How to Avoid VoIP System Downtime during an Internet Outage

June 18, 2018 by Ying-Hui Chen

Last week, Comcast suffered a massive outage, affecting thousands of users across the USA including Pacific Northwest, California, Florida and more.

Many businesses were affected by this outage, unable to make or receive phone calls during peak business hours including some government agencies and emergency response teams. Many of these customers were using VoIP and only some had a failover plan. If you don’t have one, this is a post you’re going to want to read!

How Do I Avoid VoIP System Downtime during an Internet Outage?

One of the most important factors to consider when evaluating a VoIP system is whether your VoIP service provider offers call continuity and system redundancy. These features are made to ensure that no VoIP calls will be lost during an Internet outage. Your calls will be automatically forwarded to designated cell phone numbers or other mobile devices you prefer.

Nextiva is one of our most popular mobile-ready VoIP service providers. Let’s take a look at how it can help you reduce your VoIP System downtime to zero:

The Nextiva Clarity Dual WAN Failover

Nextiva Clarity is a dual WAN failover plan that allows you to route traffic through a backup internet connection when your primary internet connection is not available.

It enables your business or employees to access the system from any mobile devices whether your Internet connection works or not. (Yes – All call features will still be available on your mobile devices!)

The Nextiva App

The Nextiva App is the primary access point for business users to manage their unified communications solution. This single feature-rich application allows you to communicate via voice, video, and instant messaging right from your mobile device. You will be able to stay connected at all times, whether you are on the road or in an event of power or Internet outage!

Want to learn more about VoIP failover plans or Nextiva? Call one of our VoIP consultants at 1-800-398-8647 today!

4 Reasons Why You Should Let VoIP Supply Help Your Provisioning Needs

June 6, 2018 by Ying-Hui Chen

We all have a lot to do each day and programming your customers’ VoIP systems shouldn’t be your focus. Luckily, there’s a better solution: the provisioning service by VoIP Supply!

Check out the top four reasons why our customers choose to do programming and provisioning with the VoIP Supply provisioning team:

Why Provisioning VoIP Systems with VoIP Supply?

Reason 1: Let the experts do it right!

Each component in a VoIP system needs its own programming and little tweaks. The VoIP Supply provisioning team already has the knowledge and capability to do it efficiently for you. Why not let us do it right for you?

Our team configures the proper IP settings to match your network specifications, sets up your extension information, and makes sure the PBX is ready to connect to your phones. Your PBX will be ready to go right out of the box!

Reason 2: Focus on your core business

Time is money. Save your valuable time by having the experts at VoIP Supply configure for you, so you can focus what’s important, growing your business!

Reason 3: More than just PBX Provisioning

We don’t just do PBX provisioning, we also handle IP phone provisioning, system configuration, PCI Card provisioning, and more. From initial consultations to the final installation, you don’t need to worry about a thing. Just relax and let us do it for you.

Consultations: VoIP Supply Phone Support in 30 or 60 Minute Packages
VoIP Provisioning: VoIP Phone Provisioning, Remote Phone Provisioning, PBX Provisioning
Configuration: System Configuration, PCI Card Configuration, PCI Assembly
Installations: Site Survey, Cat5 Cable Runs, UPS/Phone/PBX Installation, Router and Wireless Access Point Configuration and Installation

See the full list of services here.

Reason 4: We are not going anywhere

Our VoIP Solution experts are able to pair you with an installation partner utilizing our network of integrator from our Community. We have a lot of resources to help you solve your problems. If you have any questions, our VoIP experts are just a phone call away to answer!

Ready to Start?

Our provisioning services are performed in our VoIP Provisioning Lab from 8 am to 5 pm EST. Fill out the form here with your project details and one of our VoIP consultants will contact you as soon as possible.

Is Google Hangouts Meet Compatible with Polycom and Cisco Phones?

by Ying-Hui Chen

Great news! Google today announced that their Hangouts Meet, a designated business video conferencing solution, will be compatible with Polycom and Cisco hardware in a few weeks.

These integrations will make it easier for businesses to use meeting solutions utilizing existing VoIP hardware they have.

“Nothing’s more frustrating than hosting a meeting and having trouble getting people to join because of issues with technology—it can interrupt workflows and slow down productivity,” Rany Ng, Google’s director of product management for G Suite

Additionally, Google also introduced its new third party integration with Google calendar. Now you can join some third party calls such as Webex right from Google Calendar with a simple click.

We are expecting to see more integrations and analytics updates from Google in a few months. Stay tuned!

Grandstream UCM6200 & GXP Phones Webinar Recap (Recording and Q&A)

June 5, 2018 by Ying-Hui Chen

Are you interested in the Grandstream UCM6200 or other versions of the UCM? These Grandstream IP PBX appliances offer secure and reliable service at an unprecedented price without any licensing fees, cost-per-feature or recurring fees. During our previous webinar with Grandstream, we received a lot of great questions about the UCM appliances and we want to share with all of you who may have the same questions!

