3 Steps to Get the Best VoIP Service Deal

May 31, 2016 by Ying-Hui Chen

After thoroughly evaluating the pros and cons, you finally decided to switch to a VoIP system. The next big question would be: How do I get the best VoIP deal from all the VoIP service providers?

Believe it or not, most buyers rushed into making a purchase decision and ended up realizing they could have saved a fortune with better quality product or service if they would have spent some time researching and comparing! Here we provide some tips to help ensure that you get the best VoIP service deal.

Step One: Approach multiple VoIP service providers

Contact multiple VoIP service providers from different sources and pick out at least five for further consideration. Possible sources include a referral from your friends or advertisements, contacting providers by phone, live chat, or filling out forms online.

One great, simple solution is to utilize our CloudSpan MarketPlace, a one stop shop for multiple service providers with the best service and products. Our VoIP solution specialists help customers winnow down the ideal solution to meet their business requirements, saving them money, time and energy. See more CloudSpan benefits here. Simply fill out the form below to consult with our VoIP specialists:

Step Two: Evaluate and compare the options

Once you have picked out the five or more potential options, be ready to discuss with each provider about their services and products to see if they can satisfy your needs. Meanwhile, record down the consideration factors on a spreadsheet so you can compare them side by side clearly.

Here’s a list of some key points to consider during your evaluation process:

Any upfront costs such as VoIP equipment or setup costs
Overall savings on the new system
Features to meet your requirements
Available technical support
Time length to switch to new service
Any good or bad user feedback
Other special business demands you may have

Step Three: Make a purchase decision

Every service provider has different pricing and features depending on customers’ business sizes and requirements. Review the comparison spreadsheet you have made and be prepared to negotiate with the providers based on the research you have down. The rule of thumb is don’t rush the decision making process. Give yourself enough time to think through and get the best deal among the options.

Now you are all set to start deploying the best VoIP deal and enjoy the benefits! If you encounter any issues or have questions when selecting a suitable VoIP service provider for your business, please contact our specialists at 1-800-398-VoIP or email at [email protected]. We will be happy to assist you with any VoIP questions.

VoIP Service Specialist– Steve Kruszynski

Email: [email protected]
Direct: 716-531-4269

VoIP Service Specialist– Edward Miller

Email: [email protected]
Direct: 716-531-4270

Make the Switch to ADTRAN’s NetVanta 1531/1531P Gigabit Switches

by Youleidy Vega

Do you want a switch that just works? A switch you can depend on to do what is supposed to do; no downtime, no hassles or headaches? ADTRAN’s NetVanta 1531/1531P is that switch.

adtran pic

The Adtran NetVanta 1531/1531P is one of the top recommended switches by VoIP Supply’s Senior Engineer Marc Spehalski. He has personally used Adtran switches for various deployments and knows by experience that ADTRAN’s line of NetVanta switches offer a full line of powerful Ethernet switching solutions that can complement the business needs of small-to-medium size businesses (SMB’s).

The NetVanta 1531/1531P provides the right feature set at a perfect price point for any small business or branch office. Features of the 1531 and 1531P include:

Advanced multi-layer switching
High-bandwidth capabilities
Enhanced Quality of Service features
Built-in Wi-Fi controller
Quiet, fan-less design
Desk/rack mountable

Check out the ADTRAN NetVanta 1531P Switch as Marc Spehalski unboxes it here:

ADTRAN NetVanta switches are great for either on-premise or hosted solutions. From VoIP, to Wi-Fi, to Gigabit-to-the-desktop and converged voice and data networks, with the ADTRAN NetVanta switches you are guaranteed to find the right fit for your business.

An ADTRAN NetVanta 1531/1531P switch can help your business by providing increased capacity with ten GigE ports. On the 1531P eight of those ports support Power over the Ethernet. Two additional ports can connect and power IP Phones, access points and network cameras.

NetVanta switches also have two added fiber ports for WAN connectivity or so that you can uplink to an aggregation switch. Moreover, ADTRAN switches are VoIP Ready, supporting QoS, LLDP/LLDP-MED and voice LANs (VLANs) for a fast VoIP deployment.

