I'm back from a month away from the office, so thought I'd start this up again.
VERY important tip for those of you who have Avaya IP Office modules.
The power adapters must be attached in a very specific order, as follows:
First, with the power adapter disconnected from the power cord, plug the power adapter into the back of the module.
THEN, plug the power cord into the power adapter.
THEN, plug the power cord into your 120V power receptacle.
It is important because doing this in the wrong order can possibly blow the power connection in the module which Avaya does not warranty. In case you're wondering, Avaya technicians can tell that you didn't power it up properly, thanks to a little trip ciruit that's inside the machine.
Consider yourself warned.
Thursday, August 18, 2005
Thursday, June 23, 2005
Mitel Phone System Equipment Online
Well, as promised, Mitel SX-50 and SX-200 phone system equipment is now online.
We also have the Mitel 4000-series Supersets available at wholesale prices.
I was going to make some witty comment about how Mitel's stock price probably increased as a result of these additions, but since Mitel's a private company (nice to be a billionaire eh, Sir Terence?), no witticisms of that nature are forthcoming today.
Regardless, I hope you all enjoy your respective Thursdays.
We also have the Mitel 4000-series Supersets available at wholesale prices.
I was going to make some witty comment about how Mitel's stock price probably increased as a result of these additions, but since Mitel's a private company (nice to be a billionaire eh, Sir Terence?), no witticisms of that nature are forthcoming today.
Regardless, I hope you all enjoy your respective Thursdays.
Monday, June 20, 2005
Happy Monday!
Happy Monday!
We've been selling Mitel phones for years through our dedicated hospitality division Hotel Telecom. While we dominate the search engines when people are looking for hotel phones, we've been focusing on making our main Telephone Magic Inc. website work as effectively as possible.
We'll be adding Mitel's SX-200, SX-100, SX-50 and SX-20 information to our websites shortly.
As Rafiki said in the Lion King - "It is time."
I'll keep you up to date as it happens...
We've been selling Mitel phones for years through our dedicated hospitality division Hotel Telecom. While we dominate the search engines when people are looking for hotel phones, we've been focusing on making our main Telephone Magic Inc. website work as effectively as possible.
We'll be adding Mitel's SX-200, SX-100, SX-50 and SX-20 information to our websites shortly.
As Rafiki said in the Lion King - "It is time."
I'll keep you up to date as it happens...
Thursday, June 16, 2005
As a side note...
The customer mentioned in the previous post had 6 analog ports available on his PBX.
If he didn't, he wouldn't have been able to use the analog long range cordless phones as they would have been incompatible with the digital PBX.
Solution: digital-analog adapters. There are a couple of options.
Most phone systems have Analog Terminal Adapters (like Nortel's ATA2). These are a good option, but another option is the EnGenius digital to analog adapter.
Just another idea for everyone who needs to add analog equipment to a digital phone system. This will work for fax machines, answering machines etc.
If he didn't, he wouldn't have been able to use the analog long range cordless phones as they would have been incompatible with the digital PBX.
Solution: digital-analog adapters. There are a couple of options.
Most phone systems have Analog Terminal Adapters (like Nortel's ATA2). These are a good option, but another option is the EnGenius digital to analog adapter.
Just another idea for everyone who needs to add analog equipment to a digital phone system. This will work for fax machines, answering machines etc.
Interesting long range phone application
An interesting application we came up with today.
Customer has two factory buildings about 1000 feet apart. Main building has a phone system, second building doesn't - and there is no phone service to the second building at all. Customer wants to have 8 phones installed in the second building that are extensions of his existing phone system.
Solution: Six Voyager long range cordless phones (Alpha CL-2200XP with Caller ID), two 11dB directional Yagi roof antennae and two 3-way antenna combiners.
Here's how this works:
The customer has a PBX system already with six analog ports available. The six Voyager Alpha base units plug into the analog ports, so there is one digital extension per long range phone system. Three base units are plugged into the 3-way antenna combiner and attached to one of the 11dB Yagi antenna. Each Yagi antenna is pointed in the direction of the second building.
The Voyager long range cordless phone handsets and chargers are located in the second building. The signal strength of the Voyager base units combined with the Yagi antenna is sufficient to reach each of the handsets in the second building, providing complete cordless mobility in the second building, while keeping each handset an extension of the main PBX.
This solution saves the customer money in the long run, because there is no need for a second PBX or monthly phone service in the second building.
Why did we select a Voyager solution instead of an EnGenius system? Primarily because of the Yagi antenna available with the Voyager system, as well as the option to add a signal booster to each antenna if the signal wasn't sufficient for some reason. However, since the second building's only 1000 feet away, the directional signal provided by the Yagi antenna should be just fine.
Customer has two factory buildings about 1000 feet apart. Main building has a phone system, second building doesn't - and there is no phone service to the second building at all. Customer wants to have 8 phones installed in the second building that are extensions of his existing phone system.
Solution: Six Voyager long range cordless phones (Alpha CL-2200XP with Caller ID), two 11dB directional Yagi roof antennae and two 3-way antenna combiners.
Here's how this works:
The customer has a PBX system already with six analog ports available. The six Voyager Alpha base units plug into the analog ports, so there is one digital extension per long range phone system. Three base units are plugged into the 3-way antenna combiner and attached to one of the 11dB Yagi antenna. Each Yagi antenna is pointed in the direction of the second building.
The Voyager long range cordless phone handsets and chargers are located in the second building. The signal strength of the Voyager base units combined with the Yagi antenna is sufficient to reach each of the handsets in the second building, providing complete cordless mobility in the second building, while keeping each handset an extension of the main PBX.
This solution saves the customer money in the long run, because there is no need for a second PBX or monthly phone service in the second building.
