Every business and call center understands just how fast calls can come rushing in on a daily basis, and from a business leader’s standpoint, it’s important to ensure that your call agents aren’t getting overwhelmed when call volumes skyrocket.

That’s why it’s so important for companies of all sizes to invest in an efficient call routing system that supports your team’s call management strategies. Below we’ll be taking a closer look at what call routing is, and how it can support your unique business needs!

What Exactly Is Call Routing?

Call routing is a feature found in many business phone systems that creates a caller queue when call volume exceeds the amount of available agents, and this feature also properly distributes callers to specific agents based upon predefined criteria and established system rules.

Call routing is also often referred to as an automatic call distribution (ACD) system, and it’s proven to be an invaluable tool for countless businesses in recent years!

Call Routing Benefits

Call routing offers a whole variety of benefits to business teams and call centers. First and foremost, it speeds up caller waiting times and helps guarantee a more favorable customer experience that values efficient resolutions. It also optimizes a company’s operational workflow, and improves agent efficiency productivity.

Some of the most common advantages associated with call routing include:

Customer Support

The main goal of any call center is to support customer needs, and call routing helps ensure customer satisfaction by keeping their wait times down and directing their calls to the correct agents.

Improved Employee Management

Call routing is also crucial for employee satisfaction, because it helps ensure that your call agents don’t get overwhelmed when inbound calls rapidly increase. This feature also guarantees that the workload between agents is evenly balanced, which subsequently improves their overall productivity and performance.

How Exactly Does Call Routing Work?

Call routing can be conducted through a variety of different methods, but these methods generally follow a similar process. Below are some of the common steps of call routing that can help you better understand how it works:

Qualifying Phase

A lot of businesses will utilize an interactive voice response (IVR) tool as one of the first steps of their routing process. This is also referred to as an auto attendant, and this automated menu will help your team better understand what each caller’s general purpose is as they answer a series of questions.

Call Queuing Phase

The IVR responses will immediately be forwarded into a phone system’s ACD system, which sets the caller up into a queue when necessary. Your company’s ACD will then organize calls based upon factors like waiting time, agent skills, and specific queries.

And what’s important to note here is that you’ll be able to predetermine what priorities are most important as a part of your routing rules, which can be adjusted as your call routing needs change.

Call Distribution Phase

When your incoming calls are properly queued, they’ll be routed to your most appropriate agents based upon your system’s rules.

An example of these rules would be talk-time distribution, which routes callers to the agents who’ve essentially been working the least throughout the course of a workday. This strategy is meant to help minimize the idle time of your call agents, and more evenly distribute call volume so no one gets too overwhelmed.

Establishing Your Call Routing Rules To Improve Customer Experience

There are many different call distribution strategies that businesses implement, and they each offer their own strengths and weaknesses. Below are some of the differing call routing methods that you should keep in mind:

Fixed Order Routing

This system will route your incoming calls to the first available agent on a first-come, first-served basis. If a certain agent isn’t currently available, the call will go to the next agent in line.

Skills-Based Routing

This system entails calls being routed to specific agents with unique skills to resolve a caller’s concerns.

Rotary Routing

This system will rotate call assignments between call center agents, which means that each agent will take a turn answering a call before the system returns back to the original agent.

Percentage Routing

This routing strategy will help you to allocate your company’s incoming calls based upon certain percentages to specific call center teams. This means you’ll essentially be able to delineate certain groups and have 50% of your calls go to Group A and 50% go to Group B, and so forth.

Talk-Time Routing

This call routing strategy will assign calls to agents who’ve received the least amount of talk-time among your clients, which goes a long way to make sure that everyone is equally participating and that no particular agent is being overwhelmed.

Time-Based Routing

This system will help ensure that incoming calls will go to agents based upon certain business hours or time of the day.

Reach Out To The Data Talk Team To Learn More About Our Call Routing Features!

Data Talk is the leading telecom business in central Ohio, and our team has decades of experience with supporting businesses with the industry’s most cutting-edge technology.

Our team is here to help support your company’s overall needs, and we understand just how important call routing is for countless businesses. Reach out to us online or give us a call at 614-784-7100 to speak with us about what you’d like to obtain with your call routing strategies!

