There are many reasons for installing PAconnect's VOIP phone system for your business.

 Here are some of the main benefits:

• Cost savings: VOIP phone systems use the internet to make and receive calls, which means you can save on your monthly phone bills and avoid long-distance charges.
• Scalability: VOIP phone systems are easy to expand or reduce as your business needs change. You can add or remove extensions, features, and devices without any hassle or extra cost.
• Mobility: VOIP phone systems allow you to access your phone service from anywhere with an internet connection. You can use your smartphone, tablet, laptop, or desktop as a VOIP device and enjoy the same features and functionality as your office phone.
• Reliability: VOIP phone systems are backed by PAconnect's cloud-based infrastructure, which ensures high-quality voice and data transmission and minimal downtime. 

Be sure to call our design team to schedule a demo or to design the perfect system for you!

Call 1-724-838-7526 or contact: Sales@paconnect.com

Home Office (Part 2) – Hosted Phone Systems

What is a Hosted Phone System? A Hosted Phone System, or Virtual Phone System, enables you to have a fully functional telephone service without needing to purchase system hardware, other than handsets . ... The options in hosted phone systems include both traditional PBX and Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP), which uses the Internet to transmit calls.

In the past, you would purchase and install a PBX unit or phone switch on your premise and run wiring from this unit to where your handsets would be located. You had the cost of the switch, maintaining and upgrading the software that ran on the switch and purchasing the telco lines or virtual phone lines to connect to the world. In a hosted system you are tying into a virtual switch (usually runs on a server located on the Internet,) that is maintained by a service organization. You are normally paying for this service but most of your headaches are now gone. The benefits of this type of system are many.

These systems are primarily software managed systems which makes it easy to roll in new functions as you need them or add increased though put as necessary. It normally only takes seconds to do so. If you need new lines, more channels, new branch offices it is easy to add them and tie them all together. Because the systems are IP based, if you have an internet connection, you have access to the service.

Since this article is part of my series on the Home Office, let us look at how easy it is to extend your office phone system to an employee’s home office. You have several options to do this depending on the capabilities of your hosted system. Since this is a focus on our systems, I will be discussing its capabilities which may or may not be something available on yours if you have one in place. The three primary methods of connecting to your hosted system are as follows:

1. An IP Phone Handset. The handset needs to be programmed to the switch but once it is, as long as you have Internet Service your handset will become part of your Office Phone System with all of the capabilities that you have inside your office. Your phone will be an extension of the Office Phone System. All the programming and capabilities are downloaded from the hosted system to the phone and when updates are needed they are easily applied.
2. Virtual or Softphone application on your computer. I like having everything in front of me when I am working including my phone screen. I use a DECT Wireless Headset that connects me to my desktop computer at home, so I have the ability to stand up, walk around and still be talking on the phone. The other benefit with this is that if you are running any other type of voice-based application on your computer, that same headset can be used for those as well. So on my system at home, I am connected to our Office Phone Network, Microsoft Teams, Zoom Communication Sessions, WebEx Training/Meetings, a Voice to Text Recognition Application (Dragon Naturally Speaking), my mobile phone and my notebook computer. The Headset I choose will connect to the computer through a USB connection to two Bluetooth devices and my phone handset all at the same time.
3. The third method is to make your cell phone a part of the Office System as an extension. Some of our techs do this so that they can easily connect back to our office or our remote workers through our phone system. This can be done with an application that you can load onto the phone for either an IOS or Android phone. The phone system can also be programmed to forward a call that is sent to an extension directly to your cell when it is transferred to your extension.

 Conference Calls

Conference calls are easy to set up and can include large groups of people without incurring any extra expense. It is all a part of the primary system. You provide the dial in number for your conference system with the conference code and designate the time you want everyone to convene and it is that easy. Whether you are calling from your office system, a home phone, or a cell phone it doesn’t matter, the central system is handling all of the connections for you at once. In fact, if all you want is the conference capability you can add that to your current phone system for a very reasonable price.

