Tag: telephone system seattle

Phone Tips and Tricks: Using Absence Message on your Panasonic Phone System

Karl de Vera

finger phoneWhen you are out of the office do your co-workers wonder where you are and when you will return? You can improve your inter office communications with Absence Message. When you use this feature the Absence Message will appear on the telephone display of the internal caller who calls your extension.

DBS-824 and Large DBS

To Assign the Absence Message:

Press ON/Off

Dial 71

Dial the message number (0-4 unless you have customer messages 5-9 set up)

0 = In Meeting

1= At Lunch

2=Out of office

3=Vacation

4=Another office

Dial the date or time of your return, using MM/DD or HH/MM (24-hour) format

Press ON/OFF

To Cancel Absence Message:

Press ON/Off

Dial #71

Press ON/OFF

DBS 576 and DBS 576HD

To Assign the Absence Message:

Press ON/Off

Dial 729

Dial the message number (0-4 unless you have customer messages 5-9 set up)

0 = In Meeting

1= At Lunch

2=Out of office

3=Vacation

4=Another office

Optionally, a return time can be input by entering up to a 4 digit number. Examples of return times include:

9 = Return 9:00

615=Return 6:15

Press HOLD

Press ON/OFF

To Cancel Absence Message:
Press ON/Off

Dial 729

Press HOLD

Press ON/OFF

NEChospitality77smSo the next time your are away from your desk give this feature a try.

For over 25 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 about getting the most out of your phones, upgrading your current system and more. Arrange for your free 15 minute CheckIn communications system analysis andSoundTel can help make sure your business is protected.

Find out if your next phone system should be Cloud Based

Karl de Vera

SoundTel can help you decide on Cloud Based Communication vs. On-Premise Solutions

When we began this series of blogs, we started with a question: When choosing a communications solution that is best for your business, do you go with a tried and true on-site business system, or should you consider the latest communications technology and move to the cloud? We offered a checklist to help you make an effective decision on which system is best for your business:

  1. TCO – total cost of ownership
  2. Network Assessments and Service Level Agreements
  3. Call quality and reliability
  4. Obsolescence and scalability
  5. Flexibility and remote access

Throughout SoundTel’s series of blogs on cloud based communications systems, we compared these five considerations and more. Our first blog covered Total Cost of Ownership. We noted that like all technology these days, communications is moving to the cloud in the form of enterprise software as a service (SaaS). We noted the obvious advantages such as scalability, flexibility, ability to use a wide variety of devices from anywhere 24/7. But we also pointed out that there are other considerations including cost, both initial and over time, reliability and security.

Our next blog focused on an assessment of your businesses’ local area network (LAN) and a thorough understanding of what your provider is offering in terms of a service level agreement (SLA). We discussed how a careful analysis can determine if a cloud based communications system is even possible for your business, while a poor analysis can leave you with an underperforming network and/or force costly upgrades. Adding voice to a LAN requires a network capable of handling this additional traffic without degradation of call quality. Make sure you have a service agreement from your provider outlining assurances of sound quality, uninterrupted service and other guarantees.

The third blog in the series covered call quality and reliability issues for your communication system. Any reliable provider should be able to answer basic questions about call quality and their ability to deliver it, including the phone carrier they work with, how good their data center is, what kind of connection speed they will provide and who will install the equipment and train your employees. In terms of reliability, the provider should offer a solid Service Level Agreement (SLA) that offers the industry standard Five 9s Reliability: 99.999% reliability.

Our forth blog discussed obsolescence and scalability issues. One advantage of cloud based systems is that they are mostly software, which can easily be updated to avoid obsolescence. But make sure you know beforehand who is responsible for the costs of periodic updates: you or the provider. Another big advantage of a cloud based system is the ease of scalability. You purchase only the devices you need for your size business, and in many cases, employees will be using their own smart devices. Be aware of any cost involved with your provider for future changes, though. They will probably charge to scale up your system, and may even charge to downsize.

