Is Hosted PBX Vulnerable over Public Networks?

Is Hosted PBX Vulnerable over Public Networks?

Security Risks Posed by Wi-Fi Hotspots and Open Networks

Security tops the list of concerns for hosted PBX, despite little
reason to fret in the office or at home. In such environments, building
firewalls and security layers can protect data from unwanted guests, but
no such measures exist in the open world. This is because most public
IP networks, such as hotspots offered in restaurants and transit
stations, are unencrypted and unauthenticated, making data interception
possible.

How to Choose a Vanity Number for Your Business

If your unaltered business name is unavailable, do not fret.
Similarly, if the name is too long or short, there are alternate ways to
create memorable vanity numbers with
keywords and phrases. For instance, abbreviations and/or descriptive
nouns and adjectives can expand or truncate a vanity number’s length.
These tactics apply to businesses without name recognition as well,
those that need catchy vanity numbers to reflect their offerings
instead. Such strategies work in numerous other settings, including web
addresses, domains and hashtags. For a full breakdown of steps in
choosing the perfect vanity number, read through the infographic below.




How to Choose a Vanity Number for Your Business

Smartphone VoIP App Security Woes

Some
providers price their call and data packages unfeasibly high, leaving
users little choice where to go for mobile long-distance calling and
internet browsing. Over Wi-Fi, however, smartphone users have discovered
a far cheaper method of communication – VoIP. For many paid services,
the features and capabilities unlocked through smartphone apps surpass
those offered by major mobile carriers anyway. But do smartphone VoIP
apps pose security concerns?

Smartphone VoIP App Security Woes

Do VoIP Users Need Tech Skills and Experience?

Recent studies suggest that more SMBs are veering away from on premise IP-PBX
in exchange for portable, lightweight VoIP solutions. The reasoning:
(1) most offices and/or residential spaces do not have the IT support
necessary to setup, maintain and update on premise IP-PBX systems; (2)
VoIP takes up less space and consumes less time in-house; and (3)
investments in VoIP are unbeatably low compared to on premise solutions.
In other words, the VoIP interface is inexpensive and user-friendly
without sacrificing quality or function.



Do VoIP Users Need Tech Skills and Experience?

How Your Hosted PBX Gateway Works

Hosted PBX Gateways convert incoming PSTN transmissions into a form compatible with data networks – or vice versa. Such devices come in both analogue and digital formats. Sometimes users confuse hosted PBX gateways with Analogue Telephone Adaptors (ATAs), so it’s best to think of gateways as bridgesbetween networks instead of components in a single environment. In using gateways, then, users merge the stability and reliability of the PSTN with the robustness of hosted PBX. In other words, hosted PBX gateways provide fail over options.
How Your Hosted PBX Gateway Works

Seven Free Network-Monitoring Tools for VoIP Users

Home and office networks should monitor bandwidth usage to control the quality and efficiency of internet-based programs. Doing so also helps users understand their billing patterns and correct wasteful downloading/uploading habits. With VoIP, bandwidth tracking is not necessary, but we do recommend it.
Seven Free Network-Monitoring Tools for VoIP Users

Softphones versus Hard Phones for VoIP

Which Call Device Will You Use in the Office?

After one signs up for VoIP, they are confronted with a decision: Softphone or hard phone.
Despite the fact hard phone sales grow steadily each year, users should
acknowledge how quickly softphones have become a workplace favourite.
In fact, businesses that employ VoIP commonly end up with mixed
environments because both call devices come with unique perks. As a
result, many manufactures now produce hybrid models.



Softphones versus Hard Phones for VoIP

US Banks Experience a Vishing Crisis

US Banks Experience a Vishing Crisis

Damages and Losses Caused by Vishing

PhishLabs, a cybercrime intelligence firm, recently investigated dozens of vishing attacks towards midsized US banks, occurring between October 2013 and April 2014. Vishing, otherwise known as VoIP phishing, is a form of fraud in which an attacker poses as a credible source to draw confidential or sensitive information from an individual over the phone. To learn more about this behaviour, visit our previous post, “Learn to Recognize and Prevent Vishing.”

