Is SIP Trunking useful for me ?

 As telecommunications technology advances, so too should your business’s communications infrastructure. VOIP offers you the best at an exceptionally low price. Extend your telecommunications infrastructure beyond the capacity of what traditional telephone systems are capable of providing. Enhance your customer’s experience, streamline your office multi-media communications operations, and reduce your operating costs by SIP Trunking through VOIP.

What Is SIP Trunking?

SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) Trunking is using VOIP to support the connection of your business’s telephone for both inbound and outbound calls.  In other words, it uses your internet to transmit telephone calls  – thus extending your office’s VOIP capability beyond its firewall. With it, you can handle all your multi-media and communications needs. SIP Trunks can perform various enhanced communications tasks that would otherwise be too costly through a traditional system.

Use it to send instant messages to both mobile and fixed line telecom users, hold multimedia conferences, display user presence information, as well as enhance 911 emergency calls. All of these features are delivered to you in real time, and that is what makes SIP Trunking important.

SIP Trunking is an efficient tool that replaces your office’s conventional telephone trunk line with the faster, more versatile infrastructure of the internet – optimizing user experience and enhancing your business.

Do I need it?

To sum up why your business needs SIP Trunking, we’ll use one word: simplify. Replacing your traditional telecommunications trunk with SIP is a big step in simplifying your organization’s telecommunications, preparing you for real time communications enhancements. Most importantly, SIP Trunking is an easy, cost effective measure to save your company money. The cost savings are substantial. With SIP Trunking you can:

Save money on long distance service- When comparing the cost savings of using a traditional telephone trunk to that of an SIP, long distance service costs less with SIP.

Remove the need for IP-PSTN gateways, or (in some cases) your entire PBX- SIPs connect directly to your internet service provider. There is no need to access your traditional telephone network, and you can get rid of IP-PSTN gateways. Thus, saving money because it eliminates the need to pay for the gateway’s costs and complexity. If your internet service provider is capable, it can even host your PBX for you – removing the need for you to purchase the PBX hardware necessary for your telecommunications infrastructure and user administration.

Streamline your network into a single IP based network instead of having multiple data and telephone networks- Reducing the complexity of your telephone network is a no-brainer when it comes to cost savings. There are less administrative costs to operating your system, reduced maintenance and upgrade fees, and it transforms your telecommunications into a lighter, more effective system that enhances your business’s ability to operate effectively.

Eliminates subscription fees- With a traditional telephone trunk, you will often pay subscription fees for BRIs and PRIs. Using a SIP Trunk eliminates these unnecessary costs, and you don’t need to purchase costly line packages. Only purchase the bandwidth you need.

Enhance your office communications infrastructure- By using a SIP Trunk, you give your office communication infrastructure a boost in its capabilities to more effectively serve your business and the needs of your customers, and as internet service providers upgrade their networks, you will reap the benefits with little to know cost – making your communications capabilities nimbler and much more affordable.

With SIP Trunking, everything is easier. Upgrade your business organization’s telecommunications infrastructure and start saving money by deploying a SIP Trunk today.

Content Source: https://www.cebodtelecom.com/is-sip-trunking-useful-for-me/

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15 Common Hosted PBX or Internet Phone Terms which Every Small Business Should Know

 If you run a business or planning to open one, the top priority should be to adopt most efficient solutions to make your operations successful. To maintain business’ smooth flow of communication, it becomes pertinent to have  internet accessibility and  strong phone system. Cloud phone system can serve as the best option to stay abreast with revolutionized phone technology.

Here are fifteen common hosted PBX or internet phone terms you should know as a business owner.

Virtual Number

This is basically a telephone number that has no attributed phone line. Such numbers are intended to be redirected to a VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) service or into a distinctive mobile/fixed phone line. At times, VN is collaboratively used with mail-sending services in order to come up with a remote location.

