Wednesday, March 31, 2010

The Internet Fax Service Capabilities



The traditional fax is slowly being superseded by the more technologically advanced internet fax. With more than a decade of dominating fax transmission, the traditional fax machines will soon be replaced in the future with Internet fax as the standard way of doing business fax operations.

While it offers some of the fax machine's characteristics such as sending and receiving of facsimiles, this modern fax alternative is offering more than what its predecessor can provide. Take for example the ability to send and receive a fax anywhere in the world. Not so impressive right? Because a traditional fax can do the same feat. How about sending and receiving of a fax via internet 
anywhere in the world. Unimpressive? How about sending and receiving of a fax via internet anywhere in the world through an email account?

This modern fax service utilize the power of the internet. It allows users to access a fax using a PC. That's not all. A user is also not limited to the confinement of the office premises. This is because an internet-enabled device and an online account makes simultaneous sending and receiving of faxes possible while on the go or on a business travel.
Internet fax service providers even made it more innovative by allowing users to edit, create and sign faxes digitally with the use of a free fax software. This fax software can be easily installed on a PC and allows seamless integration with Microsoft Office applications such as Word, Excel, Outlook, etc.

Today, more companies are switching to this better alternative because it helps in saving for the cost of electricity and telephone bills. For this new method of faxing does not need any additional hardware, paper, ink and toner to continue its operation. Aside from cost savings, internet faxing also helps in ensuring that all documents are kept confidential and safe in the email inbox.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Toll Free Pricing and Scalability

Expect a business to grow when toll free numbers are put into use. This service enables callers to contact the business without costing them a penny. The business can also serve customers better by offering them a free support and service. Overall, utilizing a toll free service can improve business-customer relationship and acquire a potential marketing tool.

Before planning to acquire a toll free service for the business it is very important to consider the 800 number pricing of the chosen provider. A good price should reflect better toll free features such as: 3 way calling, auto-attendant, call blocking, call recording, call return, call routing, call screening, call waiting, caller ID, customer greeting, etc. As a matter of fact a decent provider even offers a toll free service that includes a full virtual PBX system package.

Price scalability is another important factor to think about. A toll free provider that offers scalable pricing plans enables a business to switch from one plan to another in order to accommodate the communication requirements. Different providers offers different pricing plan. Consider the following providers as an example:
  1. RingCentral offers four scalable plans that varies on the included minutes and extensions. It allows businesses to switch from one plan to another depending on the call requirements. 
  2. For $99.99 a month PhonePeople offers an unlimited plan that accommodates as much call minutes as required with 100 extensions included.
  3. FreedomVoice Systems on the other hand offers customized pricing plans based on features, number of minutes and extensions.
These are just few of the many providers that offers scalable plans. Always remember that using a toll free number enables a business to grow. Before acquiring one always consider the price scalability and pricing.

Better Handling of Calls with the Follow Me Feature

One of the most excellent PBX system feature is perhaps the Follow Me Call Forwarding. This special telephone system characteristic enables a call to be rerouted and delivered easily. It allows quick configuration so that calls can be routed to any phone in any location instantly. This is a feature essential to frequent travelers or to people who are always on the go since they can bring the business with them anywhere they go without the worries of missing or neglecting important calls.

Follow Me is such a versatile phone system feature because it can forward calls to a list of different phone numbers. This flexibility allows an inbound call to ring any of the pre-programmed phone numbers (mobile, office, home, overseas). Once the call is answered the other receiving phones will stop ringing as well.

With the Follow Me Call Forwarding feature a business can also benefit from automatic forwarding by adjusting the redirection of a call based on time, day or the calling number. This prevents a call in ruining special event such as time with the family or a special meeting in the office.

This feature can also be utilized to retain privacy and confidentiality. It prevents callers from being alerted when their call is being forwarded and enables office staff to reach the big boss’ phone without disclosing his/her whereabouts.

To ensure that no calls are missed or neglected then this Call Forwarding Follow Me feature is the appropriate feature to consider. Not only it allows better handling of incoming calls but it also permits callers to follow the business wherever the contact person is located.

Friday, March 26, 2010

800 Number Features of a Victorious Provider

Obtaining a toll free service can greatly benefit the business. Toll free numbers are so popular with many businesses that the governing body for this service had complemented the 800 prefix with other prefixes (866, 877, 888) to meet the ever growing demand. As a matter of fact more prefixes are reserved for future expansion: 822, 833, 844, 855, 880, 887 and 889.

With businesses noticing the potential of this service as a business tool it is no surprise that 800 number users has increased tremendously since its inception in the early 80s. It is now an essential telecommunication component even for a small business because it generates branding and professional image.

