Decoding Common Telephone System Acronyms

Acronyms are popping up everywhere, we see them on social media (SMH), text them to our friends (OMG), and now they are advancing on the workplace. An acronym is an abbreviation derived from the first part of a word or phrase. As technology continues to grow at a break neck speed we must keep pace with what these telephone system acronyms are and what they mean.

This will help to stay in the know in the midst of an ever expanding world. If you have ever Googled telephone systems you will see many acronyms that have begun sneaking into articles. VoIP, or “Voice over Internet Protocol”, is the most common acronym you will come across.  It means the phone service is sending voice packets over an internet connection instead of a standard phone line. IP PBX is another common term. This stands for “Internet Protocol Private Branch Exchange” which is the exchange service used to make an IP call. PSTN stands for “Public Switched Telephone Network” which does the same thing as an IP PBX only it is used to connect landline circuits. It is more commonly known as POTS or “Plain Old Telephone Service”. UC stands for “Unified Communications”. UC helps integrate a wide variety of devices so they can all work together to keep their users connected. For the telephone world this means you can now listen to your voicemail via an email or send a fax from your cell phone. UC is a huge advance for the business world because you can access/send/receive information from anywhere which leads us to our last few acronyms; SIP or “Session Initiation Protocol”, IM or “Instant Message”, and VC or “Video Conference”. SIP is how calls are initially set up and then how they convey data. Once the connection has been made via a SIP you can IM, VC, or just make a regular telephone call. Knowing these acronyms means you know what telephone systems can do to improve your business and how to properly research and communicate with people about telephone systems. For information on how to outfit your company with the best telephone system call the professionals at Affordable Telephone today!

Affordable Telephone Systems                866-666-9650

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What is the best type of IP phone for your business?

There are many different choices of VoIP telephone systems for small businesses on the market today. The type you pick should be based on key information about your company such as how many employees you have, how many calls your office makes and receives, and whether or not you need connectivity on the go. There are three main types of VoIP phones that make up the different levels of small business needs. 

 

Desktop IP phone – This is the most popular version of an IP phone. It looks, feels, and works like a standard POTS phone. It offers the most features, has the most reliability, and is a good choice for any business. Combined with structured data cabling it has the most to offer a small business owner.

Soft phone – This IP phone option is actually software used in conjunction with a headset or a USB phone handset that hooks into your PC to give the appearance of a real phone without the cost of having to purchase phone equipment. This type of set up is useful for companies that are just starting up and have very few to no employees.

Wireless IP phone – This IP phone has built-in Wi-Fi capabilities allowing it to be used anywhere in the office, home, and even some mobile hot spots. These IP phones are gaining in popularity as more and more people are telecommuting from home.

Whatever your choice may be call the professionals at Affordable Telephone Systems today. At Affordable Telephone, they know from years of experience that not all phone systems are a match for your business. They would never recommend a telephone system that would overload your infrastructure backbone or would not make financial sense for your business.

Affordable Telephone Systems                866-666-9650

Reliability and Functionality! . . . Our Commitment Guaranteed!!

VoIP Features to Help Streamline Your Company

VoIP has an abundance of features to choose from that can help your company be more productive. All small business telephone needs will vary a little depending on the type of business. For example a plumber will need to utilize the call forwarding feature more often than a grocery store. With the plethora of features available there is something for just about any type of company. The most common features tend to be: call forwarding, unlimited calling, auto attendant, conferencing, and music on hold.

o    Call forwarding gives you to ability to forward your calls to a different number or directly to a voicemail account. This means you can be away from your desk and have the call forwarded to wherever you are or if you are in an important meeting you can have it ring to voicemail so it doesn’t interrupt the meeting.

o     Unlimited calling is one of the largest benefits of a VoIP telephone system. On a VoIP system calls are transmitted in small data packages over broadband. This eliminates the old fashioned phone line and makes calls more affordable for companies. Instead of paying by call you pay by user and each user is able to make unlimited calls from their phone line. This feature alone can save companies upwards of 30% off their phone bills depending on the number of outgoing calls.

o    Auto attendant is another great feature because it answers the phone and forwards the call to the correct department or person instead of interrupting your employees and their work. This feature also has the ability to play custom messages from the company or music for the caller while they are on hold.

o     Conferencing is a commonly used feature that gives your company the ability to host office-wide meetings so all of your employees can be on the same page. IF you have more than one office it is not a problem. Conferencing can keep you connected to every location you own.

o    Music on hold can be a separate feature from auto attendant. This will allow your company to have the initial person-to-person greeting while allowing your customers to hear your sales, important messages, or relaxing music while waiting for the employee to return to the call.

These are just a few of the common features of VoIP.  There are also e-faxing capabilities, voicemail to email, call blocking, holiday schedule, and many more features to enrich your business options. So make the switch today to the best small business telephone! Call Affordable Telephone Systems to come install your VoIP telephone system and start using your features now!

Affordable Telephone Systems                866-666-9650

Reliability and Functionality! . . . Our Commitment Guaranteed!!