VoIP

With today’s innovation in the telecommunications industry, even telephone conversations can be routed online or via any types of IP-based networks. This is referred to as VoIP. Protocols/codes that are utilized to convey voice messages through IP-based networks are generally called VoIP protocols. Such protocols carry a digital audio format of telephony signals, which data rate is reduced by means of compressing the speech data.

SIP

Session Initiation Protocol is used as the protocol for the VoIP as well as some other multimedia and text data, which include (but are not bound to) video and text messaging and internet games. This can be compared with the SMTP or the HTTP web protocol. Such messages incorporate headers and a body. When it is a phone call, the body of the message is referred to as SDP (Session Description Protocol).

DID

DID (Direct Inward Dialing) is used in association with the PBX systems that the client has. This allows the telecommunications provider to set of figures interconnected to the client’s PBX. When the PBX receives a call, the caller’s dialed number will also be provided. In turn, the PBX technology can redirect a call to a person within the company.

TCP / IP – Transmission Control Protocol/Internet protocol

These are among the earliest identified networking protocols. This integrates with today’s Internet and Local Area Network (LAN) system. It aids in linking networks in a single server.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth is the maximum rate of data transfer of an internet connection or a network. This measures that amount of data that can be conveyed over a particular connection vessel in a given time.

Router

This is a gadget that identifies the specific travel path of the information among several networks, and then forwards the data to another device connected in the path. A router links networks such as LAN-to-WAN together to obtain internet accessibility.

PSTN – Public Switched Telephone Network

PSTN is the global public circuit of switched telephone communication systems. Nowadays, PSTN is completely in its digital data form. ITU-T manipulates the technical requirements of PSTN and utilizes telephone numbers to make an address.

LNP

LNP (Local Network Portability) deals with the capacity to move a current mobile or fixed-line phone number (set by the Local Exchange Carrier) and redirect it into a new carrier. Most of the time, transferability depends on the technology used as well as the geography.

Switch

This device connects a computer into networking system. It can verify received data files and identify the source as well as the destination which results to accurate data forwarding. Due to its accuracy, network bandwidth is conserve, thus making it a better option as compared to a hub.

Softphone

This software makes ‘internet telephone calls’ possible. Instead of using a typical telephone, a caller can use a computer.

Data Center

This is a central repository (can be either virtual or physical) that enables management, storage, and data dissemination within a particular organization.

PaAs

PaAs (Platform as A service) is a type of cloud model enables online delivery of apps. Apps may also be delivered on the user’s software and hardware infrastructure.

Cloud

Cloud (or cloud computing) refers to anything that deals with online delivery of hosted services.

Unified Communication

UC refers to a single platform that interconnects telecommunication solutions altogether. It includes audio conference, desktop sharing, SMS, call routing, and much more.

Know more about these and let your small business grow soon.

Content Source: https://www.cebodtelecom.com/15-common-hosted-pbx-or-internet-phone-terms-which-every-small-business-should-know/

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Running a business from multiple locations can quickly turn into a logistical nightmare. One such issue is telecommunications. Is that traditional phone system really delivering the service you need at an affordable price?

You may have heard of VoIP and you may be wondering what VoIP is. This is a type of communications system that uses traditional handsets but utilizes the technology of today to provide crystal clear audio and visual quality. All you need is a handset and a strong Internet connection. Remember, call quality is important to your business, so this guide is going to show you how VoIP can help you run a phone service for multiple office locations.

Get Right Calls to the Right People

There’s nothing more annoying for a customer than calling one number only to find that they must call another number instead. If you’re using a traditional phone line, this problem is exasperated over multiple locations.

VoIP offers a type of feature like call queue, call transfer and call hunting. You may sometimes hear it referred to as line hunting. It’s a method of distributing calls from a single telephone number to the right person. In other words, your client will gain access to a specialist every time. And you’ll waste less time trying to get the right person on the phone.

These days, VoIP uses algorithms to automatically route the call to the right person. These algorithms are only becoming more accurate.