The NetVanta 1531 and 1531P are ready to work switches that offer flexible deployment options in a compact chassis. What’s even better is that with its fanless design, you can place the switch either on a desktop or in any small space via a wall mount and the switch will operate so quietly that you’ll probably take a second look to make sure it is running! But no worries, it will be.

Skype For Business Deployment Checklist

May 26, 2016 by Ying-Hui Chen

Whether you have decided to deploy Skype for Business as your communication system or you are still evaluating to see if it meets your demands, checking Skype for Business requirements is an important step to help you sort things out and make a wise decision. Let’s take a look at what you need to prepare when deploying Skype for Business.

Choose Your Ideal Plan

The first step is to decide which plan you want to deploy. Customers can choose to purchase a standalone plan or as part of Office 365 plans which comes with Office applications, email, file storage and sharing, and more. Skype for Business provides multiple plans for different business levels with a rate ranging from $2 user/month to $12.50 user/ month.

Online Plan 1 and 2-Skype for Business online meetings
office
Office 365 Business Essentials- Include online versions of Office and email
Office 365 Business Premium- Include Office applications for desktop and email

Learn detailed plans comparison here.

Meet The Requirements

Once you have decided on your ideal plan, it’s time to get geared up for it. To maximize the full potential of Skype for Business capability, you would need to meet their requirements. Here is the list of the recommended components:

CPU: 64-bit dual processor, hex-core, 2.26 gigahertz (GHz) or higher
Memory: 32 gigabytes (GB)
Disk: 8 or more 10000 RPM hard disk drives with at least 72 GB free disk space OR Solid state drives able to provide the same free space and similar performance to 8 10000 RPM mechanical disk drives
Network: 1 dual-port network adapter, 1 Gbps or higher
Communication Equipment: Skype for Business certified Phones, Headsets, Gateways, Session Border Controllers.
Operating System: Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter OS, Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard OS, Windows Server 2012 Datacenter OS, or Windows Server 2012 Standard OS with required updates

VoIP Supply offers a wide range of Skype for Business friendly products including Polycom VVX410, Yealink SIP T48G, Jabra EVOLVE 65 MS Stereo, Sangoma Vega 100 and more.

Learn How To Utilize It

Now you are ready to start utilizing Skype for Business! After installing and configuring the system, you can follow the video below to learn how to get started and utilize the basic functionalities. For more information about Skype or Skype for Business and other requirement details, please visit Microsoft’s website or VoIP Supply’s website. Good luck on deploying Skype for Business!

5 Reasons to Choose a Hosted VoIP System

by Jeff Quinn

With Great Change Comes Great Responsibility….or maybe not! A Hosted VoIP Phone system allows you to have minimal responsibility for your phone system.

We all know very well that changing something as large as your phone system may not be something very high on your list, but I would like to show you some of the benefits to switching over to a Hosted VoIP Phone System. They will increase your workplace efficiency which should increase your annual revenues!

1. Lower your monthly bills!

Untitled design (5) Every business could stand to save some money every single month. Take those funds and invest them back into your business! On average our CloudSpan MarketPlace Solutions Specialists are saving our customers 23%

The upfront cost of hardware is dramatically lower. Since most of the necessary equipment is at your service provider’s location, there is no need for you to shell out large amounts of capital to get your system up and running smoothly.

2. Scale up or down in seconds

Company size can change at the drop of a hat; whether it be adding employees or letting them go, you contact your service provider and normally have the change made within 24 hours. With this type of functionality, you won’t be paying for extensions of employees who are no longer with the company.

And, with this functionality we are trying to save your company more money! Seeing the theme here yet?

