Your phone system is one of the most important pieces of equipment your business owns. It connects you with other employees and more importantly, the customers and prospects who will buy your products and services. Business phone systems range in price and in functionality, so choosing the right system for your business today and your plans for the future is critical. How do you decide what features you will need? Features bring value to your business, make your employees more effective and efficient, and portray your business in the most professional light. You might be tempted to by all the bells and whistles, but take a step back and decide what will add the most value and save you money in the process. Here are some Basic Features for you to consider: Auto Attendant – This feature can be used instead of hiring a receptionist. The phone system will present the caller with a list of options to route their call including the ability to dial an extension directly. Automated Directory – This feature is a great complement to the Auto Attendant, allowing callers to look up an employee’s extension by entering the first few letters of the last name on the telephone keypad. Back Up Power – If your phone service is mission critical, consider a phone that utilizes an alternate source of electricity in case of a power outage. Call Forwarding – This feature allows you to forward a phone call to another extension. Computer Telephone Integration – CTI capabilities allow your phone system to interact with your computer system. CTI features tend to be found on the more expensive phone systems but for call centers, support centers, telemarketing, or other high-volume, power phone users it is worth the price. CTI provides the ability for...
Read MoreA New Phone System Might be the Right Answer for your Small Business
Telephone systems have rapidly grown in sophistication recently, but many small businesses have not stayed in sync with those changes. As these small and medium sized companies began to grow, their phone systems were extended with a potpourri of add-ons that ultimately cost them more than a new system with full-features would cost. But, so many are afraid or too busy to consider the time-saving and cost-saving potentials of a state-of-the-art phone system. There are many truly amazing ways that your phone system can improve your business’ bottom line while delivering a much more professional appearance and reducing your monthly phone service charges. If you could save money and have a more feature-rich phone system, would you be interested? The new phone systems today are far more powerful, offering flexible automated call answering features, call messaging, and call routing that can improve your company’s professional image, control communication costs, and increase connectivity and responsiveness. Affordable Telephone Systems will provide a free assessment of your current phone needs and let you know if you can improve the quality of your business communications while saving money in the long term. Let the trusted professionals at Affordable show you the best small business telephone systems and how to connect! Affordable Telephone Systems 866-666-9650 Security and Connectivity! . . . Our Commitment Guaranteed! Share this:Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)MoreClick to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new...
Read MoreQuality Service – An Important Choice for Your Business Phone System
For many businesses VoIP phone systems can be an exemplary choice. VoIP systems offer fully-features with some of the most advanced efficient technology in addition to considerable cost savings. Yet it would seem there many companies are afraid to move to a VoIP system. They are unsure about call quality, fearful if their network has enough bandwidth to support transporting voice packets in a timely fashion. Today’s networks carry a variety of traffic from data (email, texting, file download, etc.) to video (including streaming video, gaming, and video conferencing). If voice packets are among the mix, how do we guarantee good voice quality? The answer is two-fold. The first important step is to assess the bandwidth utilization of the network and the impact added packets might create. If the network is already at saturation, then added voice packets is not smart. However, if the network does have the bandwidth to support carrying voice packets, then the next step is ensuring proper Quality of Service. Quality of Service or (QoS) is an important aspect in today’s multi-media communications. QoS is a means of measuring and providing priority for certain types of packets being sent across the network. If your network has the bandwidth to support voice then giving voice packets the highest priority will insure they are sent reliably and expediently even if there is minor congestion in the network. If you are unsure about your ability to support VoIP but would like to learn more about this wonderful technology and features, contact the experts at Affordable Telephone Systems. They can quickly help you understand if a VoIP phone system is right for you and suggest alternative if it isn’t. Get a business phone system that is right for your business at a price that is right for your budget. Call Affordable today! Affordable Telephone Systems 866-666-9650 Security...
