Archive for the ‘overview’ Category
May 16, 2007
Why Text?
Text messaging is a quick way to stay in touch with people for personal or business purposes. With text messaging, you can chat with a partner by typing on the keyboard and reading what they write to you on the screen. Many text messaging products can work with cell phone text messaging (aka SMS or Short Messaging Service) so you can chat with people who aren’t in front of their computer. So, why not just pick up the phone and talk?
It’s faster than e-mail and phone calls. And you don’t have to pay anything to text. If you need to chat with someone briefly or ask a quick question, it’s much less intrusive than calling someone. As with most developing technologies, several types of text messaging are available and each one is incompatible with the others. But don’t let that keep you from trying it out. The main text messaging products are ICQ (www.icq.com), MSN Messenger (www.msn.com), AIM (www.aim.com), and Yahoo Messenger (www.yahoo.com).
btw (By the Way…)
Each one is free and simple to download, install, and sign up. You can locate your “buddies” by searching in an online directory by their screen name, e-mail address, name, or telephone number. Once you get the hang of it, text messaging can be extremely addictive. As you continue to use text messaging, you will find yourself learning to abbreviate words and sentences. When you leave an online chat, you might say BRB (Be Right Back), I’m afk (away from the keyboard), or TTYL (Talk to You Later). See glossary below.
Some text messaging products are beginning to offer voice and video chat. The future of digital communication is an integrated product, since voice, video, interactive text messaging, and e-mail are all effective means of communication. In the future, you will be able to switch between text, voice, and video with ease. Until then, we will continue to use different methods for different communication needs 
Glossary
Smiley face. Means that someone is happy
Smiley face with wink.
If someone sends you this in an e-mail, they’re probably not having a good day
BTW - By the Way
FYI - For Your Information
FWIW - For What It’s Worth
IMHO - In My Humble Opinion (or IMO) TIA - Thanks in Advance
WRT - With Respect To
LOL - Laughing Out Loud
ROTFL - Rolling on the Floor Laughing
AFK - Away From Keyboard
TTYL - Talk To You Later
CYA - See You Later
About The Author
Deryck Richards is the founder and managing partner of Desktronix. With an extensive educational background in computer information systems, Deryck currently manages hosting and data center operations for Desktronix. He also provides system administration and technical support directly to small businesses as he has since 2000. His areas of expertise include networking, Windows, Linux, and Macintosh systems and he is the author of The Guide to Technology for Small Business. For more information on Desktronix, visit www.desktronix.com.
May 11, 2007
More Than Just a Phone
Selecting a cell phone is no longer just about mobile communication ? it is now a lifestyle choice. If you don’t select the phone that fits your personality, you won’t be happy with it. New cell phones are beginning to have little in common with earlier cell phones. The new models feature color screens, digital cameras, high-speed internet connections, multimedia games, and music playback. In case you were wondering, you can also use them to make phone calls. It’s only a matter of time before everyone has these features on their cell phones.
Text messaging or “texting” is now available standard on most cell phones. It is similar to instant messaging except that messages are sent and received by cell phones instead of computers. Multimedia messaging allows you to send audio, video, and pictures as an attachment to a text message. Multimedia messaging was once seen as entertainment, but is rapidly becoming valuable to the business world. Real estate agents take photos of houses with their cell phones and employment agencies may use camera phones to photograph job applicants ? all away from their office.
Dial In On the Options
Cellular providers in the United States use either GSM or CDMA technology. When you buy a cell phone, it is tied to either GSM or CDMA cellular network, but can’t be converted from one to the other. If you ever switch cellular providers, you may also need to switch phones. Most cellular providers now have high-speed data networks. These data networks work with high-end cell phones and special network cards you can purchase for laptops. Data networks usually transmit data slightly faster than a dialup internet connection. These networks are still being developed and are yet to be available everywhere. Look for higher speed networks to be much more common by 2006.
