Phone Gurus

A Phone System that really works! Allworx

2011-05-03T19:38:26Z

RAM is excited to introduce a PBX product that takes technology and economy to new levels in small business. Allworx is designed to reduce your expenditures and increase your competitive edge. Part of its secret is in its IP technology. The other key ingredient is its packaging.

This new system is easy to acquire - there's no Cap X money needed. Allworx is easy to manage from your desktop computer and it's offered in a complete package of voice, internet and phones. This system can really connect your business to the world for less. This all-in-one solution will lower your implementation time, service costs and reduce dependence on tech support.

We are all aware that the phone system impacts you and your employees every day. It must be flexible, easy-to-use and productive. ALLWORX provides all of these benefits and more:

VoIP that travels:

Remote Access - with an Allworx IP phone and an Ethernet connection you can:

- Become a virtual "extension" of the office.

- Manage your voice mail from your e-mail.

- Change your personal settings from any location.

Multi-site calling:

With Allworx phones and an Allworx system in each of your office locations, you can:

- Create an inter-office calling system with 3-digit dialing.

- Merge multiple sites with one system.

- Manage all your phone systems from one desk-top.

Transfer calls between sites - the caller will never notice.

- View BLF activity and company directory across multiple sites.

- Manage calls for all sites with one receptionist.

Presence Management - Follow-me calling at your fingertips.

You can change your call routing "presence" instantly, using:

- Your phone

- Your voicemail

- Your PC

- Your smartphone

The Allworx Package helps your business:

- put equipment and services in 1 package

- eliminate the need for CAP X money

- lower monthly operating costs

- drive more business

- save money that can be used in other areas

- unify messaging between phones, cellular and email

For more details on the Allworx system call RAM today at 847-358-0917.

Just the Fax Please! Tips on fixing those pesky faxing issues . . .

2011-05-03T19:36:05Z

Yes, fax transmissions are still an acceptable and common form of telecommunications. A problem can usually occur in one of two ways, either the providing carrier is having a problem or the actual device is somehow malfunctioning. It's not easy to determine where the fault lies.

If a carrier(phone company) problem is suspected, there are a couple of options to try.

1. Call the number from a land line or cell. If you receive a glaring screeching sound, you've connected to the device. If there is a carrier problem, you'd probably hear a message indicting that your call cannot be completed.

2. Unplug the line cord from the fax machine and plug it into a telephone hand set. Many business users have a Telephone System with handsets that are incompatible with the "analog" fax machine. If you keep a spare "analog" set available you can test the fax line properly. If possible unplug the fax and plug the line cord into the "analog" phone. Attempt to make an outbound call. Try calling the number from another phone set. If connections are made then you know there isn't a problem with the carrier.

3. If either of these first two tests fail then a service call to the appropriate carrier is needed.

A more difficult situation is determining a problem with the fax device. If you've performed the first two tests and the line is working properly, then it is very possible the fax is experiencing a problem. It may be out of paper, the buffer holding the transmissions may be full or there just may be a mechanical failure. If this is the case, then a call to an appropriate fax / business machine servicer is necessary.

In any scenario described above, RAM Communications can assist with your FAX Troubleshooting. Please call 847-358-0917 Option 1 during our business hours, as we will work with you in attempting to identify and resolve the problem. A test fax can always be transmitted to RAM at the following fax number of 847-358-1340 to verify your connectivity.

Wireless Internet Update: Business Only Broadband

2010-12-01T04:09:32Z

For almost twenty years, engineers have worked on wireless technology that could offer speed and reliability as part of the bargain. In the Chicago Area, those efforts may finally be realized by a company called Business Only Broadband. BOB Networks, as they are known, is based in suburban Westmont.

Their founders are pioneers in fiber and wireless network technology with over 80 years of experience. In the past few years, BOB Networks has developed a wireless service that can provide 1 MB to 100 MB Internet speeds. What is important to note is that this technology uses a high-tech radio dish that can withstand rain and snow and deliver a clean signal. The technology is so effective that BOB Networks provides a Service Level Agreement for performance and uptime.

If your business is seeking true redundancy, this product must be considered. Wireless service doesn't touch the phone or cable wiring in the ground. Therefore, BOB Networks isn't affected when a line is cut. For more information, please contact RAM today.