3. Streamline business activities with more advanced features and functionality.

Businesses are moving at a much faster pace and things are changing daily. A unified communication system such as a Hosted VoIP phone system will aid you in keeping a fine tuned office structure. With features such as:

Automatically route missed to calls to a cell phone via Find Me/Follow Me

Automatically send after hours calls to speak with a live person

Have voicemails delivered to your email or via text message

With advanced analytics you can see how your calls are being handled right away

See who is available to take phone calls with presence instead of calling them and interrupting

4. Connect remote offices and workers around the world

With a Hosted VoIP Phone System you’re able to connect employees wherever they may be and allow them to work as if they were inside the same building. This allows you to higher employees outside of your geographical location and allow the “road warriors” to stay connected at all times.

All team members will be able to work closer together without the restrictions of being in the same conference room for the meeting.

5. Bask in your new found freedom

With your monthly cost savings, increased workplace efficiency and the ability to travel globally and still be connected, you know can focus on your business. Now when an issue arises or you need something changed within your phone system your hosted provider handles it for you. Stay focused on the task at hand and see your revenues begin to grow within months of implementation.

via GIPHY

Meet Our Most Experienced VoIP Specialists in the Industry

by Ying-Hui Chen

Are you curious about the specialists whom you have consulted with on the phone, over the live chat, or you are just about to dial in to talk to?

While our VoIP specialists are all outstandingly professional and experienced, they possess their own uniqueness and different approaches to help customers succeed. So, let’s learn what their specialized areas are and some fun facts about them aside from work!

Darren Hartman

Email: [email protected]

Direct : 716-250-3417

Working with VoIP Supply since the first day they opened doors, Darren has been actively selling, managing and helping train new VoIP solution specialists.

Having been an IT sales professional for 15 years, Darren is an outstanding VoIP expert, specializing in multiple VoIP solutions including IP Camera Surveillance, General networking, and more. Learn more about Darren here.

Certifications

Cisco Small Business Voice
Cisco Small Business Networking
Digium Switchvox IP/PBX
Linksys Networking
Linksys Voice
Netgear Networking
Plantronics
Polycom Voice
Polycom Wireless

Fun Fact: Aside from work, Darren loves traveling, playing golf and baseball!

Don Stefanie

Email: [email protected]

Direct: 716-213-6960

Over 18 years as a sales professional with the past 14 years in the IT Channel, Don has recently been promoted to Channel Manager position at VoIP Supply.

Don enjoys building new relationships with customers, vendors, service providers and partners in VoIP industry. With his customer-first sales approach, he manages to grow market share, exceed sales goals and handles company initiatives. Learn more about Don here.

Specialties

IT Channel
VoIP
Cisco SBCS
VoIP Services
Installation Services
Service Lead Generation

Fun Fact: Do you know Don enjoys driving a huge Jeep that looks like a monster truck? He also enjoys spending time with his kids!

Joe Shanahan

Email: [email protected]
Direct: 716-531-4316

Joe is one of the longest tenured employees at VoIP Supply and has been developing lasting customers relationships since 2005.

Growing with the company over 10 years, Joe has encountered almost every situation and scenario in the VoIP world; therefore he is able to utilize his experiences to help customers tackle any VoIP issues and guide them to the best solutions. Learn more about Joe here.

Certifications

Digium Certified Sales Professionals
Polycom Video Qualified Sales Representative
Polycom Video Pre-Sales Technical Representative
Cisco Small Business Voice
Cisco Small Business Networking

Fun Fact: In addition to the sales role at VoIP Supply, Joe is also a lead singer of a local rock and roll band. He is also a fan of Bills and the Sabres!

Brian Hyrek

Email: [email protected]
Direct: 716-531-4318

Brian has been working at VoIP Supply for 9 years, specializing in solutions for integrators, resellers, service providers and more.

Being a trusted and tested VoIP sales professional, Brian is able to use his expertise to lead customers to the best solutions for their business. Learn more about Brian here.

Certifications

Cisco Small Business Certification
Polycom Voice/Video Certifications
Trixbox Certifications
Digium Sales Certified
Switchvox Certification
Axis Network Video Fundamentals
Certified 3CX Reseller
Xorcom Certified Reseller

Fun Fact: Do you know Brian has a lot of interests? Music (playing, recording, listening), History, Sports (Hockey and Boxing), Motorcycles, and Traveling!