The post Everything Business Leaders Need To Know About Call Routing! appeared first on DataTalk.

All of us at Data Talk are very proud to announce our latest partnership with Zultys, which is one of the top industry producers for business phone system products throughout the United States!

We have been planning this merger for quite some time, and today we can finally say that the Zultys PBX phone systems are officially a part of our product line. This is very exciting for our team, but it’s also a big announcement for our many clients that may be looking to upgrade their system and reap the many benefits of The Zultys Difference!

Below we’ll be going over some of the details of the PBX systems from Zultys that you should know about:

Zultys Offers PBX Phone Systems That Are Now Available For Data Talk Customers!

Zultys is a top business phone system developer because they go above and beyond to ensure that both small and large companies can simultaneously maintain the everyday functionality and technological edge they need to optimize their business practices.

Here are some of the PBX phone system options from Zultys that are now available for our clients:

MXvirtual

The Zultys MXvirtual IP PBX phone system is an innovative unified communication solution for companies of any size. It’s reliable, scalable and fully integrated for video, voice and mobility for optimal business communications. You’ll be able to scale up to 128 unique locations and include thousands of users throughout your MXnetwork!

Some of the key benefits associated with MXvirtual include the following:

• Simplicity: MXvirtual’s communications infrastructure is easy to manage, so you and your team can remain focused on your more important core tasks.

• Integration: Some of MXvirtual’s integrated capabilities include call recording, contact center, voice mail, instant messaging, call reporting, SIP trunking, IP-PBX, mobile phone UC integration, conferencing, teleworking, HD video, CRM integration, enterprise session border controller and much more!

• Scalability: You’ll be able to seamlessly scale your entire business phone system with literally thousands of different users via a centralized/distributed architecture.

• Open Standards: Zultys has always been on the cutting edge of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) for over two decades, which allows your business to reduce call costs while simultaneously protecting your investments.

• Disaster Recovery: MXvirtual’s full suite of failover and resiliency capabilities will guarantee that your business communications will properly operate even when you experience network and other infrastructure failures.

MX-E

MX-E is considered to be the advanced “all in one” PBX system from Zultys, and there are several models to accommodate businesses of all sizes. MX-E is known for its reliability and innovation in terms of features and overall energy-efficiency!

This phone system includes a SIP gateway and provides state-of-the-art unified communication solutions that’ll help bring your business communications to a whole new level. MX-E comes in three different models, including:

• Base MX-E: supports up to 300 users
• MX-E+: supports up to 1,000 users
• MX-E++: supports up to 2,000 users

Zultys PBX phone systems like MX-E truly provide the best of both worlds, because they combine Internet gateway functionality with classic Unified Communications throughout a professional organization. You’ll also reap the rewards of powerful applications with MX-E, some of which include:

• Unified messaging
• Find-me/Follow-me
• Advanced call handling
• Unified Communications desktop client
• Presence
• Fax server
• Detailed call logs
• And much more!

You’ll also be able to fully integrate your important data within Microsoft Exchange, and conduct video calls, call recording, text-to-speech announcements and a lot of other valuable features that every company can benefit from!

MX-E is also known for its unparalleled reliability with its built-in redundancy within major components, and it’s also pre-packaged with many different software features to ensure that your entire phone system will operate no matter what circumstances occur.

MX-SE

MX-SE is undoubtedly one of the best PBX phone systems for small businesses or branch location environments, because it combines incredible VoIP quality and the famous Zultys Unified Communications technology for up to 50 users. You can also link an MX-SE phone system into a more elaborate MXnetwork, which can ultimately link up to 10,000 employees and 128 distinct offices together.

Your business will experience comprehensive IP telephone and Unified Communications all bound together within one incredible PBX phone system, and this includes the high-quality infrastructure that only Data Talk offers!

Reach Out To Data Talk To Learn More About Our New Zultys PBX Phone System Product Line!

When you partner up with Data Talk for your business communications and data storage needs, you’ll be working with the very best in the industry. Part of what has set us apart from our competition over the decades is our commitment to develop partnerships with other innovative business phone system providers, which is why we’re so proud to announce our new partnership with Zultys.

