Update for Digium Card and Switchvox Customers

January 7, 2014 by Nathan Miloszewski

Newest Digium cards currently not compatible with latest version of Switchvox

Toward the end of 2013, Digium released new telphony cards.

You’ll want to read Digium’s notice below if you’re a customer who purchased any of the following new devices:

Digium TE133 PCI Express Card with Echo Cancellation
Digium TE134 PCI Card with Echo Cancellation
Digium A4 Series Analog Cards
Digium A8 Series Analog Cards
Digium TE235 Digital Cards
Digium TE435 Digital Cards

Switchvox Compatibility for New Digium Cards

Here’s the announcement from Digium regarding Switchvox compatibility with their latest cards:

In Q4 of 2013, Digium released new analog and digital interface cards to refresh the current card lineup. These new cards are not currently compatible with the publicly available versions of Switchvox. A new Switchvox update, 5.8.1, will support the cards and is currently in limited release.

If you have already purchased one of the new cards and need access to version 5.8.1, please contact Switchvox support, and they will make the update available to you. You will also need to upgrade to version 5.7.3, then to 5.8, prior to upgrading to 5.8.1. You can not upgrade from a previous version directly to 5.8.1 without upgrading to 5.8 first.

If you have any further questions, please contact Digium Support at 877-DIGIUM1 .

Click here to read more about the Digium TE133 and TE134 cards and click here for more information on the A4, A8, TE235, and TE435 analog and digital cards.

First Look: Grandstream GXP2140 and Grandstream GXP2160

December 31, 2013 by Tom Costelloe

Earlier this year I posted about the amount of changes Grandstream phones had gone through over the course of two years. At the time of writing the post 5 phone models had been discontinued and 10 new models had been released. Now here we are 10 months later and we can add one more to the discontinued column, Grandstream GXP2124, and add two to the new model column, Grandstream GXP2140 and Grandstream GXP2160.

WHAT IS IT?

The GXP2140 and GXP2160 are the two latest enterprise VoIP phones from Grandstream and are the replacements for the Grandstream GXP2124. Within the GXP family of phones they will be the higher end phones above the GXP2120 but don’t have as many features as the Android based GXP2200. Additionally they don’t have the video capabilities of the Grandstream GXV phones.

At a quick glance these new Grandstream phones share a lot of the same features and functionality. Both models have 5 programmable soft keys, dual Gigabit network ports, integrated PoE and support for PoE. The physical layout of the two phones is also vary similar with both phones sporting a 4.3 inch TFT touch screen and identical layouts of the core telephony keys.

Where the phones differ is in the line appearances, BLF extension keys and sidecar capabilities. The GXP2160 supports 6 lines and has a 24 programmable BLF keys while the GXP2140 is 4 lines does not have any programmable BLF keys but can be used with the GXP2200EXT expansion module to add additional functionality.
Grandstream GXP2140

4 Line appearances
5 programmable context-sensitive soft keys
Supports GXP2200EXT Expansion Module
Support for G.722 HD Voice
4.3″ (480×272) TFT Color LCD Display
Dual Gigabit RJ45 Ports
Built-in auto sensing IEEE 802.3 af Power over Ethernet
Universal Power Supply Included
RJ9 headset port
Support for Electronic Hook Switch (EHS) with Plantronics Headsets

Grandstream GXP2160

6 Line appearances
5 programmable context-sensitive soft keys
24 programmable BLF extension keys
Support for G.722 HD Voice
4.3″ (480×272) TFT Color LCD Display
Dual Gigabit RJ45 Ports
Built-in auto sensing IEEE 802.3 af Power over Ethernet
Universal Power Supply Included
RJ9 headset port
Support for Electronic Hook Switch (EHS) with Plantronics Headsets

WHO IS IT FOR?

Both the GXP2140 and GXP2160 are targeted towards users who are more active on their phones and/or who are looking for more functionality and features. I see the GXP2140 as a good match for sales, customer service and other people who are in a role that may require multiple lines. The ability to add sidecars makes it a good match for receptionists or operators.

I see the GXP2160 as a good match for managers, receptionists and anyone that needs the ability to see the call status of a multitude of people quickly.