Why did we select a Voyager solution instead of an EnGenius system? Primarily because of the Yagi antenna available with the Voyager system, as well as the option to add a signal booster to each antenna if the signal wasn't sufficient for some reason. However, since the second building's only 1000 feet away, the directional signal provided by the Yagi antenna should be just fine.
Friday, February 18, 2005
Wireless Headset Functions
Just a quick note - some people ask us whether they can use phone functions from their wireless headset (like a Plantronics CS10, CS50 or GN Netcom 9120).
The short answer? No.
If you're using a cordless headset, you can answer remotely (using an optional Handset Lifter like the Plantronics HL10 or GN 1000), but that's about it. You can't transfer calls to another extension or make a call because those are functions of the telephone, not of the headset.
If you're in a home office situation and only have a single line, you might consider getting a complete headset phone system like the Plantronics CT12, CT11 or CT10 . The CT12 provides call display and 2.4 GHz DSS (Digital Spread Spectrum) technology. The CT11 is a 2.4 GHz model and the CT10 is a 900 MHz model.
More on frequencies in a later post . . .
The short answer? No.
If you're using a cordless headset, you can answer remotely (using an optional Handset Lifter like the Plantronics HL10 or GN 1000), but that's about it. You can't transfer calls to another extension or make a call because those are functions of the telephone, not of the headset.
If you're in a home office situation and only have a single line, you might consider getting a complete headset phone system like the Plantronics CT12, CT11 or CT10 . The CT12 provides call display and 2.4 GHz DSS (Digital Spread Spectrum) technology. The CT11 is a 2.4 GHz model and the CT10 is a 900 MHz model.
More on frequencies in a later post . . .
Panasonic phones and wireless headsets
We get asked every now and then if a particular wireless headset will work with their phone system. Simple answer: yes. However, it gets more complicated than that (of course).
You see, wireless headsets are often used with Handset Lifters. These devices pick up the handset for you when you press a button on your headset, allowing you to answer a call when you're away from your phone.
NOTE: you can not make a phone call, or transfer a call that you've answered from your cordless headset. That's a function of the phone. If you want to make a phone call or transfer a call, you have to go back to your phone to do so. That's true with ALL wireless headsets.
Now, interesting thing I learned today. Norstar phones work seamlessly with your wireless headset, but other phones, such as Panasonic, may require you to program the phone so that the wireless headset will work properly.
A Norstar phone rings "hot" (according to one of our technicians), which means that when a phone rings, no matter what line it rings on, when you pick up the handset, you pick up the line that's ringing.
A Panasonic phone doesn't automatically ring "hot". If the phone requires you to press a button as well as pick up the handset to answer a call, it's not ringing "hot" and will need to be reprogrammed if you want to use it with a wireless headset /handset lifter combination.
Just an interesting note I thought I'd pass along.
No, I don't know how to reprogram your Panasonic phone. Remember, I'm just a newbie!
You see, wireless headsets are often used with Handset Lifters. These devices pick up the handset for you when you press a button on your headset, allowing you to answer a call when you're away from your phone.
NOTE: you can not make a phone call, or transfer a call that you've answered from your cordless headset. That's a function of the phone. If you want to make a phone call or transfer a call, you have to go back to your phone to do so. That's true with ALL wireless headsets.
Now, interesting thing I learned today. Norstar phones work seamlessly with your wireless headset, but other phones, such as Panasonic, may require you to program the phone so that the wireless headset will work properly.
A Norstar phone rings "hot" (according to one of our technicians), which means that when a phone rings, no matter what line it rings on, when you pick up the handset, you pick up the line that's ringing.
A Panasonic phone doesn't automatically ring "hot". If the phone requires you to press a button as well as pick up the handset to answer a call, it's not ringing "hot" and will need to be reprogrammed if you want to use it with a wireless headset /handset lifter combination.
Just an interesting note I thought I'd pass along.
No, I don't know how to reprogram your Panasonic phone. Remember, I'm just a newbie!
Digital vs. Analog and Conference Phones
What can I say. I'm a newbie.
I got a request yesterday from a fellow who had a Nortel phone system who wanted to be able to use the Polycom SoundStation 2.
So I think - yeah - that's easy. Just unplug the meridian phone in the conference room and replace it with the SoundStation. Easy as pie, right?
Wrong!
PBX systems send a digital signal to the phones that connect to them. Most audio conferencing units are analog, and therefore incompatible with the PBX system.
So, whaddya do about it?
Easy - for Nortel and other digital PBXs, you can order the SoundStation Premier and get a great sounding conference phone that will actually work on your system.
Apparently there is another option where you can purchase a digital to analog phone line converter. Polycom makes what they call the SoundStation Intelligent Terminal Adapter which will allow you to connect your SoundStation to any digital PBX.
Of course, whenever possible, the better option is to purchase the right product which is designed to seamlessly integrate into your PBX system.
Just in case anyone was interested.
I got a request yesterday from a fellow who had a Nortel phone system who wanted to be able to use the Polycom SoundStation 2.
So I think - yeah - that's easy. Just unplug the meridian phone in the conference room and replace it with the SoundStation. Easy as pie, right?
Wrong!
PBX systems send a digital signal to the phones that connect to them. Most audio conferencing units are analog, and therefore incompatible with the PBX system.
So, whaddya do about it?
Easy - for Nortel and other digital PBXs, you can order the SoundStation Premier and get a great sounding conference phone that will actually work on your system.
Apparently there is another option where you can purchase a digital to analog phone line converter. Polycom makes what they call the SoundStation Intelligent Terminal Adapter which will allow you to connect your SoundStation to any digital PBX.
Of course, whenever possible, the better option is to purchase the right product which is designed to seamlessly integrate into your PBX system.