Combining the product line of Zultys with the hosting and customer services of Data Talk will undoubtedly put you and your entire company in the best position for prolonged success, and our team of specialists is always here to help answer your questions so you can better understand how this new partnership can take your business to a new level.

Contact us online or call us at 614-784-7100 today to get in touch with our team and learn more about our brand new Zultys PBX phone systems!

The post Data Talk Is Adding Zultys PBX Phone Systems To Our Product Line! appeared first on DataTalk.

If you can’t do it yourself, it is best to work with a professional cabling company to do the job more effectively. However, with many cabling companies offering this service, you might be wondering how you can choose the right one. Here are four things to consider:

1. Experience

The more experience a company has, the better they are at servicing you. Because of this, if you do find a company that offers the service you are looking for, look at their experience.

Have they worked with other companies before? Which industries did they serve? How long have they been doing cabling? These questions can give you a rough idea of just how much experience they have and whether they will be capable of offering their services to you as well.

2. Service Offering

Since cabling is not a menial job, you will want to work with a company that does exactly what you want and has done it for many years. If the companies you find do not offer that specific service or have not done it yet, skip them.

This means that, even if they label themselves as a “cabling company” but do something else, move on. That is because you need to get your cabling, whether it be network or anything else, right on the first run. Making a mistake and having to go back to fix everything is a real nightmare, not to mention that it can be costly.

3. Certifications

While experience is essential, certifications are also just as important. For example, if the company does not have a BICSI certification, be wary. The certification is given out by RCDD, Registered Communications Distribution Designers, which is proof that they pass the exam. So, if you are working with a company that does not have the certification, it would be like you working with someone that’s failed it.

4. Reviews

While a company’s website might all be glitter and gold, reality might say differently. Because of this, you must always look at the reviews. While testimonials might help, know that they are usually the best ones picked from what could be an ocean of negative reviews.

So, to be sure, always check other reviews from different sources like Facebook and Google to know that their previous clients think about them. If you see that most people are happy with the service, that is a good sign. If you do see any negative review, carefully read through it. They might be pointing out a specific issue that you might be able to relate to.

Conclusion

Finding the right cabling company to work with for your network cabling needs is essential to ensure that the job will be completed satisfactorily. Keep in mind the tips above, and make sure that they satisfy all these conditions and any special requirements you might have. 

If you are looking for a telecoms company in Columbus, OH to help with your network infrastructure cabling needs, get in touch with us today to see how we can help.

The post 4 Things to Consider When Choosing the Right Cabling Company appeared first on DataTalk.

If your business is relying on a hosted PBX service to handle its phone and Unified Communications systems, it is imperative to have a solid support network. Since Voice Over IP (VoIP) relies on your internet connection to make calls, the quality of your calls can be markedly impacted by the quality of your network. Packet loss is one of the most common sources of poor VoIP quality.

What is Packet Loss?

Packet loss is when “packets” or pieces of data traveling across a network do not reach their destination. The result of these packets failing to reach the opposite end of the network leads to missing data.

The acceptable amount of packet loss will vary depending on the application. For VoIP calls, dropping one or two minor packets might not cause too much of an issue, but if packet loss reaches a substantial level, the audio quality will suffer including choppy voice, distorted audio, echo, and lost audio or long pauses in the conversation. VoIP calls may also be dropped.

Causes of Packet Loss

Packet loss is typically caused by a problem within the network. Locating the deficiency can be difficult as there are a number of factors that could be causing the issue:

1. Network Congestion. One of the most obvious causes of packet loss is network congestion. The online activities of your employees could be reducing your Internet capabilities, requiring more bandwidth than your business actually needs to operate. If your network is being used to download large amounts of data or to stream music or movies, all while trying to make and support multiple VoIP calls at once, your business can quickly reach its bandwidth. This can have a negative impact on the ability of your network to support a high-quality VoIP solution.
2. Insufficient or Faulty Hardware. Hardware such as routers, switches, and even the cables you use can cause congestion on your network if they are outdated, incompatible or damaged. For packets to travel from one point on the Internet to another, they must pass through a series of routers. Each router examines the destination address of the packet and chooses the next router to send the packet to. When more packets must pass through a point than the hardware will allow, the packets are placed into a queue, in turn causing latency. If the queue gets full, packets are dropped.
3. Incorrect Software Configurations. Incorrect software configurations in your network can also lead to packet loss. This could range from simple bugs in the network, to improper software configuration of your devices. Sometimes simply rebooting your devices or updating firmware and networking drivers is all it takes to resolve software issues causing packet loss.

