Author: Oak & Bluebird

What equipment is needed for VoIP?

Posted on by Oak & Bluebird
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What equipment is needed for VoIP?

What do you need for VoIP?

We have all heard about the Voice Over IP service (VoIP for short). This new technology permits the delivery of voice communications and various multimedia features over the Internet Protocol (hence the name). But not all of us are familiarised with the kind of equipment we will need if we decide to opt-out for such Service.

VoIP is very different technology when compared to your regular phone system because it relies on the Internet to make communication possible.

So, first things first, you will need an Internet connection, preferably a high-speed (or broadband) one, like DSL, T1 or regular cable service. A fibre link connection is the best there is, but it may get expensive, so cable broadband or T-1 Service is the best low-cost alternative.

Now, with the Internet connection taken care of, the next best thing is to ask your VoIP provider about the equipment. Some of them don't require anything special, except for a PC and a pair of headphones with a microphone (if you are using a softphone) or a handset and premise if you want. In other cases, you will have to use their special adapters that will allow a VoIP connection over your high-speed modem and they will let you use their Service.

To place or receive calls using Voice-over-IP technology, you need a hardware setup that will allow you to speak and listen. You might need simply a headset with your PC or a complete set of network equipment, including routers and phone adapters. We've prepared a list of the equipment that you typically require for VoIP, but you won't need everything we mention. What you need depends on what you use and how you use it. 

If you're thinking about switching your business telephone service to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP, or phone service over the Internet), you might be wondering about the startup requirements. Will you need special hardware? What equipment will you need to make the switch?

There's no one-size-fits-all approach to setting up VoIP service. The primary need for any VoIP service is a high-speed Internet connection, which most companies already have in place. Typically, smaller businesses need only a minimal amount of additional equipment, especially for cloud-based VoIP, where the servers are located offsite. If your business requires a larger premises-based service (PBX), you may need more hardware, more servers and additional infrastructure. Let's look at a few of the more common scenarios.

Analog Telephone Adapters

An analog telephone adapter acts as a hardware interface between an analog PSTN telephone system and a digital VoIP line. You don't need an ATA if you are using PC-to-PC VoIP, but you will use it if you sign up for a monthly VoIP service to be deployed at home or in your office, and if you intend to use your existing phones.

 

Telephone Sets

The phone set is essential for VoIP - it's both an input and an output device. Several types of phones can be used with VoIP, depending on the circumstances, your needs, and your choice.

Although you can use an analog telephone designed for PSTN networks, you might find more value in a dedicated VoIP phone or even a non-hardware softphone app.

PC Handsets

Handsets resemble telephones, but they connect to your computer through USB or a sound card. They work together with a softphone allowing you to use VoIP more comfortably. They can also be plugged into an IP phone to allow many users to use the same phone.

These devices are rarer than they used to be; most people now either use a PC headset or an ATA with a desk phone to communicate using VoIP.

PC Headsets

A PC headset is a standard multimedia device that allows you to hear audio from your computer and input your voice by using a microphone. Check out our list of the best USB headsets and the best Bluetooth headsets to help you pick the right device for you.

Basic Cloud-Based VoIP

If you're a small company looking to run VoIP off your existing Internet service, a simple cloud-based service will usually do the trick. You'll only need to purchase VoIP-enabled telephone handsets (to match the number of desks in your office), along with an appropriate number of VoIP routers. If you have existing phones, you may be able to keep them in Service by using analog telephone adapters (ATAs) to connect them to your VoIP service. If your company uses mobile phones, you can even configure virtual phone numbers to forward calls to them, skipping the handset entirely if you wish.

Softphone Software

Some businesses prefer to dispense with conventional phones entirely: They are running their VoIP service directly from their computers or mobile devices by way of a "softphone" app-a virtual telephone on their computer. For these configurations, you'd want to obtain an appropriate number of microphone/headset combinations to use in conjunction with the software.

Premises-Based (PBX) Service

For companies requiring a lot of telephone access, a cloud-based service might take up too much bandwidth for your Internet service to support. In such cases, we recommend installing a PBX VoIP service that runs from servers placed on premises-not entirely unlike setting up a conventional wired office phone system. If you have an existing LAN-server infrastructure, your VoIP service may be integrated into your current hardware.

When you're ready to make the switch to VoIP, Ok can provide a free evaluation to help you determine the configuration best suited to your needs. 

Many users may have been led to believe that voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) requires expensive and complicated equipment with phonetically dissonant names. In reality, this assessment could not be farther from the truth. While users will need the right equipment to take advantage of the full host of services and features of VoIP, the Service is completely scalable-meaning the system is able to grow or shrink to meet users' demands. Though there is a lot of hardware available, users don't typically need most of it. In response to the volume of products available versus the essential equipment needed, we have assembled the basic prerequisites needed for VoIP service.

The best place to start is with the basics- users can need as little as one item (aside from the Service), a phone. VoIP users typically need a phone for most functionality. Many providers offer a virtual number service, which forwards calls to your phone (typically a mobile phone). Additionally, these services establish a number and voicemail that are separate from your number. In doing this, users are also fitted with a number of features (exclusive to VoIP) such as auto attendant and voicemail transcription. In terms of appearance, these services can have a very positive effect on a users company. For example, a small business that utilises VoIP service is able to appear as a much larger organisation. Along with size, VoIP also fits companies with professionalism through its use of features and standardised operations.

As stated above, a service plan is the only necessity other than a phone. As the industry continues to experience substantial growth, more and more providers will appear. While each provider offers different pricing and different plans, users should always be aware of the basic needs of service, i.e. reliability, quality, features, pricing, accessibility, and customer support. Each of these will range from provider to provider (usually based on pricing and plan); however, each of these is essential to the operating of VoIP services.

 

While phone and Service can be considered core-essentials, the level of involvement dictates the need for additional hardware. For example, a residential user may only need a pc, softphone software, and a headset to make and receive VoIP calls (over the computer); however, a small business may need more. The majority of offices need only three things to get VoIP-an IP phone, a working high-speed internet connection, and a subscription to a business VoIP provider-because VoIP piggybacks on to an user's existing infrastructure. Therefore, assuming that users have the basic tools for business (i.e. electricity), they don't need more to start making VoIP calls. This holds for basic use of VoIP, but extended use may require more equipment. For example, users that sign up for a VoIP service deployed at home or in the office that uses the existing phones will need ATAs or Analog Telephone Adapters. These adapters act as an interface between an analog PSTN phone and a digital VoIP line.

As stated above, VoIP calls can be made with a computer using softphone software (separate from a phone). In pursuing this option, users will need a headset, or a microphone and set of speakers. Aside from these options, users can opt to use a webcam (as may have been done already with Skype, Yahoo, or another client); however, now the same network used to make video conferences is used to make calls. Therefore, with this method, users can make video conferences as well as calls. While this may sound underwhelming, it should be noted that VoIP video conferences have a higher picture and sound quality than they did in the past due to better encoding technology and higher bandwidth availability.

Additionally, VoIP video and audio conference calling makes it easy to distinguish who is speaking, which makes it easier on your ears and eyes to follow the action. Though conference calls allow users to have a number of different people communicate, each has to be using their phone, or you can buy an IP conference phone. Cosmetically, an IP conference phone looks very different from a regular phone. It lays flat on a table and has speakers and microphones that point in three different directions. The microphones pick up the different voices, and software inside makes it sound like it's coming from the proper direction, rather than have it sound flat. Conference IP phones also plug into Ethernet cables; however, some have wireless options.

In determining equipment needed, users need to know their intended use. As stated above, use dictates the need. Another example of this can be seen in users using an app on their smartphone or tablet device. This method of VoIP use sends the users voice over their device's data or Wi-Fi connection instead of using cellular technology, allowing users to save minutes, as well as access to features including reading e-faxes and use the features of your VoIP provider's web portal. In addition to this, mobile apps fit users with all the features and benefits of the virtual number service(s) previously mentioned.

In order to realise VoIP on the grandest scale, users can utilise immersive telepresence with giant screens and specially-placed speakers and microphones. With this level of use, users feel as if they are communicating with one another in person. With an advanced level of quality, these systems are very expensive and generally require a large amount of bandwidth. All VoIP service requires a high-speed internet connection; however, bandwidth is an expansion on this. Bandwidth is the amount of data that can be transmitted at once. Users will need plenty of this to ensure the quality of their Service. A lack can result in latency effects like echo, as well as dropped calls.

The equipment needs/requirements of VoIP users span the full spectrum of little and cheap to large and expensive. Ultimately, the user's intended use of Service constitutes requirements; therefore, a prospective user must know what they are looking for in a service. Aside from the fluctuation of needs, users will require an internet connection, a phone or a computer, and a service to utilise VoIP. While there are an increasing amount of service options, there are just as many hardware options. Despite VoIP's conception as a complex and needy industry, actual requirements are very limited.

The Most Common Devices Used in Voice Over IP Services

 

    • ATA or Analog Telephone Adapters, these are used as the hardware interface between your "old school" analog PSTN telephone connection and the "high tech" VoIP line. This will be necessary only if you choose a monthly Voice over IP service, in the regular "PC to PC" VoIP you don't need the ATA.

 

    • Handset - The VoIP telephone sets may be required, depending on the type of service you have chosen. They are the hardware interface between you and the Service.

 

    • VoIP Routers are key elements which enable you to connect to the Internet. You will need an ADSL router if you're using a broadband connection, in your home or at your place of business.

 

    • PC Handsets look like regular telephones, but they are connected to your PC via USB ports or via your sound card. They are delivered with dedicated software which makes it easier for you to use the VoIP service.

 

    • PC Headsets are a pair of headphones with a microphone; this piece of hardware will enable you to receive audio input via the VoIP service and also to transmit your voice, via the microphone.

 

    • Data Switch, you will need a data switch which has Quality of Service (QoS) and Virtual LAN capabilities. This is very important to ensure you have a quality VOIP service experience.

 

Based on your needs, you don't have to be freaked out by these technicalities. Working with a qualified Installation partner will lead the way and ensure your VOIP Service experience is an excellent one.

Having a consistently reliable means of business communication with your customers is always assured, utilising our best-in-class VoIP phone systems and VoIP Services.

Necessary VoIP equipment can be extremely limited, allowing users willing to reap the benefits of voice over IP such as cheaper calls, mobile office, media blending to do so with a simple installation.

For a typical home-use installation, a router may or may not be needed. VoIP equipment consists of an IP phone or a traditional phone with an ATA adapter. A third option is a softphone, a program turning PCs into phones. A headset will be almost compulsory to keep conversations private.

An enterprise network requires additional components to this basic VoIP equipment. An Internet protocol private branch exchange (IP PBX) system consists of phones, a PBX server, a gateway, and several lines. The server is a computer, with or without a user interface, display and commands, and a large rack of switches to connect the wires. A "Quality of Service" modem can be added to set up priority rules so that the system and connection will always keep more bandwidth for VoIP calls, instead of prioritising other sources of data transfers within the company network.

The need for all this VoIP equipment is eliminated with hosted IP PBX systems. With these systems, users have to connect their phones to the Internet, and the service provider will deploy all private telephone network features through the Internet and web-based applications and programs allowing users to set up their installation fully.

What all these installations need is a fast and reliable internet connection. Although most users will rely on the public Internet to connect their VoIP equipment, some service providers assign privatised channels through their Sip trunks.

Although additional equipment is often required to be purchased when upgrading to a VoIP solution, the overall benefits typically far outweigh this cost. Businesses should evaluate the annual cost savings that such a solution can offer while considering any upfront equipment expenses. In most cases, the overall cost savings and productivity increases that VoIP provides will easily justify any potential equipment upgrades.

What does an all-in-one printer do?

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What does an all-in-one printer do?

The purpose of an all-in-one printer

An all-in-one business printer is a useful tool for both the office and the home computer room. Knowing what features to look for when considering a new all-in-one printer purchase can allow you to purchase a unit that will be more suited to your needs. Some printer features benefit all of the printer's functions, while others make an individual function, such as faxing, more productive.

Basic printers are simple and inexpensive enough to be nearly disposable. However, higher-quality printers offer a range of extra features to improve their versatility. For small to medium-sized businesses or entrepreneurs with a home office, one multifunction printer can replace several other office machines. While this poses a risk -- if it fails, you lose everything -- in practice, good 5-in-1 printers are durable enough to serve for years and can be inexpensive enough to replace easily.

In the past, you'd need a printer, fax machine, copier and scanner to do the things a single all-in-one business printer could do. Aside from actually printing, these multi-functional printers offer a range of other features that give them the title of "all-in-one." Wireless models don't even need to be physically connected to your computer to communicate with it.

Buying a new printer for your small or mid-sized business might seem like a relatively straightforward task until you realize the vast number of options associated with the decision: Should you opt for a standalone printer or one of those all-in-one machines? Inkjet or laser? Colour or monochrome? Do you need collating, two-sided printing, or large input trays? What about wireless?

Many small and mid-sized businesses today are opting for laser printers for large volume jobs, as opposed to an inkjet they might have at home for the occasional photo printing. At the same time, the multifunction printers can also handle scanning, copying, and faxing.

Scanning

The top of a 5-in-1 printer is a flat lid, covering and protecting the glass platen of a flatbed scanner. Windows, Mac and Linux computers all have software for scanning, and major applications such as Microsoft Office and Open Office/Libre Office scan directly into a document. The printer's manufacturer might also supply a standalone scanning program with the printer or as a free download, providing additional features. The ability to scan invoices, business letters, books and other hardcopy documents can be invaluable, saving physical space and ensuring easy retrieval. It's especially useful for incoming faxes that must be signed and returned to the sender.

Faxing

Although faxes are less important with the rise of email and instant messaging, they remain a useful method for sending original documents. Modern plain-paper faxes are essentially laser, or inkjet printers with telephony added, so incorporating fax capability into a multifunction laser or inkjet is straightforward for the manufacturer. A 5-in-1 printer can scan and send original documents, like other faxes. It can also fax a document directly from a computer, eliminating the need for a printout. Faxes can also be sent from the printer itself, by placing a document on the scanner platen and dialling the number manually. The printer must be connected to a telephone line.

Copying

Multifunction printers are also highly capable copiers for low to moderate usage. Copiers scan and print a document, and any 5-in-1 printer can do that with aplomb. If your business needs copying capability, but can't justify the cost of leasing or purchasing a full-time photocopier, a multifunction printer might fill that gap. Inkjet models are typically intended for low-volume copying, while laser machines will support higher copying volumes and their toner is usually cheaper and longer-lasting than inkjet ink. Higher-end models support duplex printing, the ability -- like a standalone copier -- to copy both sides of a page at once.

Network Printing

The only thing better than having a powerful, versatile printer for your computer is having a powerful, versatile printer for everyone's computer. Multifunction 5-in-1 printers are designed for network connectivity, giving designated computers on the network access to their features. Printers with an Ethernet connection can be added to a hardwired network, or connected through a router. Other printers are designed for wireless networking and can connect through the 802.11 g/n protocols, just as your laptops do. In a small business, one multifunction printer can serve everyone, or it can provide non-printing features to several people who have basic printers for ordinary print jobs.

All-in-one printers have become increasingly popular, especially in smaller organizations, where desk space and technology investments must both be maximized. However, the myriad models, features, and functions can prove bewildering when researching and selecting an all-in-one printer (also known as multifunction machines). From features -- such as flatbed scanners and resolution -- to functionality -- printing, copying, scanning, and faxing -- there's much to think about when making a purchase decision.

Consider these things when you're evaluating your choices.

 

Functionality

The first question to ask when researching an all-in-one printer purchase is what functionality the device must provide. Besides serving as a printer, all-in-ones typically include scanning and copying capabilities and in some cases, fax technologies.