If you want to purchase a camera phone, consider what quality of photos you need to take. Most camera phones have less than a one megapixel resolution, which produces low-quality images. If you need to take clear photos, look into a camera phone with 3 or more megapixels.
Voice Dialing and Bluetooth are becoming standard in many phones to make it easier and safer for people to use their phones while driving. Voice Dialing allows you to speak a person’s name into your phone, which will automatically find the person in your address book and dial the number for you. Bluetooth lets you connect a headset to your phone without wires. Some luxury cars are beginning to offer Bluetooth connectivity so that you can take calls in your car through the built-in speaker system.
Some newer cell phones are being designed with an emphasis on entertainment. They can be used to play music MP3 files, stored video and even movies, and video games. In general, the newer phones are all getting smarter and more specialized.
After you’re done choosing the features that you want, don’t neglect the practical aspects. Look at how often you will need to change the battery, whether the screen and keypad are too big and too small. Also, caveat emptor: most cellular providers lock you into a one or two year contract when you purchase a phone from them. If you cancel your service, they will charge you an early termination fee.
About The Author
Deryck Richards is the founder and managing partner of Desktronix. With an extensive educational background in computer information systems, Deryck currently manages hosting and data center operations for Desktronix. He also provides system administration and technical support directly to small businesses as he has since 2000. His areas of expertise include networking, Windows, Linux, and Macintosh systems and he is the author of The Guide to Technology for Small Business. For more information on Desktronix, visit www.desktronix.com.
May 1, 2007
What is SMS?
SMS, also known as short messaging service, is the rage in Europe and parts of Asia. Gradually SMS is gaining momentum in the US as a low cost messaging solution. SMS is defined as text messages, up to 160 characters in length, sent to mobile phones. In recent months SMS has become synonymous with any text message sent to a cell phone.
Benefits to SMS
SMS is a convenient, cost effective alternative to voice messaging. SMS popularity has grown as a result of:
1.) Cost - SMS is less expensive then the airtime used for voice calls or web access.
2.) Non-intrusive - messages are received in a discrete fashion and do not interrupt an individual if they are in the middle of a meeting
3.) Integration Capabilities - many software programs can be set up to send text alerts to mobile phones when urgent conditions exist.
Short Messaging Explained
Short messages can originate from other phones, personal computers or the Internet. Consumers and businesses alike use SMS for remote communication, allowing for staff to be mobile and stay in touch with those who matter.
Who Offers SMS?
Today nearly all the cellular carriers provide some level of SMS or text messaging capabilities. Cost and features vary, with carriers offering a variety of packages to suit individual or business needs. Typically there are three options that carriers provide:
1.) Free of Charge - text messaging is included as part of a select plan.
2.) Per Message Fee - users are charged per message.
3.) Monthly Fee - a set monthly fee includes a specified number of text messages.
How Do You Send SMS Messages?
Messages can be sent a variety of ways, depending on the service provider that you use.
SMS Software
The most popular way to send text messages is using software. When using software there is no cost associated with the sending of messages. Depending on the carrier that you are sending to messages can be sent any number of ways. Different carriers use different standards or protocols, the common protocols supported by most software is: via modem (TAP, UCP), the Internet ((SNPP, WCTP) and via email (SMTP). Software is flexible and often allows for group or scheduled messaging. Another benefit to software is the ability to automate processes, sending SMS alerts when specific conditions exist often without the need for human interaction.
SMS Software - free trials available for download and evaluation http://www.notepage.net
Public SMS Gateway
Public gateways are often referred to as SMSC or SMS centers. The centers typically run a robust software application (like advanced versions of those mentioned above) and subscribe to a large database that allows for the messages to be routed to the appropriate carriers using the appropriate settings. When using an SMSC the sender incurs a per message charge. Cost will vary depending on the SMSC used to send the message but its not uncommon for it to cost .05 per message.
