Back-to-Business Incentives from Vox Tandem and Snom

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Businesses face enough challenges – customer communication doesn’t need to be one of them. We’re here to help by making it easier than ever to upgrade with Vox Tandem and the latest Snom devices with our Back-to-Business Incentives.

back-to-business-incentives-from-Snom

We cleared the first operational hurdle for companies ranging from the startup to enterprise-level: Upfront Costs. Keep reading to learn how you might reduce your monthly operating costs through our three programs designed to alleviate some of the critical barriers preventing businesses like yours from upgrading your devices. 

First, you might be wondering: “Why should we upgrade our phones when our budgets are tighter than ever before?” Well, upgrading your devices to VoIP can save on monthly bills, in a few ways. First, by cutting the requirement for traditional landlines. Second, they are scalable in real-time so you’re only paying for the services and capacity that you need. Thirdly, cloud-based VoIP systems can be overseen by existing IT staff, reducing the need for expensive, specialized technical support. And perhaps most importantly, VoIP enables the latest features like international calling, voicemail, auto-attendants, and more, without pricey a la cart service fees.

back-to-business-incentives

You can read many other reasons this works from experts who’ve detailed how VoIP services save businesses money at length (E.G., Ring Central, VoIP Review). But just a hint: You can save up to 60 percent on your monthly phone bills with VoIP. 

TMCNet recently explored the various reasons why upgrading technology now can help businesses more effectively adjust to meet their future needs. “Snom’s solutions provide companies – from those with only a few employees to enterprises with thousands –with the flexibility, mobility, voice quality, and security they need to adapt to these constantly evolving needs.” You can read the full article here to learn more about how the solutions deploying today will become permanently ingrained in our future work environments – whether remote, hybrid, or in-office.

Alright, so, about those three Back-to-Business Programs: 

1. New Lower Prices on all SNOM products

We recognize that budgets are tight, and businesses might be struggling. So, effective April 1, 2021, we’ve lowered the prices on our current product line. For example, this means you can save between 15 to 40 percent on the Snom D7xx SIP Desk Phone Series. Why the range? Because as the manufacturer, we’ve lowered the price of the device itself. In doing so, we can pass those savings on to you from the distributors and service providers, too. 

2.  Trade-In Rebates (UPDATED)

Our popular trade-in rebate program offers cashback directly to businesses (end-customers) who replace five or more of their old phones with eligible new Snom phones. If you’re not familiar with the program, you can check out its full details on our previous blog or visit info.snomrewards.com. Ultimately, you can earn up to $35 back per phone and save up to $4,000 or more when you upgrade up to 200 of your old phones. New devices and extra cash to spend? That’s a WIN-WIN in our book! UPDATED: Program Term – This trade-in rebate program (“Program”) is valid from July 15, 2021 – March 31, 2022.

trade in rebate CTA button

3. Devices-as-a-Service, a.k.a. Device Rental

Not sure if device ownership makes sense for your business or short of the upfront cash (or CapEx) to make it happen? Devices-as-a-Service, or Daas, is a low-cost rental program that can help remove these barriers. Businesses can access the latest Snom SIP telephony solutions with low monthly payments, all delivered by a simple, monthly service cost from Vox Tandem. DaaS enables more frequent device upgrades thanks to the removal of the upfront CapEx and the lack of commitment necessary for direct product ownership so that businesses can scale up or down in real-time to best match their needs.

So, there you have it. Three Back-to-Business Incentives from Vox Tandem and Snom developed to provide the greatest access possible and ensure businesses can connect with every customer through feature-rich technology that meets their needs now

Questions? Contact the Vox Tandem team at sales@voxtandem.com or click HERE to learn more!

The Dangers of Using Multiple Collaboration Apps (And How to Avoid Them)

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Juggling multiple collaboration apps at the office? You’re not alone!

According to research, 91% of companies use at least two messaging apps for internal communications. This goes against the advice of IT managers, who typically want to consolidate platforms for security and UX purposes. So why the disconnect?