PSTN to Hosted PBX: Pain Points and Incentives

As anticipated, Software Advice
released the annual Small Business VoIP BuyerView this week. After
analyzing responses from hundreds of small business buyers (companies
with revenues less than $100 million per year), the VoIP- and
telecom-consulting firm compiled an extensive list of hosted PBX pain
points and incentives for users and providers to ponder. Overall, the
results from this report suggest small businesses no longer see price
reduction as hosted PBX’s main selling feature, but rather the system’s
many other advantages and abilities. So let’s examine those other perks!

Top Reasons for Switching to Hosted PBX

Of
the respondents, 31% still rely on the PSTN while 58% contemplate
moving to hosted PBX for the first time. The reasoning: hosted PBX
systems promise greater reliability and scalability. It seems that those
currently using landline systems complain most about connectivity and
capacity. The process of adding phone lines frustrates many expanding
businesses, just as incorporating new analogue features has proven to be
a headache. Maintenance and troubleshooting, too, top the list of
issues for PSTN users.









READ MORE

Hosted PBX for Hotels, Motels and Inns

The
hospitality industry thrives on the idea of accommodation. Over-night
facilities depend greatly on their amenities and luxuries, as well as
their access to local transportation and tourism services. Over the past
decade, the hospitality industry has grown fierce: More and more major
chains invade small towns, making it harder for independent B&Bs to
survive. Because of this competition, hotels, motels and inns now
require an edge. Thankfully, hosted PBX can help facilities in this
regard.Hosted PBX for Hotels, Motels and Inns

Does Your Business Receive Enough Customer Calls?

Does Your Business Receive Enough Customer Calls?

Why Calls Work Better than Emails

Phone conversations are direct and harder to ignore. They take less
time to conduct than a formal email and incorporate more information.
Above all else, phone calls focus on relationships more than
transactions. Rather than the impersonal “shopping cart” process,
customer service agents instead work on discovering interests, habits
and opinions, helping them to serve that customer better. Overall, a
phone conversation goes places an email can’t.

How to Revamp a Call-to-Action

Chances are that if you feel your businesses does not receive enough
customer calls, it’s because of the call-to-action. Sometimes, a visitor
simply doesn’t know the next step – do they call, send an inquiry or go
to another webpage? Tell customers explicitly what you want them to do,
making it as easy as possible for them to dial the number. For further
incentive, consider these three tips:

1. Free Trial Offers. Encourage prospects and
   customers to call in to activate or cancel a trial period. Similarly,
   advertise perks for customers that call in. For example, give gifts to
   the first twenty callers who redeem an offer.
2. Be an Expert.
   In a saturated market, why should customers call you and not the
   competitor? It is your job to show customers how you lead the industry
   in both knowledge and service. In order to stand out, appear to be the
   best.
3. Write Actively. A good call-to-action uses strong
   verbs to command customers. Anything that leaves room for doubt or
   backtracking results in no calls. As concisely as possible, specify the
   action you want them to take. Make it seem as if it’s now or never too –
   dawdling works against the call. 

Hosted PBX in Schools: From Instruction to Administration

When
touring modernized elementary, secondary, and post-secondary
institutions, you will quickly notice one thing – an invasion of tablets
in the libraries and classrooms.Hosted PBX in Schools: From Instruction to Administration

VoIP Local Number Portability Explained

Switching to VoIP is a breeze. Simply activate an account, plug-in a call device, disable the old phone line, and away you go!

VoIP Local Number Portability Explained

How VoIP Whisper Messages Accelerate Lead Generation

Both management and marketing teams understand the value of VoIP
monitoring: It’s the perfect tool for performance review and data
assessment

How VoIP Whisper Messages Accelerate Lead Generation

Top Unified Communications Trends Pushing the Industry Forward

In light of InformationWeek’s 2014 Unified Communications (UC) Survey,
which reveals UC acceptance growth in North America (77% of 488
respondents),Top Unified Communications Trends Pushing the Industry Forward

How Browsers Affect Hosted PBX Performance

 Arguably, developers did not create all browsers equal. While some excel at
gaming, surfing, and downloading, others may struggle to keep up.



How Browsers Affect Hosted PBX Performance

How to Send and Receive Faxed Messages Using Hosted PBX

A few months back, we explained to customers why the fax machine holds steady in today’s technological world.