Phone to Phone
Many of the new mobile phones and those on the GSM network allow for messages to be sent from phone to phone. The keypads are rudimentary and not conducive for long messages but are effective when time is an issue and a concise message is needed.
Win for everyone
SMS messaging has been helpful to consumers and carriers, as the cost of sending and delivering SMS messages is relatively low. SMS messages have proven to be a lucrative revenue stream for struggling telecom providers.
The Future of SMS
SMS will continue to grow as part of the telecom industry. As software processes become more complex users will exploit text messaging capabilities in order to allow for additional mobility in the workplace.
About The Author
NotePage, Inc. develops SMS, alphanumeric paging and wireless messaging software solutions. http://www.notepage.net
April 26, 2007
The telephone is an extremely important piece of equipment and a good office phone system is at the centre of any smoothly run company. In today’s modern corporate environment it is impossible to do business without them. A good office phone system enables you to stay in touch with your staff and your customers at all times, helping to improve the profitability and efficiency of your company.
By using your office phone system to take advantage of features such as voice mail and call forwarding. You will be able manage all incoming calls and direct callers to the correct department. By implementing a multi line office phone system, your customers will be able to call on more than one line, increasing the efficiency of your office. You can even set up some office phone systems with distinctive ring tones, again allowing you to direct certain callers to other departments within your company.
Some handsets for your office phone system can be easily programmed to suit the individual needs of a user. You will be able to make use of speed dialling by programming frequently used telephone numbers into the handset, thus increasing the efficiency of your office phone system.
If you search the internet there are many different types of office phone systems available. You need to do your research thoroughly and take great care on deliberating which office phone system to purchase. The internet is a great source of information on different types of office phone system. There are many suppliers out there, be sure to choose a reputable one that will supply you with a system that fulfils your requirements and allows for future growth. Be wary of companies trying to sell you a product that you will never make full use of. A good supplier/ installer will work with you on deciding which features you require from your office phone system.
Thanks for reading,
Jason
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Jason Morris is co-author of Business Phone Systems Direct. An established communications company, offering advice and implementation of high quality business phone systems.
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April 16, 2007
Cordless phone systems offer many features and are ideal for small businesses or businesses that are run from home. As well as increasing the portability of your phone system, they also increase office efficiency and productivity.
The first cordless phone systems were introduced in the 1970 and suffered from issues such as large handset size and short battery life. Since then the technology and security of modern systems has grown continuously.
A good cordless phone system can now offer benefits such as: voice mail, call forwarding, caller I.D. and many more. The latest systems also offer: lightweight handsets, speed dialling, digital answering and long battery life. You can now choose from a range of high quality cordless phone systems that offer excellent clarity with virtually no interference.
Cordless phone systems allow you to contact a user that may be walking around. Each system has a base unit which enables you to page the handset of a user, so long as they are in range. You can then speak to the user through the intercom facility. Some systems allow you to use another handset as the intercom instead of the base station.
Cordless phone systems can be integrated into existing office phone systems. Over the past few years, the development of new technology has made it possible for some cordless phone systems to be integrated into already existing office phone systems. Enabling companies to take full advantage of all the features and benefits that come with cordless phone systems, without suffering the cost and upset arising from the implementation of a new full office phone system.
Put simply, cordless phone systems allow you to wander freely around your business environment, without the fear of missing an important call or losing vital new business. They are truly wonderful pieces of equipment and can only enhance the profitability of any small business.
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Jason Morris is co-author of Business Phone Systems Direct. An established communications company, offering advice and implementation of high quality business phone systems.
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April 11, 2007
Voice Mail put simply
In its simplest form a voice mail system is essentially just another phone answering system. They store their messages on a computer disk. Each user is assigned a mailbox where they only have access to his or her messages. They are also password protected so only the assigned user can access the messages in their mailbox. Voice mail systems also allow each user to create their own greeting message. This enables the user to pass on instructions or important messages without taking the call.