Jonathan Garbin

Email: [email protected]

Direct: 716-531-4271

Jon has been working in Information Technology and Services industry for 4 years and started working with VoIP Supply from February 2016.

He is a young, enthusiastic sales professional who enjoys helping customers solve VoIP issues and find them the ideal solutions to grow their business. Learn more about Jon here!

Certifications

Polycom Voice Endpoint Sales Certification VSOS100
Polycom Voice Technical Level 1 VOPOT102
Digium Certified Sales Professional – Cloud
Digium Switchvox Sales Certification

Fun Fact: Do you know Jon’s favorite color is blue? And his favorite food is Reuben Sandwich! He loves performing stand-up comedy, traveling, and reading.

Stuart Smith

Email: [email protected]

Want to learn more about our VoIP specialists or have any VoIP questions to ask us? Visit our website or contact us at 1-800-398-8647 or email at [email protected]. We are here to help and will be thrilled to hear what you have to share!

VoIP Service Features: Find me/Follow me Call Routing

May 25, 2016 by Jeff Quinn

Take advantage of features to make your day easier

When it comes to VoIP Service there are plenty of features out there that can greatly increase your efficiently throughout the day. One of those features would be Find me/Follow me Call Routing.

The basic idea of this feature allows you to directs calls that are coming in to your desk phone or main line to somewhere else that will be more convenient for you. You’re basically allowed to set up rules for when someone is attempting to call you.

Don’t Miss a Call When You’re Away From Your Desk

find me follow me image If you’re someone who is away from their desk often or you work remotely this feature is a great option to keep you in contact with everyone. There are basically two paths you can have designed for yourself.

Sequential Ringing: Allow the call to ring your desk for 10 seconds (or anytime you decide) then move to another landline, such as your home office, then you can move to your cell phone if necessary.

Multiple Endpoints Ringing: This allows multiple phones to ring at once. You can have your desktop phone in your office, your home office line and also your mobile device ring simultaneously. If you’re sporadically in different places at different times this is a great feature to make sure you pick up the call as soon as you can.

Benefits to Find Me/Follow Me

Never miss a call when you’re away from your desk

Only one phone number to hand out to receive calls to all devices

Appear to always be at your desk when incoming calls are received

Have the freedom to go about your day and stay in contact with everyone

Contact us today

Start allowing your customers to reach you anywhere while you’re working. Contact our VoIP Solution Specialists today at 1-800-398-8647 or [email protected]

Lee Marlow of Digium Switchvox Speaks about VoIP in Educational Systems – Part Two

May 24, 2016 by Jeff Quinn

Recently, I was able to speak with Lee Marlow of Digium Switchvox and discuss the benefits of VoIP Service and VoIP Hardware within schools and universities. Below you will find the second half of our discussion. If you have not read the first half please do so here.

1. How does Digium set themselves apart for schools?

Schools need a cost-effective solution, but like many businesses, they don’t want to have to sacrifice when it comes to features. Switchvox is Digium’s award-winning IP PBX and delivers powerful UC tools, mobility applications and robust calling features all at one, low price. And, our phone system is easy to manage and simple to use. Our education customers repeatedly say they appreciate that our products are intuitive and easy to use, not only for the IT department but also for teachers and administrators.

Our products are standards-based which means you can save even more money by reusing existing equipment like phones and paging equipment. We have flexible product offerings and deployment methods for any budget and can provide school systems with both the SIP service and phone system equipment, for additional savings.

2. Can you describe the bell feature that can be part of a Digium phone system?

There are multiple options for integrating a school’s bell system. Through the use of custom scripts, it’s possible for the Digium Phones to be used as the school’s bell system. Emergency alerts and notifications can be sent directly to each phone. As an example, in a school lockdown situation, you can send a visual alert that will cause the Digium phone to light up or flash.