The final blog was on flexibility and remote access. We showed that cloud systems are inherently flexible since it is based mostly in software rather than hardware. But hardware based systems are not standing still, with many offering similar flexibility to the cloud, while providing, in some cases, superior hardware and software. Remote access through a cloud system was one of its first recognized benefits, allowing employees to work from any branch office, home or even a coffee shop, using a single desk number and still having caller idea, voice mail and more. New on-premise systems are adding many of the same features, blurring the lines between cloud and on site systems.

Now is a great time to update your current phones, either to the cloud or to a modern on site total communication system. Contact Soundtel now for a free CheckIn to assure your system is doing all it can for your business. Click the button on the SoundTel homepage, call 1-800-797-3663 or 425-481-5493, or email SoundTel for a free, comprehensive communications analysis.

NEC SV8100 Telephone and Voice Mail System Updates

Karl de Vera

NEC has recently developed some great updates for your Univerge telephone system platform, including enhancements to all voice mail platforms and desktop suites. Here is just a few of the updates we are most excited about.

System Wide Highlights:

Virtual Extension Enhancement
Caller ID is now available for Virtual Extensions, allowing you to selectively screen calls, avoiding surveys and telemarketers. This enhancement also makes caller-ID appear on LCD for station-to-station calls, external calls and a virtual extension.

USB Backup
Administrators can now back-up programmed data to a USB drive via Webpro. System data can also be uploaded from a USB drive.

Do Not Disturb Enhancement (DND)
DND enables users to activate the Do Not Disturb feature on a phone, ringing or not. Callers will simply hear the user’s customized message and be transferred to voicemail.

Softkey Disable
Management can easily disable the softkey function per station (ie. Breakroom, lobby)
Voice Mail Highlights:

Terminals_largeUM8000 Voice Mail
Mobile Web Mailbox Manager (MWMM)
The MWMM web application is designed to run on a smartphone browser, allowing subscribers to listen to messages and configure their mailbox settings, including the Presence Greetings. Great for mobile employees.

Google Chrome Support
In addition to Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome is now supported for both the Web Administration Console and the Web Mailbox Manager.

Presence Greetings Support
The available subscriber greetings have been expanded to support over 10 Presence
Greetings, allowing the subscriber to provide callers feedback on their status.
Subscribers may use any of the following user interfaces to configure the greeting that callers hear:
• Telephone User Interface (TUI)
• Web Mailbox Manager (WMM)
• Mobile Web Mailbox Manager (MWMM)

Inmail Voice Mail Enhancement
The Answer Table determines how the Automated Attendant answers outside calls on each line, according to the time of the day and day of the week that the call is ringing. The answer table has been increased from 8 to 16.
The Dial Action Table defines the dialing options for the Call Routing Mailbox chosen by the active Answer Table, which in turn provides those dialing options to Automated Attendant callers. The Dial Action Table has been increased from 16 to 32.

Queued Message Notification enables configuration of each voice mailbox to receive new-message notifications at a pre-set time. DT730_24_lg This is useful for companies that commonly receive messages after regular business hours, or a service desk collecting after hour messages that can be delivered at a pre-set time.

You already know how valuable your NEC SV8100 Univerge system is to your business. To ensure your phone system always gets the most up-to-date software, SoundTel provides Software Assurance Packages and Service Protection Plans. SoundTel can affordably provide or upgrade both types of plans for your business today. To learn more about the latest updates for your NEC SV8100 and get a free CheckIn to assure your system is doing all it can for your business email SoundTel or call today at 1-800-797-3663 or 425-481-5493 for a full preview.

Obsolescence and Scalability Issues for Cloud Based Phone Systems

Karl de Vera

Should Your Next Phone System Be Cloud Based?