Diagnosing and Measuring Packet Loss

Measuring your network’s packet loss can be intimidating. Luckily, there are online tools and resources available to help automate the process. The HostMyCalls ISP Route Testing Tool is a trusted online diagnostic tool and its reports are provided free of charge. This tool provides a means to find the source of slow Internet speeds, packet loss and latency. It monitors an Internet connection and all the routers or hops of the Internet Service Provider (ISP) serving it. It will monitor an Internet connection from 1 hour to 7 days, making it ideal for finding intermittent problems.*

Depending upon the cause of your network’s packet loss, the fix could be as simple as resetting your network or minimizing the traffic and congestion on your network by limiting internet access and use, however it is more likely that the issue lies with your ISP. Once you have identified the issue(s), work with your Ideacom Network telecom provider to formulate a plan to fix the issues.

* HostMyCalls does not take responsibility or provide support for errors or mistakes their free online resource may report.

The post Solving the Issue of Packet Loss appeared first on DataTalk.

Provider coverage maps may show strong signals in your area, but that’s no guarantee of reception. Cell signals can be poor due to the distance from cell towers; geographic or structural interference; electronic, magnetic or other devices that interfere with signals; and even weather. A heavy number of users can also cause congestion on carrier networks.

Spotty service and dropped calls are not only frustrating, but — if employees are using their phones to conduct business — problems like these can have a negative impact on communication with your customers, vendors and your bottom line.

There are a few ways you can help ensure that cell signals in your business location are consistent and strong.

Use Wi-Fi calling if available
Some smartphones and carriers provide a Wi-Fi calling feature. Employees can activate this feature on their phones and access the secure Wi-Fi network you may already have set up in your business. If your facility is fairly large, you may want to consider purchasing a second router and a set of powerline network adapters to extend your Wi-Fi signal. That’s because the farther the employee is from the router, the poorer / weaker the signal. Also, you’ll want to make sure your Wi-Fi provides enough bandwidth to support all the devices accessing it — including cell phones. This may not be a solution for all employees, as not everyone may use a phone or carrier that supports Wi-Fi calling.

Request a cellular repeater
If you have provided your employees with phones that are all using the same carrier, you can request a signal booster from that carrier, which may improve coverage and reception. These devices are often put in windows where a signal can be retrieved from the cell tower without interference from building materials, then transmitted into your business space.

Enhance your cellular signals
Many cellular coverage enhancement systems are available today that can help you overcome cellular signal problems in your building, regardless of its size. An in-building cellular enhancement system, such as SureCall’s signal boosters, typically support most cellular providers, including AT&T, Verizon, Sprint, and T-Mobile, in addition to smaller regional carriers if required.

These devices are usually installed along with what is called a distributed antenna system (DAS). DAS is a telecommunications system that receives the carrier’s signal (a licensed radio frequency) — on a base transceiver station or a bi-directional amplifier — then transports it into your building using a cable, which can be coaxial, optical fiber or twisted-pair.

Coverage antennas are placed throughout your building as necessary to provide the best overall service for your employees. Cellular signal enhancement solutions come in passive or active options. What you choose depends on the size of your facility.

Passive systems
These systems use coaxial cable, a coverage antenna and other components that do not require AC or DC power to function. Passive solutions cost less to install and work best in buildings that are less than 100,000 square feet. Passive systems require the radio frequency power to be balanced among multiple coverage antennas so there is a strong and consistent signal throughout the building. The downside to this option is that it is difficult and costly to expand over time, should you want to increase the square footage taken up by your business in the same building.