In this post, we’re going to explore the challenges of using multiple collaboration tools and suggest solutions that will keep both employees AND IT pro’s happy. (Spoiler alert: it’s not about ditching all your platforms, it’s about making them work together).

Let’s get started:

The Rise of User-Centric Collaboration

user centered

You might be wondering how your organization ended up using five chat platforms when you only formally endorse one (and pay the subscription fee!).

The rise in user-centric collaboration means it’s now easier than ever for employees and teams to choose the platform that lets them work most effectively. In theory, this is a positive move. We’re all different and we all have our own communications style. As each platform has a distinct UX, it’s natural to gravitate towards a particular look and feel or towards the platform you perceive will make you most productive.

Until fairly recently, this wouldn’t have been possible. A “business-centric” model meant that access to communications tools required a corporate subscription (shout out to the good old days of Microsoft Lync!). Nowadays, platforms target users and teams directly, with free versions and cheap entry-level solutions.

Multiple Collaboration Apps = Multiple Challenges

too many apps can be challenging

Using multiple collaboration apps, particularly free ones, create multiple challenges. (Check out this article for more on the risks of free communications.) Here are the four issues most commonly raised by 3CX partners:

1. Supporting Multiple Apps is Costly

If teams within your organization prefer using different channels you could wind up paying multiple subscriptions and wasting money that could be invested elsewhere. Whilst communication tools are becoming more affordable generally, no one wants to be paying more than they need to be.

So if your marketing team wants a different channel to your developers, it’s time to dig in and understand which features matter most, so that you can identify the platforms that perform well across the board.

2. Consumer Apps Pose a Security Risk

As the saying goes, if the product is free, then the product is you. The same goes for software. If your employees use consumer platforms to discuss business matters, you’re at risk of exposing sensitive information, particularly as employee accounts cannot be monitored centrally.

Keep personal and business matters separate: use a dedicated business collaboration platform for all corporate matters.

3. Information Gets Lost

Whilst the risk of accidentally exposing information is very real so is the risk of losing it altogether. When employees use multiple applications, information has a tendency to get lost. After all, it’s hard enough trying to find information stored in your own docs, let alone scour three different platforms.

Losing information disrupts meetings, hinders project progress and makes employees less productive. The fewer platforms they use, the less information is scattered, so they won’t waste time re-tracing their virtual footsteps.

4. Lack of Internal Alignment

When teams use separate collaboration apps, silos start to appear. Working in silos means working independently of other teams/ individuals within the organization, typically as a result of poor cross-functional communication.

This lack of internal alignment can be dangerous. If teams are not communicating, or are just plain difficult to contact, it can be easy to end up heading in different directions. This isn’t good news for project work and it can inhibit growth,

What’s the Solution?

communication solution

Despite the challenges of using multiple collaboration apps, it’s unrealistic to expect total centralization. It’s important to recognize that the various teams within your organization have different requirements and this needs to be taken into consideration.

The solution is two-fold. First, endorse a collaboration platform that combines multiple communication methods into one, easy to use interface. This will ensure that the vast majority of employees can communicate using their preferred method, be that video, chat, telephony or mobile, without needing to look to consumer solutions.

Secondly, look for a communications suite that offers interoperability. Open standards technology makes it possible to integrate applications so that they can communicate with each other, reducing the risk of losing information, and forming silos.

Conclusion

The more apps you use, the more challenging it becomes to achieve unified communication across your organization. IT partners must be prepared for mixed environments but try to consolidate where possible to minimize security risks, productivity lulls, and unnecessary costs.

By choosing a multi-channel communications tool such as 3CX, you can avoid the trappings of multiple collaboration apps. Instead, you’ll enjoy integrated conferencing, calling, chat, and external communication. 3CX’s open standards approach also makes integrating 3rd party applications simple. Have one communications hub for all staff.