So, there are a lot of choices that can be made to make your home office a part of the Office Phone System. If you would like to see this system in action, give us a call and we would be happy to provide you with a demonstration.

1.     An IP Phone Handset. The handset needs to be programmed to the switch but once it is, as long as you have Internet Service your handset will become part of your Office Phone System with all of the capabilities that you have inside your office. Your phone will be an extension of the Office Phone System. All the programming and capabilities are downloaded from the hosted system to the phone and when updates are needed they are easily applied.

2.     Virtual or Softphone application on your computer. I like having everything in front of me when I am working including my phone screen. I use a DECT Wireless Headset that connects me to my desktop computer at home, so I have the ability to stand up, walk around and still be talking on the phone. The other benefit with this is that if you are running any other type of voice-based application on your computer, that same headset can be used for those as well. So on my system at home, I am connected to our Office Phone Network, Microsoft Teams, Zoom Communication Sessions, WebEx Training/Meetings, a Voice to Text Recognition Application (Dragon Naturally Speaking), my mobile phone and my notebook computer. The Headset I choose will connect to the computer through a USB connection to two Bluetooth devices and my phone handset all at the same time.

3.     The third method is to make your cell phone a part of the Office System as an extension. Some of our techs do this so that they can easily connect back to our office or our remote workers through our phone system. This can be done with an application that you can load onto the phone for either an IOS or Android phone. The phone system can also be programmed to forward a call that is sent to an extension directly to your cell when it is transferred to your extension.

Interesting Phish Attempt happened today…

I had a call on my home phone today from “Amazon fraud department” stating that there was an attempt to purchase computer and some other items from El Salvador and had gotten on Mike account and wanted to block the order. While initially it sounded pretty good in that I’m glad the fraud department was on it to but, the moment they wanted to gain access to my computer using TeamViewer I knew this had to be a scam. They had no reason to actually access my machine directly even if they wanted to guide me through changing my password and/or login information. So, just be careful of individuals calling your home and asking for any type of direct access to your computer right off the cuff as soon as they begin talking to you.

Remember, this is social engineering, so they’re very good at what they do to make you feel as though they are doing you a favor and are trying to help you out. Don’t fall for it!

NFC being on is not always a good thing...

Google has patched a bug that let a hacker, and this is key, that is physically close to your phone to send malware to your phone using NFC (Near Field Communication) functions.

Take a look at this report from Sophos's Naked Security Blog that spells out the vulnerability: Click Here

What to do?

• You can turn off permissions for the NFC app to install unknown applications, which will prevent the NFC app from trying to install an APK.
• You can also turn off Android Beam in the NFC and Payment area of your Android device’s settings, while still leaving NFC on for contactless payments.
• Finally, you can install the fix that Google released last month, patching the flaw.

Plantronics Manager Pro v3.10 Software Release Announcement

The latest release of Plantronics Manager Pro has been successfully deployed globally. Existing customers now have access to all the new features and benefits. Additional products supported for the Acoustic and Conversation Analysis suites: now including Unified Communication products (Voyager 3200 UC and Voyager 8200 UC ). UC customers can now benefit from obtaining greater insights and improve the quality of conversations, that Contact Centre customers have already been enjoying. New Bluetooth Link Quality report within the Conversation Analysis suite: Helps to identify audio issues caused by the Bluetooth radio link between the headset and the computer, allowing troubleshooting right to the supported end point. Upsell Opportunities Use the Plantronics Manager Pro v3.10 Software Release to upgrade existing customer entitlements to secure future sales and recurring revenue and to acquire new customers. And don’t forget: With the newly added UC product support for the conversation and acoustic analysis suites this release offers also a hardware upsell opportunity. Integration Opportunities The new Open Data Access APIs now provides partners with a development opportunity by accessing the data from Plantronics Manager Pro and integrating into existing or new applications. Allowing partners to solve customer problems with tailored solutions that can now include the data and insights provided by Plantronics Manager Pro. To view the release notes and learn more about what’s new see here. To learn more about Plantronics Manager Pro and what it can offer see here.

