We have just completed our massive website upgrades with "LIVE" Chat, a new Express Quote feature, improved navigation and design features, and much more.
Another improvement is that our Telecommunications Blog has moved on-site to www.telephonemagic.com/blog. We look forward to a more active Blog with loads of helpful tips and telecom news so be sure to join us!
Thursday, October 10, 2013
Monday, September 16, 2013
Telephone Magic YouTube Videos - More "Telecom Tips"
The Nortel / Avaya 1100 Series IP Internet Telephones are supported by a variety of Nortel Networks communication systems: BCM 50 R3.0 or later, Nortel Communication Server 1000 with backward compatibility to R4.0, Nortel Communication Server 2100 (initial support with Release SE10), Nortel Communication Server 2000 (SN09U and later), Supported on Media Gateway 1000B Expansion Chassis, Survivable Remote Gateway 50 (R3.0 and later).
These phones are prominently featured in the HBO TV Series "The Newsroom" starring Jeff Daniels.
Originally manufactured by Nortel for the BCM and Communication Server lines, these IP phones are now branded by Avaya as part of the SMB portfolio merger.
These phones are prominently featured in the HBO TV Series "The Newsroom" starring Jeff Daniels.
Originally manufactured by Nortel for the BCM and Communication Server lines, these IP phones are now branded by Avaya as part of the SMB portfolio merger.
Sunday, August 18, 2013
Telephone Magic YouTube Videos - More "Telecom Tips"
Telecom Tips: How to Record Your Business Phone Calls
There is an easy way to record your business and personal phone conversations. Call recording is a great way to remind yourself about what was discussed and we focus on a handy USB call recording system which allows you to record calls to your PC in standard .wav format. You can easily organize and save these calls and listen to them or email the recordings to the other part as a reminder of what was discussed.
There is an easy way to record your business and personal phone conversations. Call recording is a great way to remind yourself about what was discussed and we focus on a handy USB call recording system which allows you to record calls to your PC in standard .wav format. You can easily organize and save these calls and listen to them or email the recordings to the other part as a reminder of what was discussed.
he Nortel M3900 series digital PBX phones for Meridian 1; Option PBX platform - 11C, 51C, 61C, 81C; and more recently the Nortel Avaya Communication Server 1000M when you wish to protect your digital phone investment when moving into the enterprise IP-PBX realm. Models include 3904 3903, 3902, 3901, 3905, Snap-in accessories include the Key Base Expansion Module and ATA.
Avaya 5400 series phones are a legacy digital phone series for the IP Office phone system platform. The stylish line consists of the Avaya 5402 entry level phone, the Avaya 5410 phone and the Avaya 5420 phone, along with the Avaya EU24 Expansion Module for use specifically with the 5420 and the Avaya 1151D1 Power Supply which powers the EU24 module.
Avaya 5600 series IP phones are a legacy VoIP phone series for the IP Office phone system platform. The stylish line consists of the Avaya 5601 non-display and 5602 entry level IP phones, the Avaya 5610 IP phone and the Avaya 5620 IP phone, along with the Avaya EU24 Expansion Module for use specifically with the 5620 and the Avaya 1151D1 Power Supply which is required to power each of the 5600 series phones as well as the EU24 module.
Be sure to Subscribe, Comment, Favorite and "LIKE" our "Telecom Tips" video installments on our telephone Magic YouTube channel.
Monday, August 12, 2013
Telephone Magic YouTube Channel Offers Telecom Tips
Well we finally have all our ducks in a row to start our Telephone Magic YouTube.com channel series which will focus on Telecom Tips related to business phone system products.
Our FIRST YouTube Telecom Tip is all about buying your business phone system equipment at wholesale prices:
How to Order business telephone system equipment and phones "Wholesale Direct" online ~ It is Easy and Fast to get an "Express Quote" for the business office phone system hardware and accessories you need. Follow these steps and cut out the middle man.
Our second installment of Telecom Tips is all about the phones and accessories in the Avaya 1400 digital phone series:
The Avaya 1400 Series phones are for use with the Avaya IP Office business phone system. The line consists of the Avaya 1403 phone, the 1408 phone and the 1416 phone models, along with the DBM32 button module. Buy them online at wholesale prices!
Be sure to Subscribe, Comment, and, we hope, "LIKE" our Telecom Tips video installments on YouTube and we trust you will enjoy being in on the "ground floor" of our channel. We appreciate you taking the time to interact with us!
Saturday, July 20, 2013
#Telecom #News - July 7th- July 20th, 2013
Telephone Magic Continues Support for Nortel/Aastra Meridian Centrex Phones
July 19, 2013 -- Telephone Magic now offers replacement Nortel Meridian M5000 Centrex MBS 2 telephones with "As New" warranties at wholesale prices to enterprise clients. New Aastra Centrex phones are also available to ensure an ongoing supply to Cental Office controlled phone networks.
Telephone Magic Continues Support for Nortel Meridian 1 and Option 11C Phones
July 17, 2013 -- As enterprise phone systems age, the first things to go are the phones. Telephone Magic now offers replacement Nortel Meridian M2000 and M3900 phones / Avaya 3900 series digital telephones with "As New" warranties at wholesale prices to large enterprise clients.
New Nortel/Avaya Phone Headsets Provide Direct-Connect Options for Business Users
July 16, 2013 -- Business office staff can avoid the added expense of purchasing headset amplifiers with Telephone Magic "Direct-Connect" phone headset options for Nortel/Avaya Norstar, Meridian, and BCM phone system telephones.
Polycom SoundPoint IP SIP Phones - the Most Interoperable for IP-PBX Platforms
July 12, 2013 -- The new Polycom SoundPoint IP phone Series from Telephone Magic is an enterprise-grade family of SIP desktop phones designed to make voice communications effective and productive.
NEC SV8100 Phone System Represents the Utimate in Unified Communications
July 11, 2013 -- New NEC SV8100 phone system platform meets business demands for efficient, seamless communication to enable rapid decision-making and customer responsiveness. Telephone Magic offers the SV8100 to help small to medium-sized businesses succeed by placing people at the center of communications.
New Avaya 9500 Phones Ideal for Mixed Digital/IP Telephone Deployment
July 08, 2013 -- Avaya 9500 Series digital telephones look and function like the Avaya 9600 Series IP Deskphones and can be deployed in mixed digital/IP telephony environments - the premium choice for businesses to add digital endpoints from Telephone Magic with a consistent appearance and user experience.
Telephone Magic Inc. Offers All Three Major Hotel Phone Brands ~ Teledex, Scitec, TeleMatrix
We invite YOUR hotel, motel, Bed & Breakfast (B&B), resort, or hosptality property to get a room telephone quote from us the next time YOU need replacements or spares hotel phones, or when they are ready to upgrade to new hotel motel room phones.
Hotel Trivia and Information:
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms and air conditioning or climate control. Additional common features found in hotel rooms are a telephone, an alarm clock, a television, a safe, a mini-bar with snack foods and drinks, and facilities for making tea and coffee. Luxury features include bathrobes and slippers, a pillow menu, twin-sink vanities, and Jacuzzi bathtubs. Larger hotels may provide additional guest facilities such as a restaurant, swimming pool, fitness center, business center, childcare, conference facilities and social function services.
Hotel rooms are usually numbered (or named in some smaller hotels and B&Bs) to allow guests to identify their room.
Some hotels offer meals as part of a room and board arrangement. In the United Kingdom, a hotel is required by law to serve food and drinks to all guests within certain stated hours. In Japan, capsule hotels provide a minimized amount of room space and shared facilities.
Etymology:
Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal, Budapest, Hungary
The word hotel is derived from the French h̫tel (coming from h̫te meaning host), which referred to a French version of a townhouse or any other building seeing frequent visitors, rather than a place offering accommodation. In contemporary French usage, h̫tel now has the same meaning as the English term, and h̫tel particulier is used for the old meaning. The French spelling, with the circumflex, was also used in English, but is now rare. The circumflex replaces the 's' found in the earlier hostel spelling, which over time took on a new, but closely related meaning. Grammatically, hotels usually take the definite article Рhence "The Astoria Hotel" or simply "The Astoria."