By Ellen Wilkinson|October 20th, 2020|https://www.3cx.com/blog/unified-communications/multiple-collaboration-apps/

10 Reasons to Move to the Cloud

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As SaaS takes over, making the switch will ensure your customers can take advantage of new technologies and futureproof existing ones.

As with all technology, making the decision to move your business communications system to the cloud can be met with trepidation. IT Administrators who are used to having crucial business platforms onsite may be reluctant to move them. After all, if it’s not broke and it’s not costing anything, why be the guy responsible for changing it? In reality, moving to the cloud is simple, affordable and the single, biggest step you can take to future proof your business. If you ask us, there’s a whole host of reasons to explore the benefits of the cloud with your clients. So many in fact, that we’ve picked out our top 10 to help you bring them on board.

1. Eliminate the Risk of Obselence

Physical hardware ages and needs to be replaced with time. But, this can be time-consuming and costly for clients. With a cloud solution, the responsibility for keeping the infrastructure updated shifts from the customer to the service provider. Updates and upgrades are also taken care of. Users just need to have an active subscription to enjoy up-to-date technology without needing to set aside additional funds and resources to maintain the performance of their system.

moving to the cloud saves hassle

2. Simplify Location Management

Whilst maintaining one on premise system might not seem too demanding, the challenge with remote locations is that you typically need one installation at each site. If you have an issue, this can result in multiple site visits just for troubleshooting purposes. As you can imagine, the cost soon stacks up, especially if some of your sites are overseas. A cloud system, on the other hand, enables each office to access the same virtual server using an internet connection. The result is having one simplified system that enables internal calling between locations (imagine the call costs your customers could save). As an MSP simplified location management is also essential. Centrally manage all your clients’ communications, regardless of their location, through a single browser-based portal- you won’t even need to leave the desk.

3. Minimize Capital Expenditure

Investing in a new communications system is expensive. Why make it more so? Traditional systems require the purchase of servers, phones, network services and on top of it all, clients often pay hefty setup fees. By adopting a cloud strategy, your customers can expect to save thousands. (At 3CX we can boast that we save customers as much as 80% on their current phone bill). With providers also offering exceptionally reliable communications via WebClients and native iOS/Android apps you’ll save even more on desk phones and corporate smartphones.

4. Consolidate Communications

A communications suite typically includes voice, video, remote working, SMS, presence, and faxing—all under one roof. It’s easy to simplify and reduce your costs when you receive all your channels from one provider on a single bill. Consolidating also leads to better, more consistent communications with co-workers and customers by allowing them to use their preferred channels. Additionally, because cloud systems are software-driven and maintained by the providers, they’re usually easier to integrate with other software platforms used internally. This can include CRM systems, PMS and IoT Applications.

5. Accommodate Remote Workers

On premises systems limit your ability to take advantage of remote workers because they generally lack a direct connection to employees on the move. In contrast, moving your system to the cloud removes technological boundaries. Cloud solutions can route call traffic to any destination with an active internet connection, so routing calls to smartphones and home offices is just as easy as routing them to an office phone. Another benefit, specialist features typically used in the office can be utilised remotely such as call transfers and voicemail.

6. Enhance Security

Whilst it may seem more secure to have all of your IT systems within hands reach, in reality, the opposite couldn’t be more true. On premise systems are subjected to more hack attempts than their cloud counterparts (61.4 attempts vs 27.8 attempts on average). Whether you’re using a private cloud or public cloud to host your client’s systems, they’re going to be in safe hands. After all, cloud providers are specialists in cloud security, unlike your average IT Administrator. They may well be tech-savvy, but they can’t provide best practice like encryption, security protocols, and active service monitoring, even if they had the time too.

7. Improve Disaster Recovery

Traditional recovery approaches typically entail offsite duplication of infrastructure and data. With cloud computing, disaster recovery becomes much more cost-effective with significantly faster recovery times. Many cloud providers will automatically include a failover to another data center in your monthly plan, so you can rest assured knowing a backup of your communications system is available should the worst happen. For extra peace of mind, you could even use multiple providers in varying locations to backup your applications.