Manufacturers, of course, face relentless pricing pressures. To help maintain competitive price points, they must frequently sacrifice the quality of print and scan engines when including other capabilities (such as fax services) within a unit. Thus, you should consider carefully those functions the all-in-one must provide within your organization. By selecting a unit with only required functions, and foregoing unnecessary functionality, you can reduce the unit's cost while increasing the likelihood that the features you do receive will be of higher quality.

Photo printing is another function that certain all-in-one printers deliver. If you must frequently print high-quality photos, be sure the model you choose supports photo printing. At a minimum, such models should support assorted photo paper sizes, including 4 x 6, 5 x 7, and 8 x 10 prints, as well as colour printing resolutions of at least 4,800 x 1,200 pixels.

Print engine

The second factor to consider when purchasing a multifunction machine is the device's print technology. Inkjet versus laser, that's the question.

Inkjet printers have many advantages. Replacement cartridges are less expensive than lasers. Inkjet machines, overall, are typically priced less. And they usually have a much smaller desktop footprint. Inkjets also typically accommodate a wider variety of print media.

Laser printers, however, have a few of their advantages. Print quality is typically better and more consistent, and their prints, over the long run, are usually less expensive. This is because inkjet cartridge life is but a fraction of that for laser printers. Lasers are also quieter. But they're almost always larger than inkjet counterparts.

Scanning features

Although some organizations only occasionally rely upon their all-in-one printer to scan documents, other firms depend on such devices to scan numerous multipage documents daily. Be sure to give your scanning requirements careful consideration.

If you need to scan multipage documents frequently, insist on purchasing an all-in-one printer that has a capable automatic document feeder. The ability to load several pages at once in the device's document feeding tray, as opposed to having to feed each page separately, will save considerable time each month.

Offices emphasizing scanning should purchase models that scan documents at high resolutions. They should avoid all-in-one models that can't scan documents at optical scan resolutions of at least 600 x 1,200 DPI (dots per inch) and 24 bits. The higher the DPI and scanner bit depth, the crisper and sharper those scanned images will appear.

If you regularly need to scan odd-shaped documents or photographs, seek device models that have a flatbed scanner. Otherwise, those odd-size items may have to be taped to 8.5 x 11 paper so you can feed them through a device's automatic feed mechanism -- a process that's both cumbersome and wasteful. Fortunately, many all-in-one manufacturers (including Brother, Epson, HP, and Lexmark) produce flatbed models that also feature automatic document feeders.

Print resolution

When print quality is the priority, pay special attention to the black and colour print resolutions the multifunction machine produces. Print quality is typically measured in DPI. The higher the number, the better.

Inexpensive inkjet printers typically produce 600 x 600 DPI black resolution, while other models produce even 1,200 x 1,200 DPI. Inexpensive inkjet printers' colour capabilities, meanwhile, often start as high as 4,800 x 1,200 DPI.

Entry-level laser printers' black print quality almost always outpaces that of inkjet machines. Lasers usually produce 1,200 x 1,200 DPI black resolution, at a minimum.

Laser printer colour quality can be misleading. While typically not as high as inkjet colour printing, laser systems' colour print resolutions of 1,200 x 600 are common, which should prove acceptable for most corporate needs. When you're shopping for a specific model, almost all retailers can provide test samples for your review.

One item important to note is manufacturers' strategies in listing all-in-one printer specifications. When manufacturers list a model's highest print quality, the rating they list is almost always generated using the printer's slowest print speeds.

Printing performance/duty cycles

Print speeds are important in almost every office. Whether an organization needs to regularly generate lengthy multipage reports or frequently print just short forms for customers, print delays and slow page performance can prove frustrating and costly (especially in the form of lost opportunities).

Entry-level inkjet and laser printers boast speeds of 20 to 30 pages per minute for black pages. Colour printouts take longer to produce, particularly on inkjet machines.

However, keep in mind that manufacturers usually list an inkjet's draft mode print quality when listing maximum pages per minute. Laser printers usually produce higher quality printouts faster. Further, manufacturers typically list page per minute totals after the first page prints; most laser printers generate the first page more quickly than inkjet printers can.

Duty cycles, too, must be considered. A machine engineered to manage 2,500 printouts per month will require more frequent cartridge changes and likely sustain a shorter service life if it's used in an environment in which 5,000 or more prints a month are required. Carefully match a device's production with its estimated recommended monthly volume or duty cycle rating.

Network connectivity

Network connectivity is a critical factor to consider when purchasing an all-in-one printer. If a multifunction device is going to be accessed by multiple users or PCs, whether for scanning or printing, choose a device that includes an integrated Ethernet network interface. Without a network connection, a multifunction device's service capacity is limited to essentially a single PC (or requires that a clumsy network share be created on the host PC and that the host PC always be available to the other systems).

Wireless connectivity

The other option for networking an all-in-one printer (besides a wired Ethernet connection) is wireless LAN connectivity. In environments in which many wirelessly networked laptops (or desktops connected to the local network via a wireless network) will need to print to or receive scans from the multifunction device, wireless network capability is required.

When selecting a multifunction machine that PCs will connect to using wireless connections, be sure the machine is compatible with the existing wireless network. Many organizations are moving to 802.11n as their WLAN standard. Whether your organization uses 802.11b, g, or n, confirm the multifunction model being purchased matches the deployed standard.

Driver support

Users of Apple Macintosh, Linux, and even older Windows operating systems (including Windows 2000 and Windows 98) should check whether all-in-one printer manufacturers provide driver support for their operating systems. Driver support is essentially standard for Windows XP systems, but organizations should still verify that the all-in-one models they purchase support Windows Vista, as well. Without drivers and supporting print, imaging, and fax software, users of other operating systems may find themselves unable to use the multifunction device.

Duplex printing

Duplex printing is an element that's often overlooked. Organizations that need to print anything from reports to forms using both sides of a sheet of paper will find themselves out of luck if they buy an all-in-one device that doesn't support duplex printing. Check to ensure that the model you select matches your organization's needs.

Replacement cartridge availability

Replacement cartridge costs, whether the cartridges are inkjets or lasers, are one thing. Finding replacement cartridges is another.

If you're considering purchasing off-model or lesser-known brands, you may find it difficult to locate replacement ink. Since ink cartridges often seem to fail at the most inopportune time (such as the evening before an important presentation is due), the ability to locate replacements at local office supply stores can be of particular importance.

By sticking with reputable brands, and by using only ink cartridges supplied by the original manufacturer, you can ensure that replacement ink is readily available and that the cartridges work as well as the original ones when the unit was new.

Pros of all-in-one printers

Buying a multifunction laser printer can save your company space, money, and aggravation.

Having one machine that does it all also makes it easier for maintenance, such as downloading just one driver update (opposed to up to four of them) and purchasing "consumables" such as ink or toner, paper, and other supplies. One machine also consumes less power than three or four printers.

Cons of all-in-one printers

As with any converged device, a clear downside is if something goes wrong with your product, you'll likely be without everything while it's being repaired or replaced. In other words, if the scanner in your all-in-one device fails to work and you send it out to be fixed, you're now without a printer, copier, and fax machine, too. 

When it comes to quality there isn't a clear difference between standalone products and multifunction ones anymore. Multifunction printers used to be a generation or two behind its single device counterpart when it came to quality, but this is not the case anymore. 

All-in-one printers, he says have come a long way -- the quality has caught up to the convenience for the most part -- so it boils down to your comfort level with the pros and cons, the cost per copy and what you plan on using it for.

While most standard all-in-one printers can print, copy, scan and fax, some go above and beyond to offer additional features. Such features include double-sided printing and photo printing. As of September 2013, some wireless models even offer apps. For example, some wireless HP all-in-ones provide apps to print directly from online news outlets and apps for novel purposes like printing colouring pages and paper aeroplane outlines.

 

What Are Vehicle Telematics Benefits & Features

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What Are Vehicle Telematics Benefits & Features

Car telematics serves a number of useful purposes for drivers everywhere. This technology keeps people from getting lost, offers an easy way to receive roadside assistance and collects data that can be used in a few important ways. Telematics combines navigation, safety, security and communication into one convenient piece of technology that fits in a vehicle's dashboard. Automotive telematics systems receive wireless information and transmit it through a crash-resistant box.

When the everyday driver thinks of telematics in cars, they are probably most familiar with GPS navigation or two-way communication capabilities that can connect them with road assistance. These are definitely the most common uses for commercial vehicle telematics, though there are others.

Your next car will spy on you and report your driving style to your insurance company. It'll keep track of any risky maneuvers you perform and tell the police if it thinks you're to blame for an accident. And how? It's all about digital telematics.

Telematics is a method of monitoring a vehicle. By combining a GPS system with on-board diagnostics, it's possible to record - and map - exactly where a car is and how fast it's travelling, and cross-reference that with how a car is behaving internally.

Add communication over a 3G network and telematics can be used to send both data and communications back and forth between a vehicle and a central management system. Using sensors in cars and a trackside wireless network, Formula One teams have been using telematics for years for telling exactly where opponents are on the racetrack.

At the fringes, telematics is also a term used to describe 'connected car' features in general, which include live weather, traffic and parking info on the dashboard, apps, voice-activated features (such as featured on the Parrot Asteroid car receiver) and even - gulp - Facebook integration.

Common Features of a Telematics System in Cars

Most telematics systems come with a set of common features that are available with basic subscription packages.

Automatic Collision Notification

Drivers with telematics in cars can have the peace of mind of knowing that if they are ever in a crash, help is on the way. The telematics system can automatically detect the collision and summon help. The modem is protected and crash-resistant, so it will work even in the event of a severe accident. The antenna signal is typically stronger than that of a mobile phone, which means the system can reach the call centre in most areas.

Emergency Assistance

A telematics system features an SOS button that can be used to get help for an emergency that isn't related to a crash. This is a powerful security measure in case you need medical assistance or witness a crime unfolding. The communication system will allow you to reach the appropriate emergency service personnel for immediate assistance.

Good Samaritan Assistance

The SOS button can also help you assist others in need. If you witness an accident or other emergency, you can press the button to send emergency assistance to the scene.

Roadside Assistance

You'll never be stranded on the road due to mechanical failure if you use a telematics system. The SOS button can summon help in the event of a flat tire or breakdown or if you run out of fuel. Using GPS technology, assistance can find you quickly.

Vehicle Diagnostics

This feature allows you to receive a monthly email report on the condition of your car. You can choose to have diagnostics run at any time and sent to your car dealer. This capability helps to prevent breakdowns and helps dealers and customers save money.

Additional Telematics Features

 

Gas Price Finder

Use a telematics system to help you find great fuel savings. Navigation features will find local gas stations, list the prices and direct you there.

Local Search

Telematics can include the same types of apps you may find on your smartphone, like Yelp or Google Local Search. You can use this feature to find local attractions like restaurants, hotels, malls, nightspots and more with reviews at the ready.

News Alerts

You may choose to equip your telematics system with a news app that delivers news alerts or weather information. This pairs well with satellite radio options and can be set to automatically use your preferred channel for news broadcasts.

Media Streaming

While most vehicles can connect to streaming services using Bluetooth to communicate with a cell phone, in some cases, your telematics system will have an application to stream music from applications like Pandora.

Text Message Display

Text message and email display can eliminate the temptation to engage in unsafe behaviours behind the wheel. A telematics system can read incoming texts and emails and offer the option to send a dictated response. Some vehicle manufacturers will allow for a text display in addition to audio, while others don't enable this feature.

Enhanced Automatic Crash Notification (E-ACN)

E-ACN systems use data collected from sensors to analyze the extent of damage done to the vehicle and assess the likelihood of severe injury to passengers. This can save lives and further injury by informing passengers of their need to be careful and summoning medical care directly to the scene.

The Origin Telematics

Telematics technology developed out of the rapid expansion of the internet from the mid-1990s onwards. The greater availability and practicality of telecommunications technologies that arose in tandem with this expansion also produced new forms of remote communication. Over the years, these developed into what we now recognize as modern telematics systems, and these have been particularly widely adopted over the last decade.

Fleet management programs now enable firms to manage fleets of all sizes - from a handful of vehicles to hundreds - and help deliver major improvements across the board. Telematics has now developed to the point where it goes well beyond mere asset tracking to incorporate vehicle and driver performance as well as maintenance management.

The growth of telematics technology continues apace. Although the adoption of telematics has already become standard across various industries, the technology itself continues to evolve, and to grow in power and capacities, all the time. The burgeoning driver shortage affecting the transport sector and the continuing challenge of regulatory compliance are likely to have a major bearing on the future of telematics.

Telematics is also proving crucial in what has become known as the Internet of Things that Move (IoTtM); specifically, in transport and freight. These sectors have been leading adopters of IoT technology, with the data it provides allowing for more efficient routing and scheduling as well as generally better-optimized use of resources. The IoTtM thus encompasses, for example, location tracking and driver and equipment operator monitoring, including engine and driver hours. The main benefits of this include:

    • Reduced fuel costs. With fuel consumption being one of the most pressing costs facing fleets, detecting and reducing excessive fuel use is absolutely crucial to overall efficiency. Telematics does this through more direct route planning, reducing job site bottlenecks and cutting engine idling, while also detecting unauthorized vehicle or equipment use (enabling firms to cut down on resulting fuel usage).

 

    • More cost-effective maintenance. Telematics warns managers of mechanical issues with vehicles and equipment, which allows them to address these problems sooner and thereby reduce the danger of downtime (which is not only inconvenient but can also have serious knock-on effects for other jobs). It also makes scheduling preventative maintenance simpler, which again helps to maximize vehicle and equipment uptime.

 

    • Better communication. Previously, keeping in touch with drivers and operators out in the field could be a complex business. Telematics simplifies communication processes and significantly reduces the need for human operators and drivers to check in and report back, automating much of this process. As well as ensuring that managers have access to the data they need faster, this allows operators to spend more time concentrating directly on the job in hand.

 

    • Enhanced safety. Another crucial consideration (and a central legal responsibility) for firms operating fleets of vehicles and equipment, safety is of paramount importance. Telematics improves safety management by monitoring both driver and operative behaviour and vehicle and equipment performance. It allows anomalies - such as unsafe practices - to be detected and addressed quicker. It also allows for emergency assistance to be directed straight to the site where it is needed, through location tracking.

 

 

Telematics Devices And Software

Most commonly, telematics data is collected by a small device installed in the vehicle (or another asset) itself. This collects stores and transmits different types of information relating to the vehicle's performance, condition and usage. There are different types of telematics devices available that offer different functionality and benefits. The most accurate and secure telematics devices are hardwired, these devices offer tamper-proof functionality and a wider range of connectivity to peripheral devices.

Telematics devices are often connected to other in-cab driver interfaces that enable drivers to receive jobs, capture proof of delivery, complete pre-trip inspections and even get real-time feedback on their driving performance.

Imagine a highly intelligent computer in your vehicle that is able to report on nearly every detail from speed and idling, to fuel use, low tire pressure, and more. This information can mean saving on maintenance costs by better monitoring vehicles or improving fuel efficiency by learning more about driving habits. All of this describes the universe of telematics, also known as GPS fleet tracking.

To track assets, information from the vehicle is recorded via a small, telematics device - also called a black box - that plugs into the OBD II or CAN-BUS port. A SIM card and modem in the device enables communication on the cellular network.

There are several key components of a telematics device:

    • GPS receiver

 

    • Engine interface

 

    • Input/output interface (expander port)

 

    • SIM card

 

    • Accelerometer

 

    • Buzzer

 

 

What Do We Do With All This Data?

