“We selected a handful of companies both local and locally based, some small, some large that are making a difference. So be inspired that like you, there are people who care about our future as a city and region.”

VoIP Supply was selected as one such company and highlighted in Kyle Patterson’s article, “Innovation,” describing VoIP Supply CEO Ben Sayers’ serial entrepreneur process of capitalizing on emerging markets and creating a company culture that not only survived the economic downturn but thrives in the oft-maligned Buffalo-Niagara region:

“The last place I worked was terrible. I have always loved working. I want to have fun and everyone works better when it’s not a high pressure place. Work hard and play hard is kind of the deal,” said Sayers. In terms of developing further technology companies in our region Sayers says, “I don’t know if there are enough entrepreneurial leadership programs. I think people are afraid.” The solution, Sayers says, is adding more incubators and creating an environment where innovation thrives.

VoIP Supply would like to thank THRIVE! for the recognition by continuing to educate customers and remaining an example of Western New York success.

This information was originally posted on the VoIP Insider blog.

Need VoIP Phones or a VoIP Phone System? Checkout VoIPSupply.com!

Read Nancy Mann Jackson’s, How to Become Your Own Boss, in Entrepreneur’s StartUps Magazine for a nice primer on what you’ll need and experience on your journey to self-dependency.

VoIP Supply’s CEO Ben Sayers contributes his insight to the article by sharing some wise counsel he’s gleaned from his entrepreneurial experience.

How has Sayers and, in turn, VoIP Supply become successful?  By not only listening to expert advice but by embracing the experiences of those who’ve been there before.

Click here to read the full article.

Via Entrepreneur’s StartUps Magazine

This information was originally posted on the VoIP Insider blog.

Need VoIP Phones or a VoIP Phone System? Checkout VoIPSupply.com!

Mike Sullivan of MO.com takes a look into how Sayers has built VoIP Supply into North America’s  leading VoIP supplier including maintaining growth through the recent economic downturn.

As one of the Best Places to Work in Western New York, Sayers explains what makes VoIP Supply stand out, the unique model for customer service, and what the future holds for VoIP technology and the company as a whole.

Click here for the full article.

This information was originally posted on the VoIP Insider blog.

Need VoIP Phones or a VoIP Phone System? Checkout VoIPSupply.com!

Smith will be speaking at next month’s ITEXPO about the benefits of unified communictions for business and explained to Tehrani why it’s important: 

“Most organizations used to think of IP based communications as a way to save money, but today it’s really more about what IP/unified communications can enable from an efficiency and productivity standpoint.

Properly integrating and deploying unified communications is still a hurdle for some, but the potential benefits that come from leveraging it definitely justify the costs.”

The Cell Phone Effect & Disruptive Forces

In the last few years the applications for VoIP technology have evolved while the VoIP hardware has remained relatively unchanged.  There’s now a growing demand for mobile VoIP solutions that’s isn’t just limited to road warriors and international callers.  Smith calls this the “cell phone effect,” whereby intra-office users feel the need to be constantly connected. 

Read Carrie Schmelkin’s full transcript of the interview, VoIP Equipment Leader VoIP Supply Readies for ITEXPO, for more on the rising mobile VoIP demand and why hosted and cloud-based communication services are the next disruptive force in technology.

Don’t forget to catch Garrett Smith as he makes the business case for VoIP and UC at the ITEXPO next month on September 14, 2011.

Via TMCnet

This information was originally posted on the VoIP Insider blog.

Need VoIP Phones or a VoIP Phone System? Checkout VoIPSupply.com!

Criticism of this plan is growing explains Phil Britt of the Heartland Institute “as private businesses are already finding ways to provide quality wireless broadband without government intervention through partnerships between industry and telecom carriers.”

The birth of the U.S. railroad system, the engine of economic opportunity of its day, was largely funded by private interests focused on supplying transportation in areas that expressed demand.  Even the mighty New York Stock Exchange was founded not by government mandates but by private, opportunisitic merchants and brokers.