3. Can you talk about emergency broadcasting and disaster planning?

Recent events have mandated that school systems take a more proactive approach to student and teacher safety within schools and this includes implementing better communications tools. Switchvox has the ability to broadcast emergency alerts and messages over a paging system via the display on desktop phones or directly to parents’ phones – or other emergency contact numbers of your students. The mobility features included with Switchvox, which help turn staff into a mobile taskforce during an emergency. The ability to readily communicate with mobile devices ensures that staff can be reach anywhere, anytime.

4. asterisk-support What kind of support options are out there for schools offered by Digium?

There are various support options available. With an easy-to-use system, it’s easy for the IT administrator to maintain their own system. Digium offers options for 8×5 and 24×7 phone and online support. A Digium authorized partner can help you select which plan is best meets your needs.

5. Can you explain how VoIP will bring different buildings closer together?

Outdated communications systems may require that every building have a dedicated server housed onsite. In this type of situation, each building essentially has its own telephone system with no centralized point of communications. VoIP can allow users to transfer calls between sites and share call capacity dynamically across a campus. With VoIP, you don’t have to place additional equipment where you physically want to add employees – you just connect them to your IP network and that’s it.

6. With your experience, can you give our readers some advice when switching to VoIP?

It all begins with choosing the right partner who understands your industry and needs. There are specific questions to ask yourself and your vendors. It is important to understand both current and future cost of maintaining your VoIP system. Do a side-by-side feature comparison and ask for a breakdown on the cost of each feature separately. Select a system that is flexible and can grow with you.

Don’t forget about part 1 and see what Lee Marlow has to say!

Different Levels to our Partner Program: Referral and VoIP Supply Partner

May 23, 2016 by Jeff Quinn

Different Levels for Different Partners

At VoIP Supply, we understand not everyone is going to be a VoIP expert and have skills in the variety of VoIP offerings. We would like to extend our partner program not only to the VoIP experts in the field but also to clientele with vast business contacts.

Let’s try and break down the different partner levels in more detail.

Referral Partner: As a Referral Partner you will put us in touch with possible companies or businesses that would benefit from our Partner Program. We will support that customer in finding the correct solutions. There is no need for a technical background or knowledge of VoIP to become this type of partner.

Benefits to being a Referral Partner:

No technology background needed

Earn money through referring business

Once business contact is referred to us your job is finished

partner

VoIP Supply Partner: If you are currently working with VoIP Supply and looking to increase your customer base and reach, this is the partner level for you. We will provide sales and technical support needed to effectively build your account base.

Benefits to being a VoIP Supply Partner:

Grow your business without growing your current employee base

Provide support to your customer that you previously were unable to

Earn industry aggressive commissions for your business

We Buy Old Equipment

Another advantage to partnering with VoIP Supply is that we buy old, used equipment. You can save yourself and your customers money by allowing them to make some cash on that old equipment they were just going to throw away. Reclaim by VoIP Supply, was designed to be as simple as possible.

Become a Partner Today!

Contact our Channel Manager, Don Stefanie, today at 716-213-6906 or [email protected] with any questions or inquiries regarding our Partner Program.

How to Utilize The Bluetooth Feature On Grandstream GXP2140

May 20, 2016 by Steve Lopian

These days, Bluetooth integrated VoIP phones are becoming the norm, and if you are not taking advantage of this awesome feature, you are missing out.
Here is a quick How-To on syncing your cellphone with the Bluetooth enabled Grandstream GXP2140. (Don’t worry, almost all VoIP phones with this feature will work with Apple or Android)

The first thing you are going to want to do is make sure that Bluetooth is turned on, on your mobile device.

Second, push the round Menu button on the front of your GXP2140 to bring up the main menu. From the main menu go to System. Next, you can scroll down and select Bluetooth.

From the page, you will be able to turn on Bluetooth if it is not on already. Once Bluetooth is turned on, the next step will be to select Start Scan from this menu page. This will bring up a list of all Bluetooth devices that the GXP2140 has discovered.

Once you have selected the device you would like to pair (in this case it would be your cell phone) it will ask you for a PIN. Simply enter the same PIN on the GXP2140 that you have entered on your cell phone and you will notice your device will change from Unpaired to Paired to Connected on the GXP2140.