Business Only Broadband provides TRUE redundancy for telecommunications

Provides wireless Internet coverage throughout all of the Chicagoland Area for business

Applications include IP voice, Internet and redundancy services

Speeds from 1.5 MB to 100 MB

Service Level Agreement provides performance and reliability guarantees

Networking: The Economic Remedy

2010-12-01T04:05:45Z

I'm not an expert in macro economics so I won't waste your time with my financial predictions. We all have access to all sorts of opinions about the economic landscape. What I will do is pose a question for you to consider: what business elements are in your control?

I know I control my own personal activities. With this in mind, I've always made a commitment to concentrate on the business items I can affect. By the same token, I try not concern myself with mysteries like banking and government. One of my longtime associates reminds me, "stick to what you know and do it well". Telecommunications is the path I have chosen and we like to think we do it well. So how do you build business?

How do you attract new clients?
For most of my career, personal networking has been my secret to business success. How? I know that by meeting people, I will eventually meet the right people. We've met business owners and managers like you with whom we've been able to forge business relationships. RAM Communications now has several hundred clients. While this hasn't happened over night, virtually all of it is a direct result of business networking. Networking works. It does take time and effort. The results of networking can be long term and more profitable then any other tool I've found. 85% of our business is, in fact, a direct result of networking.
So, if I may be so bold, take a look at your local business chambers, or associations within your industry. If people do business with those they trust, now is as good a time as any to use networking as a tool in your business plan for 2009. Finally, if RAM can help introduce your business to potential clients or colleagues please let me know. We all benefit when your business is successful. Have a great Holiday Season and a prosperous 2009.

Regards,
Rob McCoy
RAM Communications

Acronym Corner: NANP

2009-12-07T21:03:01Z

North American Numbering Plan The central body charged with assigning phone number plans to the United States and 24 other countries and territories.

Acronym Corner: NPA

2009-12-07T19:21:57Z

Numbering Plan Area A telephony practice of assigning an area code to a specific area. As numbers run out for that NPA, new area codes are added to the same region to provide more numbers for the same population

Acronym Corner: Overlay Area Code

2009-12-07T19:18:20Z

In telephony, especially in North America, an overlay plan is the practice of introducing a new area code by applying it onto a geographic area that is already occupied by one or more existing area codes. The result is two (or more) area codes serve the same area.

Finding the Benefits in your Services

2009-12-07T19:09:07Z

Trends

Increasingly, our staff is spending more time researching and correcting bad information and fixing ill-thought implementations for new clients. Now, more than ever, we subscribe to the KISS method. In these economic times, businesses need reliable and 'user-friendly' technologies more than ever before.

Some Statistics

According to one trade magazine, Phone Plus, the average small business only utilizes 10% of the technology available in their phone system solution. Perhaps this percentage is higher in tech-savvy organizations. Still, that's an alarmingly low rate of adoption. Perhaps, as an industry, telecommunications professionals need to spend more time training their customers? Or, maybe, the technology is too overwhelming for most users? Another statistic cites VoIP services are being deployed 50% less than forecasted in 2008. The economy plays a role in this down trend but there's something more basic at work here. Many phone reps push features. Many don't talk about and deliver benefits businesses can use.

Here's one example. SIP phone technology allows cell phone users the ability to automatically transfer their phone call onto their phone system once they arrive in the office. Sounds neat but what's the real benefit to the business? What is the productivity gain of having this feature? The cell phone is already portable and available. This transfer feature is marketed constantly without any regard for creating practical advantage for the customer.

Look for Real Benefits

Can the latest IP solution save your business money? Enable your staff to be more productive? If so, the solution would be providing benefits. Business owners realize that a big part of a benefit is saving workers time. Time they can use to produce revenue. Our most successful, profitable clients have something in common. They stretch they're current technology as far as possible while still keeping their people productive.

RAM will continue to provide its clients and new prospects practical benefits. One of the principle benefits we pledge to deliver you is simpler, user-friendly solutions. That is why we continue to recommend a mix of the old with the new. If , for example, your staff is productive and profitable using an older telecom solution, why change it? Changes require new capital and retraining.

Here's some other recommendations:

Contact RAM to reassess your systems. The cost and time is minimal and the benefit is finding operational and efficiency savings.
Look for low-cost, easy-to-use upgrades
A beneficial technology can provide a lower operating cost but shouldn't do so at the expense of productivity.
Find a system with tangible improvements for your organization. If one is not readily available, stick with your current system.