Telematics data provides a clear picture of a driver's behaviour, which is a strong indication of whether a driver will have an insurance loss or not. When shared with insurance companies, the data can be used to establish car insurance premiums based on actual driver behaviour rather than standardized demographics like age, gender and marital status, and one's driving history.

In fact, many insurance companies are favouring the use of data from telematics, known as usage-based insurance (UBI), over the traditional factors in determining insurance premiums. That's great news for drivers who could see lower premiums as a result of their positive driving behaviour.

For drivers who may not realize a reduction in premiums, telematics can indicate where adjustments or improvements need to be made such as driving slower, driving less, or taking corners at a better speed to improve their driving record and possibly lower their insurance rates.

Better Drivers And Improved Road Safety

Telematics can also make any car a "connected car" providing safety benefits to drivers such as alerts to dangerous road conditions or accidents ahead, weather hazards or car maintenance requirements. Drivers can be steered away from potential problems with features like lane-change monitoring, rearview cameras and autonomous braking. Telematics could send emergency teams and insurance companies to the aid of a driver who's been in an accident. In essence, telematics technology has the potential to save lives.

Where Are Telematics Devices Installed?

You generally install telematics devices in your car's on-board diagnostics port (OBD II Port), which all vehicles that are newer than 1996 have. This port is typically located beneath the steering wheel of the car, making the device easy to install. As soon as the telematics monitor is installed, it will start recording information about your driving habits and passing them on to a connected app or to your insurer.

What Are the Advantages of Telematics Devices?

The main advantage of the telematics device is the potential for car insurance savings. Provided you are a good driver, and you can get a hefty discount on your insurance when the device reports your travel history. If you aren't a great driver, the telematics device can help remind you to avoid hard braking, heed the speed limit, and drive safer overall. When you know you are being recorded, you're encouraged to have better driving behaviours.

How Do I Get a Telematics Device?

There are several options for getting a telematics device in your car. The first is to buy a car that has one built into the vehicle. Newer cars may have this technology built right in.

If you don't have a car that already includes this technology, then you can simply purchase a device from a tech store or online and install it yourself. Your insurer may also offer a specific model through a program like Drive Safe & Save or SmartRide. In that case, contact an agent to get a telematics device for your car.

Telematics devices are just one element of a safe driving plan. You can also make your car more secure by adding aftermarket safety devices, like dashcams or anti-theft devices.

Is 'Pay As You Drive', Right?

Wrong. Although the use of telematics is, ahem, accelerating, it's also undergoing a change from being focused on a pay as you drive (PAYD) to pay how you drive (PHYD).

"We basically monitor and assess the driving behaviour of the vehicle user via on-board technology which enables us to provide a much more accurate rate and a very specific understanding of risk," says Johan van der Merwe, MD of pay-as-you-drive car insurer Coverbox, which also offers free theft tracking.

"The amount of information we gather from devices installed in customers' vehicles - time and location of journeys, driver behaviour during those journeys, and so on - means that we are in a position to develop much more bespoke insurance products, personalized to specific drivers."

Telematics also means that well-behaved drivers can be rewarded with lower fees.

"We all know young drivers who are maniacs behind the wheel, but we also all know young drivers who are incredibly safe and sensible behind the wheel," says van der Merwe. "The current insurance market lumps them all together as being an equally high liability. We can change that."

The more detailed the information collected, the closer the insurance industry can get to accurately apportioning blame to specific drivers involved in an accident.

What are Unified Communications as a Service UCaaS?

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What are Unified Communications as a Service UCaaS?

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    We're living in a brand new world, spurred by digital transformation.

    As technology continues to evolve, we've entered an era where work is no longer refined to a specific desk, phone or computer screen. Business professionals have the freedom to share their skills and pursue new opportunities across the globe, all with nothing but the right device and a cloud connection.

    Now that almost half of the world are beginning to work remotely, companies need to find a way to serve users that refuse to be tethered by wires and physical locations. The result has been an influx of fantastic communication tools designed for almost every touch point in the average business.

    The only problem is that we've innovated so fast that the sheer number of communication tools available is enough to overwhelm any worker or ITT. Fortunately, we have a new solution. Enter unified communications.

    The term unified communications, or UC, describes not only how we connect different communication systems for the digital workforce, but collaboration tools too.

    That's why you often hear the phrase UC&C, which simply means unified communications and collaboration. Seamless UC ensures a higher level of interaction throughout the globally dispersed workforce. It breaks down the silos between enterprise teams and ensures that no matter where you work, you can still access the same secure system. In short, UC incorporates messaging, voice and video calling, team collaboration, video conferencing, and file sharing, and so much more. In a world defined by a dizzying mix of platforms designed to suit organizations spread across vast spaces, UC simplifies the world of work. The right UC platform gathers everything your employees need to connect, share, and work together on ideas in the same streamlined interface.

    Unified Communications Explained

    Unified communications as a service is one of the best-known terms in the everything-as-a-service economy. While the concept of unified comms has been around for years, the as-a-service model makes an entirely cohesive technology stack more accessible to the masses. According to the Magic Quadrant for UCaaS created by an industry analyst, Gartner, UC and UCaaS are both concepts that offer similar features such as voice and telephony, video and audio conferencing, real-time messaging and presence. The critical difference is that UCaaS is hosted by your provider. That means that you don't have to set up any of your own infrastructures to get started.

    The flexible and cloud-based nature of UCaaS makes it an excellent choice for businesses of all sizes. With UCaaS, you can avoid the initial expenses often associated with setting up an advanced communication strategy. However, you still get to tap into the latest disruptive technology on the market. So, let's explore some of the features you might expect from UCaaS.

    Poor communication costs the economy something in the region of $37 billion each year. It also leads to $42.6 million each year in lost productivity. Unified communication aims to eliminate the common problems that companies face when it comes to keeping people connected. Rather than merely offering VoIP or video messaging, the concept combines everything you need to reach your employees and customers into the same environment. However, this doesn't mean simply replacing traditional forms of communication like telephony with something more modern. Voice continues to be one of the central components of the UC strategy. Cloud PBX and VoIP services are at the heart of most UCaaS solutions.

    However, these days, they're becoming increasingly advanced. Today, it's possible to access UCaaS systems that come with not just high-quality voice but call recording features, AI implementations for intelligent call routing, and even sentiments analysis. UCaaS solutions can also give companies an easy way to accelerate conversations with a customer from a message to a phone call to a video chat.

    Though voice will always be a vital part of the UC conversation for most companies, there will also be channels to consider too. For instance, with 50% of the UK workforce set to be working remotely by next year, there's a rising demand for services to offer more intimate methods of communication. UCaaS can bring video and meeting solutions into your business that make it easy to collaborate with employees wherever they are. The cloud ensures that your team members don't need to be in the same room to work together on projects anymore. With video and collaboration tool, it's possible to share files, host conversations, and even launch presentations from a desktop, smartphone or tablet. Video is particularly useful in circumstances where people can't speak face-to-face as it ensures that the nuances of facial expression and body language aren't lost.

    Real-time messaging

    Messaging is another mode of communication that's becoming increasingly popular in the current corporate environment. In a UCaaS environment, messaging can refer to anything from real-time conversations hosted on collaboration applications to SMS and MMS text. Used correctly, messaging gives employees an opportunity to stay connected and collaborate more efficiently in the workplace. However, it also provides an excellent way to reach out to customers too. These days, many younger clients prefer text messages and instant messaging to phone conversations. UCaaS solutions can give businesses a way to manage and organize their messaging strategy so that they can offer a more omnichannel service experience to consumers. Any device you have integrated into your UCaaS technology can provide access to anything from social media chat to voicemail, transcriptions, and instant messages. Remember, over 80% of people currently use text messaging for business purposes.

    Many UCaaS solutions are becoming increasingly entwined for the demands for better collaboration in the workforce. The right service will not only give you a multitude of ways to connect with your teams and customers but also provide insights into who is available for you to speak to. For instance, your UCaaS solution can show you who's offline and online at any given time. Presence features also show information about what that person is doing. For instance, you can see if your remote workers are in a call and unavailable to chat, or whether they're currently out for lunch. This means that it's much easier for employees to access the support they need when they're dealing with complex projects or clients. It also ensures that people in the increasingly popular remote working environments can maintain some work-life balance. With presence features, you can show the rest of your team when you've decided to switch off for the day.

    The demand for mobility is rising, driven by mobile and remote workers among other things. Even if your employees don't work remotely, there's a good chance that you have field workers in your midst that you need to support with the same tools as your on-premise employees. Fortunately, with a reliable UCaaS solution, you can ensure that mobility remains a part of your business strategy. For instance, the cloud will ensure that your teams can tap into tools they need through applications for their tablets and smartphones. What's more, technology like WebRTC ensures that people don't necessarily need to download new software to join a meeting. Instead, people can tap to join conferences from their email accounts via a web browser. With UCaaS, anyone can take work out of the office.

    Increasingly, UCaaS is beginning to seem like just one flavor of the larger concept of CPaaS. Communication platforms as a service bring additional flexibility into the UCaaS world by allowing companies to integrate their preferred communication tools into their existing application and processes. For instance, you could add video conferencing as your option alongside your messaging tool or build CRM context into your chat conversations with clients. In a world where one size doesn't fit all, service providers and resellers can create more bespoke solutions for their customers based on the value they genuinely need. Through APIs implementations, anyone can build the custom communication stack that's best suited to their employees and their target audience. Next-gen UCaaS because providers are even using CPaaS to better link the front end and backend communications in business. For instance, you could use your applications to connect with your team while you're on a front end call with a customer, and collect vital information. What's more, when everything is integrated correctly through CPaaS, it's much easier to track the customer journey and gather useful information for your business.

    The as-a-service environment and everything it entails has seen phenomenal growth in recent years.

    Offering a way for companies of all sizes to transform their communication strategy, UCaaS combines affordability and convenience into a single package. According to the research company, Markets and Markets, the sector should be worth at least $28.69 billion by 2021. The Synergy Research Group also highlights the potential that UCaaS has for the marketplace, showing an annual growth rate of 29%. What's more, studies show that UCaaS space is capable of providing revenues of over $400 million every quarter. Let's take a look at how the industry is embracing the transformative marketplace.

    As transformation has hit the communications marketplace, we've seen significant change among vendors. New startups have begun to appear on the scene. Existing vendors have merged with other companies to deliver a more complete package, and consolidation is everywhere. To stay ahead of the competition, vendors are consistently looking for ways to differentiate themselves in a place where cloud technology is becoming the norm. Some vendors are rethinking their entire architecture and platform offerings, adventuring into the realm of CPaaS as well as UCaaS. Often, the communication platform as a service solution can act as a complementary addition to the UCaaS world, giving customers a way to enhance and personalize their comms strategy. With both UCaaS and CPaaS, developers can embed enhanced communication options into their existing technology and processes. For instance, companies could implement an SMS messaging strategy that sends appointment reminders to clients. Alternatively, they could use basic AI and machine learning to build bots for self-service interaction.

    It's likely that we'll continue to see leading UCaaS vendors integrating more API-focused solutions into their portfolio. Vendors of all shapes and sizes are beginning to develop CPaaS strategies that work alongside their existing UCaaS services. All the while, the UCaaS portfolio features also continues to grow with the incorporation of things like integrated contact center capabilities via partnerships and CCaaS, Integration of collaboration tools to ensure consistent conversations in the backend of the business environment, more integrations to boost context in the workplace such as connections to CRM services and consumer data, machine learning and artificial intelligence to optimize team performance and improve first-time resolution via call routing, intelligent edge routing for things like enhanced video traffic and improved communication reliability, and finally, SD-WAN integrations to enable more affordable internet services with the UCaaS environment.

    The UCaaS package is becoming increasingly larger. Both vendors and value-added resellers are now bundling a host of exciting new features into their UCaaS strategies, ranging from internet access to mobile services and CPaaS. Larger vendors are even discovering new ways to spread their approach around the world by creating local data centers in multiple markets. In the age of experience, UCaaS vendors need to do choose a delivery method for their solutions that delights and engages their users. For some companies, this will mean partnering with other businesses to offer APIs through a CPaaS platform, but for others, UCaaS will be all about delivering a multitude of communication service packages to suit different types of clients.

    Unified Communication adoption rate will continue to develop

    Leading analytics companies like Nemertes believe that the UCaaS adoption rates will continue to develop rapidly in the coming years. The versatility and scalability of the clouds makes it an excellent complement to new trends in the marketplace. For instance, now that businesses are thinking more carefully about remote working, globalization and mobility, UCaaS has become a more obvious consideration. Through hosted UC solutions on the cloud, companies can access all the tools they need with ease and ensure their teams are connected wherever they are.

    With vendors creating new and enhanced UCaaS strategies, it's up to the service providers to make sure each of their clients is getting the tailored communication solution they need.

    Gartner described UCaaS service providers as entities that use the cloud environment to deliver telecoms and other services. These are the companies responsible for providing everything from intellectual property and consulting to configuration support, professional managed services and more. As the people who bridge the gap between end users and vendors, service providers are there to ensure that UCaaS technology continues to benefit from fantastic growth and adoption rate. SPs don't just sell licenses and endpoints. They open the doors to the newest and most popular technology for companies seeking stronger communication. After all, only around 8% service providers, in one study, say they still provide their offerings via an on-premise PBX.

    UCaaS offers a unique opportunity for service providers hoping to take advantage of the cloud. It ensures that companies can differentiate themselves by using CPaaS technology to build extra capabilities into their package. It also offers an opportunity to deliver additional value through service management, training guidance and more. The key to success for most SPs is making sure they understand how to make UCaaS as appealing for their clients as possible. To some extent, this still means that service providers need to focus on selling their values of the cloud to their customers.

    While cloud technology is growing rapidly in popularity, some organizations are still struggling to move beyond their on-premise strategies. A combination of UCaaS and communication platform as a service offering allows service providers to deliver a hybrid and DIY approach to entering the cloud. With communications APIs, it's possible for companies to build the new technologies they need into their strategies without ripping and replacing old hardware. This could be a more appealing option for larger companies with a lot of on-premise investment. At the same time, service providers will still have the option to provide fully packaged UCaaS solutions for smaller companies who have the agility to move rapidly into the cloud.

    Resellers and agents are another group taking advantage of the UCaaS environment and the move to the cloud. Either as value-added resellers or system integrators, these professionals are responsible for providing customized communication solutions to niche markets. The opportunities for resellers continue to grow as the UCaaS market evolves. For resellers in the UCaaS space, there's a lot of focus right now on facilitating the adoption of the cloud. It's not just about supporting new IP deployments or ripping and replacing communication systems.

    Resellers and so as agents in focus markets need to be on board to help organizations transition from early UC and IP deployments into a new era of more collaborative, personalized UCaaS.

    Used correctly, the asset service methodology opens up new strategies for channel partners. It also gives resellers a way to engage and delight their customers through more advanced and customized communications. By fully connecting with their customers and finding out exactly what each client needs for digital transformation, resellers can offer custom-made opportunities. For some clients, this may mean eliminating as many CapEx costs as possible. For others, it might be about adding presence and messaging features into the UC stack for enhanced collaboration.

    Large enterprise adoption rate in UCaaS is now more than double the rate of the SMBs.

    Growing at a rate of over 25% per year, the UCaaS marketplace is no longer just thriving among smaller businesses. Although early adoption was focused more on the agile companies that could move rapidly to the cloud, new solutions like APIs and CPaaS is making UCaaS more accessible to the masses. In fact, large enterprise adoption rate in UCaaS is now more than double the rate of the SMBs. According to the market studies, UCaaS has officially gone mainstream as businesses recognize the importance of the cloud for driving digital transformation.

