Can the TV Screen Compete With the PC Screen?

June 14, 2010 by Garrett Smith

Since the advent of the Internet it was apparent to most that it would have a substantial impact on other entertainment and media vehicles (I.E. Newspapers, Magazines, TV). If you’ve spent any amount of time around the communications or media industries you know that everyone has proclaimed the death of the TV.

Thanks to the Internet, the TV has become less and less important. Well at least to some.

While it is true that the Internet has put a dent in the TV “mind share” of millions, TV isn’t dead. Nor does it seem that the TV is ready to roll over and die.

Today’s TV is not the one trick pony it use to be.

Brands around the world have finally started to smarten up and are now coming out with TV’s and ancillary components that make the TV much more, well, PC like. Take for example, Skype’s work with LG and Panasonic to bring Skype to your TV.

It’s not just the TV manufacturer’s either. Cable companies are now offering the almighty “triple play” and integrating call screen pop’s to alert you of an incoming call.

Soon cable companies will start offering the quadruple play of Internet, voice, TV and video. Check out FREETALK TV if curious as to what could become a common accessory for your TV in the near future.

Don’t know about you, but this really does sound like TV manufacturers and cable companies working to port current web utility to the TV.

Which leads to the question, “can the TV screen compete with the PC screen?”

The PC has been dominant the last decade. It has put a dent in the mind share and market share the TV held for the previous three decades thanks to the rise of the Internet.

But the TV still has a strong foot hold in the lives of millions.

If played smart and done well, it’s not a stretch to think that the TV could compete with the PC as the “primary screen” be which people communicate with one another and entertain themselves.

What do you think?

The Upsides and Downsides of Open Source VoIP Systems

by Garrett Smith

Open Source solutions are very prevalent in the VoIP industry, particularly surrounding the open-source telephony engine Asterisk.

Open source telephony applications have opened many opportunities in the VoIP industry and many companies such as trixbox, elastix, freepbx, pbxinaflash, and rhino, which are just a few, have taken the asterisk source code (licensed under the GNU GPL) and rounded it to their own business applications. Since the topic is “open-source”, the source code of Asterisk is distributed freely among companies, users, administrators, developers, and integrators alike and together have produced the world’s most powerful telephony engine and what that means to you, the VoIP customer is, a freely distributed source code or compiled ISO of a feature rich IP Phone system better termed as the IP PBX.

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Free 2 Day Shipping on Digium and Rhino Equipment PCI Cards

June 11, 2010 by Garrett Smith

Whether you are currently purchasing PCI telephony cards or considering building one you will want to take a look at this offer.

VoIP Supply is now offering FREE 2 Day Express shipping via FedEx on all Digium and Rhino Equipment PCI Telephony cards. This includes all analog and digital models.

Take advantage, check out the links below.

About Digium PCI Telephony Cards

Digium® digital cards are high-performance, cost effective, digital telephony interfaces. With the combination of Digium hardware and Asterisk® software, numerous telephony configurations are possible. From the traditional PBX to VoIP Gateways, Digium solutions are paving the way for a new generation of worldwide communications.

Click here to shop all Digium PCI Telephony Cards!

About Rhino Equipment PCI Telephony Cards

Managing your Open Source telecommunication needs has never been easier than with Rhino products. Rhino PCI plug-in cards satisfy the needs of Open Source Telephony (OST) applications, no matter how stringent the requirement. Rhino Open Source Telephony PCI cards feature Asterisk® and Linux tested software. Knowing that Rhino products are ready to perform right out of the box means that you can spend more time developing important customer relationships.

Click here to shop all Rhino Equipment PCI Telephony Cards!

Wondering what PCI Telephony Card is right for you? Call a VoIP Supply sales representative at 800.398.8647!

Open Source Telephony Software

by Garrett Smith

When it comes to VoIP and telephony, many customers are realizing the added benefits of using open-source operating systems and telephony software to administer and maintain a fully functional, feature rich, and productive phone system. The term open-source is used very loosely but in short, describes a VoIP Phone system that is based entirely on free, openly distributed source code and a combination of both an open-sourced version of Linux operation system, and open source telephony software, better known as Asterisk.
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Benefits of Video Conferencing for Small Businesses

by Joe Shanahan

The use of video conferencing technology by small businesses can have many benefits, not the least of which is helping the bottom line.

Cost Savings

Having employees travel for meetings can be a very large expense for any business. Considering the costs for transportation, lodging, food and entertainment, companies can experience great savings by conducting meetings via video conferencing rather than in person.

However, the obvious cost cutting advantage of utilizing video technology is only part of the overall benefit that the small business can reap.

Increase Productivity

Worker productivity is another great example of a benefit a small business can realize through the use of video conferencing. Reducing travel and commute requirements allows people to have more time to accomplish other tasks and be more efficient.

This also results in a better quality of life for workers, as they can be home more to spend time with family and pursue other interests during non-work hours. If they are traveling frequently, they are not only less efficient at work, but also have less time for their personal lives. Most people would be much happier with that type of a job requirement, and of course a happy worker is a more productive worker.