Rob McCoy
RAM Communications Inc.
847-358-0917 x200
rob@ramcomminc.com

Fast Ethernet: A Solution You Can Grow With

2009-11-05T22:20:13Z

Ethernet is the best long-term bandwidth solution. Fast Ethernet
resolves most of the speed, reliability and equipment issues that plague other
services. Ethernet provides flexibility. Why purchase multiple T1 circuits when you
can subscribe to speeds from 10mb to 100mb on the same fiber-based connection?

If your business is planning to purchase more T1 circuits, MPLS or migrate to
VoIP, please contact RAM today at 847-358-0917. Ethernet is worth your time and
consideration. As always, RAM provides expert analysis, ordering and project
management. The end result? We we'll lower your costs and provide superior
service.

Acronym Corner: ATM

2009-09-11T18:29:12Z

Asynchronous Transfer Mode.

A high bandwidth controlled-delay, fixed-size packet switching and transmission system. This protocol uses fixed-size packets, also known as "cells." ATM is often referred to as "cell relay." ATM has been a broadband standard for more than 10 years. This is the same technology that allows bank cash machines quick and secure cash transfers to you.

Telecom 101: What is a POTS line?

2009-08-27T22:26:57Z

POTS, is a term which describes the voice-grade telephone service that remains the basic form of residential and small business service connection to the telephone network in most parts of the world. The system was originally known as the Post Office Telephone Service or Post Office Telephone System. Today the term Plain Old Telephone Service is used, after the services were removed from the control of national post offices.

• The pair of wires from the central switch office to a subscriber's home was called the subscriber loop. It was typically powered by 40V(DC) and backed up by a large bank of batteries in the Central Office, resulting in continuation of service during most commercial power outages.

• The modern, 64Kbps service is a bi-directional, or full duplex, voice path with limited frequency range of 300 to 3400 Hz: in other words, a signal to carry the sound of the human voice both ways at once. Today, it is also used for internet access via a dial modem, DSL, fax, credit card terminals, etc.

Redundancy Services: Why Your Business Needs It

2009-08-27T22:22:56Z

Very few things in life work perfectly. This fact is well known among business owners and operators. Experienced managers know they need to plan ahead and protect their businesses from difficulties.

Planning is essential in order to protect your telecommunications infrastructure as well. While it is true that phone and internet services are very reliable, it is still advisable to have back up plans in place. Just ask yourself how much revenue your business could lose in lost productivity during an outage.

Our staff at RAM can help you answer these questions and build an affordable strategy. We work with businesses from 5 employees to 2,000. There are options available for all sizes, budgets and mission-critical items. In our experience, back up services should provide three components.

Serviceability during power outages -battery back up power for phone systems and computers is an inexpensive way to protect your hardware and keep systems operational.

Capacity for key functions -operating budgets have to be kept lean but you need to have enough POTS lines and DSL in place to handle customer calls or online inquiries during an outage.

Ease of Use -the effectiveness of back up services is in direct proportion to how easily your staff can use them. Our staff works with clients to integrate phone lines and Internet services so end users make as few adjustments as possible. In fact, an effective strategy should be as undetectable as possible to your staff.

Contact RAM Communications today and we'll be happy to consult with you on an effective Redundancy Strategy for your business.

Hosted PBX Services: Solution or Complication?

2009-08-27T21:47:25Z

A PBX or, Private Branch Exchange is a term for a modern, internal phone system. Today, most offices use these digital systems because they are reliable, flexible and sit inside their office domain. Due to the explosion of Internet Services along with the promise of VoIP, RAM has witnessed a proliferation of new offerings called Hosted PBX Services. Hosted PBX combines voice, data and phone equipment services in one package hosted at an offsite location. It's an approach based on convenience; designed to simplify purchasing and ownership of business telecommunications. In this environment, the customer also leverages the service network of the hosted PBX vendor. This means the customer also receives its phone and Internet service from the same company. Hosted PBX is an interesting model. The Hosted PBX provides individual phones plugged into a router. The router is connected to a T1 circuit that ultimately connects with the Hosted vendor's phone and Internet network. The promise of convenient packaging means there should be simplified management and lower costs.