Download the presentation slides here

Grandstream UCM6200 & GXP Phones Webinar Q&A

Question 1 Can an Avaya phone be configured to work with the UCMs?

Answer: All our devices are SIP-based devices so any devices that support the SIP protocol should work with the UCM. Some features might not work because they were designed to work with Grandstream devices only but in terms of the functionality, it should not be a problem.

Question 2 What about an Active Directory or some other directory client on the UCMs?

Answer: Yes, you can use the Active Directory on either the UCMs or on the GXP phones.

Question 3: How do we set up Affinity desktop client?

Answer: After downloading the application through the “Resources” section of any GXP phone’s product page on Grandstream.com, you can choose Simple, Advanced or Discovery setup mode. Each provide convenient configuration possibilities to any deployment.

For more information about Grandstream Affinity, download the Grandstream Affinity brochure and the User Guide here! Or call our VoIP Specialists at 1-800-398-8647.

Question 4: Does Grandstream have training available in South Africa?

Answer: Not that I am aware of. You can reach out to our help desk and select the region when you open a ticket in the system and we will get back to you with a more accurate answer.

Question 5: The Grandstream 6510 UCM had a USB port, do other UCM models have that too?

Answer: That is correct! All the UCM models come with a SD card port for external storage and a USB port that you can use.

Question 6: Is there a Cloud version of the UCM6200?

AnswerNot as of right now, all the UCMs are IP PBX appliances, not in the cloud yet.

More Questions? Contact our VoIP Solutions Consultant, Joe Shanahan, at 716-531-4316 or [email protected]!

Sangoma Vega 3000G is a finalist for Channel Product of the Year (Hardware) 2018

by Ying-Hui Chen

Sangoma Technologies, a trusted leader in delivering scalable VoIP telephony systems, announced that their Vega 3000G gateway is a finalist for Channel Product of the Year (Hardware) at the Comms Business Awards on June 21st.

This award is for hardware products sold into the ICT Channel during 2017. Judges will be looking out for innovation and disruptive products which have brought a new dynamic to specific market segments.

Sangoma Vega 3000G is a 24 FXS port analog gateway with SIP support and is scalable for large deployments. This device offers voice, fax and modem support. Learn more here!

Up to 24 VoIP channels
QoS statistics reporting
SIP to SIP call routing
Emergency call routing
USB 2.0 for extra storage
Low-density PSTN gateway

Are you using Sangoma Vega 3000G? What’s your experience? Leave a comment to share with us!

Which Spectralink Phones work with the Avaya IP Office PBX?

June 4, 2018 by Ying-Hui Chen

Are you using Avaya IP Office PBX and wondering what VoIP phones are compatible with it? As you may know, Avaya is very proprietary and doesn’t support many 3rd party IP Phones; however, there are some exceptions!

If you are looking to upgrade your WiFi phones, some Spectralink handsets are compatible with Avaya’s PBX. However, you will still need a 3rd party SIP license from Avaya for the handsets to act as an endpoint off the PBX.

Here are some tested handsets to get you started but we recommend you contact our VoIP experts at 1-800-398-8647 to make sure they work with your version of Avaya PBX:

Spectralink PIVOT 8744 Series Handsets

Key Features:

Dual mode high-resolution camera
Touchscreen with a full keyboard
Reliable voice quality over Wi-Fi
Open Standards for integration across call control, WiFi networks, and applications

Spectralink 8440 Series Handsets

Spectralink 8440 Series Handsets has been tested on the Avaya IP Office 500v2 software version 9.0.

Key Features:

WiFi compatibility with VIEW Approved WiFi Access Points.
2.2 inch color LCD display, 240×320 resolution
Dedicated Push-to-Talk
Four (4) Context Sensitive Softkeys

Do you have more questions about the VoIP Phones compatibility? Call one of our VoIP consultants at 1-800-398-8647 to get your questions answered.

The Sangoma FreePBX Bundle 1-Year Licenses are Available now!

by Ying-Hui Chen

Are the 25-year FreePBX licenses too long for your business? If yes, then you are in luck! Today Sangoma released their new 1-year licenses for your FreePBX bundles. Now you can enjoy all the same benefits and add-on modules as the original FreePBX bundles, only this time, with a shorter time of commitment!

What FreePBX Bundle 1-Year Licenses are Available?

There are four new 1-year license FreePBX bundles available. One of them will be perfectly tailored for your type and size of business. With an array of options for add-ons, you are able to create a powerful PBX that allows your business to perform at the top tier of its potential. Plus, our dedicated VoIP experts are here to help you make that happen! Check out the available 1-year license bundles:

Sangoma FreePBX Starter Bundle

Sangoma FreePBX Advanced Bundle

Sangoma FreePBX Call-Center Bundle

Sangoma FreePBX Everything Bundle

Not sure which bundle is your magic solution? Read our blog to find out: Sangoma FreePBX Bundles Comparison – Choose a Right Solution. Or simply raise your phone to call our VoIP experts at 1-800-398-8647 and let us pick the ideal bundle for you!