Just in case anyone was interested.
Friday, February 11, 2005
Long Range Wireless Phone Antenna
Interesting thing I learned today as a result of my little note about long range wireless phones and how the numbers stack up.
I heard from our Voyager long range wireless phone rep who had chanced to go through the article. He said that if you're looking to increase inside range, it's usually better to mount the base unit as high as possible. Or if you're going to use an external antenna indoors, you should still try to mount it in the proper orientation instead of upside down. He said that since the signal radiates out and down, you want to have the signal coming from as high as possible to maximize its strength. He also estimated that using an outdoor antenna can increase the range of a Voyager phone by 30~200%, depending on your specific applications.
Very important note - radio / wireless telecommunications products (including wireless Internet) are always affected by the environment they're installed in as well as HOW they're installed.
Anyway, interesting stuff to know. Thanks Ken! (He's probably cringing that I've paraphrased him here. . .)
I also learned a few things about 900 MHz vs 2.4 GHz DSS frequencies. Interesting stuff - for a later post.
I heard from our Voyager long range wireless phone rep who had chanced to go through the article. He said that if you're looking to increase inside range, it's usually better to mount the base unit as high as possible. Or if you're going to use an external antenna indoors, you should still try to mount it in the proper orientation instead of upside down. He said that since the signal radiates out and down, you want to have the signal coming from as high as possible to maximize its strength. He also estimated that using an outdoor antenna can increase the range of a Voyager phone by 30~200%, depending on your specific applications.
Very important note - radio / wireless telecommunications products (including wireless Internet) are always affected by the environment they're installed in as well as HOW they're installed.
Anyway, interesting stuff to know. Thanks Ken! (He's probably cringing that I've paraphrased him here. . .)
I also learned a few things about 900 MHz vs 2.4 GHz DSS frequencies. Interesting stuff - for a later post.
The Amazing Avaya IP Office
I can't begin to believe the presentation we just had on Avaya's IP Office VoIP / Hybrid phone systems. Talk about convergence.
Yes - the "C" word. Some people argue that convergence never works. Take the combination VCR/TV units that represented "convergence" in that industry. Never really took off, did they? But the things Avaya's IP Office can do are simply amazing, considering how much the systems cost.
I can't even begin to go into it here, but what I learned today sent my head spinning from the possibilities. Really - it makes systems from Norstar and Mitel look like yesterday's products. It's THAT powerful. No matter whether you are using it even AT HOME, for a SOHO, small or medium enterprise or 500+ users, the hardware and software combined give you amazing abilities to manage how you communicate, improve your customer service and give you the flexibility to use VoIP services to truly provide convergence in your telecommunications requirements.
All that being said, now it's my job to sort it all out and start putting information onto the Telephone Magic website.
Now my head's really spinning . . .
Yes - the "C" word. Some people argue that convergence never works. Take the combination VCR/TV units that represented "convergence" in that industry. Never really took off, did they? But the things Avaya's IP Office can do are simply amazing, considering how much the systems cost.
I can't even begin to go into it here, but what I learned today sent my head spinning from the possibilities. Really - it makes systems from Norstar and Mitel look like yesterday's products. It's THAT powerful. No matter whether you are using it even AT HOME, for a SOHO, small or medium enterprise or 500+ users, the hardware and software combined give you amazing abilities to manage how you communicate, improve your customer service and give you the flexibility to use VoIP services to truly provide convergence in your telecommunications requirements.
All that being said, now it's my job to sort it all out and start putting information onto the Telephone Magic website.
Now my head's really spinning . . .
Tuesday, February 08, 2005
Numbers Numbers - what do they really mean?
I'm not a numbers guy. (Just ask my bookkeeper.) Oh sure, I understand 2-for-1, 50% off and all that stuff, but when it comes to figuring out how far I can go with a cordless phone, that's another story.
Telephone Magic sells long range wireless phones from EnGenius and Voyager. With the Voyager long range wireless phones, they give you an idea how far you can go (i.e. 1 to 6 miles, up to 25 miles or up to 50 miles). Cool. That's easy - even for a kid who was brought up on the metric system in Canada and never had to work with miles, pounds etc.
But the EnGenius numbers were more confusing because they didn't spell things out in what I consider "plain English".
What do these numbers mean to you?
Up to 250,000 sq. ft. coverage in factories and buildings
Up to 12 floors penetration in office buildings
Up to 3,000 acres of coverage on ranches and farms
I don't know what that really means, because frankly, I have no idea how big 250,000 sq. ft. really is. I don't work in a place that's 250,000 sq. ft. in area. I get the 12 floors of penetration in office buildings, but since I don't work in a huge office building, that statistic isn't particularly helpful. How big is an acre, anyway?
Well, I got thinking about those numbers, so I thought I'd figure them out, because it was bothering me.
First of all, you have to think about this particular long range wireless phone - or any other long range wireless phone, for that matter.
Long range wireless phones can be hooked up to your office's PBX OR work on a regular analog line, making them suitable for home or office use. They have a base station and a handset and it's the distance away from the handset you can go that's important, in my opinion.
250,000 square feet is a square with sides 500 ft long. However, the signal from the base unit from a long range cordless phone is going to radiate outward, so a circle is a more representative way to think about the area of coverage. So, how far away from the base unit does 250,000 square feet represent?
Well, the area of a circle is calculated by pi r square (sorry, I haven't figured out how to do complex mathematical formulas in this format yet). Pi is usually represented by 3.14 and r is the radius - which is the number we're looking for.
So, the radius of the circle is equivalent to the square root of the area divided by pi.
With an area of 250,000 square feet, the radius works out to 282 ft.
So, in a factory or office building, you should be able to go 282 ft away from the base unit with an EnGenius long range cordless phone.