Better Engagement

Video conferencing also enables a small company to conduct more meetings and touch more potential customers. While someone who travels to meet with prospective clients may only be able to see one or two in a day, efficient use of video conferencing allows for that same person to meet with several customers in a given day.

Video conferencing gives a small business the opportunity to create the personal connection generated from meeting face to face with customers while being in another part of the country or even the world. Communicating via telephone simply does not allow for that same connection to be made on a personal level that can be achieved when you are seeing the people you are talking too.

The use of video conferencing can allow for a similar number of customer touches in a day that using a telephone can, while also making a personal connection that can only be made face to face.

When looking at it from a numbers perspective, it’s quite clear that using video conferencing to meet with customers is head and shoulders more efficient than traveling to meet in person, and more personal than talking on a telephone.

Interested in learning more about the benefits of video conferencing for your small business? Check out the video conferencing section on VoIP Supply or give me a call at 716-250-3873

Aastra releases Response Point to SIP standard firmware

June 8, 2010 by Garrett Smith

It looks like Response Point is officially kaput.

This morning Aastra telecom announced their first software to take your existing Aastra Response Point phones from their proprietary protocol (that only works with Microsoft Response Point systems) to an open SIP-Standards based platform. This will allow your Aastra RP Phones to communicate with any SIP based platforms such as Broadsoft and Asterisk.

The new firmware applies for all Aastra “RP” phones including the 6751i RP, 6753i RP, and 6757i CT RP models and is available for download here.

The only catch to the firmware process is that once you perform the upgrade to go from RP to SIP, you CANNOT go back to RP. So be very careful and ensure 100 percent that you are ready to go to SIP protocol. Once transitioned to the SIP Standards based protocol, the Aastra models will NOT function with Response Point and will now act and be treated like any other SIP based Aastra phone. This means that future firmware updates would be consistent with the regular line of SIP Aastra phones including the 6753i, 6755i, 6757i CT. These updates can be found on the individual product website on pages on http://mitel.ca/ .

In regards to the “Magic Blue Button” that all RP phones are suited with, the voice recognition will no longer function. After converting to the SIP standards software the Blue button will no function as the following:

6751i – Blue button will function as a Swap key
6753i – Blue button will function as a Line 3 key
6757i CT – Blue button will function as a Line 4 key
6757i CT Mobile handset – Blue button will function as a Re-dial key

This is smart move on Aastra’s part as it will give their current Response Point users the option to transition to an open SIP based solution without having to Ebay their current hardware. If you don’t already know, Microsoft Response Point has been EOL’ed by Microsoft and will be completely discontinued this August.

Maybe Aastra will release firmware to take the RP Base unit (RP-500) to theirAastra Pro Link 160 solution. That would be pretty nice; this way a solution that is falling by the wayside can be transitioned to a fully functional and supported solution by Aastra. These are only my feelings though at this moment and currently Aastra only supports the transition on RP Aastra Phones.

So what do you think, any Response Point users out there thinking about doing this transition? What are your reactions to this release? What are your plans for your current RP system? Was it that successful and is it still?

Video conferencing for everyone

June 7, 2010 by Garrett Smith

It use to be that video conferencing was only available to the largest of enterprises. Video conferencing systems cost too much and required too much bandwidth for the average user or small business to even think about deploying.

Thanks to market disruptors, falling bandwidth costs and increased demand a lot has changed in the last few years when it comes to video conferencing. Today video conferencing technology is available just about anyone who has a need for it.

And it’s taken on multiple different forms…

Personal Web Based Video Conferencing

At the bottom of the video conferencing food chain is personal web based video conferencing. Personal video conferencing is typically comprised of a simple web camera and corresponding video conferencing service that allows a user to conduct video calls with other participants utilizing the service.
Though personal web based video conferencing is often simple and very low cost, it’s still incredibly powerful and effective for users. Simply look at the number of folks leveraging Skype for video calling as proof.

Hardware Cost: $0 – $200 depending on the web camera used

Service Cost: $0 – $50/month depending on usage and provider

Desktop Video Conferencing

One rung up from personal web based video conferencing is desktop video conferencing. Desktop video conferencing is typically characterized by the use of a desktop video phone, multimedia phone or hardware system that is located, well, at one’s desk.

Desktop video conferencing systems are designed for more robust use and costs more than web based video conferencing, but provides a more personalized experience than a room based video conferencing system.

Most desktop video conferencing system allow for high definition video streams, multi-party conferencing and basic content sharing.

Hardware Cost: $250 – $5,000 depending on device

Service Cost: $50 – $5,000+ depending on usage and number of users

Room Based Video Conferencing

Room based video conferencing is what most people think of when they hear the term video conferencing. Room-based systems are housed in a conference room, sometimes dedicated only to video conferencing.

Generally these systems are used for multi-point video conferencing between office locations or partners/customers.

Room based video conferencing systems usually come with state-of-the art room designs, high definition video/audio, large display screens and collaboration software. They also require a large amount of bandwidth and can get quite expensive.