PRICING

The pricing for the new Grandstream models are:
Grandstream GXP2140 – MSRP $139
Grandstream GXP2160 – MSRP $159

AVAILABILITY

Both of these new Grandstream VoIP phone models are available to ship from VoIP Supply today. You can shop on-line for Grandstream on VoIPSupply.com or contact the VoIP Supply sales team at [email protected] or by call 1-866-582-8591.

End of Year Tax Tips for Small Businesses from Barbara Weltman and Digium

by Nathan Miloszewski

Our open-source friends at Digium hosted a webinar that’s perfect for small businesses looking for end-of-year tax tips.

This recorded webinar features Barbara Weltman, a leading small business tax expert who is a best selling author, speaker, and radio host who has been seen on MSNBC and in the Wall Street Journal and U.S. News and World Reports.

Section 179 Deduction and Money Saving Tips

In the webinar Weltman covers the Section 179 deduction and gives tips for saving your business money:

Your business deserves a break…and a few extra deductions! With healthcare costs exploding and the general cost of business rising at an unhealthy rate, you need to understand how to keep more of the dollars you earned in 2013.

Join leading small business tax expert, Barbara Weltman, in this live webinar and discover how to put end-of-year tax savings opportunities to work for your business. Hurry! Some deductions, like Section 179, will decrease dramatically in 2014. Time is ticking to make every dollar count!

Two Years Running VoIP Supply Named a Most Admired Company

December 30, 2013 by Nathan Miloszewski

For the second straight year, VoIP Supply as one of Western New York's Most Admired Companies in special report by Buffalo Business First

For the second straight year, VoIP Supply named as one of Western New York’s Most Admired Companies in special report by Buffalo Business First

We are proud to announce that VoIP Supply has been named by Buffalo Business First as one of Western New York’s Most Admired Companies.

This is the second straight year that we’ve made the short-list of other great Buffalo-area companies in this special report that examines:

Company Growth
Success as an Employer
Connection with the Local Community

As Buffalo’s first Certified B Corporation, VoIP Supply pays special attention to running a sustainable business that gives back to the community.

For example, did you know that for every order you place online we donate $1.98, the cost of one meal, to Buffalo City Mission to help feed the hungry?

Thanks to all of our savvy online shoppers in 2013 we’ve been able to donate well over 10,000 meals.

“I’m proud of everyone at VoIP Supply working hard to do well so that we’re empowered to do good for others,” said Ben Sayers, VoIP Supply CEO. “It’s an honor to be recognized again as one of the Most Admired Companies.”

First Look: Huawei TE30 HD Video Conferencing

December 28, 2013 by Nathan Miloszewski

Huawei TE30 all-in-one HD video conferencing solution

What Is It?

The Huawei TE30 is a complete HD video conferencing system in one small package.

The camera, microphone, and codec are all built-in into the single unit you see pictured above which can be:

Wall mounted
Placed on top of a TV or monitor
Ceiling or wall mounted

What Does It Do?

The TE30 has some great intuitive and user-friendly features such as:

Voice Dialing: Join a conference or make a call by simply talking to the TE30 in your native tongue; it recognizes multiple languages. The built-in microphone has a range of about 20 feet (6 m).
Wi-Fi Access: Reduce the number of cords you need and expand the range of places you can install it with built-in Wi-Fi access.
Friendly Interface: There’s a set-up wizard for first-time installations, an easy to use/maintain GUI, and there’s an LCD screen on the front of the device that displays the local site information.

The TE30 boasts an HD experience at a lower bandwidth with Video Motion Enhancement (VME) that delivers a clear picture, has facial recognition, adapts to lighting conditions, and can save up to 50% of your bandwidth consumption.

With interoperability, the TE30 can be used with your standard endpoints including integration with Microsoft Lync2010 and a host of 3rd party APIs.

Huawei TE30 has a built-in codec with all the inputs you need located on the back of the device.

Who Is It For?

The TE30 is designed for small and medium-sized conference rooms and its great for companies that don’t have a dedicated IT guy to install it for them. Huawei has tried to make the TE30 as simple as possible to install for anybody saying that “It takes just 1 cable and 5 minutes from unpacking to joining a video conference.”

Availability

The TE30 is currently in stock and available now. Call 800-398-8647 to speak with one our friendly VoIP Experts.