In the third blog of this series, Call Quality and reliability issues for Cloud based systems, we discussed the importance of call quality when switching to a cloud based system. This included making sure your network is capable of handling the demands of an internet VoIP system to avoid dropped or degraded calls. We also covered what your provider should offer in terms of quality assurance, with a list of five factors that could affect your communications system. Reliability issues were covered, including the importance of a service level agreement (SLA) that provides “Five 9s Reliability”: 99.999% performance with multiple geographically dispersed redundant data centers to eliminate single points of failure.

Obsolescence

One of the major advantages of a cloud based system is that a significant part of it is software. This allows for regular performance upgrades at much lower cost than upgrading physical equipment. Be sure you are aware of your carrier’s policy on software upgrades, though. Many companies provide free upgrades as they improve their software over time and add new features to attract new customers, but some may charge an annual fee or even a per-upgrade fee. Make sure you know your potential providers policy in advance.

Equipment is also an obsolescence consideration, but another advantage of a cloud service is that it allows employees to use their own devices, such as smart phones and tablets, which they tend to regularly upgrade on their own. A downside is that you own, rather than lease, office hardware so when your desk telephones or computers become obsolete, you are responsible for purchasing new equipment. As we covered in our second blog, Is your network ready for Voice over Internet Protocol? making sure your current phones, computers and network are capable of handling a new VoIP System will mitigate much of this issue.

Scalability

Another big advantage of a cloud based system is the ease of scalability. When you first move to a cloud system, you only purchase what you need for your business, and as mentioned before, you are always using the latest updated technology at that point. As you grow, you can simply add the peripheral devices you need. But remember, most service providers do charge a fee for installation or set up of new devices when you do expand. They may also charge for the opposite: if you need to downsize. As we continue to emphasize, always be sure you are conscious of what charges you will be responsible for if anything changes in the size and scope of your business or network, and not just on the growth side.

Before you make an investment in a cloud based communications system, be sure your network is ready to handle the speed and quality required for voice communications. And before you commit to a service provider, be sure you understand their SLA and all other costs you will incur for growing or downsizing your system. Always consult with a reliable, trustworthy expert in the communications field. SoundTel will be pleased to answer any questions you may have and can help you decide if moving to the cloud is the right decision for your business. Call 1-800-797-3663 or 425-481-5493 for a free communications analysis.

Our next (and final in this series) blog on cloud based systems will cover Flexibility and Remote Access.

Should your next phone system be Cloud Based: Part 2

Karl de Vera

Is your network ready for Voice over Internet Protocol?

In the first blog post in this series, Cloud Based Communication vs. On-Premise Solutions, we provided an overview of cloud vs. on-premise communications systems and discussed the first of five major considerations before investing in a cloud based network: total cost of ownership (TCO). These included the size and number of locations of your business, if your employees used their own devices and more. Be sure to check out the first post at the link above.

Network Assessments and Service Level Agreements

Your next consideration should be an assessment of your local area network (LAN) and a thorough understanding of what your provider is offering in terms of a service level agreement (SLA). A careful analysis can determine if a cloud based communications system is even possible. A poor analysis can leave you with an under-performing network and/or force costly upgrades.

Network Assessments

When you add voice to your LAN, it’s important to know your network is capable of handling this additional traffic without degradation of call quality. Everyone is used to the call quality a standard circuit-switched telephone connection offers to deliver clear voice. This quality can only be accomplished over the internet if it meets the unique requirements for on-time voice traffic, which are much different than that needed for moving data alone.

Quality of service (QOS) or traffic prioritization, available bandwidth, low latency and no packet loss are all required for regular voice service to work correctly and to be delivered effectively through the cloud. With data traffic, the network quality can vary without interrupting your work, as long as it is generally fast enough (for example, the difference between old dial-up service and modern high speed internet). With voice traffic, it must move linearly, rather than in separate packets, and must arrive through the internet complete and in real time. Any loss or delay of voice packets can be very unsettling and disruptive, with pauses, gaps, missing syllables and even missing words, resulting in unacceptable call quality, and in worse case, disconnections. A network assessment will test and measure important performance criteria to determine if your network is ready for voice over the internet (VoIP) and provide valuable diagnostic information if upgrades are needed.