Today's 800 service providers even made it a sought-after service by adding more advanced functions. That is what every business look for in a provider. And to become a winning toll free provider requires the following 800 number feature, that also includes a full virtual PBX system package, offer: 
  • 3 Way Calling
  • Auto-Attendant
  • Call Blocking
  • Call Recording
  • Call Return
  • Call Routing
  • Call Screening
  • Call Waiting
  • Caller ID
  • Custom Greeting
  • DND
  • International Forwarding
  • Internet Fax
  • Maximum Call Length
  • Multiple Extension
  • Music On-Hold
  • Notification
  • Online Call Management
  • Select Ring
  • Vanity Number
  • Voicemail
A toll free provider furnishing their service with more toll free features are the true overall winner. Any business planning to get 800  numbers will always seek for the suitable provider that can supply a powerful and cost-effective solution to meet their telecommunication requirements.

Thursday, March 25, 2010

The Online Business Plus – a Complete Hosted PBX System

With today's advanced phone and fax systems, a business can be readily equipped to have an intelligent telecommunication. With affordable pricing, a feature-packed hosted PBX system also eliminates the need to purchase additional telecommunication hardware or equipments.

This modern PBX system, also called an IP phone system, is a phone system that a business can lease or rent, from a hosting provider, on a contractual basis. In short all the necessary components resides on the hosting provider's premise. What the subscriber's needs to do is simply focus on its business operation.

A hosted PBX solution has more advantage than a hardware based PBX system. Being hosted means that every communication is routed to and from the subscriber and hosting provider. In terms of cost and benefits this system is cheaper to operate, easy to install and quick up time.

In addition to the cost and benefits, different hosted PBX providers even packed their system plans with far more features that will truly benefit a business. One plan that is worthy to mention is the Online Business Plus plan from a top caliber provider. At $24.99 per month a business can enjoy the included 500 minutes with ten extensions. Excess minutes are then charged at 5.99 cents each minute. A program included also acts as the control center for accessing all the telecommunication features via the computer thus making it a complete system suitable to any business.

Hosted systems maybe advantageous, flexible and cheaper to operate but as the numbers of users grows the cost advantages may disappear as well.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Getting Immediate Attention with Voicemail and Message Alerts

A business employing the service of a fax via internet must have means to manage newly received faxes. Since, this new faxing method enables simultaneous sending/receiving of faxes, it can be expected that bucket loads of new faxes are to received on a daily basis on your inbox.
Fax via internet service providers anticipate this by providing an alert feature. Every time that a new fax arrives in the office mailbox a notification alert is sent via e-mail or text message. Receiving new message alerts enables a business to immediately apply the required action needed for urgent documents.

Voicemail is another area where a business can expect large volume of activity especially if the business offers customer support or services with a toll free number. Missed calls are unavoidable even if the business phone system has sophisticated call forwarding and answering rules. Hence, it would be advantageous to have a voicemail running as it serves as the systems last resort for receiving messages. Just like with an internet fax, voicemail has the similar voicemail alerts whenever a new message arrives.

These useful alert features can immediately inform the business of newly received faxes or messages. As a result, urgent documents or calls can be attended without any delay. In addition, a contact, who is out of office, will be able to listen to voicemails or read faxes while on the road as long as there is an internet and an internet-enabled device on hand.
Why wait and worry when message and voicemail alerts can provide instant notification when a new document or an important call arrives. Knowing this, it is safe to conclude that using message alerts can assist a business to work more effectively and provide excellent customer service.

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Keeping Track of Communication with Call Logs

To collect phone call data requires the process of call logging. Call logging is also known as call monitoring. Call logs are very important for a business in order to track communication and other transaction. Collected data or CDRs (call detail records) are often used for the purpose of quality control, costing, performance analysis, development, security, etc.

To properly implement detailed logging of a telephone network requires a centralized logging system. This system will keep track and it will record all calls, faxes, messages and other pertinent information that is being introduced to your company. A simple system can utilize a call logging software and have it installed in a PC connected to a PBX telephone system. Every CDRs captured from the PBX system is then delivered via a connection to the PC. Most PBX providers offer their own call logging system and there are also software applications that can be download from the Internet.

A CDR from different providers, like the RingCentral call logs, can contain and highlight some of the following information:
  • Date and time – date and time stamp of the CDR.
  • Length of transaction – the total time spent on a call, message or other transaction.
  • Result of transaction – the status of a fax or voicemail whether it is received, retrieved or opened.
  • Name – name of the caller or contact person.
  • Caller ID – the number of the caller.

A business can also benefit from the following call logs feature:
  • Viewable archivescall logs are stored for easy retrieval.
  • Searchable and sortable – logs can be searched and sorted using filters based on date, time, caller ID, name, etc.
  • Downloadable – logs can be downloaded or delivered via e-mail.
  • Clickable – some information, like telephone numbers, can be directly dialed.