Who Needs Business Disaster Recovery?

October 30, 2018 by Ying-Hui Chen

As winter approaches, so does the weather-related outages. Is your business prepared?

If you are a business that’s subject to compliance regulations or has mission-critical communications to protect (eg. Financial Institutions and Healthcare organizations), it’s especially crucial to have a system that offers disaster recovery to ensure your business continuity. However, having a fall-back plan is not just for natural disasters like hurricanes, fire, winter storms – it’s for anything that can disrupt your business!

What is Disaster Recovery?

Disaster recovery is a system that allows your business to maintain normal communications despite the power, telephone, and Internet outages or other business disasters.

Why Do I Need to Have a Disaster Recovery Plan?

On average, it takes at least days or weeks to recover a business disaster. Many companies think they can afford small phone line outage and leave their phones unprotected. Nevertheless, even small outage could potentially cost your company major amounts.

When your company’s primary customer interaction channel is down, this not only will affect your current businesses but also damage your permanent reputation and credibility. Therefore, having a reliable plan will keep you from losing businesses and your reputation.

Who Offers a Disaster Avoidance & Recovery Plan

There are many service providers on the market include disaster recovery in their service plan. Star2Star’s StarRecovery is one of the popular options.

StarRecovery detects the issue and automatically takes over as your phone system during an outage at your business. Calls will be rerouted to designated cell phones, landlines, or other desired locations. They also provide all the features and functionality of a Star2Star business communications phone system, including:

Unlimited voicemail
Email delivery of voicemail
Customized call routing
Conference rooms

Best of all, StarRecovery system is in the cloud – this means that you don’t need to pay for or deploy any equipment at your business location. With just a few pennies a day, you will be the most reliable business in your industry!

Do you have a disaster recovery plan? Are you prepared for the winter power outage? Call one of our VoIP experts at 1-800-398-8647 today to learn more!

How to Manage Conference Call Participants on Polycom VVX Business Media Phones

October 29, 2018 by Ying-Hui Chen

It’s no secret that Polycom VVX business media phones are a great option for hosting conference meetings. They don’t just deliver outstanding sound quality, but also provide advanced conferencing features such as three-way audio conferencing and one-touch speed dial to make your meeting as delightful as possible.

If you are using Polycom’s VVX series to host a conference call and not sure how to manage your call participants, keep reading! It’s fairly simple.

How to Manage Conference Call Participants on Polycom’s VVX Series

First, let’s take a look at what functions are in your control during a meeting:

Mute a participant
Hold a participant
Remove a participant from the conference meetings
List information about a participant such as a name, number, call details, etc

Now, you initiate a conference call. Just follow these following steps to manage your participant settings:

Select “Manage”. If you are in the Calls screen, highlight the conference first.
Select the participant you want to manage
Follow the instructions to manage your participants:
- Select “Far Mute” to mute the participant. The muted participant can hear everyone but can not be heard by others.
- Select “Hold” to hold the participant. The held participant cannot hear anyone and no one can hear the held participant
- Select “Remove” to remove the participant from the conference, end the conference call and create an active call between you and the participant still in the call.
- Select “Information” to view a participant’s call status.
Select “Back” to exit the conference management function.

There you have it! Polycom’s new VVX series offers more than just conferencing management features, it also comes with lots of useful phone features such as shared lines, phone locking, etc. Check out the useful manual to learn more!

Popular WiFi Phones for Wireless Office Systems

October 24, 2018 by Ying-Hui Chen

Note: This blog post has been updated on October 24th, 2018. The original content was written by NATHAN MILOSZEWSKI. This is the 2nd installment in the Wireless VoIP Office Systems series. Click here for Part I.

When you’re designing a wireless VoIP office system there are two types of wireless VoIP phones to consider, as outlined in the previous post; DECT and Wi-Fi.

Since we have DECT installation details already covered in a guest post series by Polycom, I’d like to specifically highlight Wi-Fi phones.

Fans of DECT systems like that the phones run on their own frequency and are more resistant to interference from other wireless devices. If you’re happy with your WLAN the way it is and would like to get more use out of it, have no interest in adding new infrastructure specifically for DECT, and just need a quick wireless solution than Wi-Fi VoIP phones might be for you.

Here now is a look at the phones with a built-in Wi-Fi transceiver unit that will connect to your access point or base station allowing either the freedom for you to move freely around your home or office while on a call or, allow you to install phones in areas where you can’t or don’t want to run Ethernet cable.