Now, this is confusing, because I've seen places online that report up to 1/2 mile range with the same phone in a city environment (2640 ft)...so which figure are we supposed to use? Maybe it's the farm figure.
Okay - second figure - up to 3,000 acres coverage on ranches or farms.
An acre is 43,560 sq. ft., so 3,000 acres is 130,680,000 sq. ft.
Doing the same math as above, the radius of a circle with an area of 3,000 acres is 6600 ft, or 1.25 miles.
Okay, so I got the numbers figured out, but I just wanted to make sure, so I called up EnGenius and spoke to a sales rep about the numbers, and learned a few interesting things.
The fellow's name (which sorry, I didn't catch), said that they get clients who can't get 50 feet out of their phones, and others who can get 14 km on them. Quite a variation.
The causes of variation are many. There could be a lot of electrical interference from other electronics in the area near the base unit. Trees, lots of metal in building frames and other factors work to decrease long range wireless phone range.
The EnGenius sales rep talked about how one client in Western Canada in the mountains gets around 14 km range (that's about 8.7 miles) with his SN-920 phone because he's in the middle of nowhere and he stays pretty much within line of sight of his base unit (or at least the building the antenna's located on).
So, in short, expect a lot of variation in range with a long range wireless phone.
Oh - speaking of antennas - the external EnGenius antenna increases range between 5~10% according to this rep. Some people even take the outdoor antenna, flip it over and mount it upside-down from the ceiling to increase the signal strength indoors. Interesting concept that I hadn't heard of before.
Now, Voyager phones (remember them from the beginning?) are marketed strictly in terms of range. 1~6 miles for their base model and up from there. You have to keep in mind though, that some of their models are not approved for use in North America.
So, there's my effort to educate myself about how far you can go with a long range wireless phone.
If you want, click here to learn more about the long range wireless phones we carry.
Telephone Magic sells long range wireless phones from EnGenius and Voyager. With the Voyager long range wireless phones, they give you an idea how far you can go (i.e. 1 to 6 miles, up to 25 miles or up to 50 miles). Cool. That's easy - even for a kid who was brought up on the metric system in Canada and never had to work with miles, pounds etc.
But the EnGenius numbers were more confusing because they didn't spell things out in what I consider "plain English".
What do these numbers mean to you?
Up to 250,000 sq. ft. coverage in factories and buildings
Up to 12 floors penetration in office buildings
Up to 3,000 acres of coverage on ranches and farms
I don't know what that really means, because frankly, I have no idea how big 250,000 sq. ft. really is. I don't work in a place that's 250,000 sq. ft. in area. I get the 12 floors of penetration in office buildings, but since I don't work in a huge office building, that statistic isn't particularly helpful. How big is an acre, anyway?
Well, I got thinking about those numbers, so I thought I'd figure them out, because it was bothering me.
First of all, you have to think about this particular long range wireless phone - or any other long range wireless phone, for that matter.
Long range wireless phones can be hooked up to your office's PBX OR work on a regular analog line, making them suitable for home or office use. They have a base station and a handset and it's the distance away from the handset you can go that's important, in my opinion.
250,000 square feet is a square with sides 500 ft long. However, the signal from the base unit from a long range cordless phone is going to radiate outward, so a circle is a more representative way to think about the area of coverage. So, how far away from the base unit does 250,000 square feet represent?
Well, the area of a circle is calculated by pi r square (sorry, I haven't figured out how to do complex mathematical formulas in this format yet). Pi is usually represented by 3.14 and r is the radius - which is the number we're looking for.
So, the radius of the circle is equivalent to the square root of the area divided by pi.
With an area of 250,000 square feet, the radius works out to 282 ft.
So, in a factory or office building, you should be able to go 282 ft away from the base unit with an EnGenius long range cordless phone.
Now, this is confusing, because I've seen places online that report up to 1/2 mile range with the same phone in a city environment (2640 ft)...so which figure are we supposed to use? Maybe it's the farm figure.
Okay - second figure - up to 3,000 acres coverage on ranches or farms.
An acre is 43,560 sq. ft., so 3,000 acres is 130,680,000 sq. ft.
Doing the same math as above, the radius of a circle with an area of 3,000 acres is 6600 ft, or 1.25 miles.
Okay, so I got the numbers figured out, but I just wanted to make sure, so I called up EnGenius and spoke to a sales rep about the numbers, and learned a few interesting things.
The fellow's name (which sorry, I didn't catch), said that they get clients who can't get 50 feet out of their phones, and others who can get 14 km on them. Quite a variation.
The causes of variation are many. There could be a lot of electrical interference from other electronics in the area near the base unit. Trees, lots of metal in building frames and other factors work to decrease long range wireless phone range.
The EnGenius sales rep talked about how one client in Western Canada in the mountains gets around 14 km range (that's about 8.7 miles) with his SN-920 phone because he's in the middle of nowhere and he stays pretty much within line of sight of his base unit (or at least the building the antenna's located on).
So, in short, expect a lot of variation in range with a long range wireless phone.
Oh - speaking of antennas - the external EnGenius antenna increases range between 5~10% according to this rep. Some people even take the outdoor antenna, flip it over and mount it upside-down from the ceiling to increase the signal strength indoors. Interesting concept that I hadn't heard of before.
Now, Voyager phones (remember them from the beginning?) are marketed strictly in terms of range. 1~6 miles for their base model and up from there. You have to keep in mind though, that some of their models are not approved for use in North America.
So, there's my effort to educate myself about how far you can go with a long range wireless phone.
If you want, click here to learn more about the long range wireless phones we carry.
Monday, November 29, 2004
We just submitted to a Blog search engine!
I'm learning more about this stuff every day...