Hardware Cost: $2,500 – $500,000 per room depending on need

Service Cost: Varies based on usage

Telepresence

At the top of the video conferencing food chain is telepresence. Telepresence is best thought of as video conferencing on steriods.

The concept behind telepresence is that users actually “feel” like they are in the same room, even though they are not. This feeling is accomplished through the use of advanced video and audio technologies that come very very close to recreating the “in-person” effect.

Telepresence is still a relatively new form of video conferencing and as such is not widely available to the average user, due to the costs associated. As such a number of companies have sprung up to offer telepresence rooms that companies can rent on a hourly basis to conduct telepresence sessions.

Hardware and Service Cost: It’ll make your CFO cry…or smack you upside the head for asking.

Summary

Video conferencing has come along way and as you can see there are a number of different ways to start leveraging video to improve productivity and decrease costs. For more information about video conferencing and affordable solutions for the average business, check out the video conferencing section on VoIPSupply.com.

The Phoenix Audio Quattro2 Finds a Home at Top Universities

by Arthur Miller

If you’ve been in any sort of sales or marketing role long enough you know the age old adage that you don’t sell a product, you sell a solution.

There are many reasons for this of course, but the primary reason is that one might think a product only does “X” when it really does “Y and Z” as well.

One such product is the Phoenix Audio Quattro2. At first glance the Phoenix Audio Quattro2 looks like a USB speakerphone for use with services like Skype or a softphone client.

And the Phoenix Audio Quattro2 performs well for applications such as this. But the Quattro2 is finding a home in school districts, colleges and universities across the US for a number of uses.

One example is the Quattro2 MT-301 being utilized for a video conferencing network consisting of scientists from Penn State, Southern University & AM College, University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Purdue University which are all members of a solar energy research center. In this scenario the universities are utilizing the MT-301 as the default microphone and speaker for the video conferencing system that they are using.

The MT-301 is connected to the local system via USB and within seconds the MT-301 is up and running – no drivers needed! This is important to note because if you’ve ever dabbled with a video conferencing system, you know that there is nothing plug-and-play about them.

According to Chet Swalina, a research associate at Penn State Department of Chemistry, “The Quattro2 was easy to install and so far they have performed well in smaller conference rooms with handfuls of people.”

Thanks to five on-board echo cancellers, the Quattro2 is also finding a home in schools who need to cover a large area with high performance two way audio. One school which asked to remain nameless, is using the Quattro2 MT-304 to cascade multiple “pods.” The largest of these deployment’s is a chain of 13 units in one single classroom!

Due to the value, performance and versatility of the Phoenix Audio Quattro 2 many schools, colleges and universities are putting these solutions on their bid lists. With the educational buy season just around the corner, if you service these types of accounts, you take a look at the Phoenix Audio line.

Open Source PBX Requirements

June 2, 2010 by Garrett Smith

In my last post we covered the many options that are available for open-source telephony software. But open source telephony software isn’t all you need to consider.

You also need to take a look at the hardware you’ll be using with your open source PBX. And there are many factors that go into determining what type of hardware is needed in a VoIP application…
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From Analog to IP Paging

June 1, 2010 by Darren Hartman

As one of the senior sales representatives at VoIP Supply I field numerous calls each day from folks like you who are looking to migrate to a VoIP phone system. It is such an exciting time to be in this industry and to have the opportunity to help businesses understand all of the savings and benefits they can achieve by installing a VoIP phone system.

From your start-up operation out of a small office on a tight budget to your Fortune 500, it seems like just about everyone is now making the switch. But no matter the size and scope of the deployment, most businesses that I speak with fail to consider how some of their other communications systems are impacted by making the switch to VoIP.

That’s why once we dive into setting up a VoIP phone system solution the conversation always goes into other technology solutions too.

One of the other communications systems I always inquire about is paging…and the conversation usually start with a talk about what is already installed at the premise.

Normally businesses will not even think about what they are going to do with that analog paging system that has been there for so long. Others still have not even considered the benefits that paging can bring to their operation.

Most of the time their first response to questions about paging is pose is silence 😉

For most, the thought of ripping all of the wire, speakers and amplifiers that come with their existing system can seem quite daunting. For others, the thought of spending additional money can be met with objections.

Whether you have an existing paging system or you’ve just been asked to consider an IP paging system to go with your new VoIP System, you shouldn’t fret.

Today there are numerous solutions available from the likes of company like CyberData which make IP paging simple and very beneficial. From paging gateways to IP enable analog paging systems to full blown IP based speakers and amplifiers, paging has come a long way the last few years.

Regardless of your situation, just take a look at the benefits of IP paging for your business:

shared network infrastructure
lower installation and implementation costs
seamless integration into existing networks including legacy analog wiring
simple installation and configuration
scalable to intercoms and paging stations — locally, regionally or globally
remote control and simple end-point expansion in intercom systems
software based zone management in paging systems

Now obviously there are others and you should never make a decision about a communications system based off a single blog post. But you should be able to get a better idea of why IP paging is something you should be considering if you’re not already.