Voice mail systems can allow companies to redirect callers to other company employees. A voice mail system can answer calls rather than a member of staff; provide them with a common greeting, then guide the caller to an appropriate department through a selection process. This is more commonly known as the voice mail systems Auto Attendant feature.
Voice mail systems can merge fax, e-mail and voice messages into just one screen of a users PC. Some voice mail systems even offer voice recognition technology. A caller’s voice is recognised by the voice mail system and the system acts accordingly to pre-defined instructions. This is known as Interactive Voice Response.
What to look for in a voice mail system
Voice mails systems are usually additional features of existing in house phone systems. When deciding which voice mail system to purchase you need to look at two key aspects of each one: the number of user ports and the hours of memory that is allocated to messages.
A good voice mail system will have enough ports to handle incoming calls without delay. If all the ports are full, then any new callers will be delayed in the system until a port becomes available. If a voice mail system has too many ports then its capacity is wasted. The trick is to balance the number of ports with the estimated number of potential customers.
The capacity of a voice mail system depends on the hours of memory it has available. A system with a large number of ports and traffic may need a large number of hours, where as a system with low traffic will need fewer hours. The term hours of memory refers to capacity of a voice mail system to store any messages.
Selecting a voice mail system, check list
1. How do you use your voice mail?
This depends on how heavily your staff will be using the voice mail system. A port is in use whenever the voice mail system picks up a call, someone leaves, someone is transferred, or whenever a message is picked up by a user. All these factors need to be taken into account when looking at suitable voice mail systems.
2. Many older phone systems may not support a modern voice mail system.
Unfortunately many business phone systems that are above five years old will not be able to fully support a fully featured voice mail system. The only solution would be to replace your phone system with a more modern one.
3. Adequate memory.
Most voice mail systems have an adequate amount of memory, usually more than you will ever need. When selecting an appropriate voice mail system it is important that you enquire about the systems memory capacity, because some suppliers now provide relatively inexpensive voice mail systems that do not have a hard disk for message storage. All the messages and greetings are stored on chips, which seriously affects the amount of memory available. These small inexpensive voice mail systems are only really suitable to companies or offices with only two or three phone extensions and not recommended for a growing company requiring a fully featured voice mail system.
4. Expansion and how much it will cost.
When choosing a voice mail system, you need to make sure that any quotes gathered from systems suppliers include a cost for expansion. If you decide upon a voice mail system that is only sufficient for your current requirements, then consider what will happen if and when your office/company expands, and the need for more voice mail capacity outstrips that of your current system. You will also need to ask any prospective supplier how long they will honour their quotation for the expansion of your voice mail system.
5. Remote maintenance costs.
Before purchasing a suitable voice mail system from any supplier, you need to find out what their costs are for remote maintenance. All voice mail systems will at some time require a little care and feeding, which more often than not can only be provided by the system supplier.
6. Voice mail system training.
It is important that all users attend the training sessions of any new voice mail system. Though voice mail systems are not usually difficult to use, some staff may require one to one or even extra tuition. When evaluating the training cost section of any proposed voice mail system suppliers quotation, it is important to ascertain that a low price does not mean a low standard of system training.
7. Additional training.
It is advisable that you acquire a cost for any future additional training sessions that may be required from time to time, as staff come and go and for the re-training of existing staff.
8. Should I purchase a larger voice mail system?
There are two main questions you need to ask yourself in order to determine whether or not you should purchase a larger voice mail system.
Thanks for reading my article
Jason
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Jason Morris is co-author of Business Phone Systems Direct. An established communications company, offering advice and implementation of high quality business phone systems.
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April 6, 2007
Phone and voice mail systems can be pretty costly, even for companies with a low number of users. Before investing in any type of phone system or voice mail system, you need to estimate how much your company is likely to expand over the next few years. Failure to do this could cost you or your company a lot of money in upgrade and restructuring costs further down the road. It is better and cheaper to plan and allow for expansion at an early stage, than wait until it is too late.