How to Send and Receive Faxed Messages Using Hosted PBX

VoIP Market Continues to Grow on Account of Small Businesses

VoIP Market Overview

By the end of this year, Gartner forecasts global IT spending will surpass $3.8 trillion, a 3% hike compared to 2013.

VoIP Market Continues to Grow on Account of Small Businesses

A Brief History of the Toll-Free Number

Last week, we featured a special article on the neuroscience behind vanity numbers – an interesting read for any user interested in science and technology.

A Brief History of the Toll-Free Number

Hosted PBX Saves Money for Residential Users Too!

Our blogs tend to focus on the advantages hosted PBX poses to small and large businesses.

Hosted PBX Saves Money for Residential Users Too!

Five Uses of VoIP You May Have Overlooked

VoIP
promises more than just cheap long distance calling – and it is time
new users recognize this fact. Through a single interface, users can
configure, expand and reduce their communications infrastructure with
the click of a button.



Five Uses of VoIP You May Have Overlooked

New PBXww Update Introduces Viber Integration

Earlier this year, users were ecstatic when we launched PBXww v. 3000,
an update that optimized the graphical interface, increased object
movability, expanded the system’s language support, and added extra call
pickup and recording options. Now, extending these improvements
one-step further, it looks like another PBXww update is on its way.

New PBXww Update Introduces Viber Integration

Four Types of Ethernet Cables: Wiring Networks for Hosted PBX

The integrity and performance of your hosted PBX system depends on many factors – a major one being the configured network.



Four Types of Ethernet Cables: Wiring Networks for Hosted PBX

Four Types of Ethernet Cables: Wiring Networks for Hosted PBX

The integrity and performance of your hosted PBX system depends on many factors – a major one being the configured network.Four Types of Ethernet Cables: Wiring Networks for Hosted PBX

Bandwidth Management and Hosted PBX

For hosted PBX systems to operate efficiently, the user’s network must offer sufficient bandwidth.Bandwidth Management and Hosted PBX

How Does Least Cost Routing Work?

 

Carriers use Least Cost Routing (LCR) to
search for and establish cheap call paths in specific geographical
areas. In other words, it is the process of selecting inexpensive routes
outside of a provider’s network reach. Depending on the service, a
provider may setup software to automate LCR, but in most traditional
cases, a dedicated telecoms team finds and controls said routes
manually.

How Does Least Cost Routing Work?

Setting the Date & Time on your Polycom IP Phone

Is your Polycom phone flashing an incorrect date and time?

This is because it has no time server set and needs to be configured
to auto-sync with an NTP (Network Time Protocol) server. Read on to see
how to correct this once and for all.  Many will dismiss the issue of
having an incorrect date and time on Polycom IP phones simply because
they are typically configured by a boot server. There are still many
Polycom users that have manually configured phones, and it is important
the devices display the correct date and time.





Setting the Date & Time on your Polycom IP Phone

Should You Use a WiFi VoIP Phone?

Most often, VoIP providers will instruct their customers to plug their IP phones and systems directly into the router. Read the full Blog...


Should You Use a WiFi VoIP Phone?

Hosted PBX Call Recording Solutions

New MyPBX users may feel slightly overwhelmed the first time they
log into the PBXww workspace.




Hosted PBX Call Recording Solutions

Common VoIP Terms Defined

The VOIPITS Glossary

Below you will find simplified definitions for many of the VoIP terms used in communication how-to and troubleshooting articles.
.

Common VoIP Terms Defined

The Neuroscience behind Vanity Numbers

Businesses want customers to remember them, but on today’s fiercely competitive market, memorability is not so easy. For years, vanity numbers
have catered to this need, promising businesses toll-free phone numbers
that increase brand recognition and ad response. The question remains,
however, what proof exists that vanity numbers work?


Over the years, companies have researched that very question. As Craig Borowski, VoIP and Telecommunications researcher at Software Advice,
explains, "It might seem a little odd that neuroscience is used in this
discussion of toll-free telephone numbers. But, neuroscience, and its
related field psychology, actually have a long history with the
telephone industry.”







The Neuroscience behind Vanity Numbers

Determine Your Maximum Concurrent Call Volume for Simultaneous Hosted PBX Calling

A business' maximum concurrent call volume reflects the number of calls they can expect during peak hours.Determine Your Maximum Concurrent Call Volume for Simultaneous Hosted PBX Calling

Should You Use a WiFi VoIP Phone?