Deal with Office Closing Hours

As a business today, you’re expected to make yourself available at every hour of the day. Despite how unreasonable this is, customers demand it anyway. Did you know that 89% of businesses compete primarily on customer service, rather than any other aspect of business?

Part of this is making yourself available. Customers demand it. One way to deal with this is to take advantage of time-based routing. This means that your VoIP system will reroute calls during closing hours. They could be rerouted to an emergency phone line, such as a phone you have at home.

Alternatively, you may simply decide to use a professional voice mail greeting to explain the situation.

Reducing  Workload of Your Customer Service Department

 One of the big problems growing businesses have is they don’t have the staff to deal with customers in good time. Again, this can lead to complaints.

So, an option for all your locations is to use ring groups as part of your VoIP system. How does it work? It means that when a customer calls a number, they’re calling multiple phone lines. If someone is busy, then someone else can take the call instead.

Even work distribution across multiple office locations will lead to a better service for customers and a better work environment for your customer service team.

Present a Professional Face to Your Customers

It takes just seven seconds for a first impression to form. Therefore, professionalism is essential when considering whether your telecommunications system is suitable for your business.

One VoIP feature you can take advantage of is the auto attendant. The auto attendant is a professional method for directing customers to where they need to be. Cebod Telecom, a VoIP providers has a variety of default options or  also allow you to create a customized voice greeting. You have full control over this feature.

Why You Will Save Money Through VoIP

 The costs of a traditional telephone system spiral every time you open a new location. Laying down a phone line is expensive. The more you grow the more you pay.

VoIP phone service offers a scalable solution that can be used across multiple locations. It can even be connected to portable handsets, home phone lines, desktops phones in different locations so you can continue to take calls even if you’re out of the office. You can continue to use the same number as before.

Revolutionize Your Telephone System Today

 If you want to operate a streamlined telecommunications system across multiple offices without the hassle, VoIP phone service has you covered.

With 50 plus features you just can’t get through traditional telephone systems, you have full control over your business. Plus, you can maintain customer service standards and ensure that your employees have a more convenient system to use.

Have you looked into installing VoIP phone service yet?

Content Source: https://www.cebodtelecom.com/6-reasons-multiple-business-locations-voip/

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Cebod Telecom Vs. Bandwidth –Which is Better?

 Which is better — Cebod Telecom or Bandwidth? The review of multiple products to come across the best available Business Phone Systems should not be a highly complicated task. If you are looking for the best business telecom services, we can help you choose between the two service providers. We offer an in-depth guide into various specifications of the two service providers to help you make a well-informed decision for your business operations.

Cebod Telecom

Cebod Telecom serves to be a flexible, reliable, and cost-effective virtual phone system solution provider for business phone services. The services by Cebod Telecom are utilized by a number of businesses as well as industries including dental practice, real estate, healthcare, marketing, government, and tax office. The service range offered by Cebod Telecom is highly comprehensive and cloud-based for helping small businesses, startups, and even large-scale enterprises in boosting the overall productivity as well as business efficiency while reducing the communication costs as well.

Cebod Telecom Features

· Cloud-based business PBX

· IVR or Interactive Voice Response

· Time-based routing

· Sequential calling

· Call queue

· Call log

· Account management

· Call monitoring

· Call management

· VoIP SIP Trunking solution

When you go through the comprehensive glossary of Cebod Telecom, you will come across a myriad of bandwidth-related telecom terminology to help you out. You can go through the A-Z glossary section of the telecom provides offering insight into all that you need to about the modern telecom industry.

Bandwidth

Bandwidth is yet another telecom service provider to modern businesses with the help of advanced technologies –including, cloud-ready voice, emergency service connectivity, and messaging services that are tailor-made for businesses. The service provider runs on the software-based telephony services by following a modern approach, leveraging software solutions, APIs, advanced technologies. Bandwidth serves to be a high-end API platform provider owning its Tier 1 network for offering improved control, quality, and cost-effective rates.