Active systems
These systems require AC or DC power and consist of changing the radio frequency into other types of signals, such as optical. Then, antenna-like devices are placed throughout the building to receive the signal and change it back into a radio frequency accepted by cellular phones. Active systems are more expensive than passive and are used in very large buildings and can even be used in campus-like settings of multiple buildings. This option, unlike a passive system, is easy to expand should the need arise. In fact, these systems can provide coverage in areas as large as 1.24 square miles.

There are many companies offering cellular enhancement systems. You can reach out to your Ideacom Network telecom provider for assistance helping you find the solution that can best improve the cellular signal(s) in your business.

The post How to improve cell reception at your business appeared first on DataTalk.

A VoIP telephone, for example, requires both electrical power and a data network connection to operate. With PoE, only the data network cable is required. PoE has helped VoIP transform business communication and reduce deployment costs.

Here’s how:

• Cost Savings — Now you don’t need to add electrical outlets, extension cords or power strips to power VoIP telephones and other PoE-compliant network devices.
• Dependability — PoE centralizes the source of electricity that powers telephones and other network devices. Connect a single UPS to your data network switch and telephones will be protected and operate through a power failure. Additionally, there are no more power cords or transformers under the desk that can be accidentally unplugged, shutting down a telephone.
• Fast Implementation — All you need to do is install a PoE capable data network switch and all of your PoE-compliant network devices will operate as soon as you connect them to your network.
• Flexibility — You have the freedom to install your PoE-compliant network devices anywhere there is a data network cable in your location(s), even outdoors. PoE is what makes it all “plug and play.” In addition, PoE can be run a distance of 330 feet and still deliver adequate power to a network device.
• Growth — Adding new equipment to your network when your business grows is fast, easy, and painless.
• Safety — In spite of the power PoE delivers, it’s done at such a low voltage making it less of an electrical hazard than extra cords and power strips under the desk.

PoE can be used with any device that requires both power and a network connection. Here are the primary areas in which PoE is used:

VoIP phones are the most common use of PoE. With PoE, your telephones have a single connection to a wall socket.

IP cameras rely on PoE. Because the PoE-powered devices can be put at any location with a data cable in and around a building, it’s easy to install or move cameras as necessary.

Wireless networking is significantly enhanced by the use of PoE. Wi-Fi Access
Points and RFID readers are typically PoE compatible. This allows you to install devices away from AC outlets.

You can add PoE to your network pretty easily. Simply connect other network devices to the PoE switch (which is a data network switch). The switch will automatically determine whether the devices are PoE compatible.

Depending on the needs of your business and your network, you can get PoE switches to fit a wide number of applications. Some switches might have a few PoE capable ports. Others can provide up to 48 PoE capable data ports, are rack-mounted, and can be clustered together to support an unlimited number of network devices.

Whenever you are preparing to upgrade or expand your data network infrastructure, consider implementing PoE capable network switches. They may cost a little more up front, but will provide a significant return on investment when deploying PoE compliant network devices.

The post What is PoE and Why is it Important? appeared first on DataTalk.

Before you decide on what phone system to invest in, here are four types of phone systems you may want to consider for your business.

1. Virtual phone system

A virtual phone system is best for small businesses with workers that are off-site. This system allows those to connect with remote workers via their mobile or home phones. With an extensive call-forwarding solution, an incoming call is transferred to the employee’s cell or home phone. This system has several features that are worthy of mention, such as automated receptionists, voicemail, call forwarding, call screening, toll-free numbers, and online faxing.

• Pros: This system allows remote workers to have access to various phone system features that mobile and home phones don’t offer.
• Cons: This system isn’t a full-fledged phone where calls are processed on your mobile or home phone network. Because of this, your calls will be charged.

2. Traditional landline system

The landline system is ideal for big corporations with a significant budget and IT staff to maintain them. The traditional phone system is typically supported by a local or regional phone company. Known as public switched telephone networks (PSTNs), it has an analog system that runs via the telephone company’s traditional copper wiring. A private branch exchange PBX hardware is used to create multiple extensions and provide system features, such as call transferring and call directories.

• Pros: This system is a highly reliable, time-tested solution that many companies have been using.
• Cons: This system will soon be obsolete, as many providers are now moving away from landlines.