First Look: Jabra BIZ 2300 Series

December 27, 2013 by Taylor Hamp

Your business depends on communication over the phone, and Jabra completely understands. The Jabra BIZ 2300 Series was designed to keep customer connectivity and satisfaction a top priority.

What is it?

The Jabra BIZ 2300 Series is a new, sleek and modern design made specifically to enhance the user experience. These new headsets from Jabra deliver HD voice, Wideband speaker performance and best-in-class noise cancellation, perfect for sales floors and call centers. Optimized for speech analytics for clearer communication these headsets focus on raising the bar on world class sound.

Not only are they looking out for ease of understanding between the two users at each end of the line, but Jabra is also looking out for you: the new Jabra BIZ 2300 Series comes with a break-proof boom arm that rotates 360 degrees and features a Kevlar-reinforced cord made to stand the wear and tear abuse you can expect from day in and day out use.

Jabra BIZ 2300 QD Mono: A corded one-ear headset for quick disconnect connectivity with desk phones.

Jabra BIZ 2300 QD Duo: A corded two-ear stereo headset for desk phones with quick disconnect cord connectivity.

Jabra BIZ 2300 USB UC Mono: A corded one-ear headset with USB connectivity optimized for all leading Unified Communication applications and soft phones.

Jabra BIZ 2300 USB UC Duo: A corded two-ear stereo headset with USB connectivity optimized for all leading Unified Communication applications and soft phones.

Jabra BIZ 2300 USB Microsoft Lync Mono: A corded one-ear headset optimized for Microsoft Lync with USB connectivity.

Jabra BIZ 2300 USB Microsoft Lync Duo: A corded two-ear stereo headset optimized for Microsoft Lync with USB connectivity.

Who is it For?

The Jabra BIZ 2300 Series is made for everyone. The comfortable and sturdy frame was designed especially for call centers who expect hours of use from a headset throughout the day, but with it’s low cost price tag, it’s going to appeal to a lot more people looking for a more ergonomic experience in their work day. Whether it needs to be connected to a desk phone with a quick disconnect cord, or if it needs to connect to a soft phone application on a computer with the USB cord, there’s a style for everyone.

Pricing

The pricing for the BIZ 2300 Series goes as:

Jabra BIZ 2300 QD Mono: $94.99
Jabra BIZ 2300 QD Duo: $104.99
Jabra BIZ 2300 USB UC Mono & USB Microsoft Lync Mono: $114.99
Jabra BIZ 2300 USB UC Duo & USB Microsoft Lync Duo: $129.99

Looking at CyberData IP Paging Systems

December 23, 2013 by Taylor Hamp

Business, Government and Healthcare facilities all have one thing in common: They’re concerned about the safety of their employees, their patrons, students, or patients inside their building. Everyone is also looking to cut costs. There’s no reason to choose one over the other; with an IP Paging system, you can have your cake and eat it too.

About CyberData

Established 38 years ago in sunny Monterey, California was CyberData, an IP Company. This American company has in-house manufacturing for their lines of IP Paging equipment which is used in hospitals, schools, office buildings, warehouses and manufacturing plants all over the world. There are a lot of paging companies out there, so CyberData has made their value proposition stand out by providing more functionality with IP phone systems.

IP Security Systems

VoIP is an excellent choice that a lot of business people are familiar with. CyberData was a leader when the time came, and with their nearly 40 years of experience, they know how to integrate IP technology into existing security systems. These systems are ideal for system networks already in place, or even for existing analog systems. If there was an existing analog door strike, CyberData products are made to replace an old box with a new network box, and then the user sets up as expected. CyberData is very confident about their products offering free technical support to users and they handle all their 2 year warranty work, so you’re dealing with the company directly.

Recently CyberData has released several new VoIP products and updated several existing and favorable devices such as the CyberData 011214 Keypad Outdoor Intercom and the CyberData 011209 Indoor Emergency Intercom. These intercoms, and more like them, offer varying functionalities including concurrent SIP and Multicast, adaptive full duplex voice, emergency phone capabilities, mass notification, peer-to-peer capabilities, door closure, auto provisioning support, and more.