In terms of the glossary available at Bandwidth, it is a comprehensive terminology featuring meanings of all the important terms related to the telecom industry. You can also get access to specialized terms and their meanings to help you out choose the best available telephone services from the service provider.

The Difference

When the two glossaries of Cebod Telecom and Bandwidth are compared, it is found that there are some terminologies that are missing out on the Bandwidth’s page. For instance, you can come across advanced terms like ACD, Analog Phone, B Channel, Broadband Voice Gateway, and so more.

As such, the glossary offered by Cebod Telecom serves to be a more detailed one with abundant terms to look out for. Irrespective of your business needs, you can take services from a reliable telecom service provider like Cebod Telecom to fulfill your requirements and the expectations of the end clients.

Content Source: https://cebodtelecom.medium.com/cebod-telecom-vs-bandwidth-which-is-better-e5c9a57256a1

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Cloud vs Traditional Business Phone System- Which is better?

As a business owner you have a ton of decisions to make to guarantee that your business is able to run as smoothly as possible. One choice that you have to make is whether or not you want a cloud 9 r a traditional phone system. Today, we are sharing with you some insights on both so you can decide which phone system will be best for your establishment.

Cloud Business Phone System

The Cloud business phone system is what we would recommend to our customers who are looking for a reliable way to communicate with their clients and don’t want to have an expensive phone bill to pay every month. In addition to your phone bill being cost effective, cloud systems also don’t require any initial investments because there is no equipment that has to be installed. The best part is since everything is stored in the cloud you never have to worry about your important information being lost and it is very secure.

Traditional Business Phone System

While a traditional business phone system may be the initial choice for some businesses it doesn’t come with any of the safeguards or leisure’s that a cloud system provides. It can be expensive to get started with this option because in addition to getting everything installed you will also need to hire people to manage your servers. If any unexpected emergencies come up and your business has to move or loses power, you are also putting your company at risk of having to start over from scratch.

Making the Choice

The logical choice here would be to go with a cloud based system as it is an effective and affordable priced way to keep communication open within your business. It grows with your business and doesn’t require you to hire on any additional staff or incur any additional expenses each month. Our team of experts can help you get started today if you like.

Final Thoughts

Before making the decision as to which business phone system you want to use in your workplace take a few minutes to check out this informative infographic below. We have taken the time to answer the most common questions we receive from our customers for both the cloud and traditional business phone systems. Weigh the pros and cons of each phone system and then give us a call today!

Checkout the Infographic: https://www.cebodtelecom.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/Best-Cloud-vs-Traditional-Phone-System-1-1.pdf

Content Source:  https://www.cebodtelecom.com/cloud-business-phone-system/

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What is the best Phone Service for a Small Business?

 Choosing the right business phone system for your company may seem like a daunting task but it does not have to be that way. By learning about various kinds of phone systems for small business that are available today, you can easily find the one best suited for your own personal needs.

The main question that you need to answer for yourself is whether you want to have a traditional landline or if you would prefer to only use internet to conduct communication.

Both of these business phone systems have their own advantages and disadvantages and your decision is going to depend on your existing facilities and equipment.

On-Premise PBX System

Pros- if your company is already setup with a landline telephone connection then you can use on-premise PBX hardware (Private Branch Exchange) to connect telephone extensions to the Public Switched Telephone Network (also known as PSTN) in order to provide internal communication for your business. These landline-based systems are very reliable and have been in use for a long time, which means that there will be no unexpected problems and quirks.

Cons- There are essentially two major downsides when it comes to PBX business phone system in comparison to other phone services.

1. They are costly to maintain and manage and requires constant updates.
2. Lack of premium phone features. While implementing a newer version of this system called IP-PBX can solve the second downside, the high cost of maintenance means that this system is best for large corporations that can afford to have their own trained personnel.

