC ranks the highest among vendors in the categories of Trusted Advisor, Technology and Customer Service.

NEC offers a broad range of enterprise communications solutions – ranging from small to very large systems – that effectively support enterprise and SMB customers whose requirements span from traditional TDM to full IP and 100% software-based deployments.

Read the full article on the NEC blog here.

SoundTel is a proud supplier and installer of NEC phone systems, and can help you find the perfect new system or phone upgrade for your current NEC system. For 30 years, we have assisted companies like yours in their every communications need. We are a local, family-owned business invested in our community. Contact SoundTel or call 425.481.5493 or 800.797.3663 to learn more.

Phone Tips and Tricks: For System Managers of NEC IPK I and NEC IPK II Systems

July 7, 2014Karl de Vera

SoundTel presents a series of “Tips and Tricks” to help you better utilize your phone system. For more Tips and Tricks go to our website support page.

Are you the system manager for your business NEC IPK I or IPK II phone systems? System managers maintain the phone system user information, as well as some of the system wide features. The most common information that needs changing is user names and system date and time. More material on voice mail system administration is available directly from SoundTel. Please consult with your SoundTel representative for details of your system.

Here is a quick guide for those changes:

NEC IPK I and NEC IPK II System Administration User Manual

Have a question or want to suggest a topic? Email us at phonetips@soundtel.com
For other inquiries contact us at 425-481-5493 or service@soundtel.com

Phone Tips and Tricks: For System Managers of NEC SV8100 Systems

June 12, 2014Karl de Vera

SoundTel presents a series of “Tips and Tricks” to help you better utilize your phone system. For more Tips and Tricks go to our website support page.

Are you the system manager for your business NEC SV8100 phone systems? System managers maintain the phone system user information, as well as some of the system wide features. The most common information that needs changing is user names and system date and time. Note that this system has browser based maintenance. For security purposes you have to have the user name and password to access it. More material on voice mail system administration is available directly from SoundTel. Please consult with your SoundTel representative for details of your system.

Here is a quick guide for those changes:

NEC SV8100 User Guide with WebPro

Have a question or want to suggest a topic? Email us at

phonetips@soundtel.com

For other inquiries contact us at 425-481-5493 or service@soundtel.com

Phone Tips and Tricks: For System Managers of DBS 576 and HD576 Systems

June 11, 2014Karl de Vera

SoundTel presents a series of “Tips and Tricks” to help you better utilize your phone system. For more Tips and Tricks go to our website support page.

Are you the system manager for your business Panasonic DBS 576 and HD576 phone systems? System managers maintain the phone system user information, as well as some of the system wide features. The most common information that needs changing is user names and system date and time. Some of these features are software dependent and may not work on all systems. More material on voice mail system administration is available directly from SoundTel. Please consult with your SoundTel representative for details of your system.

Here are links for those changes:

To Program Extension Names on a Panasonic DBS 576

To Change System Time on Panasonic DBS 576

To Program SSD Names and Numbers

Have a question or want to suggest a topic? Email us at phonetips@soundtel.com
For other inquiries contact us at 425-481-5493 or service@soundtel.com

Phone Tips and Tricks: For System Managers of DBS and DBS 824 Systems

June 5, 2014Karl de Vera

SoundTel presents a series of “Tips and Tricks” to help you better utilize your phone system. For more Tips and Tricks go to our website support page.

Are you the system manager for your business Panasonic DBS or DBS 824 phone systems? fingerphone2System managers maintain the phone system user information, as well as some of the system wide features. The most common information that needs changing is user names and system date and time. Some of these features are software dependent and may not work on all systems. More material on voice mail system administration is available directly from SoundTel. Please consult with your SoundTel representative for details of your system.

Here is a quick guide for those changes:

TO CHANGE EXTENSION NAMES

Before you change a name, you must know the extension’s “Port” number. This is how the phone system recognizes each jack. To confirm the port number:

Press ON/OFF key
Press CONF key
Dial the extension number of the phone you wish to change

Your display will show the current status of that phone on the first line of the display. The name currently assigned will appear on the left side of the second line and the port number appears on the right side of the second line. Document the port number.

Press ON/OFF key to end

NOTE: It is recommended that you make and maintain a list of each extension’s port number. After this list is generated, do the following to change extension names.

EXTENSION NAMES

Press ON/OFF key
Press PROG key
Dial # 2
Enter the extension’s 2 or 3 digit port number
Press AUTO repeatedly to backspace and erase previous name
Use the dial pad on your phone to enter the letters
(Example: Press the 2 key twice to get a capital B, three times to get a capital C, etc.)
Press FLASH key after each letter to move to the next cursor position
Press CONF key if you want to toggle dial pad to numbers instead of letters
Press HOLD key to save the name
Press ON/OFF key to end

TO CHANGE TIME & DATE ON ALL PHONES

TIME

Press ON/OFF key
Press PROG key
Dial # #
Press FF1 key (Lower left key with light, usually Line 1)
Dial 1 #
Dial 2 #
Enter the time in 24 hour format (military time). Be sure to enter 4 digits.
(Example: If it is 2:00 p.m., enter 1400 )
Press #
Press ON/OFF to end

DATE

Press ON/OFF key
Press PROG key
Dial # #
Press FF1 key (Lower left key with light, usually Line 1)
Dial 1 #
Dial 1 # “Month/Day/Year” appears
Enter six digits for the month, day, year
Press #
Press ON/OFF to end

TO PROGRAM SYSTEM SPEED DIAL NUMBERS

Press ON/OFF key (your phone must be idle, no ringing calls)
Press PROG key
Press AUTO key
Dial the 2 or 3 digit Speed Dial Code to be programmed
Press CONF , then dial 9 for outside line access (this is only if you use 9 to access outside lines on the phone system, if you’re not sure, ask a SoundTel representative).
Dial the telephone number to be stored
Press HOLD to save the program
Press ON/OFF to end

TO PROGRAM SYSTEM SPEED DIAL NAMES

Press ON/OFF key
Press PROG key
Dial # 1
Press AUTO key
Dial the 2 or 3 digit System Speed Dial code to which the name should apply
Press AUTO repeatedly to backspace and erase previous name
Use the dialpad on your phone to enter the letters

(Example: Press the 2 key twice to get a capital B, three times to get a capital C, etc.)

