Installing 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!

Smile – 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 24x7, the image quality, and the number of cameras deployed.  The biggest question to ask yourself is how long you will retain the recorded data.  Your daily recording size together with your retention schedule will help you determine the size of your storage requirements.

·         Any special camera requirements?

Here are some features to consider:

ü  Wireless

ü  Battery backup or powered by rechargeable batteries

ü  Light sensitive

ü  Audio recording

ü  Pan-Tilt-Zoom for object tracking

ü  Motion detected image capture

ü  Hidden or disguised cameras

ü  Water proof cameras

Keeping your business property and personnel safe is big challenge and a mission critical task. At Affordable Telephone Systems, we specialize in matching the right security systems to the customer’s business needs – big and small.

We sell the highest quality products in a range of prices.  We don’t try to sell you features you don’t need.  We are here to help guide you through the process of selecting the best security system for your business.  We provide professional installation and support when you need us.  We are always available, always willing to assist!  Call us today for a free assessment.

Affordable Telephone Systems                866-666-9650

Security and Connectivity! . . . Our Commitment Guaranteed!

Quality of Service – An Important Consideration for Your Business Phone System

VoIP phone systems can be an excellent choice for many businesses. They are full-featured systems providing some of the most sophisticated capabilities and a considerable cost savings.

But many companies are afraid of moving to a VoIP system.  They are worried about call quality, unsure if their network has the 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 and Connectivity! . . . Our Commitment Guaranteed!

A New Phone System Might be the Right Answer for your Small Business

Telephone systems have grown in sophistication in recent years, but many small businesses have not stayed abreast of the changes.  As these small and medium sized companies began to grow, their phone systems were extended with a hodge-podge of add-ons that now cost more than a new full-featured system 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!

Buying a Business Phone System

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 the phone system to interact with a computer system for call initiation, call monitoring, or customer records retrieval.

Conferencing Features - This features allow two or more callers to connect together to share in a conversation.  In smaller phone systems, the default is 2 participants but some systems are more capable.  If conferencing is important to your business, find out specifically the capabilities and limitations of this feature on the phone system you are considering.  Sometimes, conferencing is only internal (i.e. business extensions).  If you often require external conferencing capabilities, be sure you research this feature thoroughly.

Find Me/Follow Me – This technologies enable incoming phone calls to be received at different locations, on different phones.  Find Me refers to the ability to receive incoming calls at any location.  Follow Me refers to the ability to receive calls at any number of designated phones, whether ringing all at once, or in sequence.

Music on Hold – Music gives your callers something to listen to while they are on hold. It can also be replaced by or mixed with prerecorded messages advertising your company.

Paging – If your busy work day includes tracking down employees or making site wide announcements, the paging is for your.  Paging allows a user to speak into their phone and have it broadcast throughout your site.

Redial – This feature is also common allows the last number called to be redialed with the touch of a button.  More sophisticated systems will show you a list of the callers from most recent on back and allow you to call any previous caller or dialed number.

Remote Location – This feature allows connections to offsite employees or small remote offices by simply dialing an internal extension.

Speed Dial - A useful time saver for frequently called numbers, this feature is typically standard on most phones.

Voice Mail – A professional, integrated voice mail systems means you will never miss a call.  When integrated with your phone system, it allows messages to be left for employees that are unavailable or on the phone already. Most phone systems with integrated voice mail have an indicator on the phone to alert the employee of a new message.

The key component of buying a business telephone system is finding a trusted partner to help with the business phone assessment, configuration, installation, and support.  Affordable Telephone System has been serving the Austin and Ventura areas for over 30 years, helping small and medium businesses to choose the right telephone system for their small business and save money on their monthly service.  Trust your business to the experts at Affordable Telephone Systems.

Affordable Telephone Systems                866-666-9650

Security and Connectivity! . . . Our Commitment Guaranteed!