Newsletter: Plantronics Voyager 8200 UC

NEW: VOYAGER 8200 UC
WHY ELIMINATING NOISE AS A PRODUCTIVITY KILLER CAN HELP YOU EARN MONEY AND TRUST

With the new Voyager 8200 UC Bluetooth® headset we add a new product to your existing portfolio which is designed for voice clarity and for a growing addressable market. The new Voyager 8200 UC Bluetooth® is the first boomless Bluetooth stereo headset from Plantronics featuring business grade audio for communications, passive and dual-mode active noise canceling (ANC) technology for blocking out background noise, and high-quality hi-fi stereo sound for an immersive experience to focus and concentrate when listening to music.

FEATURES

• Contemporary, boomless design satisfies style-conscious professionals
• Best-in-class dual-mode active noise canceling (ANC)
• Soft leatherette cushions provide all-day comfort
• Dual-paired omni-directional microphones with enhanced digital signal processing (DSP)
• High-quality hi-fi stereo sound provides an immersive experience
• Listen time of up to 24 hours and a 3.5 mm audio cable facilitates in-flight use
• Wireless range of up to 30 m/98 ft from Class 1 Bluetooth® device lets you roam
• Microsoft Skype for Business certified and compatible with Cisco Jabber and other softphones

Panasonic KX-TGP600 Series IP DECT Phone

We just got in our first Panasonic KX-TGP600 series IP DECT phone that is compatible with our Sangoma IP Phone networks. Our biggest excitement is how tightly integrated with the Phone Switch it is and quickly we were able to bring it online.

This phone is able to be expanded up to eight standard cordless phones using the KX-TPA60, KX-TPA65, KX-UDT121 or KX-UDT131.

The benefits of SIP communications are especially compelling today: the reduced hardware costs and simplicity of routing your company’s calls over the Internet can mean huge savings on your monthly telephone bill. For small and medium-sized businesses, Panasonic’s new KX-TGP600 SIP cordless phone system is the ideal solution. In addition to the KX-TPA60, which is included with the KX-TGP600, it is expandable with any combination of up to a total of eight Panasonic cordless or desktop DECT phones*, significantly reducing the costs of wiring.

The KX-UDT121 and KX-UDT131 are also fully featured  cordless phones that are compact and rugged and have full duplex hands free mode and headset support which gives the user plenty of options for multi-tasking during a conversation. The KX-UDT121 has Bluetooth® support, allowing a wireless headset to be used if needed. The KX-UDT131 provides IP65-level dust and water resistance for more demanding environments.

The KX-TPA65 desktop DECT phone offers a significant advantage over traditional desk phones. While it features the same range of desktop functionality as its wired competitors, the phone's DECT capabilities mean no wired LAN is required for installation, making the process quick, convenient and straightforward anywhere there's an electrical outlet nearby.

For businesses that need even greater wireless coverage the KX-A406 Wireless Repeater expands the indoor communication area from the standard 164 feet to over 650 feet depending on the environment.

Conventional cordless phones may experience signal fading when the user moves around in locations surrounded by metallic ceilings and walls, thereby making it difficult to hear the other party’s voice and have a conversation. With Panasonic’s reliable Digital Enhanced Wireless Telecommunications (DECT) technology, the KX-TGP600 system greatly reduces signal fading and errors so your calls aren’t interrupted and the conversations remain comfortable, clear and professional. And with the optional KX-A406 wireless repeater, you can extend digital cordless coverage

Verizon threatens to fire workers who fix copper phone lines

from Cabling Installation & Maintenance Posted October 7, 2016

Verizon has reportedly told its field technician crews in Pennsylvania that they can be fired if they try to fix broken copper phone lines. Instead, workers must try to replace copper lines with a device that connects to Verizon Wireless's cell phone network, Ars Technica's Jon Brodkin reports.
From the article:
This directive came in a memo from Verizon to workers on September 20. "Failure to follow this directive may result in disciplinary action up to and including dismissal," the memo said. It isn't clear whether this policy has been applied to Verizon workers outside of Pennsylvania. The memo and other documents were made public by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) union, which asked the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission to put a stop to the forced copper-to-wireless conversions. The wireless home phone service, VoiceLink, is not a proper replacement for copper phone lines because it doesn't work with security alarms, fax machines, medical devices such as pacemakers that require telephone monitoring, and other services, the union said.