Press FLASH key after each letter to move to the next cursor position
Press CONF key if you want to toggle dialpad to numbers instead of letters
Press HOLD key to save the name
Press ON/OFF key to end

Have a question or want to suggest a topic? Email us at phonetips@soundtel.com

For other inquiries contact us at 425-481-5493 or service@soundtel.com

Hosted Vs. Premise Phone Systems

May 7, 2014Karl de Vera

When choosing a communications solution that is best for your business, do you go with a traditional on premise system, or should you consider moving to the cloud with a hosted system? As with all business decision, you need to weigh the costs and benefits of all options. Consider the following when comparing premise vs. hosted solutions for your business:

TCO – total cost of ownershi
Network Assessments and Service Level Agreements
Call quality and reliability
Obsolescence and scalability
Flexibility and remote access

Like all technology these days, communications is moving to the cloud. Just as you can choose hosted enterprise “software as a service” (SaaS), telecommunications providers are now offering full business communications systems that are web based, or hosted. The advantages are obvious: scalability, flexibility, ability to use a wide variety of devices from anywhere 24/7. But there are other considerations: cost, both initial and over time, reliability and security.

In the past, premise solutions (where the entire system is based physically in your office) were often chosen because of low TCO and high levels of security, since the communications system was onsite. Cloud based communications solutions offer low upfront cost, greater flexibility and low maintenance costs. Of course every business is different, and TCO depends greatly on the size and number of locations of a business. A business with a few very large sites may end up with lower TCO staying with on premise solutions, while a business with many small sites might benefit from using a hosted solutions.

If you have a large, spread out employee base with a wide variety of needs and mobile devices, the cloud based solutions can save you a significant amount of money by allowing BYOD: (Bring Your Own Device), where employees can use their own mobile devices on your business system by simply installing an app. Using the cloud, you are not bound to any specific brand or even certain standards, since there are apps available to connect virtually any communication device imaginable, now or in the future. It also allows for one-number access no matter where or what device an employee is currently using.

nec-conference-611 But if you are a small single location office, this type of flexibility and scalability is unnecessary. In this case, a more standard premise based solution may be appropriate. A business should not let the excitement of moving with the newest technology trend outweigh a thorough review of the costs and benefits. Also, modern premise systems come with many of the same options as hosted systems.

Always consult with a reliable, trustworthy expert in the communications field. SoundTel will be happy to answer any questions you have about hosted vs. premise and which is right for your business. For 30 years, we have assisted companies like yours in their every communications need. We are a local, family-owned business invested in our community. Contact SoundTel or call 425.481.5493 or 800.797.3663 to learn more.

Can a New Telephone System Save Lives?

April 28, 2014Karl de Vera

Healthcare15 If you run a healthcare business or senior care facility, putting someone on extended hold or missing a call could be a matter of life or death. Answering all calls in a timely matter is more than good customer service in the healthcare industry. Yet many offices struggle with out-of-date systems that are unable to handle growing clientele numbers efficiently and effectively. Simply parking customers on hold for several minutes is not acceptable.

A recent article, An RX For Hospitals: Communications Overhaul, on the website Breakthroughs, highlights this issue in a healthcare setting. The story, which first appeared on the Dallas NPR station KERA radio, focused on how NEC’s technology helped John Peter Smith (JPS) Hospital in Ft. Worth not only save money, but also save lives and improve the patient experience.

200181824-001 As the article highlights, there is a wide range of technologies to upgrade or replace aging systems. VoIP offers faster, clearer and more reliable service than many traditional phone lines. IP-based communications allow businesses to answer phones through their laptops, check their email for voicemail left in their office, and run high-bandwidth medical applications that are becoming more popular.

As an authorized NEC dealer, SoundTel can help you find the perfect new phone system or offer upgrades for your current NEC system. For 30 years, we have assisted companies like yours in their every communications need. We are a local, family-owned business invested in our community. ContactSoundTel or call 425.481.5493 or 800.797.3663 to learn more.

Brand New Phones Can Upgrade Your Older System

March 31, 2014Karl de Vera

DT730_24_lg Is your business tired of using dated looking phones, but don’t want the cost of upgrading your entire system? Now, if your business is using an NEC IPK II model system, you can upgrade to new NEC phones without the cost and hassle of changing the entire system.

For businesses using an IPK II system, you can now upgrade to a brand new Univerge all digital handset that will easily integrate into your system. These phones will help modernize the look of your office at a fraction of the cost of an entire communications system. And remember that for these older systems, only used handsets are available. So for a little more money than used, you can upgrade to a brand new digital phone.

DT330_12_large If your system is an older IPK I version, digital phones are also available when you add a retrofit keypad. This is a great way to modularly update your current system.

SoundTel can help you find the perfect phone upgrade for your current NEC system. For 30 years, we have assisted companies like yours in their every communications need. We are a local, family-owned business invested in our community. ContactSoundTel or call 425.481.5493 or 800.797.3663 to learn more.