    To understand the significant growth rate of UCaaS technology, it's important to consider the benefits of other service cloud solutions over legacy UC. Before as-a-service packages were available, on-premise unified communication and collaboration deployments were the norm.

    Unfortunately, building a complete unified communications stack within your business was a time-consuming, expensive and often, overwhelming process. Typically, only the largest businesses with the biggest budgets were capable of unlocking a truly unified enterprise environment. After all, UC required investments ranging all the way from networking infrastructure to CRM tools and various other systems into your company, not to mention all the expense associated with bringing experts on board to manage these systems.

    What's more, once an on-premise UC system is implemented, it takes a lot of money and work to upgrade it again. In a world where communications technologies move more rapidly than ever, the expense of constantly updating and adapting would be too much for most organizations. UCaaS has emerged as a way to eliminate the wasted hours and costs that went into traditional deployments.

    The cloud technologies have delivered a host of benefits into the business environment over the years. Not only do they help companies to stay connected around the world, but they also ensure that they can evolve and adapt at a pace that suits them. UCaaS takes the flexibility and scalability of the cloud and injects it into the communications stack. By offering companies a simple and fully hosted solution for their communications, UCaaS providers can ensure that any business is capable of staying ahead of their latest trends.

    At first, the early adopters of UCaaS technologies were the smaller companies who had very little invested in traditional architecture and endpoints. However, organizations of all sizes today are beginning to recognize the value of being in the cloud. Currently, the UCaaS market is continuing to see sustained growth due to the rise of trends like BYOD for enterprise mobility, remote and mobile working for employees on all backgrounds, the demand for more advanced communication and collaboration in the workplace, and the rising need for enhanced user and customer experiences.

    The idea of UCaaS is to place simple, transformative and adaptive communication tools into the hands of any business. By putting your communication infrastructure into a cloud-based hosting environment, you can create an environment that is as flexible as you need it to be. What's more, UCaaS providers are adapting to suit a range of customer needs too. Many of the providers that begin with nothing more than pure play UCaaS are expanding to offer new services by the cloud. For instance, many bigger UCaaS companies are investing in the rise of APIs to deliver access to CPaaS functionality. There's also an increasing trend among service providers to combine traditional UCaaS solutions like collaboration tools, VoIP and messaging with contact center services. The link between CCaaS and UCaaS ensures that businesses of any size can have a more complete overview of their internal and external communications.

    When it comes to examining the growth in the UCaaS space, many companies turn to Gartner for guidance.

    Though some regard the Magic Quadrant report offered by Gartner to be a little restrictive, they're one of the most respected sources of information into the leading and challenging companies in the UCaaS space. To highlight the importance of the new as-a-service and cloud-based models, Gartner completely dropped the UC Magic Quadrant from the schedule in 2019. The company decided that it was time to move beyond the on-premise evaluations and focus entirely on the software as a service. Ultimately, the decision to drop the UC quadrant and focus on UCaaS shows how few companies are still basing their portfolio on offerings on on-premise systems.

    According to one survey, 52% of mid-sized enterprises currently use a UCaaS solution while 56% are considering a move to UCaaS. Though studies suggest that the global UC market is progressing to a value of around $143.49 billion by 2024, it seems that on-premise UC just isn't worth the same attention as it once was. Companies of all sizes have officially shown that interest in the cloud marketplace. For many organizations, it's no longer a question of if they should be moving to the cloud, but when they are going to start their transition. According to Gartner, around 90% of IT leaders won't be purchasing on-premise solutions for their UC going forward. Gartner believes that future cloud UC solutions will be far too advanced to ignore in terms of functions, features, analytics, and portals. With stats like that, it's easy to see why Gartner would eliminate the traditional UC Magic Quadrant. The cloud seems to be the only way forward for many companies even if that means taking a hybrid approach to communications.

    So, if UCaaS is the future of all communication strategies, how do businesses get to that point? According to surveys by market leaders, the UCaaS market will have grown six times by 2020 compared to its size in 2016. Overall, companies and analysts like Gartner believe that the UC as a service environment is moving from the age of the early adopter into the mainstream. Even the biggest companies that were once nervous or reluctant to move to the cloud are beginning to make small transitions into the space. If you're planning on following their footsteps, here are five ways you could streamline your path to the cloud.

    One of the biggest mistakes that larger companies made when they started considering cloud for the first time involve thinking that the transition was an all or nothing concept. Today, an increasingly large number of organizations are taking a hybrid approach. Through hybrid UCaaS implementations, it's possible to keep some technology on-premise and move other solutions into the cloud. Many hybrid strategies are driven by the rise of communications platforms as a service. CPaaS ensures that companies from any environment can build the capabilities they need into their existing technology.

    According to the industry analyst, the integration of on-premise UC with cloud solutions will play an increasingly important role in the evolution of the communication environment. If you want to access the benefits of the cloud but don't want to worry about ripping and replacing your existing technology, a hybrid system could be the perfect solution. However, first you need to think about how much you want to migrate to the cloud. Only you can determine what kind of hybrid deployment will work best for your organization. However, speaking to an informed reseller or service provider might help you build a strategy based on the use cases and procedures adopted by other brands.

    In any business transformation strategy, it's crucial to assess your environment before you begin a migration. You need to be sure that you have enough bandwidth and the right systems in place to support the kind of communications stack you're trying to build. Most experts recommend fully auditing your communication environment and creating benchmarks that you can use to ensure that you're maintaining an excellent experience for your agents and customers alike. Remember, when you're assessing what kind of support you need to manage your communications environment in a UCaaS world, don't just test for the use cases you have today. If your business has the potential to transform and grow, then you'll also need to figure out what kind of bandwidth you'll need when you've added new users and customers into the mix. Think about what type of environments you'll have when you're working at your maximum level.

    Remember, once you've implemented your UCaaS strategy, it will also be important to keep testing and tracking your performance. Remember that networks are dynamic entities that change almost constantly. You may need to add more endpoint devices, increase your storage, or even change your entire admin strategy from time to time. You may also discover opportunities to take advantage of new solutions like artificial intelligence, automation, or even the internet of things.

    We're living in the age of experience despite what some companies believe.

    This doesn't just mean that you need to reconsider the way you interact with customers. While it's essential to ensure that your clients and end users are getting memorable moments with the brand that they need, there are other aspects of experience to consider too. For instance, how do your agents and the employees experience their time at work? When your staff come into the office, do they have the communication strategy they need to connect with the colleagues in remote locations and collaborate more efficiently? How are you supporting the productivity levels and efficiency of your team members?

    Are you using workforce optimization solutions built into your UCaaS strategy to track your staff outcomes? UCaaS naturally supports the demand for better experiences because it helps to bring the tools your teams need together into the same environment. By removing the need to switch between tabs and programs, UCaaS can save valuable time. However, to get the most out of your strategy, you'll need to think carefully about what your business needs to deliver to get the best experiences. Do you need CPaaS APIs implemented in your company to enable IoT and automation? How can you support your contact center and ensure that customers are always routed to the correct agents?

    You need to continually keep track of how well your communication strategies are running to ensure that you're keeping up with the marketplace. File to keep track of your performance levels, and you could begin to lose customer satisfaction faster than you can imagine. Proactively monitoring performance of everything from your conference calls to your conversations with customers will put you in a dominant position. These days, companies need an insight into their complete communication strategies so that they can isolate problems and troubleshoot issues before the user experience begins to falter. In many environments including hybrid companies, there are lots of different pieces of equipment in play. For advanced UCaaS strategies, there may even be a need to track the performance of tools from multiple vendors. Service management solutions are emerging as a necessary add-on to UCaaS environments these days too. Proactive performance management is becoming increasingly important in this cloud-focused world. Make sure you have a strategy in place to keep you abreast of issues in your environment.

    Staying as competitive as possible in today's increasingly connected marketplace is difficult. Businesses need to make sure that they are continually working on stronger customer and agent experiences, reduce cost and greater efficiency. Unified communications as a service has helped to transform the way that companies work. IT departments no longer have to spend countless hours managing the communications stack. This means that your professionals can focus their time elsewhere. Of course, while your company's talents may make a huge difference to your communication environment, you'll also need to make sure that you have the right UCaaS provider too.

    Today, there are vendors, service providers and channel partners around the world that offer a myriad of different packages to suit their customers. Choosing the best UCaaS provider is similar to choosing a partner for any part of your company's growth. There is no one size fits all model. Instead, you'll need to find the organization that can help you reach your targets. Here are similar things you can look for.

    As mentioned previously, implementing the right UCaaS solution isn't just about choosing the package with the latest services or technology. You'll need to be sure that you can measure the outcomes of your UCaaS solutions so that you can ensure that they're working. According to studies, businesses that support their deployments with tactical analytics achieve an average ROI of 389%. Many strong UCaaS offerings will come with dashboards that administrators and business leaders can use to view the internal workings of their companies. These analytics features help with everything from creating reports from stakeholders to figuring out where you might need to adapt and improve your communication strategy,

    Industry analysts, Frost & Sullivan suggests that vendor reputation ranks as one of the most important factors when choosing a UCaaS provider. 35% of current customers in the UC as a service industry put vendor reputation at the top of their list when evaluating who to work with. The good news is, is that there are plenty of ways that you can look into the history of your chosen company's performance. Look for reviews online. Check their presence on social media, or even ask them for case studies of their previous implementations they've worked on.

    As the communication environment continues to evolve, UCaaS packages are growing increasingly diverse.

    Some providers will offer basic solutions that cover things like video conferencing, VoIP and messaging. Other companies might invest in a wide variety of additional as-a-service offerings that they can link to their UCaaS solution. For instance, some vendors are experimenting with combined UCaaS and contact center as a service solution. To choose the right vendor, you need to make sure that they can provide the resources that you need. At the very least, your features will need to include things like screen-sharing, call management, instant messaging and video. However, you may also require additional features like CPaaS APIs that can be used to implement artificial intelligence, automation or contact center features. Find out what your provider can offer you.

    Quality of service is another important consideration when choosing a UCaaS provider. Some studies show that up to 78% of workers using collaboration technology experience tech difficulties. However, user satisfaction and experience are crucial to determining whether people will adopt your UCaaS solutions in the first place. Most providers offer an insight into the reliability that you can expect from their services with things like SLAs and uptime assurances. Most companies will need to look for an uptime SLA of around 99.99%.

    A UCaaS solution is most effective when it integrates fully with the rest of your business strategy. This is one of the reasons why API support and communication platform as a service concepts are becoming increasingly popular. The provider you choose needs to be able to integrate all the UCaaS functionality you need into the day-to-day processes. The more your UCaaS solutions integrate with business software, third party communication environments and CRM systems, the more unified your UC solution becomes. When you can access all of your information and tools in the same place, the communications stack grows far more cohesive and valuable.

    You need to make sure that whatever you're adopting for your communication environment is compliant with local and regional standards. Peace of mind is essential in today's business world. You need to be able to both protect yourself and reassure customers that privacy and information are safe with you. Before you invest in your new cloud solution, find out what kind of security comes with your package. Remember, there are many different factors that can affect the security of UCaaS solution including service provider data centers, WAN connections and user endpoints. Don't be afraid to ask your provider any questions you might have about your new UCaaS system.

    Here's some of the major benefits of Unified Communications

    Better productivity: teams can connect however they feel most comfortable using any device or medium they choose. Reduced costs: because UC systems operate on the cloud, they allow companies to shift away from the traditional CapEx model to more of an OpEx model with fewer initial expenses.

    Stronger performance: because employees can both communicate and collaborate in an instant, they can solve customer problems faster and improve your business reputation. Enhanced user experience: a good UC strategy can delight your employees and even reduce turnover in your organization by giving people more freedom to work as they choose.

    The popularity of UC systems is grown more every year.

    In fact, recent research indicates that the market will see an annual growth rate of 12.3%, leading to a value of about 46 billion by 2020. More than ever, companies are beginning to understand how UC can help them better serve clients and employees alike. Perhaps the biggest trend driving the adoption of UC is digital transformation and the rise of the digital workforce.

    At its core, the digital workforce thrives on the idea that people should be able to access the tools they need to perform wherever they are and whatever device they use. Combine that with the ever-emerging move to cloud communications and agile methodologies, and you've got an environment prime for UC. As the workplace innovate faster, breaches global boundaries and discovers new opportunities, UC is the path to better connections and productivity.

    The words communication and collaboration appear so closely together in the modern world that some people have begun to believe that they mean the same thing. After all, thanks to the widespread popularity of UC and communication apps equipped with collaboration tools, it's easy to see how the two concepts go hand in hand. In fact, collaboration in the workforce simply can't exist without good communication. However, just because the two ideas connect on a fundamental level doesn't mean they're the same thing. So what's the difference?

    All companies need communication to thrive. It doesn't matter whether you're running a small business of, say, three or four people or huge enterprise with dedicated call centers, you need communication. A communication strategy can come in various forms. Most organizations have an external communication strategy, which is a plan that they use to connect with customers, clients, shareholders, and suppliers. Increasingly, external communication plans are becoming omni-channel, stretching all the way from VoIP to social media, SMS, and much more. It's equally important to have an internal communication strategy. This is the plan that companies use to keep internal staff members connected. It ensures that remote workers can connect with in-office employees through video conferencing and everyone can stay in touch in real-time through persistent chat.

    Like external communication, internal communication often involves multiple channels.

    Where communication is about sharing knowledge, collaboration is about actively working together to achieve mutual goals. For instance, if you call someone on a VoIP channel to talk about an upcoming project, it's communication. However, if while you're talking, you also start sharing screens and editing a project together, then it's collaboration.

    Essentially, collaboration brings action to the communication space.

    The fact that collaboration and communication are so closely connected is what makes them so hard to distinguish at times. Even the collaboration tools we see on the market today can blur the definitions a little. After all, Slack is often touted as a collaboration tool, but sending someone a message on Slack doesn't necessarily mean you're collaborating. However, Slack does provide channels where teams can collaborate on projects together. Ultimately, collaboration in the modern workforce is about providing an avenue for employees, executives, or anyone else in a business to work together on the same project, no matter where they are.

    While today the conversation about collaboration is heating up, it's important to remember that communication will always be the underlying ingredient of good collaboration. Without communication, we'd be left with multiple people working on their own versions of a project using the same tool. Communication provides the insight and knowledge to connect minds across the workforce. It's worth mentioning that collaboration tools have largely accommodated to internal teams. However, things are changing. We're starting to see intercompany collaboration rising in popularity with features like guest access and shared channels.

    Communication and collaboration are natural partners in the digitally transforming and globally distributed workforce. However, before any enterprise can begin to successfully invest in collaboration tools, they need to first ensure they're getting the most out of their communication strategy. If communication isn't clear, accessible, and easy to use across a range of touch points, then collaboration can't work. Empower your people to share knowledge, then you can help them to work together on tasks.

    What are the pros and cons of using VoIP?

    Posted on by Oak & Bluebird
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    What are the pros and cons of using VoIP?

    The "goods" and "bad" of VoIP

    There's no doubt that technology has radically changed our lives over the past few decades. Nowhere is this truer than in the area of telephones. Not so long ago, the only way you could make a phone call from home was by using a phone that was hardwired into your wall and allowed you to move away from it while talking only as far as its coiled cord would stretch. All that has changed. Now you likely use a cellphone that lets you talk or text on it anywhere in your home, your office, even unfortunately in your car. But are you getting the best value on your current cell phone? Should you switch to business VoIP telephone systems?

    VoIP is an acronym that stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. What this means is that phone calls you make or receive on a VoIP phone rely on the Internet to convert your voice and that of the person(s) with whom you're speaking into little data packets that go back and forth over the Internet before being converted back to voice by your phone. This makes for faster transmission of both voice and data while probably saving you considerable money in the process.