8. Increased Functionality

Traditional systems are limited in terms of features. Each feature requires specific hardware components and configurations in order to work, which typically sends costs through the roof. In the Cloud, you can access business productivity features with none of the hassle. 3CX for example, has a zero add on policy. Customers can enjoy features such as voicemail, a digital receptionist and HD video conferencing without adding extra charges to their phone bill.

9. Receive Automatic Updates and Cut the Hassle

The latest technology will give your business an edge on the competition. But upgrades can also come with a steep learning curve. They usually entail at least some downtime, costs and debugging sessions. With an on premises system, you bear the responsibility for the upgrades. Choosing a hosted service shifts that responsibility to the provider and because you’re in the cloud, it’s easier to roll out new updates and features at a faster pace. Why not take a look at Hosted by 3CX, our new managed hosting service for partners and see how it could make your life easier.

10. Take Advantage of New Technology

Hosting business applications in the cloud gives you a level of flexibility not possible with legacy solutions. This is especially true if your clients want to integrate with other essential business services. With a software-based, hosted solution from 3CX for example, you can easily integrate your communications with other essential business platforms to create one, easy to use, business hub. A hub could comprise of your clients 3CX Phone System and their CRM. Or perhaps they have a bespoke platform for making reservations- with a system in the cloud it’s easy to connect via APIs.

By Ellen Wilkinson|September 8th, 2020|https://www.3cx.com/blog/unified-communications/move-cloud/

Lehigh Valley VOIP provider helping workplaces get, stay connected

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With in-person communication being avoided during the coronavirus shutdown, companies that provide VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) are in more demand than ever.

John Chisca of Vox Tandem in Macungie, a company that provides support for 3CX systems, said his phone started ringing the day he got back from a Disney vacation with his family March 15 and hasn’t stopped. PHOTO/SUBMITTED –

John Chisca of Vox Tandem in Macungie, a company that provides support for 3CX systems, said his phone started ringing the day he got back from a Disney vacation with his family March 15 and hasn’t stopped.

“Everybody’s working from home, or everybody’s trying to,” he said.

Unfortunately, many of the small and medium sized businesses in the region weren’t quite ready for the world of virtual meetings.

To help, he’s been offering free consulting to small businesses that have had trouble getting their systems up and running in the A.C. (After Corona) world.

“We’re trying to see how we can help,” he said. “A lot of people are worried. We’re talking to them about what their fears are and how we can help. If we can help them feel a little normalized that’s good.”

While some small businesses needed help getting started with phone and video connectivity, others simply didn’t know the capabilities they had.

He said, for example, they offer support for 3CX, systems, but many of their customers had just been using those systems for phone service.

“They didn’t know their account had video conferencing capabilities already or an iPhone app they could use,” he said.

And while he’s busy, Chisca said he knows the work his company is doing is helping small businesses stay afloat and stay safe during the shutdown, and he thinks those companies will come out the other side in better technological shape.

Writer Stacy Wescoe has her finger on the pulse of the business community in the Greater Lehigh Valley and keeps you up-to-date with technology and trends, plus what coworkers and competitors are talking about around the water cooler — and on social media. She can be reached at stacyw@bridgetowermedia.com or 610-807-9619, ext. 4104. Follow her on Twitter and on Facebook.

Link to Lehigh Valley Business article – https://www.lvb.com/look-at-lehigh-valley-businesses-after-coronavirus/

Working remotely is no longer just a “feature,” it’s now a necessity!

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Vox Tandem is offering FREE ACCESS for video conferencing to any organization, business, government agencies and non-government organization impacted by COVID-19 for 4 months. With features like video WebMeeting (up to 25 participants per video meeting), chat, Mobile Apps and interoffice voice and video calls, it feels like everyone’s working in the same room. Vox Tandem is here to help! With same day turn-up available, rest assured that your company’s telecommunication need is our priority! We welcome the opportunity to help answer any questions related to our remote working capabilities . Staying in business while keeping your employees safe is your number one concern!