RAM's staff has spent considerable time and research on Hosted PBX for the past eight months. The customer feedback and vendor information have left us with mixed opinions. For sole proprietors working a home-based business or for very small startups trying to preserve capital, the Hosted PBX model may be a good fit. Hosted services can provide a small operator a professional auto-attendant feature for customizing greetings. For a small monthly fee ($50.00 to $90.00) the old answering machine is history. The voicemail features alone provide convenience that smaller budgets couldn't afford even one year ago. To work effectively, however, these services require stable, fast bandwidth. In some home environments, this may not be possible. Additionally, many Hosted PBX services don't include the bandwidth service in their monthly price. It is up to the buyer to make sure all the necessary equipment and phone service is addressed and in place for the package to work.
Here in lies one of the fundamental problems. If you can't make it work properly, who will fix it? Many Hosted PBX providers are new companies (less than two years old). The lack of training and customer experience shows with every provider we've contacted. In our discussions with customer service hotlines, there is a consistent assumption that the end user has enough technical ability to trouble-shoot their own local computer network. This may be true in larger businesses but most one-to-ten person shops are under served in IT support. Adding voice service to a simple computer network can create problems. The Hosted PBX carrier won't be sending out a technician anytime soon because most of them don't have any in the first place.

What about larger businesses? Hosted PBX services are scalable. Can a 50-person business save money replacing their traditional or IP-based phone system and services by leasing an all encompassing package? Don't bet on it. By the time we finished adding up all the a la carte features and fees, we found several packages cost $1,500.00 to $2,000.00 more per month than using the standard, equivalent phone company and PBX solutions. There are security concerns as well. Who ensures your phone number and email information stays secure in the Hosted PBX Center? What is your recourse if your network and services are hacked into or the vendor goes out of business? These are not likely events but the point is, Hosted PBX requires substantial due diligence on the customer's part. In our opinion, Hosted PBX still doesn't meet our client criteria of flexibility, affordability and reliability. Stay tuned. We'll be sure to update you in the months and years to come.

Service Delivery Intervals: Carrier Cost Cutting Results in Delays

2009-08-27T21:42:33Z

The recent economic downturn has caused a number of industries to tighten their collective belts. This trend is now effecting telecommunications as well. All the major carriers (from AT&T to PAETEC to Qwest) are doing more these days with less support staff. Inevitably, these constrictions have a direct effect on service delivery.
In some cases, the normal delivery time frame has increased 30%. In other cases, product delivery times have increased 50% compared to two years ago. Additionally, carriers are now charging substantial fees to those businesses who wish to install orders quickly. In all cases, these fees, called Expedite Fees, do not guarantee that a requested due date will be met. The fee only means a carrier will place an order ahead of its stack of 'normal time' requests for processing.
For those clients who are directly responsible for telecommunications planning and purchasing, we strongly advise a thorough review of the following list of delivery intervals. This list is by no means complete. It is a sample designed to illustrate the time frames for our most commonly purchased products. We encourage you to contact RAM for a more thorough explanation of intervals that directly effect your business.
As always, our staff will do everything in its power to ensure orders are processed as quickly and accurately as possible. If you choose to include us in your business planning, we will continue to provide you better service than the normal telecom channels. RAM will continue to serve. We are not downsizing!
Regards,
The Staff at
RAM Communications

Virtual Numbers: Making the Most of Your Marketing

2009-08-26T20:08:01Z

Suppose your business wanted to have a local marketing presence in Schaumburg and your business resides in Naperville. A Schaumburg phone number would help you attract prospects in that region. But how would these calls get to your business in Naperville? By using virtual phone numbers you can receive these important calls as if you're right next door.
Traditionally, remote call forwarding takes an incoming call and sends it to another physical location. Phone companies charge $13.00 to $20.00 per month per number to perform this service.
Virtual phone numbers, by contrast, deliver calls directly to your phone system using a virtual local network - without the expense of physical forwarding. Here's an example of the power of virtual numbers. A business can use 630, 773, 312 and 708 numbers directly on circuits in the 847 area code. Each number actually resides on your local network so callers from all over Chicagoland are 'virtually' next door.
Several of RAM's clients have used this technology effectively for years now. For those who depend on Yellow Pages or local web marketing, virtual numbers expand advertising presence and allow smaller organizations to compete with larger competitors. In some cases, we've saved clients hundred of dollars per month in marketing costs while expanding their reach. In today's economic environment, this affordable and effective marketing tool gives your business an important competitive edge.
To make this technology work, businesses need a PRI circuit and a phone company who can provide virtual numbers. RAM can help your business determine the right carrier. As always, we will take care of the design and implementation of your new service. Call us today for more information.