Recently I was asked by Britt if business should be left to develop broadband as the demand arises, rather than any mandates for broadband before there is a legitimate business case:

Wireless broadband is better served by private development, according to Nathan Miloszewski, communications manager for VoIP Supply LLC in Amherst, New York. He says mandating broadband stunts the growth of the technology used in conjunction with it.

“Allowing broadband to find its own path of least resistance ensures that future technological developments dictate how and where broadband is used, not the other way around,” Miloszewski said. “If broadband service is mandated, the hardware and software that’s used with it is no longer free to be based on consumers’ needs and wants. These developments will become pigeonholed into a one-size-fits-all approach to the type of service available.”

Miloszewski added, “For example, practical use of mobile Voice over Internet Protocol is still in its infancy. Emphasizing that broadband services cater to it now, before demand has been quantified, removes free will for the technology to develop organically. Mandating technology, service, or hardware results in solutions that satisfy few or none.”

Speaking from a VoIP hardware perspective I simply believe that our customers, we as consumers, are more than capable on our own of shaping the destiny of the services we need and the type of devices we enjoy using with them.

This information was originally posted on the VoIP Insider blog.

Need VoIP Phones or a VoIP Phone System? Checkout VoIPSupply.com!

Part of Entrepreneur.com’s ”Small Business Comebacks” series, the article takes a look at the tough choices Sayers had to make heading into the 2008 recession that lead to VoIP Supply’s turnaround and the lessons learned from the experience.

Click here for the full article.

This information was originally posted on the VoIP Insider blog.

Need VoIP Phones or a VoIP Phone System? Checkout VoIPSupply.com!

Pulver talks about his roots in amateur radio, the first social media, where he learned to ”listen, connect, share, and engage with people.”

With no background in telecommunications he accepts that he’s known as the “Forrest Gump of communications” but won’t apologize for being lucky.

Instead, Pulver is focused on his fascination of the evolving social web and how people connect with people. 

Having warned phone companies of the challenges they’ll face if they dont understand social media, Pulver’s efforts are now directed to wherever people are having a conversation with iniatives like the 140 Character Conference aimed at the worldwide Twitter community and the effects of real-time internet on businesses.

More WebProNews Videos

This information was originally posted on the VoIP Insider blog.

Need VoIP Phones or a VoIP Phone System? Checkout VoIPSupply.com!

How long have you been in VoIP world?

I have been active in the Linux community since around May of 1996. I was actually created by Larry Ewing using the Gnu Image Manipulation Program (GIMP). My association with VoIP began around 1999 with the creation of Asterisk Open Source PBX by Mark Spencer. Mark and I hung out a lot back in the day at Auburn University, we played on the same flag football team with the FreeBSD Demon ….we used to date the same girl.

What is it like working as an aquatic, flightless bird in the VoIP world?

It’s been quite a ride. I’ve met a lot of cool people. I spend most of my time these days in the southern hemisphere, which can feel a bit isolated from time to time, but it’s cool….literally quite cold.

What are some of your networking/marketing methods?

Two words….open source. I really don’t even have to work that hard these days. Let’s just say I’m good at delegating the real work. Trade shows, of course, are a great place to meet people and get the word out. Tough to find fresh squid at the shows though, which is why I stick close to home.

How is it working with humans in VoIP?

Humans are okay in my book. I am pretty comfortable around people and other land mammals in general. There are no land predators where I come from.

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

I think that is long as Linux continues to grow in popularity, there will always be a place for penguins in the industry.

This information was originally posted on the VoIP Insider blog.

Need VoIP Phones or a VoIP Phone System? Checkout VoIPSupply.com!

I must say, in the world of VoIP blogging, I come across very few women.  At VoIP Supply there are probably only a handful of women, and only one on the sales floor.  This is not the fault of the company that I work for or human resources, it’s a trend spread across the whole industry.  But it is getting better.  Many of my girl friends are engineers, project managers, doctors, researchers, etc.  We are all still under the age of 30, but most of them intend to continue their career path, no matter what family life or stresses come their way.

