Does your company know how to properly onboard a new hire to increase retention and avoid the cost of employee turnover?
YFS Magazine
Ben Sayers, CEO of VoIP Supply, and other entrepreneurs share their advice in the YFS Magazine article, “10 Effective Ways to Train and Educate New Employees.”
What does VoIP Supply do?
We encourage employees to always be learning and sharing knowledge with each other.
Digium has a webinar coming up that will teach you the 5 Things You Need to Know to Make Your Network Ready for Cloud Telephony:
Angie Reed, a VoIP and Switchvox Cloud expert, will explain what your network needs to provide reliable phone service in the cloud and the questions you need to ask when you’re vetting Unified Communication (UC) vendors to make sure their service is the best fit for your needs.
This webinar is an introduction to Switchvox Cloud which is:
Click here to register for the webinar on Thursday, July 11th at 3 pm EST.
Adtran NetVanta 7100 All-in-One UC Communications Platform
Today at 2 PM CDT ADTRAN is hosting the ACES ProCloud WiFi webinar to showcase their wireless networking solution to help you:
ACES ProCloud WiFi is the “industry’s first fully managed, business class Wi-Fi service” that “provides your customers with a “No Worry”, cloud-based wireless LAN solution.”
To learn about new service revenue opportunities, register here.
Video messaging from Skype has graduated from the testing phase to a full-fledged feature for:
Skype video messaging is completely free and will help busy people everywhere “catch up whenever, wherever.” It can also help you avoid the tedious step of logging in to listen to voicemails on your phone.
We use video conferencing because it’s easier to understand what someone’s talking about when you can see them. Skype’s video voicemails have the added benefit of using video even when the other person is not around.
This feature is a much nicer way for people to stay in touch and with the ability to show someone what you’re working on, it should make it easier to solve a problem or, get answers to a question.
We can also add “TL;DW” to our list of text abbreviations, to send to anyone who leaves long messages (Mom).
And remember, Skype looks better when you’re using one of these HD Skype webcams.
Via TechCrunch
Choosing a VoIP service provider is just as important as choosing the right VoIP phones.
VoIP Service Guide
VoIP Supply’s Guide to VoIP Service is now available for download.
Just like with any technology purchase, it always pays to do your homework.
If you ask the right questions up front, you can avoid signing with a risky provider — or one that doesn’t offer what you need.
Most VoIP service providers offer basic capabilities such as voicemail or call hold but may not give you the advanced features, service options, or scalability that your business needs.
This buyers guide looks at:
Click here to download the VoIP Service Guide today.
This past Wednesday, June 19th, Buffalo Business First held its annual reception for the Fast Track Companies of Western New York.
When the list was unveiled, VoIP Supply ranked #33 out of 65 area companies with 30.93% sales growth over the last three years.
Congratulations to all of the other great companies on the list that help drive the success of our region.
Business First honors privately held companies in two categories, Established Companies and Young Companies, and ranks them based on the largest percentage increase in sales from 2010 to 2012.
Peter Marlette, managing partner of Fast Track sponsor Damon Morey LLP, expressed that it’s “refreshing to see that Western New York has weathered the storm” of the recent economic turmoil.
“Our region’s strong business community, supportive environment and passionate people demonstrate why WNY is a great place to start a business,” said Marlette.
VoIP Supply’s CEO, Ben Sayers, is thrilled that his company not only made the list but was able to do so as a Certified B Corporation.
As a sustainable and responsible company, VoIP Supply’s mission is to “Do Well, Do Good, Suck Less:”
Focusing on these six words, we have climbed back on the list of fast growth companies in our region as well as focus on giving back to our local community and environment. It is our hope that our actions will inspire and challenge other businesses in the area to step up and deliver in kind, demonstrating clearly that a company can accelerate and grow even when the focus is not solely on revenue or profits.
I am extremely proud of the team at VoIP Supply and want to thank each and every one of them for their belief in what we do, why we do it and for delivering excellence every day.