3. VoIP phone system

The VoIP phone system is practical for small companies needing a sophisticated phone system at a reasonable price. It’s also best for businesses with remote employees needing access to the phone system. This system utilizes an Internet connection, instead of copper wires that landlines typically run on. The VoIP system has the following features: automated attendants, call queues, and computer integration. 

• Pros: This system is easy to set up and configure and is significantly cheaper when compared to landlines.
• Cons: This system heavily relies on your Internet connection. Without a stable and running connection, it won’t function.

4. On-premise VoIP system

The on-premise VoIP system is better suited for businesses with regulatory requirements that may be difficult to meet in the cloud-based systems. It works well for companies that want full control over their systems and access to their equipment. With an on-premises system, all equipment is housed within your business, and your IT staff is responsible for its maintenance, repairs, and upgrades.

• Pros: This system is a highly functional one that gives you full control over your system.
• Cons: This system will be a costly investment and requires your IT staff to maintain the entire system at all times.

Final words

In any given business, communication is the key to efficient business processes. Setting a robust business phone system is paramount in helping employees communicate with each other within the organization and deal with customers and other external clients. Whether it’s a virtual phone system, landline system, VoIP, or on-premise VoIP, decide which one your business needs and which particular phone system works for you.

If you’re looking for more information about business phone systems, get in touch with us to see how we can help.

The post Types of Business Phone Systems & Their Pros and Cons – What to Know appeared first on DataTalk.

Understanding how to balance bring-your-own-device policies to create a win-win situation that coincides with your internet phone providers

Why Would Employees Use Their Personal Phones For Work?

This is a fair enough question that every business needs to address. Superficially it comes off that employers would be asking their employees to utilize one of their most useful technological investments (their phones) just so they can save a few bucks. When you think of BYOD in this light then it doesn’t seem all that compelling, but then why would around 75% of employees use their phones at work?

Several internet phone providers have compiled data that shows around 65% of employees around the United States provide their personal phone numbers to clients, and around 75% forward their office calls to their personal phones. It may seem somewhat obvious, but the main reasoning behind so many people giving up their personal privacy is their own intuition and business instincts.

We’re all becoming more attuned to very positive customer experiences, so it’s becoming more important for businesses of all types to highly value their ways in which their employees interact with their clients on a daily basis.

The Continuous Rise of Consumer Driven Experiences

There’s no denying how the general consumer base has come to expect a lot for very little throughout recent years, and this is partly due to automated corporations like Amazon, Facebook and Google that have continuously raised the standard for quality and automation.

This trend in automation has also lead to many companies transitioning to subcontractors, freelancers and remote workers. The issue as it pertains to business phone systems with these types of employee agreements is that it’s becoming more of a necessity to add personal phones to coincide with internet phone providers so business’ can be more adaptable and on the go.

The Pros and Cons of BYOD in the Workplace

The following are some of the pros and cons associated with BYOD that you should be well aware of:

Mobility

It’s become more apparent in recent years that employees need to remain at least somewhat connected to their work tasks when they’re away from the office. Our world has become increasingly more mobile, and this trend is here to stay for the long haul.

The issue here is that most employees don’t want to have to carry around two phones with them (business and personal), so it makes implementing a collaborative BYOD business phone system that will allow for more mobility absolutely critical for any business’ future success.

Security and Privacy

One important issue that BYOD poses is the encroachment upon your employees’ privacy as it pertains to client interaction. After all if your employee gives out their personal number, they’ll inevitably be contacted via calls/texts and other communications that may seem somewhat intrusive.

This is another reason why businesses need to implement a win-win BYOD policy that works for all parties, and a high-quality business phone system is one of the best strategies to solve these increasingly widespread issues.

Good Experiences and Simplicity

All of your employees will have a great appreciation for tools and technology that are convenient and easy to use. Every employer wants their employees to be as efficient as possible, while at the same time not get stressed out in the process of completing complex tasks.

The business phone solutions provided by Data Talk do wonders in terms of providing an employee with the sense that they’re just using one of their many phone apps while connecting to the rest of your team and customers.

Personal Data Access

One of the biggest concerns that employees have about BYOD is their employer having access to personal data within their phone, which is why it’s important to know that our systems will always enforce these types of controls to favor employee privacy.