I decided to go on a mission to find women in the VoIP phone systems world, and write a blog promoting the women in this industry.  Some are in marketing, some are in technology, and some are even CEOs.  The response I have received has been overwhelming and wonderful.  Much more than I thought I would receive from a few little questions and a pitch on Facebook!  Because of the numerous responses, I’m going to feature this as a blog series, explaining the triumphs and challenges these women have experienced in the VoIP world, and what they see for the future.  Get ready; these are some very busy, intelligent and engaging ladies!

As for my own experiences?  So far being a woman hasn’t made a smidgen of a difference.  The difference comes in how knowledgeable you are in the field, much like any industry.  So every day is a continual exploration of the VoIP world, and the people that live and work in it.

My first featured lady of VoIP is Lisa Jones; Chief Eyemail Officer at EyeMail Inc. Ms. Jones has been working in VoIP since 2004 and resides in Atlanta, Georgia.

How did you become interested/introduced to VoIP?

I became interested in VOIP by default. I was interested in creating an Internet-based product that could combine the Internet with email, but to add an audio, video element. I honestly wanted to create a revolutionary product, so that when the time came for me to be honored, it would be in the memory of my mother, Gladys D. Jones. I wanted to give back for all that she had given to me. I realized that if I could create a next level email product, now known as EyeMail, I could change the course of email communications and honor my commitment to my mother. This was accomplished without a technical background, but with 4.5 years of hard work, sleepless nights, and developers from all over the world. My company is now in negotiations with some of the world’s leading brands.

How does EyeMail use VoIP Technologies?

EyeMail represents the state of the art next generation of email, delivering personalized audio and/or video communications directly to the email inbox. EyeMail delivers at 4-15k in size, no attachments, no downloads and is completely virus free, inclusive of a click to call feature. The patent-pending EyeMail technology integrates VOIP technologies in delivering cutting edge email marketing and communication solutions for our clients. Our clients include Fortune 500 brands and medium and small businesses which we help to develop their online communications.

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

It is a quite a fast and exciting time, as we all rely on various segments of technology as a part of our daily existence. It is also most exciting and fulfilling to be women seeing an evolution of new technology expand. I am also excited because I have the opportunity to pave the way for others, and to serve as a mentor and to let them know they can achieve in the technology arena, with faith, persistence, calculated risks and bold moves. Additionally, I am not a developer or a coder, but if you have a vision and the knowledge of business, you can surround yourself with the right technology resources to help fulfill your goals.

What are some of your networking/marketing methods?

Some of my key marketing methods include using the EyeMail product to introduce products and services, directly via email. We send out personalized audio email communications that include a call to call feature to increase our response rates. As the average person, is not looking for their email to talk to them, this gives us a very competitive marketing advantage.

How is it working with men in VoIP?

As a woman trailblazer, you may experience moments where your contribution is not valued, acknowledged or recognized, you may even feel taken advantage of in some situations, but as a trailblazer you have to keep your eye on the prize, and press forward. In any business industry, you will have challenges and success, and working in the VOIP is no different. I think you have to be very careful as to who you may choose to partner with in particular ventures with your VOIP business. My best advice is to ensure your technology platform is protected, remember to request NDAs to be signed where applicable and keep pressing forward. Once your business is making significant strides, you will be very well respected by all.

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

I think the future for women in VOIP is going to be revolutionary. I believe we will start to see more young adults in the VOIP area, taking technology to the next level. As women, we can focus on so many aspects at any given moment to execute, and with VOIP it leads to a world of possibilities. Additionally, I believe we will see more women businesses seeking national certification with the Women Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC). This certification will empower women business in technology and various business industries to seek to do more business with corporate America, as diversity and inclusion are key business drivers.

This information was originally posted on the VoIP Insider blog.

Need VoIP Phones or a VoIP Phone System? Checkout VoIPSupply.com!

In-stat, a market research firm, projects that by 2010, there will be more then 3 Million hosted VoIP seats in the US alone, up from 373,000 in 2006. Fueled by cost savings, the small business market continues to be the hot zone for hosted providers with most deployments in the 20-to-50 seat range. “As business managers assess their resident ability to deploy and manage enterprise-like VoIP services, many are finding themselves lacking the capital and expertise required,” says David Lemelin, In-Stat analyst. “As a result, hosted VoIP solutions are becoming more attractive.”

