March 2007                                                                  voipnetworks.com

Your source for the latest developments in IP networks and telephony. Learn about new innovations from our partners – and explore creative ways to improve your operations.

Whatever your networking or communications challenge, VoIP Networks is here to help. Please contact your Account Team directly or our Sales Department at (856)-795-4500 ext. 1 or sales@voipnetworks.com.
 

Make sure your Customer Service team can work anywhere with Mitel’s Teleworker Solution
 

Imagine if you could extend the full voice and data capabilities enjoyed by your customer service reps in your office to their homes or remote locations…

• Do you have a contact center that is bursting at the seems? Extend the limits of your current facilities without increasing overhead – or eliminate the physical center entirely.

• Offer reps the option of working at home without the need, expense, or hassle of a daily commute.

• Recruit new people from outside your geographic area of operation without requiring them to relocate.

• Retain the services of skilled reps who relocate away from your operation.

Imagine all that and you begin to get a very real picture of how your business could benefit with the Mitel Teleworker Solution. Remote users only need a Mitel IP Phone, a PC, home router and high-speed Internet connection.

Find out how the Mitel Teleworker Solution can expand your business, contact your Account Team directly or our Sales Department at (856)-795-4500 ext. 1 or sales@voipnetworks.com.

>return to top

We take the headaches out of carrier and service selection
 

Remember the days when you had no choice at all and you had to use one carrier for all of your communications needs? Those days are long gone and in its place you have a myriad of alternative carriers from which to choose.

We understand that the continuing upheaval in the telecom industry causes a great deal of confusion when it comes to evaluating all the options for your business. We evaluate all the choices for you - and gives you the straight story on carrier plans and rates.

We identify the best direction for your business, helping you fine-tune your organization's Local, Long Distance, and Internet Access services. Here’s what we do...

Evaluate your current telecom configuration.

Review all tariffs and contracts appropriate for your business profile.

Establish a "Bidding Process" with multiple carriers on your behalf.

Negotiate - We extract the best deal for you.

Assemble a recommendation for your review.

Assist you in assessing your options and in determining which offering makes the most sense. You are the final decision maker.

Implement - We coordinate your orders for you!

We take the headaches out of telecom service decisions! Make your pain go away now, contact your Account Team directly or our Sales Department at (856)-795-4500 ext. 1 or sales@voipnetworks.com.

>return to top
 

Where did my dial tone go?!
 

Interruption of telecommunication services is more common than you might realize and can be caused by all kinds of events…

• Mandated Evacuations (Gas Leak, Other Emergencies)

• Fire – you may have read about the manhole fire in Center City, Philadelphia that closed many businesses for the day.

• Gas and water main breaks.

• Storms knock out electrical power (Lightning, Hurricanes)

• Telephone system failures

• Corporate Relocations

VoiceGard has developed and implemented continuity solutions to keep your business operational during any emergency. Your telephone services are restored over VoiceGard’s network, which supports all telephone systems and all carriers.

The VoiceGard Recovery Center routes all or just essential business calls to any pre-defined number(s), including cell phones. You can test your service recovery plan at any time and 24x7 support is readily available.

If you need help designing and implementing a disaster recovery plan for your phone system or call center, contact us at (856) 669-5100 ext. 1 or sales@voicegard.com.

>return to top
 

Don’t fall victim to the 90# phone scam
 

How it works - You receive a call from someone claiming to be a telephone company employee investigating technical problems with your phone service. The caller asks you to aid the investigation by transferring them to 90# or extension 900… “just a test call.”

At this point the bad guy is actually talking with your operator or receptionist and they appear to be calling from inside your company. They’ll ask the receptionist to transfer them to an outside phone number (“I’m having trouble dialing”) – usually a Long Distance or International phone number – and you pay for their call.

What to know - Telephone company employees checking on technical or billing problems will not call and ask you to dial a specific series of numbers on their behalf.

What to do - To avoid becoming a target of this scam, educate others about it and encourage them to take the following steps:

• Ask the caller for his/her name and telephone number.

• Tell the caller you are going to call the telephone company to determine if there is a problem with the line.

• Immediately hang up without dialing any numbers or transferring the caller.

Stay safe. VoIP Networks experts can help you improve the security of your communications. Contact your Account Team directly or our Sales Department at (856)-795-4500 ext. 1 or sales@voipnetworks.com.

>return to top
 

7 Tips to secure your VoIP network
 

It’s no secret that data networks are vulnerable to attack. Although incidents have been few and far between so far, here's what you should do now to make sure your VoIP network stays safe:

1. Encrypt traffic in hardware (a dedicated processor will not bog down performance like software-based encryption).

2. Put all VoIP traffic on the same VLAN, and put the VLAN behind a separate firewall.

3. Use secure gateways with multiple layers of encryption.

4. Monitor the network for anomalies that may provide clues to intrusion.

5. Keep up to date with operating system and application patches.

6. Turn off network services you're not using, including SNMP.

7. Add redundancy, such as mirrored systems and backup services.

Consider how much a network outage would cost your business. Improving your security is bargain by comparison.

Our experts can help you with all your VoIP security needs. Please contact your Account Team directly or our Sales Department at (856)-795-4500 ext. 1 or sales@voipnetworks.com.

>return to top
 

Don’t let your PBX catch a cold… Schedule a Health Check now
 

Preventative maintenance is essential for the uninterrupted operation of today’s advanced phone systems. That’s why we offer “PBX Health Check”. The typical check up is one visit per quarter – weekly / monthly schedules are also available. The following services are included:

• Phone system database back-up

• Voice Mail back-up

• Diagnostics

• Application program testing

• Verify PBX information

• Test modem or other remote maintenance devices

• Check system date/time

• System status review

This program does not replace your VoIP Networks maintenance agreement – it is a proactive program designed to head off disruptions before they impact your business. Software upgrades are not included; they are part of your ProCare program.

To schedule a “PBX Health Check” today, contact your Account Team directly or our Sales Department at (856)-795-4500 ext. 1 or sales@voipnetworks.com.

>return to top
 

Share the news with friends and colleagues...
 

Please forward this newsletter to any colleagues who would be interested in receiving tech news they can use. Questions, suggestions? Contact us at (856)-795-4500 ext. 1 or sales@voipnetworks.com.

Ready to reach your customers with your e-messages?

Contact Ascent Solutions or call (410) 551-3504.

>return to top