Types of Hotels:
Hotel operations vary in size, function, and cost. Most hotels and major hospitality companies that operate hotels have set widely accepted industry standards to classify hotel types. General categories include the following;
* Upscale Luxury:
o Examples include Conrad Hotels, Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Dorchester Collection,and JW Marriott Hotels
* Full Service:
o Examples include Hilton, Marriott, Doubletree, and Hyatt
* Select Service:
o Examples include Courtyard by Marriott and Hilton Garden Inn
* Limited Service:
o Examples include Hampton Inn, Fairfield Inn, Days Inn, and La Quinta Inns & Suites
* Extended Stay:
o Examples include Homewood Suites by Hilton, Residence Inn by Marriott, and Extended Stay Hotels
* Timeshare:
o Examples include Marriott Vacation Club International, Westgate Resorts, and Disney Vacation Club
* Destination Club
Hotel management:
Hotel management is a significant career. Larger hotels may operate with an extensive management structure consisting of a General Manager which serves as the head executive, department heads that oversee various departments, middle managers, administrative staff, and line-level supervisors. Degree programs such as hospitality management studies, a business degree, and/or certification programs prepare hotel managers for industry practice.
Historic hotels:
Hotel Astoria and a statue of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia in front, in Saint Petersburg, Russia
Some hotels have gained their renown through tradition, by hosting significant events or persons, such as Schloss Cecilienhof in Potsdam, Germany, which derives its fame from the Potsdam Conference of the World War II allies Winston Churchill, Harry Truman and Joseph Stalin in 1945. The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower in Mumbai is one of India's most famous and historic hotels because of its association with the Indian independence movement. Some establishments have given name to a particular meal or beverage, as is the case with the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, United States where the Waldorf Salad was first created or the Hotel Sacher in Vienna, Austria, home of the Sachertorte. Others have achieved fame by association with dishes or cocktails created on their premises, such as the Hotel de Paris where the crêpe Suzette was invented or the Raffles Hotel in Singapore, where the Singapore Sling cocktail was devised.
Hôtel Ritz in Paris, France:
A number of hotels have entered the public consciousness through popular culture, such as the Ritz Hotel in London, through its association with Irving Berlin's song, 'Puttin' on the Ritz'. The Algonquin Hotel in New York City is famed as the meeting place of the literary group, the Algonquin Round Table, and Hotel Chelsea, also in New York City, has been the subject of a number of songs and the scene of the stabbing of Nancy Spungen (allegedly by her boyfriend Sid Vicious). The Waldorf Astoria and Statler hotels in New York City are also immortalized in the names of Muppets Statler and Waldorf.[citation needed]
Unusual hotels:
Chicago's Magnificent Mile has hosted many skyscraper hotels such as the Allerton Hotel
Many hotels can be considered destinations in themselves, by dint of unusual features of the lodging or its immediate environment:
Treehouse hotels:
Some hotels are built with living trees as structural elements, for example the Costa Rica Tree House in the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica; the Treetops Hotel in Aberdare National Park, Kenya; the Ariau Towers near Manaus, Brazil, on the Rio Negro in the Amazon; and Bayram's Tree Houses in Olympos, Turkey.
Bunker hotels:
The Null Stern Hotel in Teufen, Appenzellerland, Switzerland and the Concrete Mushrooms in Albania[1] are former nuclear bunkers transformed into hotels.
Shoe hotels:
Shoe hotels are hotels built into a giant shoe. The idea was inspired by the "Old Woman who lived in a shoe" myth. The largest such hotel is currently in Hokkaido, Japan. The most popular shoe hotels are modelled after a woman's platform dancing shoe.
Cave hotels:
The Cuevas Pedro Antonio de Alarcón (named after the author) in Guadix, Spain, as well as several hotels in Cappadocia, Turkey, are notable for being built into natural cave formations, some with rooms underground. The Desert Cave Hotel in Coober Pedy, South Australia is built into the remains of an opal mine.
[edit] Capsule hotels
Capsule hotels are a type of economical hotel that are found in Japan, where people sleep in stacks of rectangular containers.
Ice and snow hotels:
The Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden, and the Hotel de Glace in Duschenay, Canada, melt every spring and are rebuilt each winter; the Mammut Snow Hotel in Finland is located within the walls of the Kemi snow castle; and the Lainio Snow Hotel is part of a snow village near Ylläs, Finland.
Garden hotels:
Garden hotels, famous for their gardens before they became hotels, include Gravetye Manor, the home of garden designer William Robinson, and Cliveden, designed by Charles Barry with a rose garden by Geoffrey Jellicoe.
Underwater hotels:
Some hotels have accommodation underwater, such as Utter Inn in Lake Mälaren, Sweden. Hydropolis, project cancelled 2004 in Dubai, would have had suites on the bottom of the Persian Gulf, and Jules Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Florida requires scuba diving to access its rooms.
Other unusual hotels:
RMS Queen Mary, Long Beach, California, United States
* The Library Hotel in New York City, is unique in that each of its ten floors is assigned one category from the Dewey Decimal System.
* The Burj al-Arab hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, built on an artificial island, is structured in the shape of a boat's sail.
* The Jailhotel Löwengraben in Lucerne, Switzerland is a converted prison now used as a hotel.
* The Luxor, a hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States due to its pyramidal structure.
* The Liberty Hotel in Boston, used to be the Charles Street Jail.
* Built in Scotland and completed in 1936, The former ocean liner RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, United States uses its first-class staterooms as a hotel, after retiring in 1967 from Transatlantic service.
* There are several hotels throughout the world built into converted airliners.
Resort hotels:
Principe di Piemonte, Viareggio (Italy)
Some hotels are built specifically to create a captive trade, example at casinos and holiday resorts. Though of course hotels have always been built in popular destinations, the defining characteristic of a resort hotel is that it exists purely to serve another attraction, the two having the same owners.
In Las Vegas there is a tradition of outdoing rivals with luxurious and extravagant hotels in a concentrated area known as the Las Vegas Strip. This trend now has extended to other resorts worldwide, but the concentration in Las Vegas is still the world's highest: nineteen of the world's twenty-five largest hotels by room count are on the Strip, with a total of over 67,000 rooms.
In Europe Center Parcs might be considered a chain of resort hotels, since the sites are largely man-made (though set in natural surroundings such as country parks) with captive trade, whereas holiday camps such as Butlins and Pontin's are probably not considered as resort hotels, since they are set at traditional holiday destinations which existed before the camps.
[edit] Railway hotels
Frequently, expanding railway companies built grand hotels at their termini, such as the Midland Hotel, Manchester next to the former Manchester Central Station and in London the ones above St Pancras railway station and Charing Cross railway station also in London is the Chiltern Court Hotel above Baker Street tube station and Canada's grand railway hotels. They are or were mostly, but not exclusively, used by those travelling by rail.
[edit] Motels
Motels:
A motel (motor hotel) is a hotel which is for a short stay, usually for a night, for motorists on long journeys. It has direct access from the room to the vehicle (for example a central parking lot around which the buildings are set), and is built conveniently close to major roads and intersections.
World record setting hotels:
Historical Hotel Savoy in Florence
Largest:
In 2006, Guinness World Records listed the First World Hotel in Genting Highlands, Malaysia as the world's largest hotel with a total of 6,118 rooms. Similarly, the Venetian Palazzo Complex, in Las Vegas, has the most number of rooms. It has 7,117 rooms followed by MGM Grand Hotel, which contains 6,852 rooms.
see also List of largest hotels in the world
Oldest:
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the oldest hotel still in operation is the Hoshi Ryokan, in the Awazu Onsen area of Komatsu, Japan which opened in 718.
[edit] Tallest
The Rose Tower in United Arab Emirates is the tallest building used exclusively as a hotel. Originally, the tower was to be 380 m (1,250 ft) high, but design modification reduced it to 333 m (1,093 ft).