    VoIP services have been taking the business world by storm recently. Businesses are finding that utilizing VoIP technology enables them to save time and money while also improving the overall efficiency of their phone system and staff. Besides, single users are also finding them to be an effective and affordable option.

    There are, however, also some disadvantages when it comes to using VoIP phone services. The purpose of this article is to provide you with a deeper look into the many pros and cons of VoIP. Let's take a look at what they are.

    What is VoIP, and how does it work?

    VoIP is short for Voice over Internet Protocol. It is a technology that allows you to make calls using the Internet, rather than a regular phone line. VoIP is also commonly referred to as internet telephony, IP telephony or Voice over IP.

    VoIP works by converting analogue voice calls into digital data that travels over the public Internet or a private internet protocol (IP) network. Using VoIP, you can make phone calls over the Internet to landlines, mobile phones and even computer-to-computer anywhere in the world where an internet connection is available.

    As well as audio calls, you can use VoIP for services such as video calls, instant messaging and file sharing. Many VoIP ap

    What is a VoIP phone?

    A VoIP phone is a telephone system that uses the Internet to complete the phone call. Delivery can either be complete via the Internet, such as phone calls from one VoIP customer to another (especially in the case of two customers using the same service) or handed off to the traditional phone system at some point, like calls to landline or cellular numbers from a VoIP phone.

    Voice Over Internet Protocol Technology

    What does VoIP stand for? VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, and its name describes what happens in the process of placing a VoIP call. While you may still use a traditional phone in the VoIP calling process, your voice is transmitted from the phone to some device that digitizes it to be sent as a data packet over the Internet.

    Typically at some point, the data packet is reconverted into a protocol transmittable over the regular telephone line to complete the call. A VoIP call may not start over a regular telephone; it may instead start within an app on a smartphone, a program on your computer or a special VoIP phone. In that last case, your voice is captured digitally instantaneously.

    VoIP Requirements

    You'll need a special adapter to connect to your phone or a special VoIP phone to place a VoIP call. The adapter may connect to your computer, directly to the Internet via your router or both. Placing calls directly from your computer or a mobile device requires the installation of your provider's specific application.

    Using Your VoIP Phone

    You can use your VoIP phone in most cases to call just as you had with a traditional phone. There are some differences in how you might be billed, however. While your traditional phone service provider may charge you extra above your monthly service charge to call outside your local area, most VoIP providers give you free or deeply discounted calling within your home country (and sometimes elsewhere) and to numbers also using your VoIP provider's service.

    International calling is also typically possible, and at rates that are a fraction of your traditional telephone providers. For either domestic or international numbers, you'll hear a dial tone when dialling, and dialling the phone number itself is no different.

    Emergency Calls Through VoIP

    Early critics of VoIP pointed to the issues the service had when it came to making emergency calls. This was because, before 2005, there were no regulations on how VoIP calls should be handled. Now, you'll be asked to enter emergency contact, and home address information to ensure this information is transferred to the 911 call centre in the event of an emergency - so in most cases, emergency calls are not an issue. 

    Keep in mind that if you're travelling with your VoIP phone, you'll need to update this information to ensure the right address is transferred to the call centre. In the event of a power or Internet outage, be aware that your 911 service will not work unless it has a backup battery source, such as a UPS or generator. 

    VoIP is a great option for just about everyone, with an attractive list of features and a price that's hard to beat. That said, we wouldn't be telling the truth if we claimed that a VoIP phone system isn't without its own set of drawbacks. In this article, we'll take a look at both the advantages and disadvantages of VoIP so you can make the best decision based on your own needs.

    Different Types of VoIP

    Generally, VoIP centres focus on digitally transmitting communications as data packets via the Internet. There are several ways this process can occur. Each has its level of complexity that impacts the ease of deployment and maintenance. To help you determine the best fit for your business, let's take a close look at the different types of VoIP technology.

    Integrated Access

    Integrated access functions like traditional phone lines. The only difference is the smooth integration between the VoIP software and your phone system. Integrated access lets businesses enjoy superior communications features using existing legacy phone systems.

    This reduces the total cost of implementation. Meaning, you do not have to buy new hardware. You get to keep your old equipment and phone number while enjoying access to VoIP's advanced telecommunications features.

    Session Initial Protocol (SIP)

    SIP trunks act as digital pathways for voice communication. They enable businesses to leverage existing phone hardware while enjoying the benefits of VoIP. SIP trunk flexibility allows for easy integration with private branch exchange (PBX) telephone systems and cloud technology.

    This results in users increasing their communications flexibility. They can take advantage of shared lines by transmitting voice and video information across data networks. Since all communications data goes through a network, you can use SIP trunks as a replacement for analog phone networks. Or you can integrate your legacy phone systems with SIP trunking using a VoIP gateway.

    This reduces the cost of implementing VoIP technology. That's because there's no need for physical phone lines and communications hardware. What also makes SIP trunks such an attractive option for business is its pay-as-you-go model. You only pay for minutes used, resulting in considerable cost savings on business communications.

    Hosted IP Private Branch Exchange (PBX)

    Hosted IP PBX is one of the more popular forms of VoIP technology. Vendors host and operate a private branch exchange. This enables them to offer unified communications solutions to businesses and individuals. To get access to the vendor's VoIP service, all you need to do is connect to the cloud-based PBX network through the vendor's IP network.

    The vendor maintains all hardware needed for communications off-site. Also, the vendor takes care of hardware and software maintenance, upgrades and security. This removes the need for businesses to buy and deploy phone system hardware. It also reduces the cost of training and maintenance.

    Hosted IP PBX vendors like 8x8 provide clients with access to a user-friendly control panel. This is where they can track and manage their phone systems. The panel usually comes with valuable add-on features such as auto attendants, call queueing, on-hold music or messaging and many more.

    Managed IP PBX

    This VoIP technology bears a lot of similarities with hosted IP PBX. A third-party provider manages and maintains a unified communications solution. But the business manages the phone hardware on-site. The PBX provider collects a monthly fee based on the number of phone lines to install, configure and update. The fee also includes the upgrade of needed equipment to facilitate VoIP communication.

    After a thorough review of the different types of VoIP services, you can decide on the system that best suits your business needs. Managed IP PBX best fits businesses that are unable or unwilling to buy and operate on-premise VoIP systems themselves. Some enterprises want more control over their communications. If they have the wherewithal to install and manage the technology in-house, SIP trunks are a good fit.

    The most suitable VoIP solution for small and medium businesses is the cloud-based hosted IP PBX system. This VoIP service frees you from the administrative headaches and cost of managing VoIP services on-premise. All you need to do is choose the hardware and software that works best for your use case. Then relegate the hassle of deploying and managing the underlying VoIP technology to your carrier.

    Let's take a close look at some VoIP advantages and disadvantages to see if it's a good fit for your business needs.

    Advantages

     

    Cost

    The initial setup and ongoing costs are generally less for operating a VoIP system than a more traditional phone system. As VoIP works off your internet connection, there is no need for a traditional phone line. This means that you only need to deal with one account, one bill, for both the Internet and phone.

    Calls from PC to PC over the Internet are free. Calls from PC to landline usually have a cost attached, but the rates are significantly less than with a traditional phone line. 

    Accessibility

    A VoIP phone system is distinctly different from a traditional phone system. Distance or location makes no difference to a VoIP system, whether you are calling your head office on the other side of the country or making a call to the other side of the world. As long as you both have an internet connection, communication is possible. 

    All that is necessary is that you sign in to your broadband account. If you are frequently on the road, or away from the office but wish to remain connected, you can do so at a minimal cost. VoIP is much more convenient than a traditional phone line.

    Flexibility

    Unlike a PBX (Private Box Exchange), a VoIP network has a great deal of flexibility. With a private, internal phone network, you are limited to how many phones can be added to the system by the number of lines available within the system. With a VoIP network, you are limited only by bandwidth, so thousands of connections can conceivably be made. 

    Voice Quality

    If you have a reliable internet connection with good bandwidth, you should experience voice quality that is the equal of, if not better than, a traditional phone connection. If you are in a rural area without a strong connection, your qualities will suffer. 

    Extra /Less Expensive Features

    Traditional phone services have a selection of extra features for which you usually pay more. VoIP is different. It comes with a wide selection of extra features like call forwarding, call waiting, voicemail, caller ID, three-way calling and more. You can also send data like documents and pictures while you are engaging in conversation.

    VoIP also has the advantage of allowing you, your staff, and your clients to hold video conversations, access and exchange data files, and more, while the conversation is ongoing. This allows for more integrated and flexible meetings that can seamlessly include people from multiple office locations throughout the world.

    Disadvantages

     

    Internet Connection A Must

    You cannot operate a VoIP phone system unless you have a reliable internet connection with sufficient bandwidth.

    Power Outages/Emergencies

    If you operate a VoIP network and the power goes out, you no longer have an internet connection, so you no longer have access to your phone system. While this may be a minor irritation if it happens rarely and the outage is short, it can be a major headache if your power is out for a longer period.  

    Emergency services can find it difficult to trace calls to a VoIP system. 

    For these two reasons, many businesses will maintain at least one traditional phone line in order to maintain communications in power outages and emergencies.

    Latency

    Due to bandwidth requirements, some calls may appear to lag, delay, or disappear altogether. This is because the packets of information need time to reassemble in order for an effective call to be made. This problem is becoming less of an issue as newer, more sophisticated data algorithms come into use.

    How a VoIP Call Is Placed

    There are three common ways a VoIP call is initiated.

    ATA 

    Short for analog telephone adapter, an ATA is one of the most common ways to connect to a VoIP network. Here, a traditional telephone is connected to a device. What the ATA does is take the analog voice signal created by your telephone and convert it into digital packets that are sent over the Internet, much like an email or software download.

    IP (or VoIP) Phones

    You can think of an IP phone as a phone with the technology to digitize your voice built right into the device itself. No conversion is needed because the process is done right away, and these either connect to the VoIP service directly through your router or a Wi-Fi connection. The IP phone doesn't need to be a traditional phone; there are software-based systems that place calls, like ones you'll find in computer and portable device applications.

    Computer to Computer

    The final type of VoIP call requires no traditional phone service to place the call. Skype is a good example. The call is placed through software, and the data packets are transmitted to the person you're calling directly through the VoIP service's servers.

    How a VoIP Call Is Routed

    To understand how VoIP works, we first need to understand how traditional phone calls work.

    With a traditional phone call, when you pick up the receiver, you'll hear that familiar dial tone. In technical terms, that dial tone is an auditory confirmation that you have opened up an electric circuit to the telephone exchange, which is the central location where calls are routed. When you dial the number, the exchange opens up an electric circuit to the receiving phone, which makes it ring. When the person you're calling picks up the phone, the circuit is opened, and voice is transmitted across this open circuit.

    VoIP calls work differently. The Internet serves as your exchange, and picking up your receiver will only start the process of sending data packets to the VoIP server. You still hear a dial tone, but this is now a confirmation that you have a connection to the VoIP server.

    This VoIP server then tries to locate the person you're trying to call. If it is another VoIP number, the VoIP server may direct the call completely over the Internet. If it finds it's a traditional number, it will take the necessary steps to create that electric circuit like two traditional phones to route the call successfully.

    The list of pros almost overwhelmingly outweighs the list of cons - the benefits of using VoIP are numerous. To significantly reduce telephone charges by switching to VoIP makes perfect business sense.

    While there are several advantages to VoIP technology, there are also some issues that you should be aware of when investing in the system. Getting used to the technology can take a bit of time, but overall it is a convenient, quality option that can save you quite a bit of money over the long term.

     

    What are the benefits of managed print services?

    Posted on by Oak & Bluebird
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    What are the benefits of managed print services?

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      Managed Print Services - Why Businesses Need Them

      Managed Print Services (MPS) are becoming increasingly popular, especially in comparison to leasing or purchasing hardware outright. Rather than simply leasing hardware, an MPS vendor provides a full-service print contract, taking on responsibilities including network setup and management, software provision, and long-term print optimization across the organization.

      While MPS raises monthly costs over direct leasing on the surface, managed print services can offer numerous business benefits. With professional print-services rather than simply professional hardware, an organization can realize key changes in costs, print-production, information security, environmental footprint, and agility.

      Aside from your day-to-day business goals, have you ever considered learning about the benefits of managed print services, and how these services can help further the success of your company? You might be a little unfamiliar with managed print services, and the specific ways managed printing can help your business grow. If this is the case, you're in luck, and you've come to the right place!

      Let's start from scratch and first define what managed print services are. Managed print services (also known as MPS) are outsourcing services to help manage your print fleets, such as printers, copiers, and fax machines. Investing in managed print services is a further step you can take once you've successfully partnered with a business technology company.

      Running a successful business means that you need to prioritize your daily tasks to be able to reach your goals. Take one thing off your plate and hand over your print services to an expert. Even though worldwide business practices are becoming more and more digital every second, there is still a place paper and ink. Copying and printing aren't going away, so do you have a strategy to get it done quickly and effectively for your business?

      What are managed print services?

      Managed Print Services (MPS) are services offered to assist businesses by identifying their printing goals and defining a strategy to help them achieve their goals. Managed print services are a necessity to grow your business because you'll spend less time on management and less money printing overall. You might be thinking, "I'm a small business owner. I don't have the money to spend on managed print services. I'll do it myself!"

      This has the potential to hurt your business in the long run; you'll end up spending more money and time.

      Managed Print Services, commonly referred to as MPS, is a service offered by print providers to assist businesses with streamlining printer management and minimizing costs associated with printing. MPS came about because the majority of organizations do not define a print strategy, typically for two reasons:

        • It's time-consuming.

       

        • It falls low on the priority list.

       

      Because let's face it, businesses are busy, and there's always going to be something else that's more pressing than print strategy. But that doesn't mean it's not important. Not having a print strategy can cost businesses a lot of money, especially year over year. Print costs can take up anywhere between 1-10 per cent of an organization's total revenue.

      Managed Print Services is a way for businesses to outsource the day-to-day services for their print fleet, and it can be customized to meet specific needs.

      Business benefits of Managed Print Services

       

       

      Cut Your Costs

      Managed print services increase monthly costs over a simple lease. However, you receive a lot more for what you are paying. Rather than simply selling hardware, your MPS vendor will provide software, network management, IT support, printer supplies, ongoing print-network assessments and optimization, and hardware optimization and replacement.

      With everything included in one flat-rate monthly fee (although this varies), you receive a single, predictable rate for all printer costs. Over time, this can greatly reduce costs over purchasing and maintaining your printer hardware, especially as hardware gets older, requires replacing, or is replaced by your MPS to introduce newer and more efficient hardware.

      How does this work? Most printer costs relate to usage (paper, toner), maintenance and support (IT support, parts and repair, software issues), and replacing hardware. Over time, your printers will become costlier to repair with increasing frequency of required maintenance. MPS will ensure you replace hardware before it reaches this point, cutting total use and repair costs.

      MPS also reduces costs by optimizing your printer network to ensure that hardware and software meet the needs of the teams using it. With no one over or under-equipped, you won't be paying for hardware you don't need, losing money to lost productivity, or investing in hardware that isn't meeting your needs. It might seem like a good idea in the short term to keep your current printers, but when they break down, you're left with a hefty bill to repair or replace them. And how about when you run out of toner right at the most inopportune moment and can't wait for it to go on sale?

      With managed print services, you don't need to worry about these expenses. With a predictable monthly fee, you'll get all of your bulky, outdated printers replaced with faster devices. Imagine having a multi-functional printer with all the necessary functions built-in and having your managed print service maintain it so that you can get down to work.

      Optimize Your Printing

      Managed print service is, as it sounds, well managed. One key aspect of MPS is ongoing management and optimization, which begins during the initial takeover. An MPS vendor will conduct a print-needs assessment across your organization to determine what is needed and where. This allows the vendor to supply print solutions, including printers, scanners, servers, and software that meet the needs of individual departments. Non-efficient or under-performing solutions will be removed and replaced, allowing for increased productivity and performance.

      Print assessment to meet needs also allows an MPS to install printers on an as-needed basis. Here, departments with high-quality or high-volume print needs can install to those needs so graphics departments can print banners, posters, and ads while giving other departments simpler and more needs-appropriate solutions.

      Ongoing optimization means that your hardware will be updated as needs change. If you previously outsourced professional printing and chose to move it in-house, those printers could be supplied. If you switch a department to all-digital, high-quality graphic printers could be removed to reduce total costs.

      This ongoing optimization will work to reduce total costs, but the largest impact is an effect on productivity. If printers always meet office needs, individuals will always have what they need to perform their work, which will boost results.

      Improve Information Security

      Printers often have huge security risks, which can be massive problems in areas where trade or business secrets are printed and handled, where sensitive data is handled, and in industries requiring compliance. While information security is difficult to install and manage over the long-term yourself, it's included as part of MPS.

      Managed Print Services include printer software and servers based on needs assessment. Here, your provider will also assess security and provide access management according to your needs. This could include a printer-queue, individual user accounts, print-history, and printer logins for users. This reduces instances of sensitive documents left in print trays, enables tracking to see who prints what, and prevents individuals from simply accessing and printing whatever is in the queue. In combination with information about printer security, these steps will greatly improve information security.

      Consider that next time you're standing at the copier. With managed print services, you and your team will be able to cut this waiting time in half because your MPS experts will be monitoring your printing systems and making sure they are up to date before problems can arise. This means the responsibility of dealing with malfunctions, changing cartridges, and adding paper is taken off you, giving you more production time.

      Reduce Your Environmental Footprint

      While reducing environmental footprint is often a secondary concern for businesses, it is an important one, especially as regulation enforces a reduced carbon footprint. MPS can play a valuable role in keeping hardware up-to-date, reducing instances of having too many printers, reducing waste, and reducing instances where high-end or high-volume printers are used in situations where they are not needed. With ongoing optimization, reducing the environmental footprint of hardware is a process that will continue to positively impact your business for the duration of your MPS project.

      MPS also works to reduce print waste through a combination of print management, education, and user access. For example, with strong printer software solutions in place and user access management, individuals can see how much they're printing (as can their managers). Online backups and print-history mean users won't have to print backup copies of documents until they're needed.

      Print management software also allows you to take steps to greatly reduce the number of printed pages, using tactics such as double-sided printing, reducing margins, and automatically removing instances of ads and banners in internet articles and papers. Most print management software also tracks total usage, giving each person a better idea of how much they are printing and why. This will reduce total print volume over time, with many organizations seeing as much as a 4.75% decrease in used printer paper by simply decreasing margin size.

      Want to help save the planet? Working with a managed print service provider is a great place to start. You'd be amazed at how much paper, toner, and electricity is wasted on outdated systems. You could be banking significant savings on your paper costs by switching to a high-performance duplex printer. When creating your custom service agreement for your managed print services, your provider will assess all of the ways you can minimize waste and reduce your footprint.

      Are you looking to make a positive impact on the environment? A managed print services program may help you go greener without making a huge impact on your bottom line.

      First, think of the major negative impact that your print fleet has on the environment: waste. Reducing waste, whether paper or toner, can help reduce your environmental footprint. A well-structured MPS program can help you monitor your usage and help manage your printing workflows to reduce wasteful printing.

      If you're wondering what to do with your empty toner cartridges, don't throw them out! There are toner cartridge recycling programs that can keep that extra plastic out of the landfill. A thorough MPS provider will be able to make toner recycling easy and efficient for your team.

      Another great way to make a positive impact on the environment through your printing through programs like PrintReleaf. For every 8,333 pages you print, they'll plant a tree to help sustain and grow the global forestry system. 

      Increase Agility

      An MPS takes over your print services to provide a managed solution that meets your needs throughout the process. This will improve organizational agility by allowing you to meet print needs without increasing investment, supplying print-hardware and software on an as-needed basis to teams including those with high-volume, high-quality or even special needs.

      At the same time, MPS frees other departments up to focus on value-added tasks. An estimated 40% of all IT help-desk calls are printer related, and IT teams often don't have the resources or printer expertise to handle those requests internally. When hardware breaks, tickets still have to go to an external repair organization. MPS internalizes everything, setting up a print-help line which can automatically schedule printer repair and maintenance through the vendor, reducing third-party involvement. This means printers are fixed more quickly while freeing IT up for more value-added tasks such as infrastructure management.

      MPS has a lot to offer for most businesses, but the end-results and actual value will depend on your current print-hardware, total needs, and total internal business structure. The best way to find out if MPS can offer value to your organization is by conducting a needs analysis or having an MPS vendor perform one for you.

      Increase Your Device Uptime

      Your operation needs to have functioning tools and equipment. Stopping to fix something takes away from the resources you need to stay on task and keep productive.

      An MPS provider should be keenly aware of this and do everything they can to maximize your print environment and make sure your equipment isn't down. A proactive service team that performs preventative maintenance can help increase the life of your entire print fleet. 

      A truly outstanding MPS offering may also include "hot swap" backup printers at your location, to have an option on deck in case a crucial piece of equipment were to break unexpectedly. They should be able to loan your devices as well if the repairs are going to take any length of time.

      Know You're Covered

      An obvious benefit of a managed program is removing the fear of the unknown.

      If you're managing your own devices, there are a lot of unknown variables that can leave you scratching your head:

        • Will your toner quality stays the same, and will your supplier continue to stock it?

       

        • Will you be able to Google how to fix that printer when it breaks?

       

        • Will there be parts available for that model? How long will they stay available?

       

        • How much will it cost to call in someone to fix that printer when it breaks? With a managed print services plan, that fear is removed. You can rest easy knowing that service, parts, and even toner are all covered under the terms of your agreement.

       

       

      Increase team productivity

      Consider that next time you're standing at the copier. With managed print services, you and your team will be able to cut this waiting time in half because your MPS experts will be monitoring your printing systems and making sure they are up to date before problems can arise. This means the responsibility of dealing with malfunctions, changing cartridges, and adding paper is taken off you, giving you more production time.

      Free Up Cash Flow

      You want to manage your fleet of printers effectively. You don't want to spend an arm and a leg to do it.

      If you're tempted to drop a significant amount of cash on a new fleet of brand-new printers, with the aim of reducing your long-term costs, you may want to take a look at a managed print approach before you do. Many times, a managed print provider is able to take over your print fleet as it sits and still helps control your costs without that huge upfront investment. If you do need new devices, a robust managed print provider can lease those depreciating assets to you at a reasonable monthly cost.

      Aside from the investment of devices, consider your maintenance and supply expenses. Are you likely to throw out a printer and replace it? Think of the reduced expense if a service call can resolve the issue. Like to keep backup toner on the shelf? When your MPS provider covers supplies, your money isn't tied up in those supplies. Keep your cash ready to make investments in other more crucial areas of your operation.

      In most contexts, taking a managed approach to your print environment is a great way to remove the burden of desktop printer maintenance from IT's desk, while helping to control the costs of your fleet's supplies over time. Suppose you're considering whether or not managed print services are right for your organization. In that case, it's important to start with the most important step: establishing the baseline of what printers you have in your fleet, how much you're using them, and how much it costs to do so.

      Choosing a Managed Print Services Provider for Value and Service

      While the potential cost savings are enough to get you interested in managed print services, choosing a provider requires looking at more than just your print budget. Place priority on local providers that can quickly and professionally respond to service calls and that offer the following elements.

      What are telematics and how can it help your fleet

      Posted on by Oak & Bluebird
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      What are telematics and how can it help your fleet

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        Today we'll be explaining what telematics is and how telematics solutions are critical to successfully managing a commercial fleet.

        Telematics is the meeting of several scientific disciplines, mainly telecommunications, or the communication of information across phone lines, cables, and now in the cloud; and computer processing or data synthesis.

        As defined by Gartner, telematics refers to the use of wireless devices and black box technologies to transmit data in real-time back to an organization. Typically the word "telematics" is used in the context of commercial vehicle fleets, where a sensor collects and transmits data on vehicle use, maintenance requirements, and more.

        Put simply, telematics refers to the collection, transmission, and processing of data from real-world machines like trucks and trailers and other assets, and almost always refers to commercial fleet solutions.

        So here's how it works.

        First, data is collected from a vehicle or asset either using an aftermarket sensor or embedded or factory-built solutions. The data collected includes GPS location data, and information about the vehicle's use, like speeding, harsh braking and turning, and vehicle diagnostics.

        With us, this data is then sent directly to the cloud, where it can be processed and translated in real-time, and then viewed in a digestible format on a website or a dashboard.

        By collecting, transmitting, and synthesizing data, telematics solutions give fleet managers access to real-time information about what's happening to their fleet out on the road. These solutions help capture important information about your operations, driver behaviour and safety, and vehicle health.

        We talk about the ways that telematics solutions pay for themselves by allowing businesses to increase operational efficiency by radically improving their visibility into their operations with realtime data, and uncovering new ways to save money and time.

        They also improve customer service by using up-to-the-second information about day-to-day fleet movement in the cloud, so the back office can investigate customer questions without disrupting drivers.

        Telematic solutions also allow businesses to protect their drivers with safety programs and coaching based on real fleet and driver performance information.

        And finally, telematics solutions allow businesses to stay compliant with regulations for logging hours of service, completion of vehicle inspection reports, and more.

        So is your business looking for a vehicle tracking solution that can provide real-time data for your fleet? Samsara brings the technological experience of Google and Apple engineering to GPS fleet-tracking with a telematic solution that provides fleet managers greater visibility into their operations.

        To learn more about telematics solution and how we can help your business reach out to us.

        We spoke to a UK insurer on how they use telematics in the insurance space.

        Telematics is really the use of devices to monitor and see how devices are being used in real life. So that could be a box in a car telling us how the car's been driven, or it could be devices in the home telling us how the home monitoring systems are working. Or it could be a collar on a dog to tell us how much exercise the dog is getting and how much activity it's getting. So use of devices to get data on how something has been used or how much activity's been undertaken.

        The big inroads that telematics has made to date have been in the car insurance space.

        And in the UK that's primarily in the young driver space. So probably 30 to 40% of all new young drivers will buy a product with telematics, with a box or a device that will monitor how they drive.

        But what the device allows is it allows insurers to give feedback to the drivers as to how they're driving, tips and hints on how to drive better. They incentivize them. So they'll give them cashback if they do drive well. And sometimes we might give them a little tap on the shoulder, a phone call to say, "Actually, you were going a bit fast there. Yesterday on such and such a road, do you know what the speed limit is?" And we'll try and encourage people to drive safely.

        Telematics products that have got a level of monitoring attached to it will not be for everyone. And that's fine. So there are some people who don't want it. That's absolutely fine. We make it clear that that's part of our proposition. And for the people who do want it, we just have to be really clear about what benefit they get from the product.

        I actually think there are lots and lots of examples in our life where we trade personal information for some benefit. Barely a day will go past and something will pop up on your mobile phone and it will say, "Do you want to share your location data with this app?" And we all make snap judgements around, "Well, no, I don't want to because actually I've got no value there." Or, "Yes, I will. I can see the benefit in doing that. I'll get some value back."

        And in the same way, we're asking people to share their driving data with us. And then they're making the judgment that, actually, is that good for them? Are they going to get something back? And for the ones that do then, that's great.

        What is telematics?

        As quoted by Teletrac, Telematics is the technology used to monitor a wide range of information relating to an individual vehicle or an entire fleet. Telematics systems gather data including vehicle location, driver behaviour, engine diagnostics and vehicle activity, and visualise this data on software platforms that help fleet operators manage their resources.

        The word 'telematics' is a compound term. It combines 'tele' - a prefix denoting remote communications (the prefix is derived from the Greek for 'far off', or 'at a distance') - and 'informatics', a discipline incorporating the practice of information processing. Hence, this is what telematics is about: transmitting information over long distances. It is used for a variety of commercial and non-commercial purposes, but when this technology is used in fleet management, it is most commonly utilised to manage vehicles or other assets remotely and to provide an overview of a range of information relating to them.

        In recent years, telematics has changed the face of a number of industries, with its driving a major transformation in transport and construction. Businesses across a huge range of sectors have come to adopt telematics, which has helped to improve reliability, boost customer service standards, increase efficiency and enhance the bottom line.

        How Does it Benefit Fleets?

        A combination of the words telecommunications and informatics, it was the joining of these two sciences that resulted in the field of telematics.

        In its broadest sense telematics actually includes the internet itself, since it combines telecommunications (phone lines, cables, etc.) with informatics (such as computer systems). However, the term is now more commonly used to apply to vehicle telematics, where vehicle location information is used in different business applications to ultimately help business owners better manage a fleet-based workforce.

        The technology allows the sending, receiving and storing of information relating to remote objects (in this case, the vehicle) via telecommunication devices that plugs into the OBD II or CAN-BUS port, with a SIM card and onboard modem enabling communication through a mobile network. This smart device, also known as a 'black box' then records and reports on various points of available data. There are many who believe, however, that telematics simply shows GPS vehicle location - this does not begin to cover the breadth of actionable intelligence that telematics provides.

        But, before we get into the details of what telematics can really do, let's quickly look at how it came about in the first place.

        The early days of telematics

        Telematics developed alongside the internet. As computers became smaller and more widespread, the need for an easy way to exchange data grew. This is when telecommunication technology was used to connect computers with each other as well as other devices and thus telematics was born.

        (Quick fact: The actual term 'telematics' was coined back in 1978 by Simon Nora and Alain Minc in their report titled 'L'Informatisation de la société' - which was prepared for the French Prime Minister in response to the development of computer technology and the dawning of the information age).

        Since that time, computer processors have become smaller and more ubiquitous, while telecommunication networks have become widespread and effective in transferring larger amounts of data, regardless of where the computer is located. Whether it's on a truck driving through the remotest parts of the Nullabor or a delivery van in Sydney CBD, telematics can transfer near real-time data to central offices to help business owners better manage their fleet.

        How does a telematics system work?

        At the core of a telematics system is a vehicle tracking device. It collects GPS data as well as a huge range of vehicle-specific data from the vehicle's ODBII port and transmits it via either GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), 4G mobile data or satellite communication to a centralised server that then interprets the data and enables it's displayed to end-users.

        There is a multitude of data collected by the telematics device, which when decoded, can provide in-depth vehicle information such as location, speed, idling time, harsh acceleration or braking (measured by an internal accelerometer), fuel consumption, vehicle faults and much more.

        All this data is then layered over a map in our fleet management software in near real-time and can be viewed via secure websites and apps optimised for smartphones and tablets.

        So what can telematics really do?

        Today there is practically no limit to the different applications for telematics. The world is becoming more connected every day as more devices are networked into the internet of things (IoT) and new ways to use location-based information are being developed constantly.

        Yet still there is an ongoing misconception by many that vehicle telematics just shows GPS vehicle location - a simple dot on the map as it were. This doesn't even scratch the surface.

        With this telematics data, you can then determine when a driver is speeding, check the idling status of each vehicle in your fleet and send near real-time alerts to drivers to show them the fastest, most efficient routes to take. Further to this, you can also monitor fuel consumption, individual driving behaviour, time spent at (and outside of) specific locations and whether your vehicles require urgent maintenance.

        The use of telematics is growing in Australia and worldwide. According to a study, "the number of fleet management systems in active use in Australia and New Zealand is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 16.4 percent from almost 0.8 million units at the end of 2017 to nearly 1.7 million by 2022." 1

        Find the right solution for your business with our Fleet Management Services

        Simply having telematics, however, is not enough. Not all telematics solutions are created equal and in order for you to make the most out of the intelligence available, you need to find one that's right for your business.

        How to make the most of telematics

        Adopting a telematics solution is crucial for truly efficient and effective fleet management and there are a number of significant advantages that implementing an intelligent telematics solution will bring to your business.

        For starters, who wouldn't want a complete picture of their entire fleet at their fingertips, via intuitive and easy-to-use dashboards delivered through a mobile app?

        Here are six fundamental ways telematics-adopting companies are enhancing the potential of their fleets:

          1. Decreased fuel costs: Tracking driver behaviour could help you to identify areas of waste and act upon them accordingly, which ultimately helps towards reducing your fuel bill. Also, with the right fleet management solution, you'll be able to plan the most efficient route for each of your drivers at the touch of a button. This helps to reduce any unnecessary mileage.

         

          1. Improved safety: Because feedback on driving style and behaviours are continuous, fleet managers are in the best position to coach drivers about their bad habits (speeding, late or harsh braking) and also acknowledge those who perform well. Whilst your drivers are likely to have good intentions and don't set out to jeopardise the safety of other road users, they are only human and can easily slip into bad habits. With a telematics solution, you can closely monitor these bad habits and produce reports, or league tables, which highlight your drivers' behaviour and help to implement new safety targets.

         

          1. Boosted productivity: With near real-time GPS data, your drivers can lessen traffic delays, as well as giving you the ability to quickly and easily attribute any new or additional site visits to the nearest vehicle and instruct them on the most efficient route to get there.

         

          1. Better payroll management: By tracking the precise time a vehicle starts at the beginning of the day to the moment it shuts down at the end, a fleet tracking solution provides an accurate, automated record of how long an employee worked and where. By automating payroll, business owners not only help ensure their employees are paid accurately for the hours they have worked, but they can also take back the time currently spent manually matching up timesheets and job tickets.

         

          1. Reduce unauthorised use: One-way fleet owners could lower the risk of accidents is to verify that your fleet vehicles are only on the road when they need to be, during business hours. However, are you certain none of your vehicles are used in a driver's own time without consent? With a telematics solution, you can monitor when a vehicle is used out of hours as well as having the option to geofence certain areas so that your vehicles are where you expect them to be at all times.

         

          1. Lower maintenance costs: Fleet telematics can be set-up to deliver alerts based on mileage, engine use or time. Couple this with information on driving behaviour and you can monitor the wear and tear on your company vehicles in order to plan and carry out preventative maintenance. Furthermore, a comprehensive solution can alert you of diagnostic trouble codes such as engine warning lights, removing the need to rely on the driver to report faults and enabling you to resolve the issue quickly, reducing ongoing damage.

         

         

        Find the right telematics solution for your business

        So, how do you know which solution is right for you and your business?

        There are many telematics service providers out there but few are flexible enough to offer the right mix of features to ensure you receive the maximum benefits of tracking your fleet. The best of the bunch will give you simple usability, easy-to-understand technology and financial clarity from start to finish. What's more, GPS tracking systems are only becoming better at integrating with your existing business applications so it's the perfect time to consider one for your business.

        OK provides solutions to help solve all of your biggest fleet management challenges. If you want to explore this or you have more questions regarding telematics, why not schedule a short demonstration?

        What are Managed IT Services?

        Posted on by Oak & Bluebird
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        What are Managed IT Services?

        Ever wondered what Managed IT Services are?

        Managed IT services allow businesses to delegate their IT operations to an expert third-party organization that specializes in handling responsibilities. These third-party organizations, known as Managed Service Providers (MSPs), are responsible for the entirety or portions of a business' IT systems, as agreed upon in a Service Level Agreement (SLA). The client typically procures IT equipment and depending on the SLA. Managed Service Providers may provide round-the-clock monitoring, issue resolution and reporting, and more.

        According to the SLA, managed service providers charge a flat fee for delivery of their services over a set period of time. The SLA defines precisely what services will be furnished and the degree they will be offered, as well as metrics for measuring the success of these services.

        Cloud computing has allowed managed IT services to expand beyond the regions and borders that would constrain the average break/fix IT through the adoption of Software as a Service (SaaS) technologies, as well as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and Platform as a Service(PaaS) also. These capabilities allow managed IT services to scale at a rate dramatically larger and faster than in-house IT operation or break/fix providers.

        Managed services has become a popular buzzword in business environments. However, with the myriad new features and benefits, it offers over traditional break-fix repair, many are still unclear about what managed services encompasses. In its most simple definition, managed services gives a 3rd party service provider complete responsibility for any aspect of your company, and is often related to IT support.

        In this technology-focused age, businesses can live or die by the quality of their IT infrastructure. Entire companies are run electronically nowadays, and few wouldn't suffer immense losses if their IT network encountered a major issue. With managed services in IT, business owners no longer have to worry about data loss or computer problems; these are handled by experts and relieve owners to worry about what really matters to them - running the business.

        Read on to receive answers to all your questions about managed IT support, and learn why this new method is quickly taking over from the break-fix model of old.

        History of Managed IT Services 

        At the outset of enterprise computing, information technology services and management was on a break/fix basis, meaning that computer systems were only managed by an expert when they did not work, necessitating a technician to fix it. This technician may also have been the person who built and/or installed the computer system, due to the proliferation of small IT shops that specialized in this small-scale client services at the time.

        However, as time progressed computer manufacturing grew to large scale, leaving the small IT dealer to focus less on manufacturing and more on break/fix. This system was time-consuming, labour intensive, costly and reactive. It did not allow the technician room to grow their business or take on new clients without massive investments in labour and infrastructure.

        As computing devices increased yearly, the divide between break/fix technicians and the number of computers they could reasonably service under the break/fix model grew wider and wider. Managed IT services emerged in the early years of the millennium to meet this need, shifting far from the break/fix model.

        Managed IT services heralded a proactive approach to IT, attempting to conduct maintenance, upgrades, system monitoring and issue resolution on a routine basis, with the goal of preventing problems before they started. Automation, increased Internet capabilities and cloud computing allowed for monitoring and issue resolution to be provided remotely, enabling more efficient processes and a consolidation of resources.

        Efficiency, consolidated resources and client satisfaction, coupled with fixed rates, the ability to offer greater service offerings and take on a larger clientele led to managed IT services becoming the industry-standard approach to managing computer systems large and small for SMBs.

        Understanding the how and why behind the development of managed services allows a clearer picture of its usefulness. Computer systems make immense strides year after year, but the tools to service the changing systems have had trouble catching up. 

        Companies who helped small service networks in the past have been hindered by the lack of tools to help with problems. Networks used to be developed as simple systems, usually built and serviced by a self-taught technician. Maintenance was break-fix only, meaning when something went wrong, the company called, and hopefully, the technician would come and fix it.

        As time went on, the most advanced support people developed procedures to periodically come on-site to do a review of the infrastructure, looking for hints of issues before they snowballed into huge problems. The trouble was, however, that the service technicians could only see what was happening on the day they were there. If something happened in the future, they would never know about it unless informed by the customer and then it was back to the break-fix method.

        Along with this troubleshooting inefficiency, backup problems and other errors continued to occur. The only professional test of backup systems happened on the check-up visit, which frequently resulted in days or more of missed backups.

        This system was also prone to human error, with the technician trying to be accommodating and frequently having to spend his time correcting end-user symptoms and not being able to address the real issues. This inefficiency created a constant uphill battle for technicians, who were consistently trying to put out fires as more rapidly occurred.

        Benefits of Managed IT Services

        Through outsourcing managed IT services, SMBs are able to reap the benefits of receiving IT support at a significantly reduced cost in comparison to creating a comparable team in-house. Additionally, MSPs can also offer a wealth of experience from actively managing multiple client accounts that in-house teams would not collectively have.

        Additionally, by using an MSP organization are able to forecast their monthly, quarterly, and yearly expenditure on IT, and are freed from having to focus on this area of operational readiness. This allows SMBs to focus on growing their business without worrying about day-to-day IT issues or requirements.

        Another benefit to managed IT services is a greater opportunity for security expertise and successfully enacted security policies. MSPs work with standards such as PCI compliance day in, day out, and should be able to steer your organization within the parameters and regulations it needs to adhere to. For some organizations, especially in finance, healthcare, educations, and other industries, this type of regulatory compliance is mandatory for the IT portion of their business, and requires the expertise and experience that a managed service provider can offer. MSPs can mitigate risk in this way while assuring that the experts in charge of your IT operations are always up to date on the latest information, technologies and processes that will keep your infrastructure working efficiently and successfully into the future.

        Managed services also create a change in the overall philosophy of the way a business deals with its technology. Break-fix repair relies on waiting until servers, desktops, or other critical devices fail, then rushing to fix them as the company bleeds profit. A business operating under managed services, however, focuses on prevention rather than reaction, monitoring and resolving issues before they disrupt employees, management, and clients.

          • Freed-up resources and a renewed emphasis on core business - Both business owners and internal IT staff would much rather focus on revenue enhancing tasks like product development or the creation of cutting-edge applications/services. This is one reason routine monitoring and maintenance tasks are often neglected by an internal IT person or team, which always proves to be detrimental much later. Often misportrayed as a "threat" to an internal IT person or staff, MSPs can instead relieve internal staff of mundane network operations maintenance, repetitious monitoring of server and storage infrastructure, and day-to-day operations and help desk duties.

         

          • A true partner sharing risks and responsibilities - The goal of an MSP is to deliver on contracted services, measure, report, analyze and optimize IT service operations, and truly become an irreplaceable catalyst for business growth. Managed Service Providers not only assume leadership roles, they enable risk reduction, enhance efficiency and change the culture by introducing internal IT operations to new technologies and processes.

         

          • Access to expertise, best practices, and world-class tools and technologies - MSPs have experience with a variety of businesses and organizations. Managed Service Providers can keep your business relevant and on track with continually evolving technology, support, and productivity demands. Let's face it; no small or medium-sized business can afford to fall behind with technology trends in today's business world.

         

          • The benefit of a full-time fully staffed IT department at a fraction of the cost - Most small business owners live and die by proactive management. They just haven't had the budget, resources or access to on-demand expertise to be proactive with information technology management. A Managed Service Provider gives business owners and overwhelmed internal IT staff affordable server and computer support, remote monitoring of critical network components like servers and firewalls, data backup and disaster recovery, network security, custom software solutions, and technology evaluation and planning.

         

          • Managed service providers can decrease the overall IT support costs by as much as 30% to 50% - Rather than being stressed about technology, business owners can instead get back to focusing on growing their business. All while enjoying the benefits of highly-trained IT experts boosting their network's reliability and performance.

         

         

        Why Are Managed IT Services Important?

         

          • It aligns the outcomes of the organisation. An IT company is incentivised to do a very good job; they want to minimise problems for your organisation because they have KPIs directly linked to the efficiency of your IT.

         

          • IT experts give you peace of mind. You're not an IT expert. Managed service providers take care of your IT, so you can focus on running your business.

         

          • Proactive support. Managed services offer proactive support. So instead of your IT firm constantly fixing problems, they will actually try to identify problems before they happen, keeping your systems up and your problems down.

         

          • Strategic IT planning. What IT systems do you need in 12 or 24 months' time? Managed services help you think ahead and give you advice on what you need to be planning from an IT department. This links to proactive support and ensures that your IT infrastructure and software is upgraded and updated to minimise risks such as downtime, viruses and crashes.

         

          • Complete outsourced IT. Managed services give you access to a complete IT department. You don't just get day-to-day IT support; you also get an IT manager and a virtual CIO so you can think strategically about how IT fits into your organisation.

         

         

        Challenges of Managed IT Services

        Here are some challenges that you need to be aware of when looking to move to a managed services arrangement.

          • Holding providers accountable. The reason you go with managed services is that you want to improve your operational efficiency and remove the number of IT problems or roadblocks that affect your team. You need to hold providers accountable and make sure they are delivering these improvements. Most providers will offer effective reporting so you can see exactly how much work they are doing for you and how much improvement in efficiency and productivity they are providing.

         

          • Getting strategic IT planning. As part of a managed service contract, you should be given some strategic IT planning. You might struggle to see the benefits of a managed services contract if you don't get this component. Make sure that your IT firm is proactively planning for the next 12 or 24 months and that it has strategies in place to improve IT infrastructure and upgrade software.

         

          • Finding a provider with a good track record. You need to check the track record of your provider before engaging in a contract. They should be able to demonstrate a track record on delivering proactive service and measurable outcomes. Check references before you commit, and ask what clients they have, and if they have experience dealing with companies similar to yours.

         

         

        Which Type Of Maintenance Do You Have?

        If you answer "no" to any of the following questions, then you are utilizing a break-fix methodology to maintain your network and may benefit from a managed service provider without costing you any more.

          • Do you find out immediately if your data back-up fails to run?

         

          • Do you know which equipment on your network is aging and might need replacing in the next six months?

         

          • Do you know if your server and all of your desktops have the latest antivirus updates installed and are functioning correctly?

         

          • Do you know if the latest security patches have been installed on your network?

         

          • Do you know who the heaviest internet users are and whether they are downloading large files which can slow down the network, or accessing inappropriate web sites?

         

          • Do you know which PCs are running out of memory, affecting user performance?

         

          • Do you have one number to call for all of your technology service requirements?

         

          • Do you hear from your computer guys before there is a noticeable problem affecting your technology?

         

         

        High Availability, Efficiency and Productivity

        For an IT Service, the saying "time is money" always applies. For optimal company performance, constant availability of mission-critical IT services is the top priority for many organizations. While assessing the true cost of downtime is hard, it is always recommended to take proactive steps to avoid it completely. At worst, the reputational risk could be a factor when the outage comes to the attention of those outside the company potentially eroding public trust. Clients experience better performance with minimal downtime when using a managed service. Many times, mission-critical applications involve multiple technologies and require them to be fully operational and integrated to achieve the IT service expected. All component applications must be available together for the IT service to function seamlessly for internal end-users. An MSP can ensure maximum uptime and minimal service interruptions.

        Organizations that attempt to implement and support all IT services in-house usually have a much higher research and development cost as well as longer timelines to deploy -costs may also be passed on to the organizations wishing to consume these services. The MSP is highly efficient in delivering IT services in a way that keeps costs low and the time to deploy short while providing a high-quality service to the business.

        Future-Proofing IT Services

        IT departments will always have funding, technical, security, and operational challenges. As you look for strategies to minimize spend, I have seen many organizations effectively utilize AMS to achieve the full benefit of seamless service integration with less worry over resource constraints. MSP's will always have their staff trained on upcoming and new releases as well as new technologies with the ability to lock-in costs for a multi-year period. By creating more predictability, your business will reduce operational risk and challenges and minimize service disruption.

        Managed Service Providers bring not only practical delivery of a predictable service model and cost to quickly and effectively deliver new IT service to an enterprise, but also enhance the stability and peace of mind for IT and business leaders alike.

        The task of delivering new business services to the enterprise while keeping costs controlled is a difficult task in the modern business environment. A managed service is a great strategy to help your IT organization be highly resilient, and cost predictable, fiscal year to fiscal year. MSPs complement and do not replace existing staff but rather free those valuable resources to lead and deliver on the strategic IT programs necessary to advance business goals. In larger organizations, an MSP will help your resources to focus on more strategic projects. You can rest assured that your company is minimizing the risks associated with maintaining client data and sensitive competitive information and more with today's managed service offerings.

        As you embark on investing in a new application, consider taking advantage of various managed service offerings to stay on top of IT business needs and minimize unsystematic risks.

        How much is asset loss costing your organisation?

        Posted on by Oak & Bluebird

        How much is asset loss costing your organisation?

        How many times have you misplaced your car or house keys when you're running late for an appointment and spent frustrating minutes searching for them? Or how about absent-mindedly putting your mobile phone down somewhere when you're at home or at work and having to retrace your steps to find it?

        Even the most organised of us have experienced these scenarios, together with the wasted time and exasperation that comes with them. Now, take these common, everyday occurrences and apply them at a corporate level to get an idea of the scale of what happens many times in Australian businesses and organisations every day.

        How-much-is-asset-loss-costing-your-organisation-blog

        The loss of assets - big and small - cost Australian organisations collectively $4.3 billion every year. This staggering figure comes from a study conducted by Telsyte for Telstra in 2019. In the foreword, Telstra's Global IoT Solutions Executive, Gerhard Loots, described this "like losing 21,000 buses, 850,000 shipping containers, or 2.8 million laptops."

        He adds that, while 82% of organisations said they try to recover their lost assets, they are only successful 22% of the time. And, while the monetary value of these assets is significant on its own, the true cost goes way beyond this.

        Lost assets due to employee error or theft

        Think about your organisation and the valuable time your staff waste trying to track down misplaced assets. The study found that, on average, businesses spend at least 55 hours a year searching for lost physical assets that don't have a tracker attached.

        Ironically, it's these very same employees who are mostly responsible for the problem in the first place. According to the Telstra study, physical assets that don't use tracking technologies are most likely to be misplaced by employees (46%). This is followed by assets not being property stocked initially (36%) and being stolen by employees (29%).

        Reasons-organisations-lose-physical-assets

        You may well be running a tally in your head right now, trying to calculate what assets have been lost to your business or organisation. The Telstra study provides the following estimate of the types and values of assets lost each year:

        • $930m of shipping equipment (like containers) or mobile storage

        • $880m of high-value IT equipment

        • $708m of vehicles

        • $596m of important small assets like key cards

        • $440m of small plant and equipment

        • $298m of construction assets

        • $189m of industry-specific equipment

        • $75m of biological assets (e.g. animal stock)

        It's likely the assets you've lost fall into one of these categories. And, if you're like most Australian businesses, you will be writing this off simply as 'the cost of doing business'. This is not a cost you have to keep on absorbing, however. There is a better way.

        Protect your business with asset tracking

        It starts with not having to place the responsibility on your employees for manually tracking and logging all of your assets. Technology is now available that lets you work smarter, not harder, by taking care of this important but often neglected task.

        While you might be familiar with asset tracking for vehicles, which is where this technology made its mark initially, there are a number of simpler and more cost-effective ways to introduce robust and comprehensive tracking.

        construction-asset-loss-blog

        Deloitte explains, for example, that GPS is a relevant and reliable technology for outdoor tracking and asset navigation. But if you want to find a specific object in a warehouse or supermarket, this technology won't help you. Some of the newer kids on the asset tracking block are the Internet of Things (IoT), 5G, RFID, Wi-Fi, NFC and Bluetooth, which can locate assets to within a few centimetres.

        The good news is that you don't have to know what these acronyms stand for - let alone what they mean - as there are now reputable providers like us to help you successfully navigate the world of asset tracking.

        Get access to our State of Digital Transformation report

        Asset tracking can return up to 134% ROI

        While some business decision-makers aren't convinced that the cost of introducing asset tracking is worth the value of what's lost, consider this statistic from the Telstra survey: On average, organisations expect a 134% return on investment from implementing asset tracking solutions. Put another way, that's $1.34 for every dollar spent.

        While cost savings are the biggest benefit of introducing asset tracking, modern businesses can also expect to prevent loss in the first place, optimise asset utilisation, stay on top of maintenance requirements and improve employee productivity. Surveillance and monitoring of assets is another advantage of asset tracking, as well as a reduction in insurance premiums.

        However, comprehensive asset tracking is more than just being able to locate an object. When you overlay IoT asset tracking with new technologies like big data, advanced analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) you can unlock a huge amount of value that currently lies dormant in your business.

        By centralising all your asset data into a single location and using modern technologies to interrogate it, you can get detailed real-time insights that let you optimise your business operations, drive efficiencies and lift profitability.

        How we can help with your asset tracking

        Our Kloud offers Connect - a suite of IoT solutions that help you get more value from your assets through increased visibility and connectivity. Whether you want to improve the utilisation rate of your assets, reduce the time spent trying to locate them, or comply with regulations we can help.

        For example, you can maximise fuel tax credits and fringe benefit tax claims by introducing asset tracking that provides the supporting evidence needed. An FTC claim increase from 16c to 42c per litre makes a compelling argument!

        Connect's IoT-connected devices and custom software can improve traceability and reduce losses across all types of assets and in many different industries. It's far more than just vehicle tracking though; it's tracking for every type of asset - including non-powered assets, industrial assets, smart sensors and people - with easy software integration and artificial intelligence that enables real-time decision making.

        Now you can track where your assets are and where they've been and monitor onboard diagnostic data, movement patterns, performance and operator behaviour. Get in touch with one of our team to find out more.

        How Much Does It Cost To Rent A Copier?

        Posted on by Oak & Bluebird
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          Wondering if you should rent or buy your business photocopier?

          Are you in the market for a new business office copier? If so, are you wondering if you should buy a copier outright? Or are you considering leasing options on this valuable and often expensive piece of office equipment? Choosing the right office equipment is a big decision. There are so many brands, technologies, and features to choose from. 

          Once you have settled on the product that best fits your needs, there is still one major decision left to make: should you buy or lease your office equipment? The question is one that seems to come up time and time again when there is a significant business decision to be made. You may have also considered the pros and cons of buying and leasing your office space.

          Since not all companies are the same, there is no single right answer.

          It's impossible to say that buying is always right or leasing is still correct. However, there are some essential questions to ask yourself before coming to a final decision about whether buying vs leasing a copier is best for your business.

          It's a question that seems pretty straight forward. How much does it cost to lease a copier? You type it into a search engine looking for an answer, and you discover that very few places seem to want to answer your question fully. If you haven't purchased one before or it's been a few years since your last purchase, things have changed. Canon, Xerox, HP, all make great machines!

          You look to the right of the results page and see some machines listed at different prices, but if you're like me, you start to ask important questions like: "If my machine breaks down, who's going to fix it?" and "What does that cost?"

          Today, you're in luck. I'm going to break down all of the price considerations needed to make an informed decision so that when you reach out to make a purchase or ask for a quote, you don't experience sticker shock.

          Leasing or purchasing a copier can be affordable if you know what you're doing.

           

          What Should I Consider When Purchasing a Copier?

          A lot has changed in two years. Prices for office copiers have changed a bit, as well.

          If you haven't purchased one before or it's been a few years since your last purchase, things have changed. So, why is it so difficult to get straightforward answers on copier cost questions?

          Because the answer to the question depends on a variety of factors, you might think copiers haven't changed a whole lot over the years. Still, the reality is that the manufacturers make significant improvements, often.

          Copier Considerations

          Consider a car purchase. When you purchase a car, you weigh a variety of factors:

            • Price
            • Make and Model
            • Features
            • New vs. Used
            • Maintenance Costs

          As you can imagine, the considerations for your copier are very similar. After all, there's a big price difference between the Kia Sorento and the Mercedes-Benz GLS.

          There's also a big difference in the features and service you receive with each, as well.

          But not everyone needs a brand new high-end SUV, and likewise, not everyone needs a high-end copier. Your budget is the most important consideration, but making sure your machine does what you need it to do also has to be a top priority.

          There's no point in purchasing a copier that can't complete the necessary functions required of your business.

          Let's breakdown the costs associated with the following considerations:

            • Equipment/Hardware
            • Features
            • Black and White vs Color Copies
            • Service

          Businesses can choose from a vast range of photocopiers, with a huge price range to match. Basic photocopiers can… well, photocopy, and that's pretty much it. You could pick one of these up for around £100. Then you have machines that can print hundreds of pages a minute, bind documents automatically, wash your tea mug. Okay, that last one is not strictly true (yet). They're significantly more expensive but will add a lot of value to the right business.

          It all boils down to this: what do you need, and how much could you, and indeed should you, pay for your photocopier? Read on to find out, or simply fill in this short form now to request quotes tailored to your business needs.

          Copier Cost Considerations

          The following numbers are total costs for individuals wishing to purchase a machine outright and do not include higher-end production printers. Prices may vary between vendors; however, this guide can serve as a typical range.

          The price of renting a photocopier largely depends on the volume of copies required rather than the length of time the copier is needed. By calculating how many documents you need to make each month, you can determine the volume of photocopier required and the approximate rental cost of this.

          The copier you choose will depend on the needs of your business, as mentioned earlier, you can choose from low, medium or high volume models depending on how many copies you need to make. The price of the individual photocopier will rely on its functionality and abilities - the higher volume models tend to be able to handle over 40,000 copies per month and often come with advanced or optional features such as automatic stapling, stacking and binding.

          Your hardware (what model of copier you choose) is very important to consider. Ensuring that your copier will be able to keep up with the demand you place on it is as important a consideration as the overall price.

          Why?

          Because if your machine can only handle 100,000 impressions (pages) before service, but you need to run 500,000 images every month, you may spend more money on servicing the machine than the upgraded model would have cost you.

          A combination of copier model upgrades and/or additional units can be the solution to a volume problem. Convenience often factors into the equation here, but finding an appropriate balance will best serve the needs of your budget.

          OK, you've picked the machine(s) that can handle the monthly volume your office requires. Now what?

          Making copies is excellent, but most offices require more than essential copy functions. There's a reason copiers are now technically referred to as multi-function printers, and it's because they offer so much more than a single part to users.

          Copiers can send emails, scan documents directly to shared folders and edit documents now from their displays. Some can even intuitively sort individual receipts checked during the same job, and all offer significant upgrades to their security.

           

          Features that you should consider include:

            • Finishers: staplers or corner folders; a necessity for most offices that do not come standard on machines
            • Hole Punch: most are available in single or triple whole punches depending on what is required by the user
            • Letter Folding: the ability to fold letters/documents, increasing efficiency in your office by not wasting time on simple manual labour
            • Booklet Making: a combination of various features that allow small booklets to be created through folding, hole punch, and stapling features
            • Faxing: older technology that is still commonly used by firms transmitting a great deal of sensitive information (ex: hospitals, law office, CPA's, etc.)
            • Large Capacity Paper Tray: increases the standard capacity of the tray to allow for more reams of paper to be loaded, increasing office efficiency
            • Document Feeder: a necessity for most copier users, document feeders can be configured to include single pass and reversing options
            • Fiery: an essential add-on for organizations in need of the highest level of colour matching available for their print media
            • Card Readers allows for security cards to be implemented for users to gain access to a machine, incredibly helpful in situations where security must be higher, or department spending is more closely tracked.
            • Follow-Me-Printing: the ability to create a print job from a desktop computer or smartphone and release the job from any machine connected within an organization's network
            • Software Upgrades: this may include popular software like e-Copy, Uniflow and Drive, Infodynamics

           

          Should You Buy Office Equipment?

          First, let's consider the benefits and drawbacks of buying office equipment. This equipment will be an essential part of your operation, so it's necessary to make the right decision for your particular organization.

          One of the main benefits of buying is ownership. Once you have paid for the equipment, you are the owner of that equipment, and that means the decisions are entirely up to you. If you want to make customizations or changes to the equipment, then you can make that call.

          By owning the equipment, you are free to sell it whenever you want. This allows you to recoup some of the original cost which you can put toward new, upgraded office equipment. Purchasing costs can often also be claimed on your taxes, but you should consult an accountant to see if the tax benefit will be worth it for your business.

          Of course, some reasons for buying your office equipment may not be the right decision.

          The upfront cost of buying is higher. Leasing allows you to spread out smaller payments over time which may be more budget or cash flow friendly for companies with slim budgets. There are often financing options for businesses that choose to buy, but the interest costs may not be something your business is willing to take on.

          Standard maintenance is something that should be always be considered over and above the original purchase cost. A manufacturer's warranty may cover faulty parts, but they may also require you to take the device to a regional facility or even send the equipment back for those repairs. 

          There are many moving parts in a copier or printer, and they will require regular servicing and maintenance beyond the occasional replacement of a broken part. Will you pay for this servicing on a time and materials basis or will you purchase a service contract? Many buyers choose the predictability of a service contract, but in either case, this is a cost you should budget for.

          Finally, if technology changes and renders your equipment severely outdated, you may be stuck with equipment that cannot be resold or repurposed. This isn't likely to happen quickly but should be a consideration if you plan to keep your gear for a number of years.

          Business Tax Benefits

          Leasing equipment instead of buying has distinct tax advantages. When leasing, the payments are considered to be a pre-tax business expense which means each time you make a payment; you can deduct the entire payment. However, when you purchase the equipment, you can only deduct the machine's depreciation value. Usually, that would be 40% of the buying price in the first year, followed by 25% in the remaining years.

          Should You Lease Office Equipment?

          Choosing to lease office equipment has its own advantages and drawbacks for your business.

          One of the main reasons to consider leasing is the upfront cost, or rather, lack thereof. Instead of having to put down a large lump sum, you can spread out payments over several years. If managing cash flow is a concern for your business, this may be the best solution to get new equipment without having to make significant changes in the budget. The lower payments of leasing may open up more options for higher-end equipment that is merely unaffordable when paying the entire cost upfront. If you want the newest technology working for you, then leasing could be the best way to achieve that within your budget.

           

          Finally, the equipment belongs to the leasing company. Depending on how you look at things, this could also be a disadvantage. You cannot sell the equipment to recoup costs, but you again don't run the risk of being stuck with equipment after the lease term.

          If you plan on regularly upgrading your device, then leasing will be the right solution for you. Dealers are often willing to help you roll your lease over into a new contract for a new device before your current term is finished.

          Lease agreements typically require the purchase of a regular maintenance service contract for the device. Often, the dealer will help you save a few dollars by bundling this into the total price of the copier or printer. The peace of mind and billing predictability of a service contract is valuable for almost any organization. With all of those benefits in mind, it's time to look at the cons of choosing to lease your office equipment.

          While your monthly payments may be less when choosing to lease, over time, the total cost may actually be higher than buying. Plus, at the end of the agreement, there is no property left. It would be best if you also were careful about the lease terms you agree to and what your options will be at lease expiry. Choose a reputable company with flexible agreements and a record of exemplary service; otherwise, you may be stuck in a lease that only serves to frustrate you.

           

          Why Leasing Your Copier is a great idea

          • The ability to upgrade allows for more flexibility when your business grows, and your copier no longer fits your needs. 

          • Initial upfront costs are less expensive. Which means you can keep more money in your business when first starting out. 

          • Equipment stays up-to-date and can be exchanged if old equipment needs upgrading. Plus, it has the added benefit of no additional out of pocket expenses. 

          • Many companies have the option to buy out your device at the end of your lease, often at reasonable market value. 

          • Add more features to your copier that you may not have been able to afford if you purchased the copier outright, such as the copier doubling as a printer, scanner and fax machine that allows you to email and scan multiple documents. 

          • Service contracts and maintenance are built it. If there are ever any issues with the copier, you can place a call for easy upkeep and repairs. 

          • Leasing has the added tax benefit of being an expense, whereas if you were to purchase the copier outright, it would be a depreciable asset.