Fanvil X3SW WiFi Phone- NEW!

The Fanvil X3SW Phone is the latest innovation from Fanvil. This wifi phone comes with built-in 2.4G WiFi for users who can benefit from having the flexibility of added mobility around the workspace. The X3SW can be used diverse scenarios, always offering high-quality performance and robust features. Click here to learn more!

4 SIP lines
Built-in 2.4GHz WiFi
2.4” main color display
HD audio on speakerphone and handset
Support EHS wireless headset
Support 6-way audio conference

Spectralink WiFi Phones

Spectralink 8440

There are a number of Polycom Spectralink Wi-Fi models to choose from. Spectralink 8440 WiFi phone is one of the most popular choices which features a WebKit browser and XML API, and Push-To-Talk (PTT) functionality.

Spectralink Versity Series

Versity Series is the latest WiFi phone series from Spectralink that you can’t miss! It comes with dedicated built-in functions to meet different industry needs such as barcode scanner, hot-swappable batteries for zero downtime, even when the phone is in use, waterproof, etc. Versity is only 12.2mm thick and it supports Bluetooth 5.0 and 64 GB storage, giving you a real smartphonefeel!

Grandstream WiFi Phones

Grandstream WP820

Grandstream just newly released their first ever WiFi phone, the WP820. This WiFi phone is what enterprise organizations and vertical markets such as retail, medical, and security businesses have been waiting for in a portable WiFi device. The WP820 comes with dual-band WiFi, advanced roaming support, and it supports 2 SIP accounts, 2 lines. See how this WiFi phone works and looks in our review video:

Grandstream GRP2612W Carrier-Grade IP Phone

Grandstream’s GRP2612W is a powerful carrier-grade IP Phone featuring WiFi support and 2 lines. The zero-touch provisioning feature makes mass deployment and management as simple as 123. The color LCD display with swappable faceplates are great feature for easy logo customization. This device also offers16 virtual multi-purpose keys and enterprise-level security.

4 dual-color line keys (can be digitally programmed as up to 16 provisionable BLF/fast-dial keys)
2.4” (320×240) TFT color LCD
4 programmable context-sensitive soft keys
100M network ports

Why Wi-Fi?

If you’re still unsure if Wi-Fi VoIP phones are for you, remember that this option is great if you’re simply looking to leverage your existing Wi-Fi infrastructures. And if you choose Wi-Fi handsets over desktop models, the wireless handsets will also help you eliminate paging delays, improve operations and enable faster responses to problems and emergencies.

Either way, desktop or cordless handsets, Wi-Fi VoIP phones will give you greater flexibility in where you want to place your office and therefore your phone, without the added costs or hassles of having to run additional Ethernet cabling.

These are just some of the popular WiFi phone options we found good feedback from our customers. Visit our website to check out more cordless VoIP phones here!

How to Enable / Disable Auto-Answering Feature on Fanvil X6

October 19, 2018 by Ying-Hui Chen

We are all busy. Sometimes, we are even too busy to answer the phone calls and miss out great business opportunities! Wouldn’t it be nice to have the phone answer the calls for you? That’s where Fanvil’s auto-answering feature comes into play!

Fanvil phones have lots of special features that will make your life just a little bit easier. Today, we are going to show you just how easy it is to set up this sweet auto-answering feature on the Fanvil X6 within seconds!

What is Auto-Answering?

The Auto-Answering feature allows your phone to pick up incoming calls automatically for you. Once the feature is set up, any incoming call will be automatically answered (not including call waiting). The auto-answering can be enabled online basis.

Your Fanvil X6 can easily be set for the time duration your phone must wait before it answers, the default delay is 5 seconds.

How to Enable / Disable Auto-Answering Feature on Fanvil X6?

Simply follow the following steps to enable/disable the auto-answering feature:

Press soft-button [Menu] till you find the [Features] item.
Enter [Features] item till you find the [Auto Answer] item.
Enter [Auto Answer] item to change the auto-answering configuration on a specific line
Press left/right navigator button to select the auto-answering option. When done, press [OK] button to save the changes.
The default auto-answering delay is 5 seconds.
The Auto-answer icon will appear in the upper right corner of the screen.

Are you ready to try it? Let us know how it works out for you! If you are looking for other features such as call forwarding and cloud phonebook, take a look at their user manual here!

Scary good deals on Refurbished Polycom VVX IP Phones

by Youleidy Vega

Scary good deals on refurbished IP Phones are hiding in plain sight in our warehouse, but there is no need to be scared, we promise you’ll love them!