It’s official! Grandstream’s GWN Series Cloud Controller is Now Available

May 31, 2018 by Ying-Hui Chen

Earlier this year, Grandstream released the beta testing for their latest innovation: GWN.Cloud, which drew a lot of attentions and interests from many VoIP users. Today, Grandstream finally announced the official release of this new cloud controller! Here’s what you need to know about GWN.Cloud:

What is GWN.Cloud?

GWN.Cloud is an enterprise-grade cloud WiFi management platform designed for the GWN series WiFi access points that allows installers, network managers and end-users to quickly deploy WiFi networks at a blink of an eye! Best of all…. it’s all free!

What does GWN.Cloud do?

GWN.Cloud allows users to manage and view real time reports for the entire WiFi networks across multiple locations simply via a mobile app or a web browser. It doesn’t matter how big or small your organization is, or how many WiFi APs you have, GWN.Cloud is equipped to provide you a secure, centralized WiFi network management platform for all of your APs.

GWN.Cloud Key Benefits

High reliability thanks to being hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS) with 99.99% uptime
Virtually unlimited scalability with no restrictions on the number of sites or APs
Supports customizable vouchers and built-in captive portals with customizable landing pages
Real-time network monitoring, schedules, time policy, and various other control tools, as well as configurable alerts
In-depth graphical reports broken down by network, AP, client and more

How to Sign Up for GWN.Cloud

GWN.Cloud is currently available to the public for free! To use GWN.Cloud, you need to create an account at www.gwn.cloud and add your GWN series APs to the account.

Helpful links:

Have questions? Our VoIP experts are just a call away. Contact us at 1-800-398-8647!

SD WAN In the Know Part I: What Is SD WAN? How Does It Work?

May 30, 2018 by Ying-Hui Chen

If you are one of the billion VoIP users in the world, you must have heard about SD WAN by now. It is surely a big buzzword lately as we are more aware of the importance of VoIP security and call quality. So let’s find out what’s all the buzz about!

What is SD WAN?

SD-WAN stands for “Software Defined Wide Area Network”. It is a new technology that centrally connects and manages multiple locations using a variety of internet connections.

How SD WAN Works

When SD-WAN is utilized on the Cloud-based controller, it doesn’t matter how many locations you have or how far they are from each other, as long as the devices connect to your SD-WAN provider, you’ll have a singular infrastructure to manage your entire network easily. Now you can remotely program edge devices and reduce provisioning time and costs!

Unlike a traditional system, SD-WAN senses the quality of all your connections and routes the traffic to the best path to optimize your call quality and make sure your system is up and running seamlessly at all times.

Are you looking for an SD-WAN solution? Check out SimpleWan, one of our best SD-WAN partners that provide traffic shaping solution, SD-voice, bandwidth management, and more services.

Ribbon Communications also has SD-WAN solutions including:

Click here to see more SD-WAN providers or call one of our VoIP experts at 1-800-398-8647 to have all your questions answered today! In the SD WAN In the Know Part II, we will be discussing more reasons why our customers choose SD WAN and how secure SD-WAN is for businesses. Stay tuned!

FBI Security Alert: Reboot your Home or Office VoIP Routers Immediately

by Ying-Hui Chen

May 29th, 2018 – According to FBI, many computer routers that connect US homes and businesses to the internet may be hacked or infected by malware. The malware may steal users’ personal data or cripple your website service.

“Foreign cyber actors have compromised hundreds of thousands of home and office routers and other networked devices worldwide,” the FBI said in a warning released on Friday.

What can you do?

Reboot your home or office routers immediately
Disable remote management settings on the router
Update your login with a secure password
Make sure your security is updated to the latest available version of firmware

It’s important to regularly update your firmware and have the latest VoIP networking equipment to ensure that your VoIP system is well protected from intruders.

If you need help with upgrading switches, routers, session border controllers, or other security appliances, call one of our VoIP consultants at 1-800-398-8647 today!

How Do I Avoid VoIP System Downtime during an Internet Outage?

The Nextiva Clarity Dual WAN Failover

The Nextiva App

Why Provisioning VoIP Systems with VoIP Supply?

Reason 1: Let the experts do it right!

Reason 2: Focus on your core business

Reason 3: More than just PBX Provisioning

Reason 4: We are not going anywhere

Ready to Start?

Grandstream UCM6200 & GXP Phones Webinar Q&A

Question 1 Can an Avaya phone be configured to work with the UCMs?

Question 2 What about an Active Directory or some other directory client on the UCMs?

Question 3: How do we set up Affinity desktop client?

Question 4: Does Grandstream have training available in South Africa?

Question 5: The Grandstream 6510 UCM had a USB port, do other UCM models have that too?

Question 6: Is there a Cloud version of the UCM6200?

What FreePBX Bundle 1-Year Licenses are Available?

What is GWN.Cloud?

What does GWN.Cloud do?

GWN.Cloud Key Benefits

How to Sign Up for GWN.Cloud

What is SD WAN?

How SD WAN Works

What can you do?

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