Blog Search Engine -Search Engine and Directory of blogs. Looking for blogs? Find them on BlogSearchEngine.com
Whatever.
I still find it interesting that people search through blogs to find things of interest. Then again, I do the same.
Blog Search Engine -Search Engine and Directory of blogs. Looking for blogs? Find them on BlogSearchEngine.com
Whatever.
I still find it interesting that people search through blogs to find things of interest. Then again, I do the same.
A month of reflections
As usual, I continue to be amazed at the products and services sold by our company. I've been looking around and observing how people use these products and I've come to a simple conclusion: most people have no idea what technology is available and if they do, they often don't use it effectively.
I was stuck on hold the other day with a local ISP and was listening to the radio station while waiting. I've recently updated our message on hold offerings on our website and frankly, I'm amazed at what can be done to promote to people while they're waiting on hold. Anyway, as I was on hold listening to the radio, I heard an ad for another local ISP! I couldn't believe it - in the minute or so that I was on the phone, I heard an ad for a competitor to the company I was calling!
Now, I have no particular loyalty to the ISP I was calling (I was helping out a friend with a technical issue), but if I was in the marketing department at that ISP, I certainly wouldn't want to sing the virtues of a competitor by handing out their flyers in the lobby. Yet that's what they were doing by playing the radio station while people were on hold!
Imagine how many people get placed on hold there every day. Some of them are going to be having some technical issue that they're not happy about. Imagine having those people hear a message from a competitor right at that time. What do you think the effect would be? One more customer likely to leave. Not good. My advice - get a good on hold message player and engage customers with messages about your great service or new product offerings. It's much less expensive to do that than to advertise your competition.
My brother passed away recently and I took some time off to help my elderly parents with making his arrangements. I've been on the phone a lot with the cemetary because they provide funeral home services as well as final resting places. On Sundays, they have an answering service taking the calls. Now maybe it's appropriate for a live person to answer the phone at a cemetary, but I was thinking that sending messages directly to voice mail would have been a better option. I had to leave a message about my brother's arrangements with someone I didn't know. I would rather have left a voice message with the representative I've been dealing with. Voice mail systems are so widely used that I was surprised and a little taken aback that I had to deal with an answering service.
Odd, isn't it? The answering service was helpful, but at that time, I would have preferred the impersonal "leave a voice message" approach.
Every business has a different need to take information or inform based on its market and clients. The technology is available to serve your clients well. If you're so inclined, have a look at the Telephone Magic website for inspiration on how you can better serve your customers.
I was stuck on hold the other day with a local ISP and was listening to the radio station while waiting. I've recently updated our message on hold offerings on our website and frankly, I'm amazed at what can be done to promote to people while they're waiting on hold. Anyway, as I was on hold listening to the radio, I heard an ad for another local ISP! I couldn't believe it - in the minute or so that I was on the phone, I heard an ad for a competitor to the company I was calling!
Now, I have no particular loyalty to the ISP I was calling (I was helping out a friend with a technical issue), but if I was in the marketing department at that ISP, I certainly wouldn't want to sing the virtues of a competitor by handing out their flyers in the lobby. Yet that's what they were doing by playing the radio station while people were on hold!
Imagine how many people get placed on hold there every day. Some of them are going to be having some technical issue that they're not happy about. Imagine having those people hear a message from a competitor right at that time. What do you think the effect would be? One more customer likely to leave. Not good. My advice - get a good on hold message player and engage customers with messages about your great service or new product offerings. It's much less expensive to do that than to advertise your competition.
My brother passed away recently and I took some time off to help my elderly parents with making his arrangements. I've been on the phone a lot with the cemetary because they provide funeral home services as well as final resting places. On Sundays, they have an answering service taking the calls. Now maybe it's appropriate for a live person to answer the phone at a cemetary, but I was thinking that sending messages directly to voice mail would have been a better option. I had to leave a message about my brother's arrangements with someone I didn't know. I would rather have left a voice message with the representative I've been dealing with. Voice mail systems are so widely used that I was surprised and a little taken aback that I had to deal with an answering service.
Odd, isn't it? The answering service was helpful, but at that time, I would have preferred the impersonal "leave a voice message" approach.
Every business has a different need to take information or inform based on its market and clients. The technology is available to serve your clients well. If you're so inclined, have a look at the Telephone Magic website for inspiration on how you can better serve your customers.
Monday, October 25, 2004
Headsets and life savers
First of all, I don't recommend using a headset while eating Life Savers candy. They make you salivate, which makes you spit and that can clog up your microphone...
I was driving to work this morning and saw a "jerk" driving along. How did I know he was a jerk? Because he was driving fast, then slow, then making sudden lane changes only to change back a minute later. My first thought was that he was drunk, but when I passed him as he exited the highway, I saw he was talking on a cellphone. In other words, he was driving like a lot of us do - not paying attention and causing dangerous situations for other drivers around him.
What's more important? A phone call or your safety? Most people assume they can talk and drive at the same time because they haven't had any accidents so far. This head in the sand approach ignores the reality that we are very seldom aware of how our driving affects others in general. I had a stint as a driving instructor in a past life (I like to call it my time teaching "Early Childhood Education") and most students (and experienced drivers I had to road test) were clueless about their bad habits.
The reality is our attention is mostly occupied by our phone conversation and we have little attention left to focus on our driving. As long as you're on the highway on cruise control in light traffic, this probably isn't a problem. In heavy traffic, rush hour or in city traffic, talking on a phone is just asking for trouble.
The cost of an accident can be measured in financial and personal terms. Financial - your car repair costs and insurance rate increases and possibly the time you have to take off work to recover. Personal - injuries, both physical and psychological can take a long time to heal. Especially if you cause injury to someone else. Even worse, your unfocused driving could cause the death of a stranger or someone you love.