Hotel rooms as an investment:
Some hotels sell individual rooms to investors. Timeshare is an example of this kind of investment. The buyer is allowed to stay in the room without charge or at a reduced rate for a given number of days each year. The investor is paid a share of the takings for the room. Rooms can be sold on a leasehold basis, sometimes on a 999 year lease. Room owners are free to sell at any time.
Living in hotels:
A number of public figures have notably chosen to take up semi-permanent or permanent residence in hotels.
* Actor Richard Harris lived at the Savoy Hotel while in London. Hotel archivist Susan Scott recounts an anecdote that when he was being taken out of the building on a stretcher shortly before his death he raised his hand and told the diners "it was the food."
* Inventor Nikola Tesla lived the last 10 years of his life at the New Yorker Hotel until 1943 when he died in the hotel room.
* Millionaire Howard Hughes lived his last few years in a Las Vegas hotel.
* Egyptian actor Ahmad Zaki lived his last 15 years in Ramses Hilton Hotel – Cairo.
* Larry Fine (of the Three Stooges) and his family lived in hotels, due to his extravagant spending habits and his wife's dislike for housekeeping. They first lived in the President Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where his daughter Phyllis was raised, then the Knickerbocker Hotel in Hollywood. Not until the late 1940s did Larry buy a home in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles, California.
* General Douglas McArthur lived his last 14 years in the penthouse of the Waldorf Towers, a part of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
* American actress Elaine Stritch lived in the Savoy Hotel in London for over a decade.
* Fashion designer Coco Chanel lived in the Hotel Ritz Paris on and off for more than 30 years.
* Vladimir Nabokov and his wife Vera lived in the Montreux Palace Hotel in Montreux, Switzerland from 1961 until his death in 1977.
* British entrepreneur Jack Lyons lived in the Hotel Mirador Kempinski in Switzerland for several years until his death in 2008.
Fictitious hotels:
Hotels have been used as the settings for television programs such as the British situation comedies Fawlty Towers and I'm Alan Partridge, the British soap opera Crossroads, and in films such as the Bates Motel in Hitchcock's 1960 film Psycho and The Dolphin Hotel in 1408, a short story by Stephen King which was adapted into a 2007 film.
Another is Tipton Hotel, a fictitious hotel in Disney's "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody." When the show later became a spinoff into "The Suite Life on Deck," the Tipton evolved into the SS Tipton, run by the same company.
(via Dunia Kegelapan / Wikapedia)
Hotel Trivia and Information:
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms and air conditioning or climate control. Additional common features found in hotel rooms are a telephone, an alarm clock, a television, a safe, a mini-bar with snack foods and drinks, and facilities for making tea and coffee. Luxury features include bathrobes and slippers, a pillow menu, twin-sink vanities, and Jacuzzi bathtubs. Larger hotels may provide additional guest facilities such as a restaurant, swimming pool, fitness center, business center, childcare, conference facilities and social function services.
Hotel rooms are usually numbered (or named in some smaller hotels and B&Bs) to allow guests to identify their room.
Some hotels offer meals as part of a room and board arrangement. In the United Kingdom, a hotel is required by law to serve food and drinks to all guests within certain stated hours. In Japan, capsule hotels provide a minimized amount of room space and shared facilities.
Etymology:
Corinthia Grand Hotel Royal, Budapest, Hungary
The word hotel is derived from the French h̫tel (coming from h̫te meaning host), which referred to a French version of a townhouse or any other building seeing frequent visitors, rather than a place offering accommodation. In contemporary French usage, h̫tel now has the same meaning as the English term, and h̫tel particulier is used for the old meaning. The French spelling, with the circumflex, was also used in English, but is now rare. The circumflex replaces the 's' found in the earlier hostel spelling, which over time took on a new, but closely related meaning. Grammatically, hotels usually take the definite article Рhence "The Astoria Hotel" or simply "The Astoria."
Types of Hotels:
Hotel operations vary in size, function, and cost. Most hotels and major hospitality companies that operate hotels have set widely accepted industry standards to classify hotel types. General categories include the following;
* Upscale Luxury:
o Examples include Conrad Hotels, Ritz-Carlton, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Dorchester Collection,and JW Marriott Hotels
* Full Service:
o Examples include Hilton, Marriott, Doubletree, and Hyatt
* Select Service:
o Examples include Courtyard by Marriott and Hilton Garden Inn
* Limited Service:
o Examples include Hampton Inn, Fairfield Inn, Days Inn, and La Quinta Inns & Suites
* Extended Stay:
o Examples include Homewood Suites by Hilton, Residence Inn by Marriott, and Extended Stay Hotels
* Timeshare:
o Examples include Marriott Vacation Club International, Westgate Resorts, and Disney Vacation Club
* Destination Club
Hotel management:
Hotel management is a significant career. Larger hotels may operate with an extensive management structure consisting of a General Manager which serves as the head executive, department heads that oversee various departments, middle managers, administrative staff, and line-level supervisors. Degree programs such as hospitality management studies, a business degree, and/or certification programs prepare hotel managers for industry practice.
Historic hotels:
Hotel Astoria and a statue of Tsar Nicholas I of Russia in front, in Saint Petersburg, Russia
Some hotels have gained their renown through tradition, by hosting significant events or persons, such as Schloss Cecilienhof in Potsdam, Germany, which derives its fame from the Potsdam Conference of the World War II allies Winston Churchill, Harry Truman and Joseph Stalin in 1945. The Taj Mahal Palace & Tower in Mumbai is one of India's most famous and historic hotels because of its association with the Indian independence movement. Some establishments have given name to a particular meal or beverage, as is the case with the Waldorf Astoria in New York City, United States where the Waldorf Salad was first created or the Hotel Sacher in Vienna, Austria, home of the Sachertorte. Others have achieved fame by association with dishes or cocktails created on their premises, such as the Hotel de Paris where the crêpe Suzette was invented or the Raffles Hotel in Singapore, where the Singapore Sling cocktail was devised.
Hôtel Ritz in Paris, France:
A number of hotels have entered the public consciousness through popular culture, such as the Ritz Hotel in London, through its association with Irving Berlin's song, 'Puttin' on the Ritz'. The Algonquin Hotel in New York City is famed as the meeting place of the literary group, the Algonquin Round Table, and Hotel Chelsea, also in New York City, has been the subject of a number of songs and the scene of the stabbing of Nancy Spungen (allegedly by her boyfriend Sid Vicious). The Waldorf Astoria and Statler hotels in New York City are also immortalized in the names of Muppets Statler and Waldorf.[citation needed]
Unusual hotels:
Chicago's Magnificent Mile has hosted many skyscraper hotels such as the Allerton Hotel
Many hotels can be considered destinations in themselves, by dint of unusual features of the lodging or its immediate environment:
Treehouse hotels:
Some hotels are built with living trees as structural elements, for example the Costa Rica Tree House in the Gandoca-Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge, Costa Rica; the Treetops Hotel in Aberdare National Park, Kenya; the Ariau Towers near Manaus, Brazil, on the Rio Negro in the Amazon; and Bayram's Tree Houses in Olympos, Turkey.
Bunker hotels:
The Null Stern Hotel in Teufen, Appenzellerland, Switzerland and the Concrete Mushrooms in Albania[1] are former nuclear bunkers transformed into hotels.
Shoe hotels:
Shoe hotels are hotels built into a giant shoe. The idea was inspired by the "Old Woman who lived in a shoe" myth. The largest such hotel is currently in Hokkaido, Japan. The most popular shoe hotels are modelled after a woman's platform dancing shoe.
Cave hotels:
The Cuevas Pedro Antonio de Alarcón (named after the author) in Guadix, Spain, as well as several hotels in Cappadocia, Turkey, are notable for being built into natural cave formations, some with rooms underground. The Desert Cave Hotel in Coober Pedy, South Australia is built into the remains of an opal mine.
[edit] Capsule hotels
Capsule hotels are a type of economical hotel that are found in Japan, where people sleep in stacks of rectangular containers.