One such hosted VoIP system provider blazing a trial is Vocalocity. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to sit down last week and chat with Vocalocity’s Executive Vice President and General Manager, David Politis, about Vocalocity, their offerings, and the future of the hosted VoIP PBX industry.

Garrett: David, Give Us Some More Information about Vocalocity.

David: The story of Vocalocity starts with a company called ZivVa. In 2003 Boris Jerkunica (currently CEO of Vocalocity) and Phil Hill (currently President of Vocalocity) founded ZivVa, in Atlanta, GA, with the vision of making it easier for people around the world to communicate. The first service that ZivVa offered was an international virtual number service, that allowed immigrants or business people around the world, to buy a local number in a country and city, that they where they were not located, and forward it anywhere else in the world.

ZivVa experienced a lot of success in the Eastern European and South American markets. Then in June of 2005, developed a hosted PBX product targeted at the Small and Medium sized business called ZivVa Office. In June 2006, ZivVa acquired Vocalocity, also an Atlanta company, for its industry leading VoIP platform and have since been combining the two technologies to create a state of the art hosted pbx offering.

Since then the hosted PBX product has been renamed Vocalocity PBX. Over the last year Vocalocity has experienced tremendous growth and has become a leader in the market for small business VoIP. Vocalocity’s vision is to be the leader in innovation for small business VoIP. We continually strive to deliver the best in value, technology and support to our customers.

Garrett: Tell us a little bit more about your service.

David: VocalocityPBX is the most cost effective, reliable and feature rich hosted pbx on the market. We offer small businesses the type of office phone that used to only be available to enterprises at a small fraction of the price. Our product allows small businesses the flexibility that they need. We offer a variety of plans and our product is built so that we can grow with our customers. There is no maximum to how many phones you can have on one of our PBXs. The vocalcityPBX product is built so that is plug and play, we’ve eliminated the need for an installation. For years the phone system has been a headache for small business and we want it to be as easy as email. We can do all of this because of the power of VoIP technology and especially our proprietary platform. Businesses no longer have to have a PBX on site, we host all of that for the business and let them focus on what they’re good at, their business.

Garrett: What makes Vocalocity different from other hosted IP PBX providers?

David:
We differentiate ourselves in three areas.

• Unchallenged Value - We are the best value on the market. We deliver the best product at the best price. The most popular plans with vocalocity are the flat rate plans that include unlimited usage, all taxes and fees are bundled into that price. You dont see that with any of our competitors, they may quote a customer $39.99 per extensions, but when the bill comes it is $49.99 per extension. Our unlimited extension is $34.99 and that is what you pay.
• Proprietary Technology - Most hosted PBX vendors have purchased their technology from a third party and are therefore don’t have the flexibility to modify or improve on their product. They have to wait for the newest update to come out in order to update their customers PBXs. Vocalocity is constantly innovating by delivering top notch reliability and a constant flow of new features.
• Support First Philosophy - Vocalocity is the first in the industry to introduce a Personal Account Manager for all of its accounts. Now, small businesses have an employee at Vocalocity who is dedicated to helping them with any questions or concerns that they may have. It’s like the Cheers song, its good to have a place where people know your name. The philosophy of everyone in the company from CEO to Office Manager is that our customers happiness comes first.

Garrett: Can you give all a good idea of the different plan? How Much Does a basic hosted plan cost?

We have a number of plans and add ons to fit any small business needs. Our most popular VoIP service plan is our unlimited extension plan, this gives the customer unlimited calling to the US and Canada and all of our features at a price of $34.99 per month. We also offer metered plans for businesses that dont use their phones as much, but would still want the benefit of a full featured PBX. These plans are $14.99 a month plus a per minute fee.

Garrett: Any other important value adds about the service?

David: Some of the add ons that Vocalocity offers are, Fax, Conference Bridge (up to 30 participants), Call Queuing, Virtual Departments, and many more. We have any feature that a small business would be looking for.