In short, get a freakin' headset if you're going to talk on the phone!!!!
There. Rant's done for now...
Man, that was a CRAPPY way to start a Monday morning. Hope you're all having a better day.
I was driving to work this morning and saw a "jerk" driving along. How did I know he was a jerk? Because he was driving fast, then slow, then making sudden lane changes only to change back a minute later. My first thought was that he was drunk, but when I passed him as he exited the highway, I saw he was talking on a cellphone. In other words, he was driving like a lot of us do - not paying attention and causing dangerous situations for other drivers around him.
What's more important? A phone call or your safety? Most people assume they can talk and drive at the same time because they haven't had any accidents so far. This head in the sand approach ignores the reality that we are very seldom aware of how our driving affects others in general. I had a stint as a driving instructor in a past life (I like to call it my time teaching "Early Childhood Education") and most students (and experienced drivers I had to road test) were clueless about their bad habits.
The reality is our attention is mostly occupied by our phone conversation and we have little attention left to focus on our driving. As long as you're on the highway on cruise control in light traffic, this probably isn't a problem. In heavy traffic, rush hour or in city traffic, talking on a phone is just asking for trouble.
The cost of an accident can be measured in financial and personal terms. Financial - your car repair costs and insurance rate increases and possibly the time you have to take off work to recover. Personal - injuries, both physical and psychological can take a long time to heal. Especially if you cause injury to someone else. Even worse, your unfocused driving could cause the death of a stranger or someone you love.
In short, get a freakin' headset if you're going to talk on the phone!!!!
There. Rant's done for now...
Man, that was a CRAPPY way to start a Monday morning. Hope you're all having a better day.
Monday, October 18, 2004
Phone system programming 101
I get the title of today's post from Ryan, one of our techies, who used it when explaining something about my desktop phone.
I've been using a Panasonic phone on my desk since I started working here. I think it was called a "Digital Hybrid Phone" according to the Panasonic literature. Anyway, we went through a little upgrade here and I got a "Super Hybrid IP Phone" instead. Gotta love these names. They sound so "technical" yet are generally meaningless. I mean, if you leave out "Super", the units are "Digital Hybrid" or "Hybrid IP" phones. What's the difference?
As I learned today, the "Digital Hybrid" systems are the first generation of digital phones that allowed you to get enhanced digital functions while still being able to integrate analog devices like fax machines etc.
"Hybrid IP" phone systems allow the same integration of analog devices, but offer even more digital functionality and give you full Voice over IP ability. I'll have to do another post about Voice over IP because I think it's a great technology with a lot of untapped potential.
Anyway, getting back to the original topic of the post, I learned from my tech that phone systems store all the information about a phone centrally. So, this phone switch didn't affect my voice mail or any of the other custom settings I had programmed (or at least TRIED to program) into the phone. (When it comes to phones, I've learned that just following the prompts is usually the best bet. Reading the owner's manual helps too...)
I've gotta say though, this new phone's not as "snazzy" as the last one I had. There were more buttons, lights etc. on the other one. But, it's got all the functions I need (and then some) and it's a clean looking phone - not too cluttered, which I suppose I ought to appreciate more.
Isn't it strange that in our modern world, the more complicated something looks the better we think it is while things that are simple and functional are seen as being somehow lesser? Is it conditioning or are we hard-wired that way? I remember my first office phone. It had the standard key buttons and that was it. No hold. No transfer. No fancy lights. Just a keypad and handset. Just one step away from being rotary. But, it worked. Someone called, the phone rang, I picked it up and talked to them, then hung up. No muss. No fuss.
Nowadays, I think of the things I need to be able to do with my phone. It's more than what I had to do when I started off in the business world. Voice messaging is essential. Headset compatability is almost a necessity. Being able to transfer calls or have a three-way conversation is handy too. The intercom saves me a bunch of walking and call-waiting has been a very convenient option.
I never used to think about how phone systems worked, but every day, I'm learning something new about what features there are with various phone systems and I'm always impressed.
Oh yeah - gotta impress the boss...
http://www.telephonemagic.com/panasonic_phone_systems.htm
Hybrid IP systems are Panasonic's latest systems and they've replaced the Digital Hybrid product line. Just in case you were interested.
I've been using a Panasonic phone on my desk since I started working here. I think it was called a "Digital Hybrid Phone" according to the Panasonic literature. Anyway, we went through a little upgrade here and I got a "Super Hybrid IP Phone" instead. Gotta love these names. They sound so "technical" yet are generally meaningless. I mean, if you leave out "Super", the units are "Digital Hybrid" or "Hybrid IP" phones. What's the difference?
As I learned today, the "Digital Hybrid" systems are the first generation of digital phones that allowed you to get enhanced digital functions while still being able to integrate analog devices like fax machines etc.
"Hybrid IP" phone systems allow the same integration of analog devices, but offer even more digital functionality and give you full Voice over IP ability. I'll have to do another post about Voice over IP because I think it's a great technology with a lot of untapped potential.
Anyway, getting back to the original topic of the post, I learned from my tech that phone systems store all the information about a phone centrally. So, this phone switch didn't affect my voice mail or any of the other custom settings I had programmed (or at least TRIED to program) into the phone. (When it comes to phones, I've learned that just following the prompts is usually the best bet. Reading the owner's manual helps too...)
I've gotta say though, this new phone's not as "snazzy" as the last one I had. There were more buttons, lights etc. on the other one. But, it's got all the functions I need (and then some) and it's a clean looking phone - not too cluttered, which I suppose I ought to appreciate more.
Isn't it strange that in our modern world, the more complicated something looks the better we think it is while things that are simple and functional are seen as being somehow lesser? Is it conditioning or are we hard-wired that way? I remember my first office phone. It had the standard key buttons and that was it. No hold. No transfer. No fancy lights. Just a keypad and handset. Just one step away from being rotary. But, it worked. Someone called, the phone rang, I picked it up and talked to them, then hung up. No muss. No fuss.
Nowadays, I think of the things I need to be able to do with my phone. It's more than what I had to do when I started off in the business world. Voice messaging is essential. Headset compatability is almost a necessity. Being able to transfer calls or have a three-way conversation is handy too. The intercom saves me a bunch of walking and call-waiting has been a very convenient option.
I never used to think about how phone systems worked, but every day, I'm learning something new about what features there are with various phone systems and I'm always impressed.
Oh yeah - gotta impress the boss...
http://www.telephonemagic.com/panasonic_phone_systems.htm
Hybrid IP systems are Panasonic's latest systems and they've replaced the Digital Hybrid product line. Just in case you were interested.
Thursday, October 14, 2004
The boss, headaches and headsets
Interesting how a little writing has the power to change a life. Well, it hasn't happened yet in this blog, but it's got potential.
I was talking to one of my coworkers here and showed them the headset piece I wrote a couple of days ago. Next thing I know, she's saying how much her neck hurts from spending so much time on the phone and yeah, a headset WOULD be a good idea. Will a headset change her life? Well, if she didn't have a sore neck and/or a headache, her quality of life would change for the better. After that, I'd only be speculating...but maybe she'd be driving home and because she didn't have any neck pain, she could check her blind spot before changing lanes to to see the Mini Cooper there, thus preventing an accident and possible injury or even DEATH.
See? Headsets could change a life!
Imagine if there was a wholesale awakening of the idea of wearing a phone headset at work. GN Netcom's last newsletter said there are 70 million potential headset wearers in North America. 70 million. That's a lot. Imagine the impact of that change. Headaches and stress would decline. Sales of painkillers would drop. Chiropractors and massage therapists would be cast out into the streets...
Just kidding about that last bit, but to me, this is a striking example of how we go through our daily lives just following the routine, not thinking whether things could be better, but just accepting things the way they are. Imagine the difference a little change can make.
Of course, that's how the people at charities work. If everyone donated a little pocket change every day, charities would be able to make a big change in the world. What have you done to change your life today? Buying a headset would be nice : )
http://www.telephonemagic.com, for those of you who are interested, sells telecommunications products, including headsets, at wholesale prices. (There. The boss is mollified again.)
Speaking of the boss, he called in today from his home office and we chatted for about 1/2 hour about some website updates he'd like done. Me on my headset and him with the phone stuck between his ear and his shoulder. Guess who had a bigger headache after we were done?
Me, of course... (just kidding). Seriously though, I didn't have any neck pain when I was done. I can't vouch for him though.
I was talking to one of my coworkers here and showed them the headset piece I wrote a couple of days ago. Next thing I know, she's saying how much her neck hurts from spending so much time on the phone and yeah, a headset WOULD be a good idea. Will a headset change her life? Well, if she didn't have a sore neck and/or a headache, her quality of life would change for the better. After that, I'd only be speculating...but maybe she'd be driving home and because she didn't have any neck pain, she could check her blind spot before changing lanes to to see the Mini Cooper there, thus preventing an accident and possible injury or even DEATH.
See? Headsets could change a life!
Imagine if there was a wholesale awakening of the idea of wearing a phone headset at work. GN Netcom's last newsletter said there are 70 million potential headset wearers in North America. 70 million. That's a lot. Imagine the impact of that change. Headaches and stress would decline. Sales of painkillers would drop. Chiropractors and massage therapists would be cast out into the streets...
Just kidding about that last bit, but to me, this is a striking example of how we go through our daily lives just following the routine, not thinking whether things could be better, but just accepting things the way they are. Imagine the difference a little change can make.
Of course, that's how the people at charities work. If everyone donated a little pocket change every day, charities would be able to make a big change in the world. What have you done to change your life today? Buying a headset would be nice : )
http://www.telephonemagic.com, for those of you who are interested, sells telecommunications products, including headsets, at wholesale prices. (There. The boss is mollified again.)
Speaking of the boss, he called in today from his home office and we chatted for about 1/2 hour about some website updates he'd like done. Me on my headset and him with the phone stuck between his ear and his shoulder. Guess who had a bigger headache after we were done?
Me, of course... (just kidding). Seriously though, I didn't have any neck pain when I was done. I can't vouch for him though.
Tuesday, October 12, 2004
Headset wearers - are they geeks?
Despite the number of beautiful people wearing headsets in the promotional literature, what do you think of headset wearers? Are they geeks? Working in a telecommunications company, I would expect most every desk to be equipped with a headset. To my surprise, people here prefer to use their handsets. Even the sales reps who have headsets at their desks use their handsets most of the time. What gives?
I don't use the phone that much, but when I do, I have a Plantronics CS10 wireless headset so I can get up and wander around if I need to while I'm on the phone with a supplier or something like that. I like headsets. I use one at my home office although it's nowhere near as nice as the CS10.
Funny thing - just looking at the headset that came with the CS10 unit - there's no model number on it. Have they heard of branding? Also, just got off the phone with Plantronics tech support - you can use any Plantronics H-model headset with the CS10 as long as you purchase a little adapter cable. Pretty cool.
While I like what I'm using, I think the 9210 wireless headset from GN Netcom is pretty cool as well. Just so you have a point of reference, here's links to the different headsets I've mentioned.
http://www.telephonemagic.com/phone-headset/plantronics-cs10-wireless-headset.htm
http://www.telephonemagic.com/phone-headset/gn-netcom-9120-headset.htm
(Those links oughta keep the boss happy...)