VOIP Phone System is the best choice

Cost, features and management is what is making small businesses move toward VoIP phone systems (Voice over IP) as their main business phone system. This modern phone system for small business uses an existing internet connection to facilitate your phone services. The fact that you only need one set of wires means less overhead, lower cost, and much easier maintenance that can usually be done by just one or two skilled people within your company.

Best VoIP phone system for small business also offers features that were previously not available to smaller customers. In addition to basic features like the ability to make a phone conference, transfer, forward, and hold phone calls you can also integrate contact centers or take advantage of rich-media including data and video.

Another great advantage of virtual phone systems for small business is the option to use cloud computing. By transferring your technology to the cloud, you delegate the responsibility for the smooth operation of your infrastructure to an outside company. This helps to save time and resources you would otherwise spend on an expensive office space, storage, and cooling costs. The best phone system for small business stays monitored 24/7 so you can fully focus on your work without having to worry about any unexpected problems.

To conclude, small businesses who wants to stay competitive in the 21st century should definitely consider using cloud-based phone systems. They are cheaper, much more capable than older PBX and can be fully managed by an outside company.

Content Source: https://www.cebodtelecom.com/what-is-the-best-phone-service-for-a-small-business/

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Best Business Phone Service Feature: Call Forwarding

 Whenever you dream of success for your business, you can’t deny the worth of answering all the calls. A missed call is more than what you think. With a missed call, you miss a business opportunity, a customer, and some market exposure. Whether you are a greenhorn or a big gun, you can’t afford to miss all of it.

That’s why you must take appropriate measures to avoid it and ensure that every call is answered properly even if you are out of your office.

In this situation, call forwarding is pure bliss. By using this feature, businesses of all sorts can pick all the calls.

Call Forwarding – A hidden blessing.

Before we understand the worth of call forwarding, let us understand how important a call is for a business.

Almost 80% of business conversation happens on the phone.

Almost 85% of customers won’t call you back even if the call is not answered.

If a call is not answered within 90 seconds, the customer will hang up once and for all.

The above statistics show that the importance of a call for business. Hence, if you want to weave success, you must find ways to get hold of every incoming call. The call forwarding feature is what you need at this point in time.

It is a business phone service feature via which a user can switch between two different phones while calling number remains the same. All the incoming calls can be diverted to any other destination if the mainline is busy or not available to attend. The  call forwarding can be forwarded to a mobile, smartphone, desktop or landline phone number.

As using it is as easy as clapping, businesses with no special technical skills can also get benefitted from this free phone service feature. To activate this feature, you must have a VOIP phone service  from a trusted VoIP service provider. Some providers like Cebod Telecom provides this feature for free.  Once you move your phone service to them,  call forwarding is activated on all your business phone lines automatically.

 

Types of call forwarding 

 Based on under which condition calls will be forwarded, call forwarding is divided into the below-mentioned categories. 

Call Forwarding Always: Under this category, all the incoming calls will be forwarded to the chosen destination. Most of the businesses use this when one line is temporary out-of-order.

Call Forwarding if Busy: If the dialed line is already busy then you can forward the incoming calls to the next available line with this call forwarding option. 

Call Forwarding No Answer: This facility allows a call to get forwarded on another destination if it doesn’t get answered on the mainline.

Call Forwarding Not Reachable: If the main dialing line is not reachable, Call Forwarding Not Reachable forwards the calls on other destinations. 

Call Forwarding Selective: By using this facility, only the calls coming from certain selective numbers will be forwarded to the other destination.

All these Call Forwarding types allows a business to ensure proper and timely call answering operations without making any extra efforts.

Advantages of using call forwarding 

Call forwarding is not a mere telephony feature. It’s an ideal way to get hold of success while keeping the operational cost as low as possible. With the help of this facility, you can enjoy the best of everything. Best sales, best service, best customer supports, and best brand image. Wondering how it happens? Here is our explanation.