Ice and snow hotels:
The Ice Hotel in Jukkasjärvi, Sweden, and the Hotel de Glace in Duschenay, Canada, melt every spring and are rebuilt each winter; the Mammut Snow Hotel in Finland is located within the walls of the Kemi snow castle; and the Lainio Snow Hotel is part of a snow village near Ylläs, Finland.
Garden hotels:
Garden hotels, famous for their gardens before they became hotels, include Gravetye Manor, the home of garden designer William Robinson, and Cliveden, designed by Charles Barry with a rose garden by Geoffrey Jellicoe.
Underwater hotels:
Some hotels have accommodation underwater, such as Utter Inn in Lake Mälaren, Sweden. Hydropolis, project cancelled 2004 in Dubai, would have had suites on the bottom of the Persian Gulf, and Jules Undersea Lodge in Key Largo, Florida requires scuba diving to access its rooms.
Other unusual hotels:
RMS Queen Mary, Long Beach, California, United States
* The Library Hotel in New York City, is unique in that each of its ten floors is assigned one category from the Dewey Decimal System.
* The Burj al-Arab hotel in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, built on an artificial island, is structured in the shape of a boat's sail.
* The Jailhotel Löwengraben in Lucerne, Switzerland is a converted prison now used as a hotel.
* The Luxor, a hotel and casino on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, United States due to its pyramidal structure.
* The Liberty Hotel in Boston, used to be the Charles Street Jail.
* Built in Scotland and completed in 1936, The former ocean liner RMS Queen Mary in Long Beach, California, United States uses its first-class staterooms as a hotel, after retiring in 1967 from Transatlantic service.
* There are several hotels throughout the world built into converted airliners.
Resort hotels:
Principe di Piemonte, Viareggio (Italy)
Some hotels are built specifically to create a captive trade, example at casinos and holiday resorts. Though of course hotels have always been built in popular destinations, the defining characteristic of a resort hotel is that it exists purely to serve another attraction, the two having the same owners.
In Las Vegas there is a tradition of outdoing rivals with luxurious and extravagant hotels in a concentrated area known as the Las Vegas Strip. This trend now has extended to other resorts worldwide, but the concentration in Las Vegas is still the world's highest: nineteen of the world's twenty-five largest hotels by room count are on the Strip, with a total of over 67,000 rooms.
In Europe Center Parcs might be considered a chain of resort hotels, since the sites are largely man-made (though set in natural surroundings such as country parks) with captive trade, whereas holiday camps such as Butlins and Pontin's are probably not considered as resort hotels, since they are set at traditional holiday destinations which existed before the camps.
[edit] Railway hotels
Frequently, expanding railway companies built grand hotels at their termini, such as the Midland Hotel, Manchester next to the former Manchester Central Station and in London the ones above St Pancras railway station and Charing Cross railway station also in London is the Chiltern Court Hotel above Baker Street tube station and Canada's grand railway hotels. They are or were mostly, but not exclusively, used by those travelling by rail.
[edit] Motels
Motels:
A motel (motor hotel) is a hotel which is for a short stay, usually for a night, for motorists on long journeys. It has direct access from the room to the vehicle (for example a central parking lot around which the buildings are set), and is built conveniently close to major roads and intersections.
World record setting hotels:
Historical Hotel Savoy in Florence
Largest:
In 2006, Guinness World Records listed the First World Hotel in Genting Highlands, Malaysia as the world's largest hotel with a total of 6,118 rooms. Similarly, the Venetian Palazzo Complex, in Las Vegas, has the most number of rooms. It has 7,117 rooms followed by MGM Grand Hotel, which contains 6,852 rooms.
see also List of largest hotels in the world
Oldest:
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the oldest hotel still in operation is the Hoshi Ryokan, in the Awazu Onsen area of Komatsu, Japan which opened in 718.
[edit] Tallest
The Rose Tower in United Arab Emirates is the tallest building used exclusively as a hotel. Originally, the tower was to be 380 m (1,250 ft) high, but design modification reduced it to 333 m (1,093 ft).
Hotel rooms as an investment:
Some hotels sell individual rooms to investors. Timeshare is an example of this kind of investment. The buyer is allowed to stay in the room without charge or at a reduced rate for a given number of days each year. The investor is paid a share of the takings for the room. Rooms can be sold on a leasehold basis, sometimes on a 999 year lease. Room owners are free to sell at any time.
Living in hotels:
A number of public figures have notably chosen to take up semi-permanent or permanent residence in hotels.
* Actor Richard Harris lived at the Savoy Hotel while in London. Hotel archivist Susan Scott recounts an anecdote that when he was being taken out of the building on a stretcher shortly before his death he raised his hand and told the diners "it was the food."
* Inventor Nikola Tesla lived the last 10 years of his life at the New Yorker Hotel until 1943 when he died in the hotel room.
* Millionaire Howard Hughes lived his last few years in a Las Vegas hotel.
* Egyptian actor Ahmad Zaki lived his last 15 years in Ramses Hilton Hotel – Cairo.
* Larry Fine (of the Three Stooges) and his family lived in hotels, due to his extravagant spending habits and his wife's dislike for housekeeping. They first lived in the President Hotel in Atlantic City, New Jersey, where his daughter Phyllis was raised, then the Knickerbocker Hotel in Hollywood. Not until the late 1940s did Larry buy a home in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles, California.
* General Douglas McArthur lived his last 14 years in the penthouse of the Waldorf Towers, a part of the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
* American actress Elaine Stritch lived in the Savoy Hotel in London for over a decade.
* Fashion designer Coco Chanel lived in the Hotel Ritz Paris on and off for more than 30 years.
* Vladimir Nabokov and his wife Vera lived in the Montreux Palace Hotel in Montreux, Switzerland from 1961 until his death in 1977.
* British entrepreneur Jack Lyons lived in the Hotel Mirador Kempinski in Switzerland for several years until his death in 2008.
Fictitious hotels:
Hotels have been used as the settings for television programs such as the British situation comedies Fawlty Towers and I'm Alan Partridge, the British soap opera Crossroads, and in films such as the Bates Motel in Hitchcock's 1960 film Psycho and The Dolphin Hotel in 1408, a short story by Stephen King which was adapted into a 2007 film.
Another is Tipton Hotel, a fictitious hotel in Disney's "The Suite Life of Zack and Cody." When the show later became a spinoff into "The Suite Life on Deck," the Tipton evolved into the SS Tipton, run by the same company.
(via Dunia Kegelapan / Wikapedia)
Basic Home Security Tips
While it's difficult to protect your home from professional thieves, most home burglaries are done by amateurs. These thieves are more easily thwarted if you employ some of these simple security precautions:
Plan to "burglarize" yourself. You'll discover any weaknesses in your security system that may have previously escaped your notice.
Lock up your home, even if you go out only for a short time. Many burglars just walk in through an unlocked door or window.
Change all the locks and tumblers when you move into a new house.
For the most effective alarm system, conceal all wiring. A professional burglar looks for places where he or she can disconnect the security system.
Your house should appear occupied at all times. Use timers to switch lights and radios on and off when you're not at home.
If you have a faulty alarm that frequently goes off, get it fixed immediately and tell your neighbors that it's been repaired. Many people ignore an alarm that goes off periodically.
A spring-latch lock is easy prey for burglars who are "loiding" experts. Loiding is the method of slipping a plastic credit card against the latch tongue to depress it and unlock the door. A deadbolt defies any such attack. It is only vulnerable when there is enough space between the door and its frame to allow an intruder to use power tools or a hacksaw.
If you lose your keys, change the locks immediately.
Before turning your house key over to a professional house cleaner for several hours, make sure the person is honest and reputable as well as hardworking. Check all references thoroughly. If the house cleaner is from a firm, call your local Better Business Bureau to check on the firm's reputation.
Instead of keeping a spare key in a mailbox, under the doormat, or on a nail behind the garage, wrap the key in foil -- or put it in a 35mm film can -- and bury it where you can easily find it if you need it.
