I’ll let Becca take the floor:

Dear Nicole,

I’m an avid reader of VoIP Insider and recently came across your series entitled “Women in VoIP” that highlights prominent women in the VoIP industry. Your posts thus far have been a great resource to me and your latest entry on Liz Rabban inspired me to send you a description of my colleague Debbie Greenstreet, director for voice service provider marketing at Texas Instruments.

Debbie is an extraordinary engineering and marketing professional and after several conversations with her, I had the opportunity to listen and learn about her passion and vision for the promise of voice technology, a trait that I think distinguishes her from other individuals who work in the VoIP industry. Debbie believes voice technology has limitless potential and she was driven to pursue VoIP engineering because of her dedication to liberating and connecting people around the world.

Working for Texas Instruments enables Debbie to see the direct impact voice technology in a variety of regions, industries and economic classes. She believes her mission as a woman in VoIP is to speak up and lead. She holds her father as the most inspiring person in her life who always stressed, since she was very young, that she could do anything she wanted, and gender was never once mentioned as a potential road block. In the most recent conversation I had with her, I remember Debbie saying, “I never once acknowledged any gender boundaries that could inhibit my dreams to become an engineer.”

Debbie pushes herself to always try to understand the “big picture” for each VoIP project she undertakes. Debbie’s 10-year career in VoIP also impacts her personal pursuits including her international travels and philanthropy. For example, Debbie’s deep passion for animals has driven her to dedicate herself to the animal rescue group she founded called HART (Homeless Animal Rescue Team). She says that “the evolution of technology has directly impacted the efficiency and overall effectiveness of HART.” Debbie is now constantly in contact with her organization’s members and able to more successfully help the public who save animals in her town through the mobility and exceptional quality of VoIP applications.

 Thank you for your posts. Your appreciation for the dedicated women in the VoIP industry is admirable. I think you will find that Debbie is an inspiration to female VoIP professionals as well.

Thanks for the note Becca! It is always great to hear that VoIP technology can reach everywhere to everyone!  If anyone else has any suggestions or stories about women in VoIP, or just great VoIP-sters in general, please email me at nschuman@voipsupply.com.

This information was originally posted on the VoIP Insider blog.

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“After weighting a couple of options, we found the right partner in Bandwidth.com. Its business culture, offerings and customer-centric approach aligned perfectly with ours,” stated Benjamin P. Sayers, CEO at VoIP Supply. “As more businesses consider the switch to IP-based phone systems, Bandwidth.com’s flexible and affordable offerings will allow VoIP Supply to be uniquely positioned within the marketplace to help small businesses realize greater cost savings, increased productivity, and painless user management with their VoIP deployments.”

“We are very excited about our partnership with VoIP Supply,” said Henry Kaestner Co-founder and Chairman of Bandwidth.com. “VoIP Supply is a true leader in the business telecom industry with a commitment to excellence that is readily apparent in all aspects of their business from corporate culture to the way they treat their customers. We believe that this new one-stop shop approach to all things VoIP, from hardware to service, is exactly what businesses are looking for. We look forward to exceeding customer expectations in as give them better telecom functionality and quality, all while saving them money.”

This information was originally posted on the VoIP Insider blog.

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I am also in no way, shape, or form a VoIP genius. Yes, I write about VoIP and the industry, but when it comes to technology and setting things up (honestly, it could even be figuring out an espresso machine), I’m usually the one with the Dunce cap in the corner. I can set up a PC, start a laptop, press play on my iPod, but configuring a VoIP system (which is in actuality not at all difficult)? I’ll leave that to the solutions providers

MagicJack is still wowing everyone with its literally, plug-and-play system. It’s not necessarily something for businesses, but for calling mom and dad across the country, or saying hi to a friend working in Europe it works. It is technically a phone system that plugs into the USB port on the side of your computer. Done and done. Enough said.

In fact, I’m drawing a blank when thinking about the negatives of magicJack.

Their website even features a commercial with puppies.

Has anyone tried this out? Any thoughts?

This information was originally posted on the VoIP Insider blog.

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Mr. Sayers is looking forward to his work with the group.

“It is a great honor to be named to such a forward-thinking group as infoTech Niagara.  They have great plans not only for professional and economic development, but for community outreach to students and the less fortunate as well.”

For the past 10 years, infoTech Niagara has provided its members with networking, professional development and industry awareness opportunities. With approximately 200 corporate members, infoTech Niagara is growing quickly while creating new programs and services to benefit its membership.

This information was originally posted on the VoIP Insider blog.

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Always trying to provide our loyal customers and readers with the best VoIP deals, this bogo deal with UTStarcomm is not to be missed!

And as always, if you have any questions please contact us directly at 1 800 398 8647.

This information was originally posted on the VoIP Insider blog.

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VoIP Supply has been named to the list for three consecutive years.  The placement was based on the company’s growth in total sales and number of U.S. employees over the previous three years.

Benjamin P. Sayers, President and CEO of VoIP Supply, is ecstatic that his company has made the list a third time.  “The success of VoIP Supply has paralleled on the dedication, talent, and hard work of our tremendous staff.  I cannot thank them enough, and this award belongs to each of them as well.”

The award was presented to Mr. Sayers at a ceremony on June 17 at Shanghai Red’s Restaurant on the Buffalo waterfront.

This information was originally posted on the VoIP Insider blog.

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How long have you been in VoIP world?

