VoIP Supply Offers Rush Processing Option for Same-Day Shipping

August 28, 2013 by Nathan Miloszewski

When next day shipping isn’t fasn’t enough, VoIP Supply now offers Rush Processing for VoIP, Video Conferencing, IP Surveillance, and Unified Communication devices.

When you’re checking out online, all you need to do is check the “Need your order faster?” box or, if you’re on the phone with your account manager, just ask them for “Rush Processing.”

Here’s how it works — VoIP Supply will speed up shipment:

On all orders placed before 3:30pm EST
For a small, additional fee
When the billing and shipping address are the same.

VoIP Supply always puts forth its best efforts, but unfortunately cannot guarantee that orders will ship the same day.

Patience is annoying but sometimes necessary, so in the event a rush order fails to ship on the same day, the Rush Processing fee is refunded.

Axis Naming Convention

August 23, 2013 by Taylor Hamp

Axis is probably one of the most well known names in IP surveillance. They were the first on the scene completely dedicated to video over Internet Protocol back in the late 90’s and are still industry leaders today. Like all manufacturers, they have a naming matrix that might not make sense at first, but it’s pretty easy to decipher.

Axis created their own naming convention chart (image below) to educate their buyers of the cameras for at-a-glance understanding.

In this example, the P3367-VE breaks down into meaning it’s meant for a versatile and secure advanced video solution, it’s a fixed dome camera, P33 series, supports 5 or more Megapixels, housed in a vandal resistant outdoor enclosure.

Using another example such as the P7224, it would imply it’s a versatile and secure advanced video solution, video encoder/decoder (in this case, it’s an encoder), P72 series, and it can support up to HDTV resolution.

A final example would be the T8414: This comes from a range of accessories that increase the benefits of network video, it’s a system product, T84 series, and it will display in up to HDTV resolution.

For more information on Axis IP Cameras and their accessories, check out the support documents Axis offers on their website at http://www.axis.com/techsup/index.htm.

Are You a Headset Hoarder? Help is Available

by Tom Costelloe

This is my desk. There are many like it, but this one is mine. . .and boy is it a bit of a mess.

I am a Headset Hoarder

So why am I reciting a variation of the Rifleman’s Creed and showing a cluttered photo of my desk?

Partially to publicly shame myself into taking some action and clean it up but also to talk about a small problem I have that is shown in the photo, that I can now admit to openly and take steps to conquer.

I am not talking about the layer of dust over everything that rivals a mid-winter snow storm, the fact it is one of the last Fridays in the summer and I’m at work, or the two phones on my desk but, the pile of four headsets on my desk.

I am a Headset Hoarder

It feels good to finally be able to say it and start my path to recovery.

Recognizing My Headset Hoarding

For the record the four headsets shown are the VXi UC ProSet Lux, Sennheiser SC 260, Sennheiser SC 230 and Jabra Chill. In addition to those outside of the photo I also have a new VXi V150 which I am going to be testing next week, a Jabra SPEAK 410, a Plantronics Voyager Legend and a pair of Sennheiser CX310 headphones. As I said, I am a Headset Hoarder on the cusp of being featured on a headsets episode of Hoarders.

On their own each of these headsets are very good and do a great job. From the use and abuse I’ve put them through I have nothing but praise for them and would recommend each of them when used in the right situation.

The problem I have run into which has led to my hoarding, is each one can only be used for one or two specific tasks.

These tasks can be one or two of the activities I do on a daily basis which include calls on either of my desk phones, calls and webinars on my PC, making calls on my cellphone and listening to music on my iPod.

This slight limitation on the uses has resulted in in my need for all of my headsets.

The Solution to My Headset Hoarding

The solution to my headset hoarding is to switch to a single headset that will allow me to connect to my desk phone, my PC, my iPod and my cellphone.

Jabra PRO 9465 and Plantronics Savi W720

This solution looks like it will come in the shape of one of two headsets, the Jabra PRO 9465 Duo or Plantronics Savi W720. With either of these headsets I will be able to replace the majority of the headsets on my desk with just one thanks to the triple connectivity capabilities that they both support which will allow me to:

Connect to my desk phone with support for Electronic Hook Switch or a lifter for remotely answering a call
USB connectivity to connect it to a computer for webinars and softphone applications
Bluetooth connectivity for my cell phone and my iPod.