Most businesses purchase a virtual number and list it on their website for customers to call.
Should You Use a WiFi VoIP Phone?

Standard Call Queue Delivery Methods

For those unfamiliar with the term, a call queue
works like a cashier’s line at a grocery store, where customers shuffle
into an order and wait to pay for the items in their basket.

Standard Call Queue Delivery Methods

How Silence Suppression Works with VoIP

Silence suppression, otherwise known as Voice Activity Detection (VAD), is a feature available on most modern VoIP gateways.

Get the complete story. Read the full post...



How Silence Suppression Works with VoIP

How to Troubleshoot One-Way Audio

Causes of One-Way Audio

Sometimes outdated firmware on routers, phones, and firewalls can interrupt communications. Learn more. Read the full post...


How to Troubleshoot One-Way Audio

What is a Vanity Number?

At one point or another, you have probably heard the term “vanity
number.” While toll-free and local virtual numbers continue to prove
their value to small businesses, many still question whether or not
vanity numbers contribute positively to a business’ communications
strategy.





What is a Vanity Number?

How Silence Suppression Works with VoIP

Voicemail
etiquette applies not only to your inbox, but to the messages you leave
for others as well. While a single rule may not exist for recording
business voicemails, there are a series of “best practices” one should
adopt to increase the effectiveness of the message.

How Silence Suppression Works with VoIP

Why Small Businesses Need Scalable Communications

Late
last year, the Government of Canada released a few statistics
concerning revenue and employment growth in small businesses. According to one report,
SMBs contribute an average of 100,000 new jobs per each year, a number
rivaling the 12.5% and 9.8% employment growth found in medium and large
enterprises between 2009 and 2012.







Read more on the VoIPITS Blog

Calculate Your Mean Opinion Score (MOS)

A Mean Opinion Score (MOS) is the value assigned to a hosted
PBX system assessing its data transmission and compression efficiency.
Running a MOS test can help users pinpoint present and future issues
with service stability and audio quality. MOS values range from 1 to 5 —
5 as the ideal. A typical hosted PBX sits in-and-around 3.5 to 4.2. By
calculating your system's measurement, you can map changes in voice
quality over time, which may help track and troubleshoot problematic
network components.

Calculate Your Mean Opinion Score (MOS)

Three Factors Affecting VoIP Call Quality

Before investing in VoIP, you should understand the various
factors affecting call quality. That being said, the three biggest
VoIP-influencers include network, hardware, and location. By recognizing
these factors, you may adjust your network's set-up accordingly,
pre-emptively eliminating common issues like jitters, echo, and one-way audio.

Three Factors Affecting VoIP Call Quality

Getting to Know VoIP Gateways

Digital and Analogue VoIP Gateway Options

VoIP gateways may be purchased in digital or analogue form. Analogue
gateways connect traditional telephones to a PBX system (or vice versa).
A digital VoIP gateway, however, connects a PBX system to digital voice
lines on the IP network. In terms of features, both analogue or digital
gateways are typically SIP, H.323 and MGCP compliant and offer G.711,
G.723.1, G.726, and G.729A codecs support. On top of this, many
interfaces provide echo cancellation, jitter buffer, VAD and CNG, as
well as various other capabilities like call routing.



Getting to Know VoIP Gateways

Why Small Businesses Need Scalable Communications

As small businesses expand, management must monitor all communication
between employees, head-office, and customers/clients. This is due to
changes in proceedings, structures, policies, and priorities. At the
same time, to supplement and support such transformations, businesses
require additional resources and power in-office. This can get expensive
unless businesses seek the benefits of a smart Unified Communications
(UC) solution like Voice-over-IP.





Why Small Businesses Need Scalable Communications

How to Optimize Your Computer for Better VoIP QoS

Sometimes the internet speed promised by your provider differs greatly
from the speed you experience on a day-to-day basis. While sometimes,
slow and unstable connections are an external problem, often the network
or computer is to blame.