VoIP Supply is also a Entrepreneurs’ Organization (EO) member in the WNY chapter. Congratulations also go out to all the fellow EO WNY companies that made the 2013 Fast Track list:
Jabra Headsets
It’s a popular question:
“What headsets work with my Polycom/Cisco/Aastra/Grandstream phone?”
To find the answer you can navigate the fun maze of manufacturer websites, read thrilling product product data sheets, or just make it easy on yourself and check out these links:
Simply browse the list of VoIP headsets that have been tested to sync with your phone.
Also, you can download the VoIP headset cheat sheet for future reference.
Is Skype free?
It sure is. But, is it worth it?
If you’re a remote employee, doing some freelance work, or you’re just calling your mom then Skype or Google Hangouts will work great. These are wonderful free video conferencing services that are easily accessible to everyone.
Well, just about everyone. Some countries are banning Skype.
That’s an example of where the problems begin, for businesses.
Quality and reliability aren’t really concerns for one-on-one video chats. But as the number of people, sites, and the importance of the video call increases, the horsepower and available options (we’re talking about cars, right?) of your video conferencing system needs to be increased as well.
For example, medical researchers collaborating from around the globe will want to share large amounts of data in real-time, the R&D team unveiling a prototype in another state will need HD cameras with pan-tilt-zoom options, and the executives making a business deal don’t want to have to hang up and call back for a better connection.
Consider too the security risks of video conferencing on public networks. You’ll have stronger encryption with a private, business-grade system.
For more real-world applications read Angus Kidman’s article on Lifehacker, Why Business Video Conferencing Needs More Than Skype or FaceTime.
If you’re still not convinced that your company needs a fancy (read: “expensive”) video conferencing system, that’s great. But there’s no reason you can’t make your desktop video conferencing experience a lot better with a few simple add-ons like a USB speakerphone, an HD camera, or even a Skype headset.
Check these out:
ClearOne CHAT 60
Plug-and-play, no drivers to download, and hands-free operation describe the crystal clear ClearOne CHAT 60 Skype Certified USB Conference Phone.
Logitech C920
We like the Logitech C920 for the simple way it clips on to monitors and laptops and for its fantastic full HD 1080p video. It comes with the latest version of Skype for Windows, automatic zoom and digital PTZ, low-light correction, and records video and takes pictures.
Jabra SPEAK 410
The Jabra SPEAK 410 is a portable USB conference phone designed for office pros. With excellent sound (we use these all the time in the office or working from home), convenient carrying case, and wraparound cord it’s easy to take it wherever you go.
Logitech BCC950
One of our favorites (not because it looks like E.T.), the Logitech BCC950 helps small groups meet anywhere when the conference room is booked. With a noise cancelling 8-foot range microphone and the motorized pan, tilt, zoom camera, your group can hold meetings in the kitchen while scavenging for snacks.
There are a lot of choices out there. This video conferencing buyers guide can help you learn more about the technology and your options:
And if you’d like to talk to somebody, contact one of these video conferencing experts.
Via Lifehacker
Migrate to the Jabra PRO 9450
Say farewell.
Jabra is discontinuing a few headsets starting June 30, 2013:
If these are your favorite headsets, be sure to order now while supplies last.
Jabra will make sure that accessories and full maintenance for the discontinued models will be available until the end of their product warranty.
After the above models are gone, your best option is the Jabra PRO 9450 Mono Wireless Dual-Mode Headset :
If you have any questions, contact a VoIP Expert today.
Wonders of the Universe App
Parents and teachers are looking to their phones and tablets to help teach kids.
But, where do you start?
There’s almost too many choices on iTunes or the Google Play store.
From the writers at eSchool News come 10 of the best Apple and Android apps for education in 2013.
The list includes some of the highest rated apps, as voted by parents and teachers, with information on features, price (some are free), compatibility, and even suggested uses.
There’s a surprising range of functions:
All the apps seem pretty comprehensive so if you’ve forgotten more than you’ve learned, you might find yourself using them more than your kids.
Via eSchool News
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