An added bonus of switching to one of these headsets is I will have add wireless mobility to allow me to get up and move around without worrying about missing a call. This is a feature that is not available to me with any of the headsets I currently use.

Since I listen to music throughout the day in each example I have chosen the binaural or stereo versions but within the Plantronics Savi series and the Jabra PRO 9400 series there are monaural or single ear versions. Additionally Jabra, Plantronics, Sennheiser and VXI carry headsets that will connect to just your desk phone and your PC if you don’t need the Bluetooth connectivity.

There it is, I’ve finally been able to admit to it, I am a headset hoarder but one that is taking steps to curve my affliction. Of course that is if my desk isn’t consumed by the dust first.

Does Your Small Business Need Help Setting Up a New VoIP Phone System?

by Nathan Miloszewski

Need help setting up a new VoIP phone system?

Do you wish it was as simple as plug and play?

Help and simplicity are realities with VoIP Supply Assist Services that take the hassle out of dealing with quirky VoIP devices and deliver custom programming designed for the needs of your unique small businesses.

Pre-Sales Consultation

For beginners, our Pre-Sales Consultation is a helpful 10-minute conversation with a VoIP Supply engineer who’ll use common terms and easy to understand descriptions to explain how VoIP works, what an ATA does, or whatever you need to know more about.

Installation and Configurations

Our local VoIP Phone Provisioning service will setup your new device’s extension, username, voicemail path, and SIP authentication instructions.

Your pre-provisioned phones are then shipped out with each box labeled with extensions and user names so that all you have to worry about is powering on the the phone, plugging it into your VoIP network, and start making calls.

We can also configure Analog Telephone Adapters (ATA) and PCI Cards so that they’ll work to according to your specifications right out of the box.

IP PBX Provisioning

VoIP Supply Assist can take care of complex IP PBX provisioning so that it can communicate with the service provider, match internal network specifications, and setup extension information.

Additionally, we will also configure up to 10 phones purchased with the PBX to match extensions so businesses can quickly connect their new system with VoIP service.

Support

Who do you call when your VoIP installation runs into some trouble?

Whether or not you bought your VoIP devices from us or Amazon or Newegg you can rely on the support of VoIP Supply’s 10 years of experience to quickly solve your issues.

For example, VoIP Supply Assist Remote Phone Provisioning is a 20-minute service that remotely provisions phones using extension credentials.

“Our goal is to provide the best customer experience,” said VoIP Supply CEO Ben Sayers. “When installing a VoIP system gets tricky, our customers rely on our VoIP Supply Assist services for support and device configuration.”

New Digium Switchvox VoIP PBX Appliances Replace End-of-Life Models

August 20, 2013 by Nathan Miloszewski

Switchvox 310 for up to 150 users

New Digium Switchvox Appliances are now available to replace the Switchvox 65, Switchvox 305, and Switchvox 355 which are now end-of-life.

There are four new models available to fit the VoIP system needs of various business sizes:

Switchvox 80: For small businesses that only need a simple desktop solution. Supports up to 30 users and 12 concurrent calls.
Switchvox 310: For medium-sized businesses with a computer rack or shelf space to spare. Supports up to 150 users and 45 concurrent calls.
Switchvox 360: For large businesses looking for a rack mounted PBX. Supports up to 400 users and 75 concurrent calls.
Switchvox 380: Similar to the Switchvox 360 with the same high-performance and redundancy but with additional call handling capabilities. Supports up to 450 users and 100 concurrent calls.

These premise-based appliances work with Switchvox Anywhere, the system that allows users to create a combined cloud-based and on-site VoIP system that’s capable of expanding as a business grows.

As a Certified B Corporation, VoIP Supply is proud to offer these new environmentally friendly devices that are manufactured with fewer materials, run more efficiently, and consume less power.

VoIP Supply’s Creative Employee Perks Featured In Wall Street Journal

August 19, 2013 by Nathan Miloszewski

Come to play – with dogs- and deliver excellence

The benefits of working for a small business are the benefits.

As Barbara Haislip’s Wall Street Journal article, Keep Employees Happy With Creative Perks, highlights, SMBs are usually more flexible than their large corporation counterparts, and they’re using that to their advantage to reward and retain employees.