Anyway, headset wearers. Geeks or enlightened telephone users? I'm on the enlightened bandwagon (mainly because I'm wearing one right now) but I'm curious to know what other people think. I don't see many people with their headsets on in business settings (or even HAVING headsets) and certainly I haven't seen anyone around here using a headset with their wireless phone. Maybe I need to live in a larger urban centre to see the beautiful people wearing headsets...
I don't use the phone that much, but when I do, I have a Plantronics CS10 wireless headset so I can get up and wander around if I need to while I'm on the phone with a supplier or something like that. I like headsets. I use one at my home office although it's nowhere near as nice as the CS10.
Funny thing - just looking at the headset that came with the CS10 unit - there's no model number on it. Have they heard of branding? Also, just got off the phone with Plantronics tech support - you can use any Plantronics H-model headset with the CS10 as long as you purchase a little adapter cable. Pretty cool.
While I like what I'm using, I think the 9210 wireless headset from GN Netcom is pretty cool as well. Just so you have a point of reference, here's links to the different headsets I've mentioned.
http://www.telephonemagic.com/phone-headset/plantronics-cs10-wireless-headset.htm
http://www.telephonemagic.com/phone-headset/gn-netcom-9120-headset.htm
(Those links oughta keep the boss happy...)
Anyway, headset wearers. Geeks or enlightened telephone users? I'm on the enlightened bandwagon (mainly because I'm wearing one right now) but I'm curious to know what other people think. I don't see many people with their headsets on in business settings (or even HAVING headsets) and certainly I haven't seen anyone around here using a headset with their wireless phone. Maybe I need to live in a larger urban centre to see the beautiful people wearing headsets...
An Introduction
Hello World!
Funny - talking about telecommunications stuff and despite being a "non-programmer", I start the posts with the most basic program name ever...
Anyway, Hi. My name's Mark Kawabe and I am working at Telephone Magic Inc. in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. My job? Probably not to be blogging ; )
Actually, my job here is internet marketing which includes search engine optimization and of course, keeping the website updated with new products. I don't have a telecom background or any particular training, which means that every day, I'm learning something new about something telecom related. Whether it's a new wireless handset, Bluetooth headset, voice over IP or some other neat technology, I'm discovering more cool things that are available to the business and general public. That's why I named this blog "Telecommunications Discoveries". Because I'm making discoveries every day. Frankly, I'm really impressed by what's available. So many different manufacturers doing so many neat things with technology that's supposed to make our lives easier.
Okay - I don't believe for a moment about technology making our lives easier in the bigger sense (i.e. I'm only working 4 hours a week but getting paid for 40 and having a wonderful life because of technology). But, I do think that the potential is there for technology to make a difference. Things like wireless headsets for mobile phones. I like those, mainly because I hate holding a headset while driving (yes, I know, I should pull over but hey, it's not like you've NEVER talked on the phone while driving). I like headsets in general (mainly because sitting at a computer most of the time, I have enough neck strain thank-you-very-much). I think VoIP is cool. Maybe it's just a guy thing - more high-tech toys. Who knows.
There's nowhere on the Telephone Magic website to just put my observations about these products now, and at present, the owner doesn't even know I'm doing this...though he will shortly. So, I thought I'd start a blog talking about the things I've learned while working here.
I'm a telecommunications newbie and I figure a lot of other people are as well. So, I'll be trying to talk about things in telecom that I don't think enough people use. My opinions only, of course. Just because I have to tell the boss about this thing doesn't mean I want it to become a complete corporate manifesto.
So there you have it. The first entry in what will hopefully be a fun blog for people to read. Any feedback or questions are welcome.
Thanks for visiting!
Best Regards,
Mark Kawabe
Funny - talking about telecommunications stuff and despite being a "non-programmer", I start the posts with the most basic program name ever...
Anyway, Hi. My name's Mark Kawabe and I am working at Telephone Magic Inc. in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. My job? Probably not to be blogging ; )
Actually, my job here is internet marketing which includes search engine optimization and of course, keeping the website updated with new products. I don't have a telecom background or any particular training, which means that every day, I'm learning something new about something telecom related. Whether it's a new wireless handset, Bluetooth headset, voice over IP or some other neat technology, I'm discovering more cool things that are available to the business and general public. That's why I named this blog "Telecommunications Discoveries". Because I'm making discoveries every day. Frankly, I'm really impressed by what's available. So many different manufacturers doing so many neat things with technology that's supposed to make our lives easier.
Okay - I don't believe for a moment about technology making our lives easier in the bigger sense (i.e. I'm only working 4 hours a week but getting paid for 40 and having a wonderful life because of technology). But, I do think that the potential is there for technology to make a difference. Things like wireless headsets for mobile phones. I like those, mainly because I hate holding a headset while driving (yes, I know, I should pull over but hey, it's not like you've NEVER talked on the phone while driving). I like headsets in general (mainly because sitting at a computer most of the time, I have enough neck strain thank-you-very-much). I think VoIP is cool. Maybe it's just a guy thing - more high-tech toys. Who knows.
There's nowhere on the Telephone Magic website to just put my observations about these products now, and at present, the owner doesn't even know I'm doing this...though he will shortly. So, I thought I'd start a blog talking about the things I've learned while working here.
I'm a telecommunications newbie and I figure a lot of other people are as well. So, I'll be trying to talk about things in telecom that I don't think enough people use. My opinions only, of course. Just because I have to tell the boss about this thing doesn't mean I want it to become a complete corporate manifesto.
So there you have it. The first entry in what will hopefully be a fun blog for people to read. Any feedback or questions are welcome.
Thanks for visiting!
Best Regards,
Mark Kawabe
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