These deals are hiding on our Refresh shelve in our warehouse. But you can see them here! If you’d like a treat, go ahead and order one!

A bright blue and white box will set them apart right away. Once you get that box, you can rest assure that what you are holding in your hands is a certified used product that looks and works as good as new. And if something happens to go wrong with your phone, you’ve got three months of “no questions asked” returns.

Pay special attention to our highlighted treats for the month of October!

Refurbished Polycom VVX 300

The Polycom VVX 300 is a 6-line IP phone that fits in any small to medium-sized business where a color screen is not required nor are any executive features. It is a great quality simple phone that can be used with a headset that has an RJ9 port. It also features HD Voice and Power over Ethernet (PoE). All of this for a great price at $72.99.

Refurbished Polycom VVX 311

Our next treat is the VVX 311. This model looks just like the VVX 300, but features Gigabit speeds. The VVX 311 is also 6-line entry level IP Phone with HD Voice and a backlit grayscale LCD display. All of this for a low cost of $84.99.

Refurbished Polycom IP 6000

Our last featured treat is one you may find crawling in the table of your conference room or huddle room. That is the Refurbished Polycom IP 6000 Conference phone. Use it in any small to medium sized room for superb audio performance. With a 12-foot microphone pick-up range and robust security, provisioning and interoperability, the IP 6000 is a great choice for any business or individual. All this for only $339.99.

You can’t go wrong with these October scary crazy deals! Great quality phones, at a fraction of the cost of new ones, with a 3-month warranty that can be extended to six months for a small cost- simply great deals.

Getting Support from VoIP Supply is Easy

October 17, 2018 by Steve Lopian

Here at VoIP Supply, we know that getting familiar with your new VoIP hardware can take time. Whether it’s new phones, new headsets, or even getting your new VoIP system up and running it’s important to have a lifeline because, in the VoIP world, not everything is ‘plug and play’.

That’s why we’ve made it easy for our customers to utilize our talented team of VoIP experts by offering free soft-touch support through our email-based ticketing system!

How easy is it to use our soft-touch email support? Just click on the video and let our Customer Service Associate, Hazel, walk you through the simple steps!

If you have a more advanced issue or need to spend extra time with one of our VoIP experts, we do offer other support packages as well!

Have you been left high and dry by buying VoIP hardware from someone who doesn’t offer any support? We want to hear your story! Leave it in the comments below.

What’s the difference between a lifter and an EHS cable?

by Ying-Hui Chen

Our tech support team at VoIP Supply offers great pre- and post-sales support plus provisioning, consultations, configuration, and installation help. We get a lot of VoIP hardware and software questions and would like to share the solutions with everyone.

In previous Mom’s calling Q&A series, we have discussed: How to set up an analog phone with VoIP. Today, we have more new real questions and answers from VoIP users just like you.

What’s the difference between a lifter and an EHS cable?

Question: What’s the difference between a lifter and an EHS cable? What does the lifter do for the phone?

Answer: A “Lifter” is a physical lifter that allows you to answer calls away from the phone (up to 300 ft); EHS refers to “Electronic Hook Switch” which means it picks up the call electronically instead of physically.

Watch our short video to learn the differences quickly:

STAY TUNED

Come back for more VoIP questions and answers next time! If you have VoIP questions to ask us, please submit a technical support ticket or contact our VoIP experts today at (866) 582-8591

October VoIP Hardware: New Polycom VVX Phones and Jabra Wireless Earbuds

October 16, 2018 by Ying-Hui Chen

Have you checked out the new VoIP hardware that was released this month? The Polycom VVX x50 phones are now available at our website and Jabra just released their new Evolve 65t wireless earbuds. Keep reading to learn more about these new products!

Polycom VVX x50 Series IP Phones Are Now Available!

Polycom’s new VVX SIP phone models are now available for purchase at VoIP Supply, including the VVX 150, VVX 250, VVX 350, and VVX 450 Business IP Phones.

VoIP Supply is your Authorized

Value Added Distributor of Polycom

These four IP phones feature Polycom’s legendary audio quality, color LCD, modern design, easy deployment options, and USB and Gig-E ports. More advanced features include:

Polycom® HD Voice™
Polycom® Acoustic Fence™
Integration with over 60 call control platforms

Jabra Evolve 65t Professional-Grade Wireless Earbuds

Jabra recently released the world’s first professional-grade true wireless earbuds, Evolve 65t. They are very simple to use – just connect the USB dongle to your PC and you are ready to enjoy professional-grade sound with the cordless flexibility to move around all you want! Popular features include:

Professional-grade sound.
True wireless earbuds.
Blocks out disruptive background noise.
One-touch access to Amazon Alexa, Siri®, or Google AssistantTM.