Garrett: So what are some of the business benefits of going with a hosted solution, as opposed to a premise based PBX solution?

David: There are a few.

• Cost – With a hosted solution Customers can eliminate the upfront equipment costs of an expensive on premise phone systems.
• Reliability and Disaster Recovery – Hosted solutions store all of your PBX information and files at hosting facilities that have sophisticated and redunant equipment, so that the data is secure and can always be recovered in case a customer needs to move offices or work from home. With an on premise PBX all data (including VM, settings, faxes, etc) are stored on the PBX that is on the customer’s premise. If for any reason (and there are many possibilities) they lose connectivity to their PBX they are unreachable by the rest of the world and their data is irretrievable. Also, if the PBX happens to fail or freeze the customer has lost their data and needs to invest in a new PBX.
• Virtual Office – A hosted solution makes the idea of a virtual office truly come to light. You can route calls to any employee anywhere on earth that has a high-speed internet connection. With a hosted solution there is no need for a main office. Everyone could be a remote employee, but to the outsider, no one would know (unless you told them).
• No Maintenance or Upgrades – With hosted solutions you have no hardware or technology to maintain on premise: all day-to-day operations and maintenance of the PBX is performed by the hosting company. Companies also gain access to the latest technology automatically, with all upgrades handled by a hosted PBX company like Vocalocity. This comes as a tremendous cost savings to the customer, and eliminates the need for an on-site PBX technician.

Garrett: What does a typical Vocalocity customer look like?

David: Our average customer is a small business with between 5-30 employees. We have seen great success with business in the real estate, law and financial services industries. We service customers everywhere from California to NY, the beauty of a hosted PBX is that it has no boundaries.

Garrett: What do you do for companies that need a fax line?

David: We offer a fax solution that customers seem to like more then the traditional fax solution. It is a fax to email, email to fax solution. Simply put, a customer can attach a file to an email and address it to the desired fax number@fax.vocalocity.com and send the email. The fax will come out on a fax machine at the desired location. When customers receive faxes they simply come in as a file attachment to an email. They double click on it and can view it or manipulate it on their computer.

Garrett: What Do You See as the Future of Hosted IP PBX solutions?

David: The future of hosted IP PBX communications is very bright. I’m sure you are well aware that a small percentage of small and medium businesses are using IP communications today, let alone hosted IP communications. I see the space that we’re in as very similar to the CRM space, in the not so distant past companies had no choice but to put their CRM solution on premise and deal with the headaches and hassle of installing, upgrading and maintaining another piece of hardware on their network that stored arguably their most important data. Now, hosted/on demand CRM applications like Salesforce.com are becoming the preferred CRM tool for business owners. All of the data is backed up in more secure locations then a small office, the system is accessible over the web from anywhere in the world and most importantly it has become easier to integrate other business critical applications with a companies CRM. I see the same happening with business telephony.

When it comes to business VoIP, business owners and IT directors have the same expectations. It has been expected that when it comes time to buy a phone system, there are going to be messy installs, headaches with configuration and other misqueues and confusion involved. Hosted IP PBXs can eliminate all of that hassle. Most businesses already have a high speed broadband connection installed in their office and have a network set up. With a truly hosted solution like ours, the phone system just becomes another application on that network, no worries, just plug and play. This is already something that is happening today, especially in the small business. But, it won’t be long until enterprises realize the benefit and trust the reliability of a hosted solution.

I believe that the most exciting prospect for hosted business VoIP systems is the new found ability and focus on creating new unique and useful applications that will help increase worker productivity and enable integration with other business tools. All of this is going to be done while showing companies significant savings that they can then reinvest into their core business.

Interested in trying out the Vocalocity’s Hosted IP PBX solution?

Get 500 Free Minutes From Vocalocity With the Purchase of Select Polycom and Aastra IP Phones. Hurry Offer Ends Soon!

This information was originally posted on the VoIP Insider blog.

Need VoIP Phones or a VoIP Phone System? Checkout VoIPSupply.com!