Instead of purely financial rewards, maybe you’d be happier at work with the things that VoIP Supply and other entrepreneur-led businesses are offering in Haislip’s article, such as:

Creative Perks

Free Beer Fridays
Telecommuting – Work is wherever you are
Dogs allowed in the office
Paid week of volunteering
Technology allowance
And more…

Compared to “monetary perks,” Clicks and Clients CEO Paul Rakovich was quoted as saying, “I think the experiences are more valued and cherished, plus the return on investment is bigger.”

Need a New Career?

Interested in a career with us so that you can bring your dog to work, work from home, and enjoy a generous PTO program? Check out our job opportunities or email [email protected].

Via Wall Street Journal

Skype and Outlook Get Cozy

by Nathan Miloszewski

What is new technology and new mediums of communication but simply, new ways to access email?

Microsoft has announced the addition of Skype to Outlook. So even as the business world enters a “pervasive video era“, its heavy reliance on email isn’t going to change.
If you’re an Outlook customer in one of these six countries (Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, UK, US) you can now enjoy Skype integration which will give you a similar user experience to Gmail which offers users quick access to voice, video, email, and chat on one platform/screen.

Skype Hardware

Check out a rundown on Skype accessories that we use in the VoIP Supply offices or a full list of Skype hardware to enhance your video experience.

Via CNET

How to Get Mobile, Wireless Technology in School Classrooms

August 16, 2013 by Nathan Miloszewski

In the past, VoIP Supply’s Edu Assist Program helped hundreds of educational institutions deploy VoIP phone systems.

Our assistance program is now helping schools set up wireless networks to take advantage of the latest mobile technology trend in education.

Mobile Tech in Education

The 2013 National Survey on Mobile Technology for K-12 Education, sponsored by Amplify and conducted by market research firms IESD and STEM Market Impact, show some interesting results from over 500 district leaders:

More than half of surveyed district leaders are now using mobile technology in 25% of their schools with a growing popularity for tablet use in classrooms.
An additional 15% of districts said they were “very likely” to adopt mobile technology in the next 1-2 years.

Wireless devices such as WiFi enabled tablets, laptops, wireless VoIP phones, and wireless printers all rely on a strong and secure wireless local area network (WLAN).

Liz Logan at Amplify explains in her blog post that, “Tablet interest is particularly strong: 71 percent of respondents said there’s a high level of interest among district leaders in purchasing tablets.”

Wireless Campus Recommendations

For larger WLAN deployments, such as a campus we recommend scalable solutions from one of these top two wireless access point (WAP) manufacturers listed below.

Grandstream WiFi Access Points

From small-sized businesses, multiple floor offices, to multiple branch offices, the GWN 7600 series has the right solution to cover all your needs, providing dual-band network throughput and expanded WiFi coverage range.
With up to 175 meters range and over 250 concurrent clients access, the GWN 7600 series is a very powerful solution for commercial locations that have medium wireless network deployments with medium-to-high user density.

Read our blog to learn more: The GWN Series Wireless Networking Products – Secure, Easy and Powerful!

Ruckus ZoneFlex

Indoor/Outdoor: Offered for both indoor and outdoor functionality. Outdoor access points are perfect for outdoor areas where running Ethernet cable isn’t possible while indoor models offer great coverage from fewer access points for large deployments.
Adaptable: Whether indoor or outdoor, all models combine power, simplicity, dynamic beamforming (automatically directs transmissions to the best performing signal path), and adaptive meshing (automatically adapts to environmental changes so have to worry about constant site surveys) for great WiFi flexibility and function.

Cisco Wireless Access Points

Remote Access: Remote areas of a campus that were previously out of WiFi range are no match for Cisco WAPs that expand network connectivity, eliminate the need to run additional cabling, and deliver a wireless signal with the same security, standards, and encryption levels of a wired network.
Secure Connection: Cisco WAPs provide WiFi access anywhere on-site for students, employees, and guests while continuously scanning the network for malicious attacks from hackers.

“Wireless devices are commonplace and applications for their use are always expanding,” said VoIP Supply CEO, Ben Sayers. “The ease of setting up wireless networks is driving the strong demand for game-changing mobile learning in schools.”

I Want My TouchScreen VoIP Phone

August 13, 2013 by Tom Costelloe

Before I go any further I have to be honest, when the touchscreen VoIP phones first came out I was somewhat skeptical. Sure it was cool but it seemed a little unnecessary and, dare I say it excessive, to have a touchscreen on a desk phone. But in the years since my opinion has shifted and now I want a touchscreen VoIP phone on my desk.