Now that you have paired your cell phone with the GXP2140, you can then go back to the previous menu page and turn on Handsfree Mode. Doing this will enable you to not only transfer calls to your mobile device, but also sync all of your existing contacts to the GXP2140.

Once returning to the homepage on the GXP2140, you will see an icon that shows your cellphone is connected, and you will be able to search your cell phone’s contacts via the Contact Button on the front of the phone. This is the button that has the Book icon.

It really is that simple to connect your cell phone to your GXP2140, and soon you will be able to enjoy all of the additional Bluetooth features the GXP2140 has to offer!

For additional information and video regarding the Grandstream GXP2140, please visit our website.

The differences between hosted and on-site systems

May 19, 2016 by Ying-Hui Chen

The first step when implementing VoIP Service is to choose a hosted or on-site system. This can be a difficult decision if you are not a VoIP service expert. Surely consulting an expert can make things easier and simpler; however it’s even better to have some of your own knowledge before you consult the experts. After reading this blog, you will have a basic picture of the best VoIP service solution for your business.

Hosted VoIP Systems

A hosted VoIP system is usually an ideal option for inexperienced VoIP beginners as everything is taken care of by a third party company. Taking advantage of the hosted VoIP system, users with minimal hardware and no additional IT staff can switch to VoIP service seamlessly and enjoy the benefits it brings just like other VoIP service experts. This solution is a favorite for small-scaled companies with a limited budget for three main reasons:

Low initial startup costs: Little VoIP hardware purchase is required. Low upfront costs means more savings to reinvest back into growing your business.
No IT staff needed: The hosted VoIP service provider will be responsible for maintaining, monitoring, and managing your phone system. Placing IT responsibilities to your VoIP service provider can save you a lot of time, money, and energy.
Flexible management: With a hosted VoIP phone system, communications management is easier and more flexible than ever before. Being able to access the phone system almost anywhere anytime, you and the involved parties can work more efficiently and productively.

On-Site VoIP Systems

An on-site VoIP system means that you have all the phone system hardware required to run directly on site. This is a great solution for enterprise businesses who need more customized functions. The key features of an on-site VoIP system include:

Highly scalable and flexible: Everything is operated on your site, so you have better control of what you want to accomplish such as call routing, scalability, migration support and more.
Dedicated IT staff recommended: Since you are working more independently with an on-site VoIP system, it’s recommended to have dedicated IT staff on site to help troubleshoot any technical issues and configurations.
Higher upfront costs with low monthly rates: Although an on-site VoIP solution requires higher upfront costs to purchase the required VoIP equipment (Servers, switches, phones, etc), this is also a great long-term investment as you own the equipment. With low monthly rates, you can save a fortune and put back into your business growth.

What’s Next?

Now you have learned the differences between a hosted and on-site system. Whether you have made a decision or you’re still researching, contact a VoIP solutions expert to discuss your thoughts and needs to winnow out the best VoIP service solution and service provider for your business.

Our CloudSpan MarketPlace is a one-stop shop to help you choose the ideal service provider to meet your business requirements. Simply fill out the form below to request a free consultation. We look forward to hearing from you and will be happy to provide you anything you need for VoIP.

Step One: Approach multiple VoIP service providers

Step Two: Evaluate and compare the options

Step Three: Make a purchase decision

Choose Your Ideal Plan

Meet The Requirements

Learn How To Utilize It

1. Lower your monthly bills!

2. Scale up or down in seconds

3. Streamline business activities with more advanced features and functionality.

4. Connect remote offices and workers around the world

5. Bask in your new found freedom

More Questions?

Take advantage of features to make your day easier

Don’t Miss a Call When You’re Away From Your Desk

Benefits to Find Me/Follow Me

Contact us today

Don’t forget about part 1 and see what Lee Marlow has to say!

Different Levels for Different Partners

We Buy Old Equipment

Become a Partner Today!

Hosted VoIP Systems

On-Site VoIP Systems

What’s Next?

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