How to Optimize Your Computer for Better VoIP QoS

Hosted PBX Customer Service Etiquette

Customer convenience and system flexibility are considered two of the
biggest hosted PBX benefits. Businesses know to set-up call
routing/forwarding to funnel incoming calls, however, many departments
are not well enough equipped to answer these calls. Customer inquiries
come in a variety of forms – sometimes negative, sometimes positive – so
it is important for businesses to recognize these variances and respond
appropriately. Let’s take a look at two key areas of communication to
help businesses define their own customer service etiquette.






Hosted PBX Customer Service Etiquette

Is Your Business Ready for Hosted PBX?

Understanding hosted PBX technology is step one in determining its
compatibility with your business’ current environment. Before making the
transition, it’s important to consider both a business’ infrastructure
and staff -- two elements that must properly adjust in order for hosted
PBX to work at full capacity.



Is Your Business Ready for Hosted PBX?

Learn to Recognize and Prevent Vishing

Vishing, otherwise known as VoIP phishing, is a form of
communications fraud in which an individual or business receives a phone
call from a seemingly legitimate company (i.e. bank or service
provider) that demands confidential information. This is a quick way to
compromise your bank accounts or run into identity theft if you are not
careful. With that in mind, let’s take a look at how vishing works, why
it is a malicious and illegal practice, and how to prevent it from
happening to you.



Learn to Recognize and Prevent Vishing at the VoIPITS blog

Four Reasons to Invest in a Toll-Free Number

Toll Free Telephone Numbers

No
matter what you’re selling, keeping the lines of communication with
your customers and potential customers open is incredibly important, and
a toll-free number can be one of the best ways of doing that. This
article will explain why a toll-free number is right for your business.

Four Reasons to Invest in a Toll-Free Number

Getting to Know VoIP Gateways

What Are VoIP Gateways and How Do They Work?
If placed in charge of setting up your office’s PBX system, one
component you will need to think about is the VoIP gateway. Most hosted
solutions now include gateway software built-in, but for those building
and assembling their own infrastructure, installing such a device will
enable users to call lines on IP (Internet Protocol), PSTN (Public
Switched Telephone Network), and POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service)
networks.

Getting to Know VoIP Gateways

Toll-Free Numbers with MyPBX Unlimited Packages

 

MyPBX’s unlimited packages
offer customers unbeatable value. The powerful PBXww system delivers
myriad advantages in terms of function and expense. Month-to-month,
users save money while benefiting from an array of different features
for conducting business all over the world. Take, for example, MyPBX’s
unlimited global offering, a $29/month package that includes a free
virtual number and unlimited outbound calling to over 70 countries.
Reduce the geographical range to Canada and the US for only $19/ month.

Toll-Free Numbers with MyPBX Unlimited Packages

Three Types of Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS)

Reliability is one of the main reasons businesses hesitate to trade
in their traditional phone lines. Since hosted PBX systems operate over
the internet, power outages and surges pose a unique threat to
communications. Depending on the office environment, the risk of service
downtime may be greater, which is why businesses should purchase an
uninterruptible power supply (UPS) to protect against voltage spikes,
short-term power loss, noise, and distortion.



Three Types of Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS)

Troubleshooting VoIP Quality Issues

Overall, VoIP offers excellent call quality. On occasion, though,
some users experience service deterioration, most commonly in the form
of echo, choppiness, or delay. This is because VoIP breaks down audio
into light packets for easy transfer over the internet. During this
process, networks and hardware devices sometimes get in the way.
Luckily, we’ve pinpointed all of the common problem areas. Take a look
at the infographic below, provided kindly by Software Advice, and then let’s get started.












Troubleshooting VoIP Quality Issues

How to Conduct a VoIP Speed Test

VoIP users can determine the health of their network by measuring its
packet transfer efficiency — the speed and success rate of trafficking
data from source to destination. Thankfully, running a VoIP speed test
is very simple. For an automated check, use Direct-VoIP's free online service. Alternatively, users can take initiative and tinker harmlessly with a computer’s command prompt. Note: You should know your VoIP provider's IP address before continuing.





How to Conduct a VoIP Speed Test

VoIPITS / Aaron Shames on About.Me. Cool site!

How to Adjust a Router's QoS

VoIP
depends greatly on a network’s available bandwidth, so if you regularly
experience poor call quality, it may indicate a problem with the
router. Thankfully, it takes only a few minutes to reprioritize a
network. After that, your communications system will be up and running
better than before.

Read the rest of How to Adjust a Router's QoS Here