CyberData.net

CyberData knows their users are concerned about tampering, and that’s why they’ve incorporated new tamper alert notifications and Open-Door event notifications into their products. From a web GUI, the administrator can program the system to alert if someone is trying to pry into the outdoor intercoms, or to alert if the door has been open longer than your predetermined amount of time, such as if someone stuck a rock in it for their buddies to come in. Also, in noisy areas such as factory floors or warehouses, call notifications can trigger a SIP-enabled CyberData 011087 IP Strobe to signal when the intercom or phone needs to be answered.

CyberData IP PBX Compatibility

CyberData is compatible with several IP PBX companies and provide documentation at CyberData.net to help connect your network:

3CX
Alcatel-Lucent
Allworx
Asterisk
Avaya
Brekeke
Cisco
Elastix
Eon
Epygi
Fontality
IPitomy
Microsoft Lync
Mitel
Nec
Nortel
Onsip
Panasonic
Ring Central
Schmooze
Shortel
Swyx
Talkswitch
Toshiba
Vodaplex
Zultys

There’s a lot that IP paging systems can do with flexible installation—did I mention several of these products are PoE? Lower deployment costs, no worries about power outlets, and all working over an existing SIP network. What’s not to love?

For more information about this and other IP Paging Systems, call the experts at VoIP Supply at 1.800.398.8647.

Black Friday VoIP Deals

November 28, 2013 by Nathan Miloszewski

Black Friday is starting and you’re out there shopping for things that other people want.

What about what you need for your office?

We don’t think you should just be able to save on TVs, pants, and blenders so here are VoIP Supply’s Black Friday deals on some great things to accent your office with:

VoIP Headsets
Digital Boards
IP PBXs
Switches
Refresh Products

I’m Not in the Office Today

Of course you’re not in the office today, it’s Thanksgiving weekend!

Not to worry, you can still take advantage of these deals – click here to find out how.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.

VoIP Supply Helps Buffalo City Mission Feed the Hungry

November 27, 2013 by Nathan Miloszewski

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

We want to say thank you to our customers who help us donate $1.98 to Buffalo City Mission for every order placed through VoIP Supply and at VoIPSupply.com.

For that small sum Buffalo City Mission can provide hope and a hot meal to those in need.

For years we’ve made holiday donations but since the end of 2012 we’ve been able to make contributions all throughout the year.

“We’re fortunate to be in the position to give back to the Buffalo City Mission on a daily basis which fulfills VoIP Supply’s goal of doing well so that we can do good for others,” said Ben Sayers, CEO of VoIP Supply.

So far in 2013, more than 9,700 meals have been donated to Buffalo City Mission through our online checkout campaign and we expect that number to hit 10,000 by the end of the year.

Thank you for your support, you’re helping to make a difference.

Make a Donation, Learn More

Click here to make a donation directly to Buffalo City Mission.

To learn more about VoIP Supply’s long-term vision to do good for our local community, click here.

Nine Times in a Row – VoIP Supply is One of Western New York’s Top Private Companies

November 23, 2013 by Nathan Miloszewski

We’re proud to announce that we’ve been named to the list of Western New York’s Top Private Companies in 2013 by Buffalo Business First newspaper.

We have a deep respect for our customers and we thank them for making our success possible by supporting the way that we do business.

Nine Times

VoIP Supply 9-time Top Private Company

This is the ninth consecutive year that VoIP Supply has made the list moving up four spots from #46 to the 42nd ranking in 2013.

In 2002 Ben Sayers, our owner and CEO, founded the company to satisfy the growing demand for VoIP devices when there was no easily accessible retail outlet to get them from.

Several years later in 2005, when the niche VoIP market started to grow, VoIP Supply made its first appearance on the Top Private Companies list ranked at #96 and has climbed steadily ever since by expanding its catalog of VoIP phones and networking equipment to include video conferencing, IP surveillance, Unified Communication solutions, and hosted VoIP service.

More Than a Website

We pride ourselves on being more than just a website that sells you stuff. Our staff of passionate technology enthusiasts are always just a phone call away to help you build a custom solution or, just to answer some questions.

“I’m extremely proud of my team who are always putting our customers best interests first and for their belief in our sustainable business model that’s committed to giving back to our local community,” said Sayers.

VoIP Supply holds a B Corp certification which is to sustainable business what Fair Trade certification is to coffee. Learn more about how we put people ahead of profits.