The Fear of BYOD: Why Smartphones Might Not Be a Smart Choice for Your Business

August 28, 2018 by Ying-Hui Chen

For small clinics, retailers, and warehouses, it’s easy to let your employees use their personal smartphones to communicate at work and achieve higher productivity with lower costs. But deploying the wrong devices can actually have the opposite effect and cost you more! In this article, we are going to find out why personal smartphones might not be ideal for business communications and what can be a smarter choice for your organization. Let’s get started:

Reason 1: Privacy and Security

Personal mobile devices are designed to access and share data in the cloud, which makes duplicating data and moving between applications very easy. However, this also makes tasks such as accessing patient data, while protecting the confidentiality of protected health information as required by the Health Portability and AccountabilityAct (HIPAA), a huge challenge.

IT professionals may also be concerned that employees might lose their smartphones or be careless with important information, which can lead to the mishandling of data!

Reason 2: Integration and Management

Chances are your employees have all kinds of different mobile phones, therefore, your IT team has to be able to handle the diversity of multiple products and platforms. This makes managing the devices very difficult and complicated, especially with new handsets and firmware updates being released every few weeks. An IT professional’s ultimate fear is that they will lose the full visibility and control over how employees handle company data, leaving your organization vulnerable.

Reason 3: Call Quality and Work Productivity

One of the greatest challenges for smartphones is delivering good voice quality using your company’s in-building WiFi network. Since smartphones are designed for data and cellular voice calls, and although they do support WiFi functionality, they are not optimized for voice. Interrupted phone calls can create frustration and misunderstanding among your staff, customers or patients!

Another challenge you will want to consider is that using personal devices at work can be distracting. With text messaging, social media, personal calls, and work-related activities all mixed together, the overall work productivity is very likely to be reduced especially for nurses, retail store assistants and manufacturing workers.

What Can You Do?

You can educate your employees, provide them with clear guidelines and add security measures to include encryption, two-factor authentication, etc. However,  there will still be employees who make mistakes or blatantly disregard your instructions (It’s human nature!). Luckily, Spectralink has a better solution for you- purpose-built WiFi phones!

Why Spectralink WiFi Phones?

Purpose-built phones like Spectralink WiFi Phones are a smarter choice for your business. Spectralink devices offer reliable network connectivity not just to a cellular network, which many employees won’t have access to while on the job, but also to the corporate WiFi. Unlike most consumer smartphones, these devices are optimized for voice and come with echo cancellation and noise suppression to provide excellent call quality. 

Deploying Spectralink WiFi phones ensures your employees will have access to the apps and data they need, and be as productive as possible in any environment, allowing you to easily share phones among employees across shifts for better ROI and giving you complete control over company data, devices, and applications.
Learn more about Spectralink phones

Where Do Patton’s PoE Ethernet Extenders Fit?

Patton’s CopperLink 1101 PoE ethernet extender extends your Ethernet or network segment beyond its standard distance limitation ( 3300 feet/ 1005 meters) so that you can have more flexibility to install your PoE-compliant devices like the Wireless Access Points (WAPs), IP cameras, and more at a convenient location.

So where can you apply the CL1101 PoE Ethernet extender to? The CL1101 is designed to be used in many different environments. If you are looking for some ideas, here are four common use scenarios to get you started:

Scenario 1: Outdoor PoE WiFi Access Points

Many factories with vast open spaces face wireless dead zone issues. With the CL1101, we are able to extend the wireless connectivity using an existing wired Cat-3 cable connection between the Factory headquarter and remote campus. So that you can place your WiFi access points at strategic locations, eliminating wireless dead zones.

This improves outdoor wireless coverage density, Wi-Fi connections and it helps industrial tablets and smartphones communicate effectively over WiFi for measurement and control applications.

Scenario 2: Outdoor PoE SIP Phone

When using your SIP phone outdoor with the SIP server located away at the campus factory headquarter, your SIP phone can still be powered up via a PoE connectivity. The CL1101 Ethernet Extender allows your SIP phone to communicate smoothly with no power outlet required at the remote site. The distance is no longer an issue!

Scenario 3: Outdoor PoE Surveillance Camera

A typical Outdoor IP surveillance camera requires two connections, AC power and a high-speed network connection for video recording and display; however, with the PoE Ethernet Extender, you will just need one cable! The CL1101 provide both power and a 100 Mbps Ethernet connection from one single cable to enable a simple surveillance solution.