Ready to see more new VoIP hardware? Visit our new VoIP hardware page to see them all in one place!

VoIP Supply Helps Doctors Implement Video Conferencing with New Telemedicine Kit Powered by LifeSize

October 11, 2018 by Ying-Hui Chen

Note: This post has been updated on October 11th, 2018 to provide the most accurate information. The original author was NATHAN MILOSZEWSKI.

Would it sound too good to be true if I told you that there’s a way for patients and doctors to use video conferencing to save time, money, and the hassle of in-office visits?

And it can all be done with the approval of insurance companies?

VoIP Supply is now working with doctors across the country to implement low cost telemedicine solutions with VoIP Supply’s new Telemedicine Kit for Video Conferencing.

While healthcare experts debate how to reform the American health system, the nation’s doctors are asking themselves what they can do today to cut costs and diagnose patients more efficiently now.

Overwhelmed doctors are looking towards a familiar place, technology, to find cures for issues plaguing them on a daily basis such as complex medical insurance reimbursement policies, long wait times for patients to see specialists, and costly and time consuming in-office visits.

(more…)

New! Asterisk 16 and FreePBX 15 Are Now Available

October 10, 2018 by Ying-Hui Chen

Today Sangoma announced at AstriCon 2018 that Asterisk 16 and FreePBX 15 are now available! Several new improvements were made in Asterisk 16 and FreePBX 15 including advanced capabilities that provide developers with the tools to create robust applications. The new upgrades will improve performance, make system management easier for administrators, and allow developers to build solutions that are more adaptable to end-user environments.

Asterisk 16 Overview

Improved Video Conferencing Performance reduces the risk of frozen video frames and provides a world-class framework for creating cutting-edge video applications.
Enhanced Messaging Support gives developers the ability to build rich client applications with text-based data exchanges. Now, multi-party video conferencing client applications can share URLs, list conference participants, highlight talkers, and enable multi-party chat.
Improved Call Handling decreases the system memory and CPU consumption required during high volume situations, most notably when utilizing the PJSIP channel driver.

FreePBX 15 Overview

New Built-In API powered by GraphQL makes it easier to integrate FreePBX with third-party applications and enables users to create more efficient business workflows and processes.
Redesigned Backup and Restore Process allows administrators to create custom backups, perform cross-version backup and restore, and enjoy more options for keeping their data safe.

For more information, visit the Asterisk or FreePBX websites.

Who Needs Business Disaster Recovery?

As winter approaches, so does the weather-related outages. Is your business prepared?

What is Disaster Recovery?

Why Do I Need to Have a Disaster Recovery Plan?

Who Offers a Disaster Avoidance & Recovery Plan

How to Manage Conference Call Participants on Polycom VVX Business Media Phones

How to Manage Conference Call Participants on Polycom’s VVX Series

Popular WiFi Phones for Wireless Office Systems

Fanvil X3SW WiFi Phone- NEW!

Spectralink WiFi Phones

Spectralink 8440

Spectralink Versity Series

Grandstream WiFi Phones

Grandstream WP820

Grandstream GRP2612W Carrier-Grade IP Phone

Why Wi-Fi?

How to Enable / Disable Auto-Answering Feature on Fanvil X6

What is Auto-Answering?

How to Enable / Disable Auto-Answering Feature on Fanvil X6?

Scary good deals on Refurbished Polycom VVX IP Phones

Refurbished Polycom VVX 300

Refurbished Polycom VVX 311

Refurbished Polycom IP 6000

Getting Support from VoIP Supply is Easy

What’s the difference between a lifter and an EHS cable?

What’s the difference between a lifter and an EHS cable?

STAY TUNED

October VoIP Hardware: New Polycom VVX Phones and Jabra Wireless Earbuds

Polycom VVX x50 Series IP Phones Are Now Available!

Jabra Evolve 65t Professional-Grade Wireless Earbuds

VoIP Supply Helps Doctors Implement Video Conferencing with New Telemedicine Kit Powered by LifeSize

New! Asterisk 16 and FreePBX 15 Are Now Available

Asterisk 16 Overview

FreePBX 15 Overview

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