Don't leave notes for service people or family members on the door. These act as a welcome mat for a burglar.
If the entrances to your home are dark, consider installing lighting with an infrared detector. Most thieves don't want to be observed trying to get in a door.
Talk to your neighbors about any suspicious people or strange cars you notice lurking about.
To keep your tools from being stolen, paint the handles. Thieves avoid items that are easy to identify.
Trees located near windows or shrubbery that might shield a burglar from view can be major flaws in your home-protection plan. Consider your landscaping plan in light of your protection needs.
Ask for credentials from any sales-person who requests entry to your home. Ask that their ID be pushed under the door. Many professional burglars use this cover to check out homes. If you're doubtful, check with the person's office before letting him or her in.
Do not list your full name on your mailbox or your entry in the telephone book. Use only your initial and your last name.
If someone comes to your door asking to use the phone to call a mechanic or the police, keep the door locked and make the call yourself.
Dogs are good deterrents to burglars. Even a small, noisy dog can be effective -- burglars do not like to have attention drawn to their presence. Be aware, however, that trained guard dogs do not make good pets. Obedience training and attack training are entirely different, and only the former is appropriate for a house pet.
(via Alarm Fix)
Plan to "burglarize" yourself. You'll discover any weaknesses in your security system that may have previously escaped your notice.
Lock up your home, even if you go out only for a short time. Many burglars just walk in through an unlocked door or window.
Change all the locks and tumblers when you move into a new house.
For the most effective alarm system, conceal all wiring. A professional burglar looks for places where he or she can disconnect the security system.
Your house should appear occupied at all times. Use timers to switch lights and radios on and off when you're not at home.
If you have a faulty alarm that frequently goes off, get it fixed immediately and tell your neighbors that it's been repaired. Many people ignore an alarm that goes off periodically.
A spring-latch lock is easy prey for burglars who are "loiding" experts. Loiding is the method of slipping a plastic credit card against the latch tongue to depress it and unlock the door. A deadbolt defies any such attack. It is only vulnerable when there is enough space between the door and its frame to allow an intruder to use power tools or a hacksaw.
If you lose your keys, change the locks immediately.
Before turning your house key over to a professional house cleaner for several hours, make sure the person is honest and reputable as well as hardworking. Check all references thoroughly. If the house cleaner is from a firm, call your local Better Business Bureau to check on the firm's reputation.
Instead of keeping a spare key in a mailbox, under the doormat, or on a nail behind the garage, wrap the key in foil -- or put it in a 35mm film can -- and bury it where you can easily find it if you need it.
Don't leave notes for service people or family members on the door. These act as a welcome mat for a burglar.
If the entrances to your home are dark, consider installing lighting with an infrared detector. Most thieves don't want to be observed trying to get in a door.
Talk to your neighbors about any suspicious people or strange cars you notice lurking about.
To keep your tools from being stolen, paint the handles. Thieves avoid items that are easy to identify.
Trees located near windows or shrubbery that might shield a burglar from view can be major flaws in your home-protection plan. Consider your landscaping plan in light of your protection needs.
Ask for credentials from any sales-person who requests entry to your home. Ask that their ID be pushed under the door. Many professional burglars use this cover to check out homes. If you're doubtful, check with the person's office before letting him or her in.
Do not list your full name on your mailbox or your entry in the telephone book. Use only your initial and your last name.
If someone comes to your door asking to use the phone to call a mechanic or the police, keep the door locked and make the call yourself.
Dogs are good deterrents to burglars. Even a small, noisy dog can be effective -- burglars do not like to have attention drawn to their presence. Be aware, however, that trained guard dogs do not make good pets. Obedience training and attack training are entirely different, and only the former is appropriate for a house pet.
(via Alarm Fix)
Voice over IP - VoIP FAQ:
Is VoIP Really Worth the Trouble?
Get answers to your biggest voice over IP FAQ and hear how VoIP can improve communications and flexibility in your business. (1:54 min)
Voice over IP FAQ provides answers to questions that small businesses frequently ask about Voice over Internet Protocol (IP) and unified communications. Our Voice over IP FAQ explains the differences between VoIP and unified communications, the benefits for small businesses, and the equipment you'll need.
Voice over IP FAQ: What is VoIP?
VoIP technology enables you to make and receive telephone calls over a broadband Internet connection instead of over a traditional phone line.
Voice over IP FAQ: How Does it Work?
With VoIP, voice traffic is converted into data packets and transmitted over the public Internet and/or over a private IP network. When you call a landline or cell phone number, the data packets are converted to a regular telephone signal before they reach the party you're calling.
Voice over IP FAQ: How is it Different from Unified Communications?
VoIP refers to a basic Internet-based telephony system. Unified communications is more advanced. Among unified communications' many advantages are sophisticated call center features; conferencing that combines voice, data, video and desktop sharing; and presence—the ability to instantly determine the availability of others within your company.
Voice over IP FAQ: What Equipment Do I Need?
For a basic VoIP system, all you need are a broadband Internet connection and a VoIP-enabled phone; a traditional phone connected to an adapter; or a computer with VoIP software.
Many businesses are now using VoIP and unified communications on their own private networks. Telephony systems residing on private networks have better security and quality than those that operate strictly over the public Internet. With VoIP or unified communications on a private network, you can prioritize voice over other types of traffic on your network, to ensure the best possible audio quality.
Voice over IP FAQ: What Are the Benefits?
Reduced local and long-distance charges
One network to manage for both voice and data, instead of two
Reduced travel costs--thanks to online conferencing—easy-to-use video calls, and other collaboration tools
Easily make adds, moves, and changes to the small business phone system as needed
Employees have more ways to stay connected and customers can reach them more easily
Take all of your phone system's features with you for use at home, at the office, or on the road
Source: Cisco small business VoIP FAQ
Get answers to your biggest voice over IP FAQ and hear how VoIP can improve communications and flexibility in your business. (1:54 min)
Voice over IP FAQ provides answers to questions that small businesses frequently ask about Voice over Internet Protocol (IP) and unified communications. Our Voice over IP FAQ explains the differences between VoIP and unified communications, the benefits for small businesses, and the equipment you'll need.
Voice over IP FAQ: What is VoIP?
VoIP technology enables you to make and receive telephone calls over a broadband Internet connection instead of over a traditional phone line.
Voice over IP FAQ: How Does it Work?
With VoIP, voice traffic is converted into data packets and transmitted over the public Internet and/or over a private IP network. When you call a landline or cell phone number, the data packets are converted to a regular telephone signal before they reach the party you're calling.
Voice over IP FAQ: How is it Different from Unified Communications?
VoIP refers to a basic Internet-based telephony system. Unified communications is more advanced. Among unified communications' many advantages are sophisticated call center features; conferencing that combines voice, data, video and desktop sharing; and presence—the ability to instantly determine the availability of others within your company.
Voice over IP FAQ: What Equipment Do I Need?
For a basic VoIP system, all you need are a broadband Internet connection and a VoIP-enabled phone; a traditional phone connected to an adapter; or a computer with VoIP software.
Many businesses are now using VoIP and unified communications on their own private networks. Telephony systems residing on private networks have better security and quality than those that operate strictly over the public Internet. With VoIP or unified communications on a private network, you can prioritize voice over other types of traffic on your network, to ensure the best possible audio quality.
Voice over IP FAQ: What Are the Benefits?
Reduced local and long-distance charges
One network to manage for both voice and data, instead of two
Reduced travel costs--thanks to online conferencing—easy-to-use video calls, and other collaboration tools
Easily make adds, moves, and changes to the small business phone system as needed
Employees have more ways to stay connected and customers can reach them more easily
Take all of your phone system's features with you for use at home, at the office, or on the road
Source: Cisco small business VoIP FAQ
Selecting the Right Hosted VoIP Service
Hosted VoIP Service
If you’re looking to make the switch to VoIP you are going to come across a myriad of different solutions. One of the most popular being hosted VoIP.
What is Hosted VoIP?