Scenario 4: Outdoor PoE Horn Speaker

Install your horn/ loudspeaker anywhere you want with the CL1101! You will be able to deliver power PoE power and Ethernet connectivity to your outdoor SIP-based speakers. The PoE Ethernet extender allows the horn speaker to communicate with the SIP-based Paging system at the headquarter on the 802.1Q VLAN tagged voice VLAN. With the CL1101, you are finally able to perform the most effective voice paging and mass notification/ alerting at the convenient location you need!

Are you using the CL1101 Ethernet Extender? Where do you use it? How does it help you achieve your goal? Share with us!
Learn More about CL1101

TelecomReseller Podcast: Sell Hosted VoIP Services and Get VoIP Hardware Discounts

August 27, 2018 by Ying-Hui Chen

It’s VoIP Supply’s Telecom Reseller podcast time again! This time, our Channel Partner Manager, Don Stefanie, shares the unique features of the VoIP Supply Partner Program that enable their partners to sell hosted VoIP phone services and at the same time get discounts on VoIP hardware!

Don also explains how VoIP Supply listens to their channel partners and works closely to retain channel loyalty, helping them meet their unique needs with competitive offerings and programs. If you are searching for a great opportunity to grow your business, this is the podcast you will want to listen!

Grandstream GVC3210 Video Conferencing Solution is now certified with BroadSoft’s Broadworks

August 24, 2018 by Ying-Hui Chen

Grandstream Networks today announced that their GVC3210 video conferencing is now fully interoperable with BroadSoft’s Broadworks platform. Now all BroadSoft Business Platform users can create their video conferencing solution with Grandtream’s GVC3210 without a hassle!

The GVC3210 video conferencing endpoint is an all-in-one solution for small to medium businesses. This device provides powerful UC features and runs on on Android 6.x operating system with full access to applications in the Google Play Store. With this certification, Grandstream’s complete Unified Communications portfolio is fully interoperable with BroadSoft, which gives Grandstream the privilege to offer BroadSoft service providers and enterprises a one-stop-shop for all the endpoints communication needs.

Grandstream’s GVC3210 provides unique features including:

  • Sharp HD video resolutions up to 4k Ultra HD
  • Runs on Android 6.x operating system with full access to applications in the Google Play store
  • Built-in Bluetooth for use with Bluetooth speakers/ microphones, keyboards, data exchange, etc.
  • Integrated dual-band WiFi to pair with video and web conferencing service
  • Built-in 4-MIC array with beam-forming, support for external audio equipment and innovative Noise Shield technology
  • Advanced camera with 16M pixel CMOS sensor, 90 FOV wide-angle lens, and ePTZ for easy camera view adjustments
  • Support for Miracast wireless content sharing to share a presentation with conference attendees
  • Integrated 1x HDMI in, 2x HDMI out, and 2x USB

Learn more about the GVC3210 video conferencing here!

Sangoma Announces Transformative Acquisition of Digium

MARKHAM, ON, Aug. 24, 2018 – Sangoma Technologies Corporation (TSX VENTURE: STC), a trusted leader in delivering Unified Communications solutions for SMBs, Enterprises, OEMs, and Service Providers, both on-premises and in the cloud, has entered into a definitive agreement on August 23, 2018 to acquire all of the outstanding shares of Digium, Inc. The deal is expected to close on or about August 31, 2018, subject to customary closing conditions.

Digium is the creator of Asterisk, the most widely used open source communication software in the world, along with Sangoma’s FreePBX. The company offers a comprehensive product portfolio including Digium’s cloud-based UCaaS (Unified Communication as a Service) platform, the Switchvox premise-based phone system, a complete range of IP phones, and a full suite of Asterisk software and connectivity products. Founded in 1999, Digium is a true pioneer in the communications market, launching the open source segment of telecom, and is one of the industry’s best known, most respected brands.  It is headquartered in Huntsville, Alabama, is privately held and venture-backed, with over 40% of sales in recurring services revenue to a huge customer base around the world.

Reaching a New Milestone in Scale

“Sangoma and Digium have a long history of working together, while also competing in the marketplace, and have gotten to know each other very well over the years.  Our relationship and mutual respect allows us both to know that the strategic fit between the two businesses really is excellent”, said Bill Wignall, President and CEO of Sangoma. Wignall continued, “This transaction will add very meaningful sales, create market leadership in our segment, increase recurring revenue materially, and allow us to nicely leverage our complementary businesses.  During a time of industry consolidation, this transformative merger is another bold step for us in implementing our strategy to scale up and increase shareholder value, by augmenting our organic growth with complementary M&A opportunities.  To the new staff that will be joining us, I’d like to welcome you to the growing Sangoma family.  To our Digium customers and partners around the globe, I’d like to assure you that everyone here at Sangoma remains committed to you, to the Digium products you rely upon, and to further contributing to your success.  And of course, to the Asterisk community, I would like to reassure you that Sangoma recognizes the value of Asterisk and is committed to keeping it open source.  We will continue to invest in its development and to seek input from the broad base of developers that has led to its outstanding success.”

The acquisition, Sangoma’s seventh in seven years, provides the combined company with several strategic advantages, including:  increased scale via significantly higher sales, expanded recurring revenue percentage, stronger gross margins, market leadership in our category, a more complete product portfolio, a larger team of excellent employees during a time when competition for talent is high, a much wider network of complementary channel partners around the world, and a larger base of enterprise and SMB customers. After closing, the merged company will have a combined workforce of over 300 employees.

“I created Asterisk and Digium to be disruptive in the communications industry”, said Mark Spencer, Founder and Chairman of Digium. Spencer continued, “I am really proud that it has grown under its current ownership and management to a very successful point, and it is now time to take it to the next stage as part of a larger, public company. Given the involvement of both companies in the history of Asterisk dating back to its creation in 1999, Sangoma is the natural home for the Asterisk project. For many years both companies have had teams working to improve Asterisk and make it more accessible.  I believe Sangoma’s commitments should reassure the Asterisk community that Sangoma is dedicated to the project.  I look forward to seeing the results of tighter collaboration between those teams, and the benefits to the community, now that they will be part of a single company.”

Transaction Details

Under the terms of the agreement, Sangoma expects to pay a total purchase price of US$28 million on a debt-free and cash-free basis, subject to customary working capital adjustments.  The purchase price consists of US$24.3 million in cash and 3,943,025 Sangoma common shares (representing US$3.7 million based on a ten (10) day volume weighted average price of $1.2214 per common share).  Digium generated approximately US$30 million in revenue in its fiscal year ended December 31, 2017, with consolidated assets (net of cash) of approximately US$11 million, no debt and a net loss of approximately US$4 million. Further, for the most recently completed quarter ending June 30, 2018, Digium is operating at about EBITDA breakeven.

The cash portion of the consideration will be funded through a combination of cash on hand and, in order to minimize dilution, a new credit facility of approximately $21 million from Sangoma’s existing Canadian Tier 1 bank, bringing Sangoma’s total credit facilities to about $28 million, of which approximately $25 million will be outstanding at Closing.  The new credit facility will be drawn in US dollars, be repaid over 7 years and is expected to have an interest rate of 6.0% to 6.5% per annum at closing.

Transaction Advisors

INFOR Financial Inc. acted as the exclusive financial advisor to Sangoma in connection with the transaction.

Conference Call Information

Management will discuss this planned acquisition more fully on a conference call at 8:30am EDT today, Friday August 24, 2018.  The dial-in number for the call is 1-800-319-4610 (International 1-604-638-5340) and investors are requested to dial in 5 to 10 minutes before the scheduled start time and ask to join the Sangoma call.

About Sangoma Technologies Corporation

Sangoma Technologies is a trusted leader in delivering Unified Communications solutions for SMBs, Enterprises, OEMs, Carriers and service providers. Sangoma’s globally, scalable offerings include both on-premises and cloud-based phone systems, telephony services and industry-leading Voice-Over-IP solutions, which together provide seamless connectivity between traditional infrastructure and new technologies.

Sangoma’s products and services are used in leading PBX, IVR, contact center, carrier networks and data-communication applications worldwide. Businesses can achieve enhanced levels of collaboration, productivity and ROI with Sangoma. Everything Connects, Connect with Sangoma!

Founded in 1984, Sangoma Technologies Corporation is publicly traded on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX VENTURE: STC). Additional information on Sangoma can be found by visiting www.sangoma.com.

About Digium

Digium®, Inc. provides Asterisk® software, telephony hardware, and on-premises and hosted Switchvox business phone systems that deliver enterprise-class Unified Communications (UC) and UC as a Service (UCaaS) solutions at an affordable price. Digium is the creator, primary developer and sponsor of the Asterisk project; the world’s most widely used open source communications software. Asterisk turns an ordinary computer into a feature-rich communications server. A community of more than 80,000 developers and users worldwide uses Asterisk to create VoIP communication solutions in more than 170 countries. Since 1999, Digium has empowered developers to create innovative communications solutions based on open standards and open source software, providing an alternative to proprietary phone systems. Digium Switchvox Cloud and other cloud-based products and services are offered through Digium Cloud Services, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Digium, Inc. Digium’s business communications products are sold through a worldwide network of reseller partners. More information is available at www.digium.com and www.asterisk.org.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the future success of our business, development strategies and future opportunities.

Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning estimates of future revenue, expected expenditures, expected future production and cash flows, and other statements which are not historical facts. When used in this document, the words such as “could”, “plan”, “estimate”, “expect”, “intend”, “may”, “potential”, “should” and similar expressions indicate forward-looking statements.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, as there can be no assurance that the plans, intentions or expectations upon which they are based will occur. By their nature, forward-looking statements are based on the opinions and estimates of management on the date that the statements are made and involve numerous assumptions, known and unknown risks and uncertainties, both general and specific, that contribute to the possibility that the predictions, forecasts, projections and other events contemplated by the forward-looking statements will not occur or will differ materially from those expected. Although Sangoma believes that the expectations represented by such forward-looking statements are reasonable based on the current business environment, there can be no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct as these expectations are inherently subject to business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies. Some of the risks and other factors which could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements contained in the management’s discussion and analysis include, but are not limited to changes in exchange rate between the Canadian Dollar and other currencies, the variability of sales between one reporting period and the next, changes in technology, changes in the business climate in one or more of the countries that Sangoma operates in, changes in the regulatory environment, the rate of adoption of the company’s products in new markets, the decline in the importance of the PSTN and new competitive pressures. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement and Sangoma undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management’s estimates or opinions should change except as required by law.

Readers are directed to Sangoma’s filings on SEDAR with respect to Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Results for the basis of Sangoma’s reconciliation of EBITDA to net income as calculated under IFRS

###

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Sangoma Technologies Corporation
David Moore
Chief Financial Officer
(905) 474-1990 Ext. 4107
[email protected]
www.sangoma.com

4 Reasons Why You Should Upgrade your Legacy WiFi Phones

August 23, 2018 by Ying-Hui Chen

When was the last time you examined your communication system? Your VoIP system is just like an insurance plan that needs to be re-evaluated regularly to make sure that you are taking full advantage of the solution you have. Your Spectralink WiFi phones are no exception!

Today, we are going to tell you the top four reasons why our Spectralink customers upgraded their legacy phones to a newer model (Spectralink 84 or PIVOT 87-Series):

1. Communication Security

Spectralink has been relentlessly improving their technology to ensure that their users can enjoy the most secure communications. Your legacy Spectralink phone might be outdated and not able to protect you from the evolved malicious attacks. That’s why you need the 84-Series WiFi phone that offers you the most updated, enterprise-grade security options to enhance your communication quality and safety.

2. Most up-to-date functions and features

To maximize your work efficiency, you want to make sure that you have access to the most up-to-date features and functions. A newer Spectralink device like the 84-Series or the PIVOT 87-Series WiFi phones will give you all you need to be competitive and efficient.

3. Compatibility & Support

Your legacy devices might not support some of the latest integrations and management systems. By upgrading to a newer model, you will be able to avoid many compatibilities and support issues! 

4. New Promotions!

Last but not least, when there’s a promotion that will save you more, why not take advantage of it? Spectralink is offering a trade-in promotion where you will enjoy discounts when you trade in your legacy (Spectralink or OEM) handsets!

The Spectralink WiFi phones are optimized for clear and consistent voice communication. The 84-Series and PIVOT 87-Series are designed for all walks of life from health care to retail and industrial users. Click here to see the datasheet!

Are you ready to upgrade? Contact one of our VoIP consultants at 1-800-398-8647 today!
See More Spectralink Phones

AstriCon 2018 Asterisk Training Educates Attendees About Open Source

Digium offers more than 45 AstriCon workshops to help the audience learn more about VoIP open source and how it can be used to solve common business communication challenges. Two of the popular sessions are coming up on Tuesday, October 9th, as part of AstriCon 2018.

OpenShift OKD Workshop

Automating Asterisk on Kubernetes (OpenShift OKD) is a 4-part workshop series, teaching advanced users how to assemble the right tools to automate the deployment and management of Asterisk in Kubernetes. This workshop series will be hosted by Leif Madsen, DevOps team lead at Red Hat, and Doug Smith of NFV Partner Engineering Team at Red Hat.

Asterisk from Scratch Workshop

The other workshop is Asterisk from Scratch (AFS). This is a series of presentations, giving you a well-rounded, informative overview of Asterisk and a guide to the building blocks within the project. This workflow is designed for people who are just getting started with Asterisk.

These workshops are great opportunities for Asterisk users to gain broader knowledge in implementing Asterisk solutions! Register for AsteriCon here.

How to Prepare Your Customers on The Transition From Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams? [WEBINAR]

At this point, we all know that Skype for Business will eventually be left behind in the wake of Microsoft Teams, but do you know how to help your customers with this transition?

While we are quite a ways away from this actually happening, it can put you, the reseller, in a great position to start preparing for this big change!

We here at VoIP Supply know this, and that’s why we teamed up with TetraVX and Yealink to deliver this informational webinar that will help you manage your customers with ease!

Can I Use My Softphone with a Phone Instead of a Headset?

August 22, 2018 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: Polycom Phones vs Yealink Phones: What are the differences? Today, we have more new real questions and answers from VoIP users just like you.  

Can I Use My Softphone with a Phone Instead of a Headset?

Q: I am looking for something that can work as a softphone, but am not interested in headsets as we are a patient facing aesthetics office. Our desktop skype for business (Teams) apps are set up as the controller for calls. I am looking for something that functions as a headset, but looks like a phone.

A: Well, a softphone implies the use of a device other than a desk phone. It’s usually a laptop or a smartphone running an app. The only way to avoid a headset is using a speakerphone which can have suspect audio quality or background noise. You can consider the Plantronics Calisto P240-M, a portable USB handset for PC communications that has been optimized for Microsoft Teams.

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

5 Advantages of Patton Gateways You (Probably) Didn’t Know

We all know that a VoIP gateway bridges your communication between your IP network and PSTN, but did you know that Patton’s gateways play a bigger part in VoIP than that? Today we are going to show you the 5 advantages of Patton gateways you probably didn’t know. Let’s find out:

5 Advantages of Patton Gateways You need to know

#1 Full Telephony Features

Patton’s gateways don’t just bridge your communications, they also provide a full set of phone features you will need to get your job done! Advanced features include flexible call routing, numbering plan adaptations, call transfer, 3-way conferencing and much more!

#2 VoIP Security

VoIP Security has become more important than ever! Luckily, Patton’s ESBC/ESBR solutions come with its built-in security features such as SIP TLS, SRTP, Stateful Firewall and Secure provisioning to protect your LAN networks from most of the Internet attacks!

#3 Easy Management & Provisioning

Everything is simple and straightforward with Patton’s gateways. The unique WEB Wizard enables an easy and hassle-free installation and allows you to customize your own Web interface. Our customers also love Patton’s auto-provisioning feature and the ability to separate config domain, which makes their lives much much easier!

#4 Outstanding Interoperability

When talking about interoperability, Patton is unbeatable! Their gateways are interoperable for voice and T.38 fax with many leading SIP service providers, soft-switch vendors, 3CX, Asterisk IP PBX and many more!

#5 Advanced Local Call Switching

With Patton gateways, your call quality is guaranteed. Their virtual interfaces and routing tables provide industry leading flexibility in call handling programming. The fallback routing soft falls back to alternative routes when needed. You are also able to simultaneously connect to multiple SIP services/IP PBXs.

There you have it! These are just some of the popular features that Patton has to offer. If you’d like to learn more about what their gateways can do, visit our Patton page or contact one of our VoIP consultants at 1-800-398-8647 today!
Learn More about Patton Gateways!

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