Service Level Agreements

Next you need to know what guarantee the provider you are considering will offer you. You should know up front exactly what level of support is included in your contract. Check if they assure sound quality, uninterrupted service or if they have any kind of guarantees in writing. Find out what they will do if the sound quality is poor or any of the problems above happen. Finally, what will they do for you if their system is down and you lose service (and potential customers).

Here is a checklist of five levels of service to consider. Be sure to ask any potential provider for full details on these:

  1. Carrier (what phone carrier will be providing service and what are their SLAs)
  2. Data Center (where are they, who runs them, how reliable are they)
  3. Unified Communications Level (will this be a simple phone system or a fully unified communications system)
  4. Delivery (what kind of connection will the service be delivered over: guaranteed call quality requires more expensive connections)
  5. User (who will install the equipment, what kind of training will be provided, who will you call if there is a problem?)

Before you make an investment in a cloud based communications system, be sure your network is ready to handle the speed and quality required for voice communications. And before you commit to a service provider, be sure you understand their SLA and all that it entails. Always consult with a reliable, trustworthy expert in the communications field. SoundTel will be pleased to answer any questions you may have and can help you decide if moving to the cloud is the right decision for your business. Call 1-800-797-3663 or 425-481-5493 for a free communications analysis.

Our next blog will cover call quality and reliability of a cloud based system.

Should your next phone system be Cloud Based?

Karl de Vera

Cloud Based Communication vs. On-Premise Solutions

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

  1. TCO – total cost of ownership
  2. Network Assessments and Service Level Agreements
  3. Call quality and reliability
  4. Obsolescence and scalability
  5. Flexibility and remote access

SoundTel will post a series of blogs on the subject of cloud based communications systems comparing these five considerations, and more, in the following weeks. Be sure to subscribe to our RSS feed or follow us on social media so you don’t miss any.

Like all technology these days, communications is moving to the cloud. Just as you can choose enterprise software as a service (SaaS), telecommunications providers are now offering PPI solicitors that are web based. 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, on-premise solutions 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 would benefit using cloud base solutions. Such a solution may be seen in distributed antenna system installation companies – call Us!.

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 (how, why). 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.

But if you are a small single location office, this type of flexibility and scalability is unnecessary. A business should not let the excitement of moving with the newest technology trend to outweigh a thorough review of the costs and benefits. Always consult with a reliable, trustworthy expert in the communications field. SoundTel will be pleased to answer any questions you may have and can help you decide if moving to the cloud is the right decision for your business. Call 1-800-797-3663 or 425-481-5493 for a free communications analysis.

Are your Communcation Systems Ready for the Holidays?

Karl de Vera

Here is a quick checklist of communication systems items to think about  before the holidays:

  • Are any changes needed to your company voice mail greeting and schedule?
  • Does your personal voice mail greeting need to be changed?
  • Are any changes needed to your emergency and/or afterhours system?
  • UCB user’s may want to update their profile
  • Do you have a current back up?

happy holidays

Give us a call at 425.481.5493 if you need help. Oh and ………

Here is a Winter Checklist for Your Telephone System

Karl de Vera

Don’t let the first snow day catch you unprepared. Take a few minutes now to make sure your telephone and voice mail system are ready for this winter season.

Here is a quick checklist:

1. Are your voice mail greetings up to date? If you use a alternate greeting for snow days or holidays are they recorded?

2. Who has administrative rights for your system? We always suggest more than one person has rights. Generally only administrators can change company voice mail greetings.

picture1

3. What is your snow day procedure? A little planning now can eliminate confusion later.

4. If you are using back up batteries now is a good time to test them. Most back up batteries need to be replaced after about two years.

I hope you found this checklist helpful. As ever contact us at 425.481.5493 or service@soundtel.com for additional assistance.

Teresa Muzzuco

teresa@soundtel.com