I think maybe this ‘want’ is just an extension of the fact that a lot of the things I own and use touchscreen. My cell phone is touchscreen. My laptop/tablet is touchscreen. While my displays for my desktop computers at work and home aren’t I’ve found myself touching the screen only to be disappointed when nothing happens, so: In the future my desktop computer will be touchscreen.

So what are my options for touchscreen VoIP Phones?

As I see it there are three different options when it comes to touchscreen phones:

The Small Display – These phones have kept the form factor of a traditional business VoIP phone but the display is touch. Some examples of this include the Grandstream GXV3140, Polycom VVX 500 and snom 870.
The Horizontal Display – Stripped of almost all of the traditional telephony keys this phones usual boast large displays and a touchscreen only interface. Some examples of this include the Grandstream GXV3175, Panasonic KX-UT670 and CloudTC Glass 1000.
The Horizontal Display with Keypad – The middle ground between the two other types these phones usually boast a larger display but keep the telephony keys. Some examples of this include the RCA IP150 and Yealink VP530.

While I have had a chance to use all of these VoIP phones during my time at VoIP Supply and they all are pretty good phones, I am talking about MY touchscreen VoIP phone.

Now that we’ve gotten my petulant child-esque outburst out of the way, what do I want to see in this VoIP phone?

Personally I would like to see one that keeps the form factor of a standard desktop VoIP phone such as snom 870 but extend the touchscreen to cover the whole side of the phone. Remove the directional keypad and the keypad and just have one large vertical touchscreen display.

More than anything I think I am splitting hairs on the details but if any manufacturer out there is working up some sketches for their next touchscreen VoIP phone. . . .hit me up, I have some ideas.

Optimized for Lync 2013 vs Compatible with Lync VoIP Phones

August 8, 2013 by Tom Costelloe

Over the last couple years Microsoft Lync, formerly Microsoft Office Communicator, has been gaining a larger share of both the enterprise and the SOHO/SMB unified communication market. If you ask a room of people in the know about UC platforms what Lync 2013 is you’ll most likely get a group response reminiscent of students repeating a lesson back to a teacher that “Lync is a unified communications platform that provides a single client experience for presence, instant messaging, voice, video and a great meeting experience” or something along those lines.

Ask a follow up question what the difference between a device that is Optimized for Lync compared to one that is Compatible with Lync and you’re more than likely to hear the sound of few heads being scratched with the occasional “um. . .ahh. . .um” than a unified response.

So what is the difference between an Optimized for Lync and Compatible with Lync VoIP Phone?

Let’s start with the definition from the textbook or in this case the Microsoft website for each term

Optimized for Lync

Powered by Lync Phone Edition these phones have full support to PBX functionalities, access to calendar and contacts, rich conferencing, extended functionalities when connected to the PC, and integrated security and manageability.

Compatible with Lync

Compatible IP phones run manufacturer OS and do not require gateways for interoperability. They are fully tested and qualified to provide direct connectivity, core call functionality, presence awareness, and server management and provisioning.

To summarize Optimized means that the phone has been built specifically for use with Lync and you get all the functionality, while Compatible means that the it has been tested and will work with the core functions of Lync but you may lose some functionality.

So what do you miss out on by going with a Compatible with Lync vs an Optimized for Lync VoIP phone?

As much as I wanted this to be a straight answer where I could give a blanket yes or no to each feature it does vary a bit from manufacturer to manufacturer and even phone to phone within a series from a manufacturer.

To see what you miss out by going with a Compatible Lync Phone vs an Optimized Lync VoIP Phone I looked specifically at the Lync Voice Features and the Manageability Features. Of the 15 or so features listed it really came down to 6 where the Compatible phones dropped off compared to the Optimized ones.

This list is the 6 key features that many of the Compatible phones didn’t support but the Optimized phones did. The phone models listed are Compatible phones that do support the feature.

Add Multiple People to an Existing Call – Polycom SoundStation and snom UC phones
Call Park – snom UC phones
Malicious Call Trace – Not supported
Search Lync Contacts – snom UC phones
Lync Server Managed Updates – VVX 600 and snom UC phones
Lync Server Integrated Manageability – VVX 600

So what phones are Optimized for Lync vs Compatible with Lync

So in my process of listing the features that aren’t support I showed my hand a little bit about what phones are Compatible with Lync. With both the Compatible and the Optimized phones I have focused on the IP phones and stayed away from the USB and the conference phones.