Hosted VoIP is a service provided by a third party that gives you all of your phone system features and voice calling capabilities without having an actual VoIP phone system at your office. The only part of the system that you actual see are your VoIP Phones at your desk.
The hosted VoIP service provider, as they are commonly called, hosts your phone system functionality from their data center (or one that they lease from a data center provider). You are able to access your Hosted VoIP service via the internet, where you can configure users, extensions, menu’s, etc. The type of features you can get and the rates you pay, depend on the service provider.
Who Uses Hosted VoIP?
Hosted VoIP service from companies like Nextiva is used by companies of all sizes and industries, but is most popular with the small or micro-enterprise, typically 25 seats and under. Hosted VoIP service is a popular option for these companies because of the low up-front capital investment and predictable monthly billing.
If your company is looking to make the switch to VoIP with a limited budget, hosted VoIP would make great sense. Also, if your company lacks the staff or current knowledge required to manage your own VoIP system, hosted VoIP is probably they best thing for you!
How to Select Hosted VoIP Service?
Going about selecting hosted VoIP service for your company can get a little confusing. Today there are literally hundreds of different hosted VoIP providers who all look, sound and feel the same.
That’s because of a little known secret that most of these hosted VoIP services are running off of the same platform! That’s right, they may have different names, colors, packages and locations, but they are probably running off one of three popular platforms.
What does this mean for you? Well, to start, it means that things like price, features and VoIP phone choices should be pretty much the same across the board.
(Hence the confusing part of choice a provider.)
This makes the customer experience, the sign-up process, support systems, service level agreements and customer reviews the most important aspects of choosing a hosted VoIP provider.
Customer Experience – Before selecting any hosted VoIP provider you should take the time to call into their office. Be prepared with questions about the companies history, expertise, service level agreements and levels of support. Get a feel for how the sales professional answers the questions by listening to his tone of voice, directness of answer and other clues that might expose a weakness in your experience as a customer.
Support Systems – Things do go wrong and when they do, what matters most is quick, transparent assistance from technical support. Before purchasing hosted VoIP services make sure you find out what standard turnaround times are for support, local availability and even TEST OUT THEIR SYSTEM by submitting a ticket.
Service Level Agreements (SLA) – Like support systems, your hosted provider’s service level agreement is a commitment to ensuring you have a great service experience. Every hosted VoIP provider should have an SLA in place, typically something that guarantees the service will be up more than 99% of the time.
Customer Reviews – Most of the major hosted VoIP providers have a number of reviews of their service on various websites. In addition to this or if your provider is not large enough to have online reviews, ask for customer references. Then call them. Seriously, you can very often avoid disasters by speaking with real customers who have real experience with a company.
The Next Steps
After reading this, if you are ready to take the next steps in purchasing hosted VoIP service, you best bet is to write down everything you think you need, then contact up to five providers of hosted VoIP service. Once they contact you back, use the advice above to evaluate the best option for your company and then follow that providers lead.
(via Garrett Smith)
If you’re looking to make the switch to VoIP you are going to come across a myriad of different solutions. One of the most popular being hosted VoIP.
What is Hosted VoIP?
Hosted VoIP is a service provided by a third party that gives you all of your phone system features and voice calling capabilities without having an actual VoIP phone system at your office. The only part of the system that you actual see are your VoIP Phones at your desk.
The hosted VoIP service provider, as they are commonly called, hosts your phone system functionality from their data center (or one that they lease from a data center provider). You are able to access your Hosted VoIP service via the internet, where you can configure users, extensions, menu’s, etc. The type of features you can get and the rates you pay, depend on the service provider.
Who Uses Hosted VoIP?
Hosted VoIP service from companies like Nextiva is used by companies of all sizes and industries, but is most popular with the small or micro-enterprise, typically 25 seats and under. Hosted VoIP service is a popular option for these companies because of the low up-front capital investment and predictable monthly billing.
If your company is looking to make the switch to VoIP with a limited budget, hosted VoIP would make great sense. Also, if your company lacks the staff or current knowledge required to manage your own VoIP system, hosted VoIP is probably they best thing for you!
How to Select Hosted VoIP Service?
Going about selecting hosted VoIP service for your company can get a little confusing. Today there are literally hundreds of different hosted VoIP providers who all look, sound and feel the same.
That’s because of a little known secret that most of these hosted VoIP services are running off of the same platform! That’s right, they may have different names, colors, packages and locations, but they are probably running off one of three popular platforms.
What does this mean for you? Well, to start, it means that things like price, features and VoIP phone choices should be pretty much the same across the board.
(Hence the confusing part of choice a provider.)
This makes the customer experience, the sign-up process, support systems, service level agreements and customer reviews the most important aspects of choosing a hosted VoIP provider.
Customer Experience – Before selecting any hosted VoIP provider you should take the time to call into their office. Be prepared with questions about the companies history, expertise, service level agreements and levels of support. Get a feel for how the sales professional answers the questions by listening to his tone of voice, directness of answer and other clues that might expose a weakness in your experience as a customer.
Support Systems – Things do go wrong and when they do, what matters most is quick, transparent assistance from technical support. Before purchasing hosted VoIP services make sure you find out what standard turnaround times are for support, local availability and even TEST OUT THEIR SYSTEM by submitting a ticket.
Service Level Agreements (SLA) – Like support systems, your hosted provider’s service level agreement is a commitment to ensuring you have a great service experience. Every hosted VoIP provider should have an SLA in place, typically something that guarantees the service will be up more than 99% of the time.
Customer Reviews – Most of the major hosted VoIP providers have a number of reviews of their service on various websites. In addition to this or if your provider is not large enough to have online reviews, ask for customer references. Then call them. Seriously, you can very often avoid disasters by speaking with real customers who have real experience with a company.
The Next Steps
After reading this, if you are ready to take the next steps in purchasing hosted VoIP service, you best bet is to write down everything you think you need, then contact up to five providers of hosted VoIP service. Once they contact you back, use the advice above to evaluate the best option for your company and then follow that providers lead.
(via Garrett Smith)
VoIP Provides Access to the Previously Unreachable
Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) has provided businesses a new means of communication. It has moved phone calls off traditional phones lines and onto the internet. VoIP can be more cost efficient than legacy options and can help call centers provide better customer service.
According to what IP telephony professional Itay Rosenfeld wrote in Telecom Reseller, it seems like VoIP is taking over the world. In reality, research found that 143.2 million people and businesses subscribed to public switched telephone network (PSTN)-style VoIP services in 2012, with the majority located in the United States, France and Germany.
Firmology said that with a premium VoIP system, call center employees can gather customer information before the call is even answered. They can see who's calling, what services the customer has previously used and any issues experienced. Call activity is logged automatically in CRM and notes are updated if taken.
With these great innovations, it's a surprise more companies are not making the switch, said Rosenfeld. One main reason is because there's been a lack of access to emergency services like 911. Businesses love saving money but not losing access to the fire and police departments.
According to Fox affiliate WXIN, however, some areas in the U.S. have new high-speed systems that allow emergency officials to make phone calls, send text messages or distribute emails to people subscribed to the IP-based system.
But what about reaching officials? Rosenfeld reported that there's a new option that supports phone capabilities from a single IP-based interconnection and provides access to emergency services. Whether a company uses cloud communications, VoIP or SIP trunking, this new option connects emergency calls via the PSTN. It also creates access in locations where cell coverage is poor or where a phone number is needed that's not tied to a specific provider or place.
VoIP has emerged as the new standard for enterprise communication, and vendors (such as Telephone Magic Inc.) offer the media gateways and other solutions to ensure seamless and reliable integration of IP-based communication regardless of an organization's size or its current telecommunications environment.
(via Sangoma)
According to what IP telephony professional Itay Rosenfeld wrote in Telecom Reseller, it seems like VoIP is taking over the world. In reality, research found that 143.2 million people and businesses subscribed to public switched telephone network (PSTN)-style VoIP services in 2012, with the majority located in the United States, France and Germany.