“Field technicians are required to have VoiceLink units on their trucks and to refuse to repair copper plant serving voice-only customers,” CWA local President James Gardler wrote in testimony presented to the state Utility Commission. "Our members are being told that if they actually try to repair copper plant instead of using VoiceLink, they will be subject to disciplinary action by Verizon." The memo to field technicians adds that in order to give customers the “best possible network performance in non-FiOS areas, Verizon will migrate as many customers experiencing trouble on their line to VoiceLink as possible.” ... Technicians can fix the copper line “if the customer does not qualify” for wireless service. In those cases, the tech must document the reason the customer didn’t qualify for VoiceLink.
“It is a requirement that migration to VoiceLink be your first option when the customer qualifies and the trouble is in Verizon's network,” the memo [emphasizes]. Another memo tells workers that they should only restore copper phone service if they can verify that the wireless VoiceLink won't work. VoiceLink devices connect a home's inside wiring to Verizon's cellular network.
Read the full story at Ars Technica.

Google adds robocall warnings to Phone app – Naked Security

I sure you have seen an increase in unwanted solicitation call on your mobile phones like I have. Some are spam call any others are outright con artists trying to con you our or your hard-earned money. This article discusses how the FCC is requesting help from our phone carriers and Google’s plans on helping you to determine which calls should be blocked and their suggested method of letting you know and control these unwanted calls.

So, if you are interested click here to read more…

New Lenovo Phones for anyone interested

Our own Michael Hunter posted two links about the new Lenovo Phone products offerings:

The Modular Moto Z Range Has Arrived

Project Tango Comes to Mobile With The Lenovo Phab 2 Range

Easy On Hold Support Notification

Easy On Hold streams for all easyonhold.com URL groups will be down for upgrades for approximately 2 hours Sunday, May 22, 2016 from 10pm to around midnight. Does not affect brandimusic.com URL groups.

During this time, we will be upgrading our databases for increased capacity and speed.

Streams will stop during these hours, but will return to normal operation.

If your installation uses a Grace Digital streaming player, a reboot of the device may be necessary.

ProStream devices will play onboard audio fail-over files during the maintenance window (you will not experience silence). The device will begin using the live stream as soon as it becomes available.

For questions and support, please contact us at 888-798-4653 or support@easyonhold.com.

Vertical Summit Phone System

Lenovo has been pushing into the phone market and here is another entrant that we might be able to expect in the future...

While smartphones with built-in projectors haven't gone anywhere yet, maybe Lenovo's twist on providing a destop interface display with their phone will begin to attract some users. Not only designed with the ability to project the phone's screen with the pico projector, with a twist of the projector cap and setting up the phone's kickstand, you can now project an image onto the desktop for interacting via a keyboard or other image being displayed. There isn't any release date on this at this tiime but it will be interesting to see one when it comes out. In the meantime, take a look at the video below.

Vertical’s Voice Over IP Solution

One of the nice things about the Vertical Telephone systems is that they are a Hybrid type unit. What that means is that it can handle both analog phone lines as well as IP Trunk lines and that the handsets can be both local, digital direct and can use an IP handset as well. In a recent test setup that we did for me to have a phone presence on our system from my home office we programmed an IP phone to connect to our internal MBX system. Vertical’s Edge 8000 unit will work on MBX IP®, SBX IP® and XTS IP® telephony systems. Once set up this unit gives you all of the features that you have with a regular digital phone set, just not as many buttons. All of the keys on the side are programmable so you can set them up for line presence as well as many other features. Priced at $265 this unit will give you a great addition to your current Vertical environment.

Wanting to get a new phone-T-Mobile may make it easier to swallow the cost.