Call forwarding helps you to upkeep your promise of 24*7 Availability 

The very first promise that every business makes to its customers is being available around the clock. Call forwarding is the easiest way to stick by your promise no matter what are the situations. With this facility, a business can answer the calls while on the move as well.

For example, your staff has to leave the desk due to any reason; they can forward the incoming calls on their smartphones and answer them. Not only this. You can be at your customers’ service even when situations don’t permit.

Consider having heavy rainfall and roads are blocked. Half of your staff will not be able to report at the office on that day. Now, how will I manage to attend the calls with the lesser workforce?

Well, you need not worry until you have Call Forwarding activated on your main business line. By using this facility, you can transfer the calls coming on the employees’ desks to their mobile phones.

So, even if your team is not available on their desk, they are answering the customers’ call from their living room or any other remote location. Remote location working is a great bliss in many more such situations when staff is not able to report at the office.

Call Forwarding ensures that not a single factor should stop you from being at your customers’ service.

Best customer service is easy to offer 

Customers, for every kind of business, hold the highest importance as they are the one who weaves success. However, having a long list of customers is not enough. You must have a list of satisfied customers. The biggest factor that leads to customers’ dissatisfaction after poor service/quality is how to handle their calls.

If call waiting time is high or calls are not answered then a customer will be put off easily. With conditioned call forwarding, you can put stop on this as the calls will be diverted to any other available destination in your absence. This simply signifies that no call will go unattended and every customer will be happy.

Call Forwarding expands your business reach

Though the sole purpose of Call Forwarding is to ensure proper incoming call handling, it helps you expand your business indirectly. If you are a start-up looking for available opportunities in nearby oversees vicinity, you can use a VoIP phone number, forward the calls on the local business line, and have a global presence.

Using this technique, many small scale businesses were able to expand at a global level with the least possible investments. It also helps you stay away from high call incurring charges involved in long-distance calling.

You can experience a boost in your sales

When all of the above-mentioned things are happening as we have mentioned, no one can ever stop you to reach the top. With a satisfied customer, you will experience customer loyalty in no time. Similarly, offering impeccable customer support, having a global presence, and have a remote work facility without making huge investments ensure that you are keeping your operational costs as low as possible while yielding out the highest ROI. All these factors contribute towards better sales and you grow exponentially.

All of these benefits seem very impressive. Don’t they? However, you can enjoy all of them and many others only if you are availing Call Forwarding facility from the right kind of VoIP service provider. A professional VoIP service provider is the only way to get hold of the above-mentioned benefits.

Here are key considerations of buying the right Call Forwarding facility from the right VoIP service provider:

• Make a purchase from a professional service provider

With a professional VoIP service provider, life is easy than you ever imagine. You can experience best-of-breed service at affordable costing.

Their customer service is impeccable and they are always to help you. All kinds of leading services can be availed from a single service provider. All these things ensure that you are making most of your Call Forwarding investments. So, make sure that you are buying from a professional service provider.

• Pay attention to the cost

Budget is something you never ignore when it comes to buying something. To make sure that you are making the right purchase, try to collect quotes from multiple vendors and compare the costing.

• Understand the offerings

As we have mentioned that earlier that Call Forwarding comes in various types, you should buy from such service provider that offers you all kind of Call Forwarding.

Who all can be benefitted with Call Forwarding?

 If you run a business and have a dedicated customer support center then you are going to be get benefitted from this feature. Regardless of the shape and size of your business, this one feature is going to make a lot of difference. However, there are some industries where direct customer dealing/interaction is higher than in other industries.

Industries like hospitality, healthcare, education e-commerce, and tourism are the best examples of such industries. Here, customer interaction is a lot and you can’t afford to miss a call. In such types of industries, Call Forwarding has a huge impact.

By using this feature, these industries can easily answer all the incoming calls and improve their customer handling process. So, don’t stay deprived of success and great customer service and start using Call Forwarding  today.

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