If you plan to remain under ten users then I would recommend you invest in a KSU-less system. Basically these look like normal phones that carry all the technology and software needed to run a small phone system of up to four lines and eight to twelve extensions. These systems offer many of the features that a full PBX phone system offers. Be sure to check with your supplier what features are available on these types of phone systems.
These systems are relatively cheap compared to other types of phone systems. They are also easy to install, so can be quickly re-located to another location. This type of phone system usually comes as a boxed product that is installed by you, and carries a manufacturer’s warranty. You will have to make enquiries with your vendor as to the level of after sales support that is available. You may find it is much less than if you had purchased a larger more expensive system.
One major disadvantage of KSU-less phone systems, is that they cannot integrate a separate voice mail system. If you do choose to purchase one of these KSU-less phone systems, then you will have to use a voice mail service that is offered by your telephone company.
If you decide that you must have a fully featured voice mail system, and can confidently predict your company will expand beyond ten users within next few short years, then you will be better off investing in a proper fully featured KSU phone system. These systems are typical in companies with around forty users. Some suppliers may recommend installing something called a Hybrid phone system. These systems are ideal for small to mid sized companies of about fifty to a hundred employees, and offer many of the features much larger PBX systems offer.
Below is a check list for when you are selecting a new phone and voice mail system and supplier:
1. Try to estimate how much your company will grow in the next three to five years. Look at how many lines and extensions you have at the moment and decide how many your company may require in the future.
2. Contact potential suppliers, and arrange an appointment with them for a full demonstration. A number of these can be sourced off the internet or through your local business pages. This will also give them a good opportunity to have a look at you and evaluate your potential requirements. Remember to ask them about their experience and if necessary ask for referrals. You could even ask to see a system they have recently installed.
3. Make sure you decide on a rough budget for your proposed new telephone and voice mail system. Ask around other businesses of similar size, what they have invested in their systems.
4. When potential suppliers provide you with a quote for your new phone system, go through them carefully, ensuring they include all of the requirements your business will need. These may include extras like; Voice mail, additional handsets, call handling software, automated attendants, service level agreements (SLA’s) and any other additional features.
5. Once you have decided on one or two suppliers, it is time to get them back round. Remember, they want your business. Bearing in mind the budget you decided earlier, make your decision based upon not only price, but which supplier you think can provide your company with the best service before, during and after the installation of your new phone and voice mail system. Any good potential supplier will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have about the phone system they intend to supply and install for you.
Thanks for reading
Jason
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Jason Morris is co-author of Business Phone Systems Direct. An established communications company, offering advice and implementation of high quality business phone systems.
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March 31, 2007
Cellular phones and pagers are part of the “now” generation, instant contact, anywhere at any time. People are looking for convenience, comfort and security. The question is how instantaneous and reliable is the contact?
Talking with someone is the main use for a cell phone, yet due to poor reception how often do calls not go through, or important calls “dropped” due to flaky coverage? Let us not forget, that in a time of tragedy, lines were congested and the resounding “all circuits busy” messages were heard from coast to coast. There is certainly room for improvement if you want to reach out and touch someone.
The alternative to voice communication is traditional text messaging, enjoyed by the young as SMS, a ‘hip’ communication method, and the older as the tried and true paging, a trustworthy means of communication. A carrier receives pages or text messages via a traditional dial up modem or Internet connection to their terminal, and then broadcasts the messages over their network to the appropriate wireless device. How instant is sending a text message? The answer might surprise you…it depends.
Traditional means of sending text messages is surprisingly reliable and fast. However, many cellular carriers, wishing to merge technologies while keeping costs down, have opted to utilize email technology to send text messages. Why not, an email is nothing more than a text message, using the Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP). On the surface this sounds like a great idea, nearly everyone has email access, and the use of the Internet streamlines the sending of messages.