If you are a technology geek like me you are always looking for new product that makes your life easier and more enjoyable and… you just want the newest stuff! If t-Mobile’s service will work for you, then their offer to pay your early termination fees if you jump from a rival carrier might make that move a lot less painful in your wallet.

The bold move is the next phase of T-Mobile's so-called "Uncarrier" strategy. The company says it will pay early-termination fees for customers when they trade in their devices with T-Mobile and sign up for T-Mobile wireless service. T-Mobile said the total value of the trade-in offer to switch carriers could be as high as $650 per line.
Read more: http://www.cnet.com/8301-35284_1-57616868/switch-he-said-t-mobile-will-take-the-penalty-for-you/#ixzz2pwMZqWMd

Take a look at the article cited above but this really sounds interesting and makes one wonder how much longer the other carriers will continue with the overpriced/outdated services.

FAA easing ban on electronics during takeoff, landing

Interesting article from arstechnica:

The words "please stow all electronic devices" may soon disappear from the scripts of flight attendants. The Federal Aviation Administration is poised to lift its ban on the use of electronic devices aboard airline flights at elevations under 10,000 feet. It would also allow the use of e-readers, iPods, tablets, and phones in "airplane" mode even during take-offs and landings. The Wall Street Journal reports that the FAA is circulating a draft set of recommendations from an advisory panel that recommends relaxing the bans. Use of cell phones during flight would still be banned.

The report acknowledges that technology has changed dramatically since the FAA originally placed the ban on electronic devices during takeoff and landing back in the 1960s, when there were valid concerns about interference to aircraft communications from personal radios and other electronics. The panel also admitted that having airlines each evaluate the safety of individual electronic devices before allowing them to be left on at low altitude "has become untenable." Passengers are widely ignoring the ban already, and the FAA advisory panel's report cited research that showed a third of airline passengers had "accidentally" left a device turned on for entire flights at least once.

An FAA spokeswoman sent a statement to the Wall Street Journal that said that the FAA "recognizes consumers are intensely interested in the use of personal electronics aboard aircraft, that is why we tasked a government-industry group to examine the safety issues and the feasibility of changing the current restrictions. At the group's request, the FAA has granted the two-month extension to complete the additional work necessary for the safety assessment."

Vertical In a Minute: What Is "Unified Communications?"

What is Unified Communications? Take a look at this brief video from Vertical Communications describing what it is and what it means in their product line.

Lenovo buys Stoneware

Lenovo has purchase Stoneware, apparently to acquire their cloud computing and classroom management software products. Stoneware’s product lineup includes webNetwork, LanSchool and webRDP.

Stoneware’s webNetwork simplifies your life by enabling you to create a Unified Cloud. A unified cloud delivers private data center, public cloud and local device resources through a common webDesktop. With webNetwork you can simplify your user’s life by providing a common HTML5 webDesktop. The webDesktop, accessed through the Unified Cloud, delivers all files, applications and reports through a single user id and password on any device. They suggest that this product will make IT costs go down and simplify the user’s online access. See Brochure. Business – K12 – Higher Ed. So whether you are using a phone, tablet, notebook or workstation you will have the same basic look and feel through their web browser interface

Lenovo certainly has a strong Educational presence and this new product offering can only help with giving them more focus.

Peter Hortensius, Lenovo senior vice president and product group president, said that the Stoneware acquisition furthers the vendor’s PC Plus initiative, its strategy to branch out beyond PCs to the interplay of multiple devices, the central point of which is enabling client devices such as notebooks, tablets and smartphones to communicate through the cloud.

“Adding Stoneware cloud computing into the Lenovo line up presents a significant opportunity to leverage their success, and enhance our PC+ offerings, all to the benefit of our customers,” he said.

Rick German, Stoneware chief executive, seemed to enjoy the prospect of talking to a worldwide audience, in what, for the small developer, must be rarefied air. “Lenovo is one of the largest and fastest growing technology companies in the world and for Stoneware, a small company with roots in the heartland of the United States, we are delighted to be given the opportunity to deliver real benefit to customers on a global stage,” he said.