Firmology said that with a premium VoIP system, call center employees can gather customer information before the call is even answered. They can see who's calling, what services the customer has previously used and any issues experienced. Call activity is logged automatically in CRM and notes are updated if taken.
With these great innovations, it's a surprise more companies are not making the switch, said Rosenfeld. One main reason is because there's been a lack of access to emergency services like 911. Businesses love saving money but not losing access to the fire and police departments.
According to Fox affiliate WXIN, however, some areas in the U.S. have new high-speed systems that allow emergency officials to make phone calls, send text messages or distribute emails to people subscribed to the IP-based system.
But what about reaching officials? Rosenfeld reported that there's a new option that supports phone capabilities from a single IP-based interconnection and provides access to emergency services. Whether a company uses cloud communications, VoIP or SIP trunking, this new option connects emergency calls via the PSTN. It also creates access in locations where cell coverage is poor or where a phone number is needed that's not tied to a specific provider or place.
VoIP has emerged as the new standard for enterprise communication, and vendors (such as Telephone Magic Inc.) offer the media gateways and other solutions to ensure seamless and reliable integration of IP-based communication regardless of an organization's size or its current telecommunications environment.
(via Sangoma)
We have been following reports of this TELEPHONE SCAM for a month as stories have appeared all over the US
More of the same:
These scams pop up like dandelions in the springtime. Pass along to seniors.
Beware of “Free Medical Alert” Scam. Potentially fraudulent calls have been made to homes in Norwalk and as far away as Texas.
The Norwalk Police Department advised local residents to be on the lookout for a possible telephone scam that has been reported recently in Norwalk and in other communities across the country.
I became aware of the possible scam after a message was left on his home answering machine on Thursday.
It is a sad fact that there is no shortage of people out there who looking to take advantage of others, particularly senior citizens. This apparent scam targets seniors directly with promises of a ‘Free Medical Alert System’, something that sounds similar to a legitimate product often advertised on television. Remember never to give out personal information over the phone to someone you do not know or trust. If you may have been a victim of this scam, please notify our local police.
The calls in question involve a prerecorded message in which the potential victim is told they have received a “Free Medical Alert System” and is then asked to disclose personal information.
A warning from the Stephenville Police Department of Stephenville, Texas about these calls describes them in detail:
The potential victim is called and a prerecorded message tells them that they have won a “Medical Alert System” and to hold on to provide Shipping Information. The message then tells the potential victim to press a number to speak to a representative. The call then either disconnects or puts the potential victim on hold to music. Next, the representative picks up the line and they give a sells pitch over the product. Finally, the representative then attempts to confirm personal information including the shipping information.
The calls are coming from (209) 676-3148 and may show up on Caller ID as a legitimate bank or business.
Detective Bill Maloney of the Norwalk Police Department said, “I would advise anyone that is solicited by phone to look into any company they are considering doing business with. Make sure you have any proposals in writing, and do not give out any financial information to strangers over the phone.”
Detective Maloney added, “With regard to this particular series of calls about ‘Medical Alert Systems’, people have every reason to be cautious. There have been numerous Do Not Call complaints about this particular telephone number around the country. A local resident was recently victimized by a similar, but likely different call.”
Area residents who worry they may have been a victim of a scam may contact the Norwalk Police Department at (203) 854-3000 or the Darien Police Department at (203) 662-5300.
(via Bob Duff)
These scams pop up like dandelions in the springtime. Pass along to seniors.
Beware of “Free Medical Alert” Scam. Potentially fraudulent calls have been made to homes in Norwalk and as far away as Texas.
The Norwalk Police Department advised local residents to be on the lookout for a possible telephone scam that has been reported recently in Norwalk and in other communities across the country.
I became aware of the possible scam after a message was left on his home answering machine on Thursday.
It is a sad fact that there is no shortage of people out there who looking to take advantage of others, particularly senior citizens. This apparent scam targets seniors directly with promises of a ‘Free Medical Alert System’, something that sounds similar to a legitimate product often advertised on television. Remember never to give out personal information over the phone to someone you do not know or trust. If you may have been a victim of this scam, please notify our local police.
The calls in question involve a prerecorded message in which the potential victim is told they have received a “Free Medical Alert System” and is then asked to disclose personal information.
A warning from the Stephenville Police Department of Stephenville, Texas about these calls describes them in detail:
The potential victim is called and a prerecorded message tells them that they have won a “Medical Alert System” and to hold on to provide Shipping Information. The message then tells the potential victim to press a number to speak to a representative. The call then either disconnects or puts the potential victim on hold to music. Next, the representative picks up the line and they give a sells pitch over the product. Finally, the representative then attempts to confirm personal information including the shipping information.
The calls are coming from (209) 676-3148 and may show up on Caller ID as a legitimate bank or business.
Detective Bill Maloney of the Norwalk Police Department said, “I would advise anyone that is solicited by phone to look into any company they are considering doing business with. Make sure you have any proposals in writing, and do not give out any financial information to strangers over the phone.”
Detective Maloney added, “With regard to this particular series of calls about ‘Medical Alert Systems’, people have every reason to be cautious. There have been numerous Do Not Call complaints about this particular telephone number around the country. A local resident was recently victimized by a similar, but likely different call.”
Area residents who worry they may have been a victim of a scam may contact the Norwalk Police Department at (203) 854-3000 or the Darien Police Department at (203) 662-5300.
(via Bob Duff)
Saturday, July 06, 2013
#Telecom #News - June 27- July 6th, 2013
Wholesale Telecom Website Design Upgrades Promise More Visitor Engagement
July 03, 2013 -- Telephone Magic website redesign to offer multiple ways to reach out and obtain up-to-the-minute quotes on phone systems, digital and IP phones, and telecom accessories from brands such as Avaya, Nortel, NEC, Cisco, Mitel, Aastra, Plantronics, Polycom, and more.
New Avaya 1400 Digital Phones Series Delivers Cost Effective Alternative for Small Business
July 02, 2013 -- Telephone Magic now offers Avaya's low-cost, feature-packed 1400 digital telephone line for business office telephony.
Nortel BCM 50 Proven All-In-One IP-Capable Small Business Phone System
July 01, 2013 -- Telephone Magic is now offering Nortel BCM50 phone system products and its Avaya BCM 50 sister model for a two-tiered cost-effective way for small businesses to upgrade to IP-telephony for a reasonable investment.
Polycom SoundStation Duo Conference Phone Is "Future Friendly"
June 28, 2013 -- The Polycom SoundStation Duo dual-mode analog/IP conference telephone provides exceptional deployment flexibility and, according to Telephone Magic, offers best-in-class investment protection.
Canadian Businesses Benefit From Wholesale .CA Telecom Portal
June 27, 2013 -- Telephone Magic Inc. reaches five year milestone for providing Canadian customers with their own telecom portal to Avaya and Nortel phones, phone systems, expansion equipment, and voice mail, along with Plantronics phone headsets, Polycom conferencing telephones, long range wireless phones, hotel phones, and much more.
Saturday, June 29, 2013
"Phone Monkey" Fields Customer Service Question!
"Monkey Customer Service, can I help you?"
"No I am talking to you on a good old fashioned phone!"
"Why am I not using... what in God's name is #WebRTC???"
"err, one moment please..." *click*
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
#Telecom #News - June 17-26, 2013
Telephone USB Message On Hold Player Cost-Effective for Business
June 26, 2013 -- Telephone Magic now offers its own budget-oriented USB telephone on hold message player. Messages On Hold are easier than ever with new digital message unit designed for continuous audio playback.
Telephone Magic Now Offers a Vital VoIP Lifeline with Nortel 1100 IP Phones
June 25, 2013 -- Nortel / Avaya 1100 IP telephones from Telephone Magic allow owners of IP-capable Nortel phone system to extend the life of their business telecom investment.
New Avaya 9600 IP Phones Represent The Leading Edge in VoIP Technology
June 24, 2013 -- Avaya's 9600 IP telephone series from Telephone Magic is a feature-packed VoIP phone line for offices that need to harness the freedom and networking capabilities of IP telephony.