Officially for about a year, unofficially for the last 10 years…I am married to a VOIP pioneer who works around the clock from anywhere in the world, much of this time at home, so I have absorbed a tremendous amount of information about VOIP by osmosis, and he has brought me into certain projects over the years as a consultant.

What is it like working as a woman in the VoIP world?

It is interesting, because there are really so few in executive or technical positions that I have met to date.  I do not believe there is a traditional glass ceiling, but there just aren’t a lot of women in these roles yet, especially in the start-up ventures that presume working 24/7 is the only way to succeed (and they may be right) which can be more challenging for women, especially those with children. 

What are some of your networking/marketing methods?

Hmm, should I divulge my secrets?  I will say that in my current position we do not have unlimited budgets, so we are innovative in our approach to different target audiences, for example looking to local or regional professional associations for good opportunities to do outreach.

How is it working with men in VoIP?

Tell my husband it is FANTASTIC.  Tell the rest of the world that it is actually interesting to see the different perspectives that the men have.  They are certainly not monolithic, but as a rule are very methodical and will go through a much longer process than I would to get to a viable product or even to a marketing decision.  It can be both amusing and frustrating when I feel a beta or a product is good enough for at least a soft launch but the product guys will not release it.

What do you see for the future of women in VoIP?

I would love to see more female engineers, computer programmers, and designers as well as management.  They just bring something inherently different to the table.

This information was originally posted on the VoIP Insider blog.

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What is it like working as a woman in the VoIP world?

The telecommunications industry is more female-friendly than many other tech areas. I encourage and support women who are interested in making the move to the telecom industry. VoIP is an exciting, fast-paced, growing market with a lot of opportunity for talented employees.

How did you become interested/introduced to VoIP?

I spent over 10 years in the wireless industry. My wireless experience laid the foundation for my move into broadband voice services. It was a natural fit with my background, and I’m proud to be able to offer a product where the features and functionality truly make it a next-generation phone system.

What are some of your networking/marketing methods?

I serve on a number of boards, both business-related and non-profit. This allows me to stay connected professionally and with my community. I also keep on top of industry trends through trade publications both on and off-line.

How is it working with men in VoIP?

I feel that, in telecommunications as with any other industry, the talent and work ethic of my colleagues is most important factor, and gender is not an issue. I enjoy working with a wide variety of folks. At Speakeasy, we hold as one of our core values: ‘respecting individuals and individuality.’ I’m fortunate at Speakeasy to work with a dedicated and talented group of people who inspire me every day.

What do you see for the future of women in VoIP?

I think that more women are claiming their rightful places in technology than ever before. There are many rewarding experiences and opportunities for women in telecommunications both domestically and internationally. Telecommunications is a great place to be!

This information was originally posted on the VoIP Insider blog.

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What is it like working as a woman in the VOIP world?

On a day to day basis, I don’t imagine being a woman in this industry is that much different than it is for a man. Individually, as CEO of Vibrant, I do have tendencies to communicate with my team and clients on a personal level…I often speak with every one of our 40 employees each day.

How did you become interested/introduced to VOIP?

Vibrant started out as a refurbished server reseller, and we would get these large lots of equipment from auctions and liquidations. We were increasingly coming across packages of Cisco routers, switches and telephony equipment, so we became more and more involved in trading networking and Telco hardware. We realized there was a big market in voice and networking and started to dedicate personnel to develop that market for us.

What are some of your networking/marketing methods?

I love to meet others in person at conferences and industry gatherings. Often the people you meet at these events may not have a direct business synergy with you but they have great insights and will link you up to new partners and clients.

How is it working with men in VOIP?

I enjoy working with the men in the industry. Of course I’m glad to see more and more women entering the VOIP world, but the men in the industry are great to work with. Successful people in IT sales have to possess a mix of intelligence, wit, toughness and integrity that it makes them such a great group to work with, no matter which gender they happen to be.

What do you see for the future of women in VOIP?

I hope to see more and more women take on a variety of roles from sales to technical positions, and of course more women heading up their own companies. Although currently male-dominated, women absolutely have the skills to thrive in this industry.

This information was originally posted on the VoIP Insider blog.

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image courtesy of apple.com

I’m kinda tired of hearing about the shiny, new iPhone. Granted, it is an incredible piece of technology, and will probably further revolutionize the way we utilize mobile services, much like the first iPhone did.

But, honestly? I’m kind of tired of technological waste.

Think about it. Where are all the year-old iPhones going to go when gadget ghurus decide they want the latest version? Who is going to buy them? Especially in this economy.

For companies that claim to be eco-conscious, Apple seems to be more worried about the green in its pocket, than green living.

What is Apple planning to do with all of the old, outdated iPhones? I hope they have some sort of recycling plan. They could make a cool art exhibit, utilizing some kind of structure-sculpture base. Probably not the best doggy chew-toy.

I’m all about technological innovation (I DO work for a technology company), but it seems as though we live in this fast-paced, throwaway society, where something that was worth $500 only a year ago, now has devalued immensely. We need to take some responsibility. What about a trade-in program, where you get $50 off a new iPhone? The parts can then be recycled to create the next generation of iPhones, instead of using new resources.

Maybe I will buy one for nostalgia sake, and in 10 years it will be worth something. Maybe I can sell it to a museum.

What are your ideas for recycling the old iPhones, even if you don’t plan on getting a new one?

This information was originally posted on the VoIP Insider blog.

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