Although this type of concern is likely to persist within many different industries, placing proper controls to uphold personal data access will always be a major prerequisite that helps bolster employee peace of mind.

Paying for Personal Phone Use at Work

One big concern about BYOD in the workplace is that some employees would rather be paid to use their personal devices for work purposes, or simply don’t want to use their personal phones at work. Because everyone is different, it’s important to ensure that you’re providing options for your employees.

Only some companies (about 23%) are providing financial assistance for employee personal phone usage, but here are some ways to provide payments to employees within a BYOD policy:

• Contribute to payroll: This can be any small amount that is added to an employee’s payroll that recognizes the usage of their personal phone.
• Contribute to phone payment: Some employers will pay to have their employees upgrade their personal phone to a model that’s more adaptable for a business phone system.
• Company discounts: These discounts will typically manifest themselves in the form of a group discounted rate or assistance in purchasing high-end mobile phones that work well within business phone systems.
• Do nothing: It’s an unfortunate truth, but many employers do absolutely nothing to assist their BYOD employees, and some even make BYOD a requirement and pitch it as an employee benefit! Although this is what many employers do, we recommend that you provide more tangible benefits for employees within BYOD business phone solutions.

Data Talk Provides the Perfect Balance Between Internet Phone Providers and BYOD Policies

All of us at Data Talk fully understand how high-quality mobility, personal privacy, and user experiences are extremely important to finding the perfect balance within a business phone system and BYOD policies.

There certainly are a lot of important considerations for employers to keep in mind while implementing a successful BYOD program, so feel free to contact us online or call us at (614) 784-7100 today to speak with one of our experts and have all your questions and concerns answered!

The post Internet Phone Providers vs. BYOD: The Pros and Cons of Using Personal Phones at Work appeared first on DataTalk.

Hospitals aim to provide patient care to everyone. As one of the most critical factors of patient care is communication, hospitals and other health institutions should improve their nurse call systems so patients can quickly get the attention of nurses whenever needed.

What is a nurse call system?

A basic nurse call system is a device that allows the patient to contact the nursing staff. It’s usually a mechanism with a built-in button that when pressed, the nursing staff is alerted by either light and/or an audible sound at the nurse’s station. It serves as a notification that they need to respond to the patient. 

How to select the best nurse call solution

Upgrading to a new nurse call system is a major investment and impacts the people in your institution, including staff and patients. You need to make sure that you select a solution that best fits your organization from a telecommunications service provider that can offer ongoing support. With the right telecom company, you can eliminate the burden that comes with new solution implementation. However, you should also take some necessary steps before making a selection to ensure that your nursing staff will focus less on the technology once it is installed and divert their energy on providing high-quality patient care.

• Identify budget: Get insight from groups that will be impacted by the new nurse call solution, including clinical, IT, transport, pharmacy staff, so you can identify their needs. Use the answers to compare all needs and priorities to the features offered by nurse call systems. You should then set a budget and select the most appropriate nurse call system based on the top priorities of each team. You may cut costs when necessary by option out of add-ons that are less valuable. However, ongoing maintenance and support should be non-negotiable.
• Set realistic goals: Outline attainable goals and objectives. Identify which areas of practice that can be further improved upon and understand how the new nurse call solution can achieve your goals. Just be sure to create a clear strategy for tracking key performance indicators over time to monitor return on investment. 
• Consider existing inventory: The nurse call system you will ultimately choose should fit seamlessly into existing technologies to enhance workflows, limit disruptions, and improve performance. You should take stock of existing inventory to ensure the new system can be integrated successfully.
• Test compatibility: After reviewing the existing IT infrastructure, you should then check the requirements of these technologies to figure out whether the nurse call system can work with them. This will ensure the selection is not only cost-efficient but also reduces unnecessary guesswork for everyone who will be using it. The right nurse call solution is one that you can easily assimilate into your existing technologies like EMRs, cardiac monitoring, telemetry, wireless phones, or biomedical equipment.

Conclusion

By following the steps listed above, you can make the best choice when it comes to a nurse call solution that can foster a productive and happy staff environment and deliver the best possible care to patients. We are a telecommunications service provider in Columbus, OH that can provide adequate resources for your health institution. Get in touch with us today to see how we can help.