Cisco IP Phone Volume Exceeds Expectations in Wholesale Online Marketplace
June 21, 2013 -- Cisco Unified IP Phones offer the high-quality, reliable communications your business needs every day. Telephone Magic Inc. is experiencing substantial increases in sales of these IP telephones.
Mitel IP Phones Become a High Volume Seller in the Wholesale Marketplace
June 20, 2013 -- Telephone Magic Inc. provides feature-rich Mitel IP phones at wholesale prices, for use with Mitel IP-PBX platforms.
New CS500-XD Wireless Phone Headsets from Plantronics Solve High Density Issue in Offices
June 19, 2013 -- Plantronics' new cordless phone headset series is the no-hassle solution at Telephone Magic for fitting more wireless headsets in the same office.
New Avaya 1600 IP Phones Series Delivers Cost Effective Alternative for Small Business VoIP
June 17, 2013 -- Telephone Magic offers Avaya's low-cost, feature-packed 1600 IP telephone line for offices that utilize IP telephony.
Monday, June 24, 2013
Business Telephone Tips - Easy to Implement, Customer Pleasing, On Hold Messages
Ask any business what they're investing in, and most will say their website. But even though internet sites and ecommerce are growing at an enormous rate, you may be surprised to know that "telemarketing" dwarfs the amount of sales generated by websites. That's because consumers have generations of experience getting exactly what they want when they call a business. The phone is still faster that looking it up on Google and then trying to find the right answer on a website.
Right now, customer service provided by telephone is the dominant way for customers to reach businesses like yours. So before you invest everything in your website, consider how inexpensive it can be to increase sales and satisfaction with a few telephone tips for customer service representatives:
Answer the phone with a "live" person: "call centers" (especially the ones in India!) have an increasingly poor reputation. Just answering the phone with a live person starts you off on the right foot.
Don't use a speaker phone! Pick up the receiver, or use a headset (they're great for comfort and ease of use) and your caller gets a personal sound. We've all had our calls answered with a speaker phone: it sounds like they can't be bothered, the audio quality is poor, and we end up shouting to be understood. Treat your caller like you'd like to be treated
Create a "phone answering script" that is personal and polite. Don't try to say too much (Thank you for calling XYZ company, home of the widget. My name is Joe and I'm here to provide excellent service. How may I help you today?" Is that really any way to answer the phone?
If you use an automated answering system, limit the number of options: 3 or 4 should be plenty. And do you really need to have several levels of options? Put yourself in the customer's shoes. They are the customer, right?
Train your customer service reps so they know more than the customer does! How many times have you called a call center to ask questions, and the rep has had to constantly "check their sources" for "additional information"? With just a little experience you can understand your "Frequently Asked Questions." The 80/20 rule usually applies: 80% of your callers will ask the same questions covering just 20% of the information. Train, and test, your customer service reps. By the way: what are your customers' biggest problems? If you don't know, try working on the phones yourself. Then you'll be able to train your reps better!
Staff your phones properly. We've all been told "We are experiencing a higher than normal volume of calls" way too many times. We all know that it's not higher than "normal." Great customer service builds great customer loyalty.
What if you do answer with an automated system, and your customers do have to wait (in a "queue" which is like waiting in line) for their call to be answered? What should your caller listen to? Some people like silence or music so they can do other things. I've had the experience of waiting in a queue for a few minutes and completely forgetting what I called for. Even when it was important. So consider giving your caller helpful information while on hold. Don't make it a pushy radio commercial, and don't try to record it yourself (it won't sound professional).
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| Telephone Magic USB Message On Hold Player |
A Message On Hold System can make all the difference in the world, as it plays CUSTOMIZED messages about YOUR business with appropriate background music. The latest digital On Hold Message player type utilizes USB Flash Media stick to easily transfer On Hold Messages from an emailed file. Telephone On Hold Messages will inform and entertain your clients when they have to wait On Hold for your business staff.
Try different recording for different groups of callers. For sales lines, feel free to talk about product features and benefits. "Cross marketing" can be very profitable (increasing you average order size) and helpful to the caller. Talk about product features, and educate your caller about how to understand the difference in features and what it means to them. Use the opportunity to show how you're different (and better) than your competition.
For customer service or tech support lines consider answering FAQ and offering advice on fixing the most common problems. Do you list this information on your website? Tell your caller exactly where to look. Don't just assume they'll hang up. They can just look while they're waiting for help.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
You thought PRISM was pretty Amazing... meet MAINWAY, MARINA, and NUCLEON!
"One Of Them Intercepts Telephone Calls And Routes The Spoken Words To A System Called NUCLEON."
You thought PRISM was amazing... meet MAINWAY, MARINA, and NUCLEON.
Two of the four collection programs, one each for telephony and the Internet, process trillions of “metadata” records for storage and analysis in systems called MAINWAY and MARINA, respectively. Metadata includes highly revealing information about the times, places, devices and participants in electronic communication, but not its contents. The bulk collection of telephone call records from Verizon Business Services, disclosed this month by the British newspaper the Guardian, is one source of raw intelligence for MAINWAY.
The other two types of collection, which operate on a much smaller scale, are aimed at content. One of them intercepts telephone calls and routes the spoken words to a system called NUCLEON.
For Internet content, the most important source collection is the PRISM project reported on June 6 by The Washington Post and the Guardian. It draws from data held by Google, Yahoo, Microsoft and other Silicon Valley giants, collectively the richest depositories of personal information in history.
Former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, 29, who unmasked himself as the source behind the PRISM and Verizon revelations, said he hoped for a systematic debate about the “danger to our freedom and way of life” posed by a surveillance apparatus “kept in check by nothing more than policy.”
For well over a week, he has had his wish. Startling disclosures have poured out of the nation’s largest and arguably tightest-lipped spy agency at an unprecedented pace. Snowden’s disclosures have opened a national conversation about the limits of secret surveillance in a free society and an outcry overseas against U.S. espionage.
From: http://articles.washingtonpost.com/2013-06-15/news/39993852_1_comey-national-intelligence-intelligence-collection
Businesses on the other hand can, in most cases, record phone calls for customer service and training purposes. There are some states that require both parties to consent to phone call recording but most only require that one party be aware of the call being copied. You can easily buy and setup an inexpensive but highly sophisticated USB computer call recording system for your office phone system extensions. Call 1.855.929.9199 today for more information on recording phone calls within your business.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
On Hold Messages from Telephone Magic are produced for your business phone system – why does your business need one?
Here's 5 GREAT REASONS why you should MARKET YOUR BUSINESS and provide TELEPHONE CUSTOMER SERVICE with a MESSAGE ON HOLD system from Telephone Magic:
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| USB digital On Hold Message Player |
1. Keep your customers informed
While waiting for your staff to pick up their call, On Hold Messages will inform your customers about the latest news, weather, and updates from your brand – new products, services, messages and more. This is achieved using pre-recorded messages on your message-on-hold system. It’s also a good way to make sure the customer doesn’t hang up during long wait periods.
2. Keep them entertained
Some businesses playback jokes and social messages while customers are on hold; this helps entertain the customer and has a positive effect on your brand image. It also ensures that the customer won’t hesitate to call if they have an issue, because they know they will be entertained while waiting.
3. Keep them busy while they wait
Customers get impatient while waiting for staff to take a call – businesses can use this wait time to prompt the customer about pending tasks such as paying a bill or verifying an account – things like this engage the customer while they wait and portray your business as efficient and professional.
4. Promote your business
Message on hold systems are great for promoting your business – let the customer know about all the good things going on in your company – new products and services, new marketing ideas, events and promos. This provides engagement as well as marketing conversion value.
5. Create a big-business impression (small businesses)
Small businesses can also cash-in on the benefits of message-on-hold systems by creating a big-business impression, which helps portray a small business as professionally and credibly as possible.
To learn more about Telephone Magic's cost-effective On Hold Message system hardware and customized message productions Call us TOLL-FREE @ 1.855.929.9199 for a complimentary quotation.
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