Read MoreSmile – You’re on Candid Camera
Are you happy with the security of your business premises? Do you feel that you have the right equipment in the best locations of your building to insure the safety of your property and your personnel? Here is some useful information on Security Cameras and Surveillance Monitoring to help you decide if you are well protected. Security Cameras and Surveillance Monitoring Security Cameras come in a range of prices and features. You will want to understand all of your needs and your budget before you buy. Here are a few helpful questions to get you started: What areas must be protected? Doors and other entry ways are a likely place to start. The property perimeter and any parking areas are also important. Consider identifying expensive equipment or valuable data and monitoring those areas also. Identify the camera range and resolution needed If your property or your business building is very large, some areas may require long range cameras to fulfill your requirement. Clear footage is also a concern. Do you need night vision cameras? Cameras can be equipped with built-in infrared LED’s that allow you to identify a person in low light conditions. Determine which areas you are monitoring require this feature. Do you require remote viewing of the camera images or are recorded images sufficient? If you are monitoring and entrance and want to see who you are admitting to your business before you open the door, then real-time monitoring is important. Many camera systems also allow remote viewing using a PC, tablet, or smart phone. Decide how your system will be used. How much storage will I need for recorded video or images? This will depend upon which cameras are on 24×7, the image quality, and the number of cameras deployed. The biggest question to ask yourself...
Read MoreInstalling Security Cameras While Respecting Privacy
Preventing theft in the workplace is an important concern, but when do the company security policies and invasive camera surveillance become unreasonable? Company theft can cost your business a lot of money when you consider the lost inventory, compromised data, and the time spent on recovering and restoring the loss. While it is your responsibility to protect your company’s assets and data, you also need to respect the rights of your employee’s to reasonable privacy. Here are some suggestions for introducing increased security in the workplace without introducing stress and concern amongst your staff. Cameras – Small, inconspicuous or complete hidden cameras will reduce the feeling of being watched. Further, a hidden camera will be less likely to be disabled or destroyed by the perpetrator and valuable data salvaged to catch and prosecute the criminal. Placement – Don’t place cameras in restrooms, locker rooms, or other places where people assume they are not being watched. It is an invasion of privacy where it is not necessarily needed. If you own a clothing store with Fitting Rooms, that’s a different situation. Carefully worded postings in the Fitting Room can mitigate the situation. Communicate – Be an effective communicator and set expectations and provide updates on any changes in security measures to your employees. By being open about the changes it will eliminate suspicion and increase their feelings of safety in the work environment. If you have any questions about security installation, best security systems, or security features, call the friendly experts at Affordable Telephone Systems. They have helped hundreds of small businesses like yours with their security and telephone requirements. Affordable Telephone Systems 866-666-9650 Security and Connectivity! . . . Our Commitment Guaranteed! Share this:Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)Click to...
Read MoreBusiness Security – Are You Being Targeted?
Is your business protected from theft and intrusion? Theft can occur anywhere, the workplace is no exception. It is important to guard your assets, your business records, and most importantly your employees. There are many options to choose from to secure your business from harm. Indoor and outdoor security cameras come in a variety of sizes and capabilities (dome, bullet, infrared, high resolution, compression, and more). There are also a host of hidden cameras covering your covert surveillance needs. Digital recorders offer storage and playback capabilities and can store terabytes of data. Video transmission devices which include wireless video links, transmitters and receivers, let you view security cameras from remote locations. Access Control devices allow you to control business access and offer affordable and scalable options for small and medium business security. For more than 30 years, Affordable Telephone Systems has served the greater Austin, TX and Ventura, CA areas, protecting businesses from theft and intrusion, providing them the means to guard their property and inventory, and keeping their employees and customers safe with reliable, high-performance security solutions. Affordable Telephone Systems will provide a free assessment of your security needs and provide you smart and affordable options for safeguarding your business. Let the trusted professionals at Affordable show you the best security systems for small business and how to protect your company from becoming a target! Affordable Telephone Systems 866-666-9650 Security and Connectivity! . . . Our Commitment Guaranteed! Share this:Share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Google+ (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)MoreClick to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new...
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