The post How to Select the Right Nurse Call Technology for Your Hospital appeared first on DataTalk.

One of the leading challenges every business faces is keeping overhead low. If your business is still using landlines or Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN), you’re missing an opportunity to not only lower overhead costs but to improve productivity.

The opportunity is in using Voice over Internet Protocol network (VoIP) for your business communications — and the savings can be dramatic.

Once you see the bottom-line advantages and the additional capabilities you gain with VoIP, you will likely decide to make the switch. But then comes another decision — whether to go with a VoIP solution that uses a hosted IP-PBX provider or to purchase a premise-based solution.

Once you understand the differences, positives and negatives of these two options, it should be easy for you to choose which is best for your business. Each can provide the same quality and reliability as your current landlines while giving you advanced capabilities that handle voice and data.

Here are the basic differences between these two VoIP delivery options:

Hosted PBX services — Your entire telephone system is operated and maintained by your Voice-over-IP (VoIP) service provider.

• Your provider houses the IP PBX at their location and manages all the technology needed to deliver your phone service and the features it includes.
• Your desk sets plug into your Local Area Network (LAN) but the calls, signaling, and features are handled through an IP-PBX server at the provider’s location.
• You pay a monthly fee based on the features or package of features you choose.

On-premise IP PBX — This is a software-based phone system that also uses VoIP technology but is hosted on your premises.

• Like your current PSTN system, this IP PBX is installed at your business location but the call routing is handled through more advanced technologies.
• These advanced technologies access your Local Area Network (LAN) to route calls to and from your telephones.

What to consider when making a choice.

1. Costs
   The cost of an on premise IP-PBX phone system involves the initial purchase of hardware, including a server with the proper number of interface cards so your business can connect your telephone company with the IP phones. Here are more cost details:
    
   • Your IP-PBX provider takes care of installing and programming your IP PBX, and training your staff on using the system and its many features.
   • Upfront and setup costs are higher.
   • After system is set up and running, monthly costs are lower.
   • The addition of a technology called SIP trunking can lower your calling costs even further.
   • You take care of all upgrade and maintenance costs.
   Hosted IP PBX involves purchasing VoIP phones only. The pros and cons include:
   • Startup and setup costs are lower.
   • Upgrade costs are covered by the service provider.
   • You manage the IP-PBX feature programming by logging onto a cloud-based program.
   • Maintenance costs on the IP PBX are eliminated, but you handle the maintenance of your phones and internal network devices.
   • You or your local vendor must handle all staff training.
   • Monthly costs are low.
   • Adding extra lines, features and upgrades is quick and easy but may come with additional monthly costs.
    
2. Growth
   Expanding the on-premise PBX can be accomplished by buying more IP phones and software licenses. However, during an expansion or other technical upgrade, you may want the help of an experienced technician. Expanding lines with a hosted PBX requires the purchase of more phones — plus going online and programming them into your system. If your monthly cost is based on the number of phones you have, it could go up as well.
    
3. Capabilities
   Having the advanced features that support your type of business operation is an important consideration. These features are the tools that can make your operation more productive as well as build satisfaction with employees and customers. Both hosted and on-premise systems offer an extensive list of convenient user features. Ask your provider for a full list of what is available.Here are a few other deciding factors:Hosted PBX systems:
   • Fast and easy addition and removal of virtual numbers
   • The Hosted Services provider is responsible for adding new functionality, maintenance and upgrades.
   • Lost power or Internet access won’t interrupt operations as calls can be automatically directed to voice mail or mobile phones
   On-premise PBX systems:
   • You or your designated vendor add, adjust and delete users as desired
   • Most on-premise PBX systems include a more robust and flexible feature set than Hosted.
   • The loss of power or telephone company service at your location could interrupt business communications

The most important part of your decision to choose a hosted IP-PBX system or an on-premise IP PBX is the provider. You will want to find a trusted firm with the systems and features matching your business needs that will be there to serve your business long into the future. Local representation is crucial to the successful deployment and ongoing operation of your new system whether you choose a Hosted PBX or an on-premise PBX.

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