More on these product offerings as we get news from Lenovo directly.

Looking for Cheap Phone Service–Try an Obihai Gateway

If you are looking for a effective method of adding phone service to your home, try the Obi100 Phone Gateway. The Obi Gateways all will work with Google Voice to give you free nationwide calling. You will need an Internet port on your router, power, and a Google Voice account and an analog phone. Starting at $59.99 for the OBi100, 69.99 for the OBi110 and $99.99 for the OBi202 it is a low cost gateway using internet technology.

OBi Technology

Do More with Your Phone - Do More with the Internet

By using the Internet, coupled with Obihai's state-aware, intelligent, secure, managed, application network called OBiTALK and our advanced OBi VoIP endpoints & applications, OBi users can aggregate and bridge services without the need for a service provider's intervention. With the OBi, you have the freedom to control almost every aspect and cost of your analog and digital communication life.

Stay In-Touch on Your Terms, Without Breaking the Bank

Given the multitude of ways and means by which we communicate with each other using the Internet, telephones and computers for conversations, instant messaging, e-mail and social networking it is clear that the currently available carrier services artificially restrict our ability and hinder us in our desire to stay in-touch with friends, family and work colleagues.

With the OBi, you can combine multiple services so that users can stay connected easily, without worrying about receiving a shockingly large bill from a telco or needing to cut conversations short, and potentially missing hearing an important piece of information or collaborating more effectively.

For more information take a look here.

Vertical Ready to Go Mobile with Wave 3.0

Press Release:

Vertical Communications is pleased to announce that Wave 3.0, featuring Vertical’s new ViewPoint Mobile enterprise mobility application, has been approved for “Release to Manufacturing” today, following the successful completion of our field trial and release criteria. With this solution, businesses and users will be able to enjoy reliable and seamless mobile access to all of their Wave premise-based enterprise communications services and tools, including unified communications, collaboration, presence management, call recording, telephony and market-specific applications. With the release of Wave 3.0, ViewPoint Mobile will be available for devices that run iOS version 4.3 or greater. (An Android version of ViewPoint Mobile is expected to be released later this year.) Wave 3.0 also features the addition of DSS/BLF for Edge 5000 IP phones and support for future hardware upgrades to the Wave platform.

The availability of ViewPoint Mobile represents a significant milestone in the evolution of business communications – and for your Wave customers! An all-in-one solution that extends the Wave’s powerful, premise-based communications services and features to smartphones and tablets, ViewPoint Mobile meets the needs of organizations of all sizes that rely on geographically dispersed offices and mobile workers to ensure that all staff have ready access to mission-critical features and business tools, whether they are in the office or out in the field. Most importantly, ViewPoint Mobile is built right into the core Wave IP appliance, giving you the ability to cost-effectively leverage advanced mobility capabilities when they’re ready or need to do so, without having to invest in any additional hardware or software.

ViewPoint Mobile offers a full array of premise-based unified communications, telephony, collaboration and business-specific functions to mobile users, including:

• Embedded presence management
• Access to Apple iOS contacts without leaving ViewPoint Mobile
• "One tap" call transfer, hold and conferencing
• Instant Messaging through Vertical's embedded IM server
• Voice mail Interface
• Built-in call log
• Embedded call recording
• Specific inbound/outbound DID number that is separate from personal numbers

Vertical will begin shipping new systems with Wave 3.0 the week of May 29, with subscription upgrades for existing Wave customers available within 90 days of product General Availability. The ViewPoint Mobile application also will be available for download from V-Connect and Apple’s App Store (through the Vertical AppMarket) the week of May 29.
For more information, be sure to visit and direct your customers to the new Vertical Mobility Solutions page on vertical.com at http://www.vertical.com/mobility/.

Brochures:

• Wave ViewPoint Mobile
• Wave IP Business Communications Systems
• Wave Call Recording
• Wave Contact Center
• Wave ViewPoint
• The Vertical Difference