What is often overlooked, is the fact that email was not designed to be time sensitive. There can be significant delays and an instantaneous receipt can be lost when sending email to a pager or cell phone. Text messages sent via the email protocol SMTP could take a more scenic delivery route. While in many cases, receiving messages in a timely fashion is not critical; some industries require and benefit from the receipt of urgent messages. It is therefore important to realize and make a distinction between the protocols that are designed for instantaneous communication and those that are not.
If sending messages immediately to a cell phone or pager is required, more reliable protocols are available. When sending text messages, via a modem, the Telocator Alphanumeric Protocol (TAP) is extremely dependable, albeit slower due to the modem dialing. If sending messages with a high-speed Internet connection use the newer time sensitive Internet protocols: Simple Network Paging Protocol (SNPP) and Wireless Communication Transfer Protocol (WCTP). If your carrier supports these protocols they are the better options for sending important messages.
If carriers understand the “now” generation is about speed and reliability, customer satisfaction will improve. Text messaging is a reliable and useful communication method, especially since voice is not always convenient or possible. With public awareness and urging, carriers will increase their offerings of text messaging protocols. Carriers should offer email or SMTP, but they must also support time sensitive protocols, regardless, of whether the protocols are older such as TAP or newer such as WCTP.
Resources -
Carriers supporting SNPP - http://www.notepage.net/snpp.htm
Carriers supporting WCTP - http://www.notepage.net/wctp.htm
About The Author
Sharon Housley manages marketing for NotePage, Inc. http://www.notepage.net a company specializing in alphanumeric paging, SMS and wireless messaging software solutions. Other sites by Sharon can be found at http://www.softwaremarketingresource.com , and http://www.small-business-software.net
March 21, 2007
Cell phones have come a long way since the early days of the 1980s when they were the size of a brick and weighed almost as much. Today, cellular phones come with built-in cameras, polyphonic ringtones, and high-tech games. New “3G” mobile phones are also capable of downloading full motion video and full spectrum music. Whereas there were only a few manufacturers of cell phones in the 1980s, today there are many. In addition to original manufacturers such as Motorola and Siemens, today phones are manufactured by Sony-Ericsson, LG, Toshiba, Samsung, Hitachi, Danger, Palm, HP and others.
As wireless cell phone use increases around the globe, the old CDMA and TDMA standards are being replaced with GSM, the global standard outside of North America. Relatively new mobile phone companies such as Vodafone and T-Mobile in Germany and NTT DoCoMo in Japan have taken advantage of increased cell phone use by expanding their mobile phone offerings and plans world-wide. Also, traditional computer companies are moving or have moved into the cell phone industry-PalmOne manufactures the Treo 650, HP is coming out with its own smartphone PDA and Microsoft powers the operating systems of many of the newest cell phones on the market.
In addition to being used as a method of wireless voice communication, cell phones have within the last decade morphed into mobile computing platforms. These new cell phones are powerful enough to power many applications that only a few years ago required one to be stationed at a desktop computer.
Concurrent with technological innovation and increased adoption worldwide, prices for both hardware and service plans have dropped steadily over the last decade. Whereas only a few years ago most cell phone service providers required 3 year contracts with heavy penalties for early cancellation, now one can get a free state-of-the-art phone with only a one year contract.
Beyond the cell phone hardware, whole new industries have sprung up catering to the needs of cell phone users who demand accessories such as cell phone covers, screen-savers, and ring tones. As well, SMS (simple messenging system) and MMS (multimedia messenging system) lingo is slowly entering the cell phone society vernacular. Use of shorthand abbreviations such as LOL (laughing out loud), SWAK (sealed with a kiss) and G2G (got to go) has become second nature to teenagers who are the main users of phone messenging globally.
(c) 2005 Philip Liu - All Rights Reserved Worldwide
Philip Liu is a freelance author and publisher currently based in New York City. