News and Events

January 2008 Newsletter vol 1:

January is a good time to look at the changes and events that helped shape telephony in the previous year, because those events are usually a strong indication of what will continue for 2008.  One such event that made the technology world take notice was Microsoft's October entrance into telephony with their Office Communications Server 2007.  And even though it may take some time for Microsoft to pursue medium or small companies, it lays a strong foundation for the things to come.  This move by a major technology giant proves that voice is headed towards becoming another application, perhaps the last great piece of the converged office.  It also gives credence to VoIP providers, hosted VoIP services, open source PBXs and the direction that traditional PBXs are taking.  It means that future PBXs will be part of your data network, delivering voice with multitudes of features which will integrate directly with other applications that you use on a daily basis.  It means that VoIP is here and it's here to stay in a big way.

 
Remote workers, increasing productivity :

Home based office workers, either fully working from their home or working a percentage of days, now make up a significant portion of the work force.  And these numbers will continue to grow rapidly as companies realize the cost savings they gain and the productivity increases that result by allowing employees to work from home. Workers benefit from lower expenses, saving on high gas prices and gaining time by having no commuting time.  It's a win-win situation.  And VoIP phone systems allow for this easy connectivity from an employee's home, just by connecting their IP phone directly to their broadband Internet connection.  It couldn't be simpler.

And it seems like they are still in the cubicle next door, (but in reality maybe miles or even states away).  Calls will act just like they would normally, going directly to them from the auto-attendant and with customers being able to access their voicemail.  Plus, they get their extension dialing in and out and have all the other advanced features they come to expect.  

 
Should your next PBX be a VoIP system?:

Phone systems can last awhile, but there comes a time when either a major upgrade is inevitable or a complete new solution should be considered.  This certainly would be the time to investigate VoIP and consider a move to this technology.  And at this time, it may be prudent to discuss your present and future needs and your existing network with a professional.  Zeracom will do a needs assessment, determine if your existing network is sufficient and make suggestions based on a that analysis.

Some phone systems, like Samsung's OfficeServ, could be installed right away as a digital PBX, and then be expanded to VoIP with additional hardware.  It allows for further growth and the move to remote extensions.

Looking back, looking forward:

2007 was a very interesting year for VoIP, telephony convergence and the move to include your phone system as an integrated application in your office tools.  One "top 25 article" puts together a list of the top innovations of the year.  It shows where we are and where we are likely headed.  Certainly, it will be a good year as a consumer as PBXs embrace this technology.

 

 

 

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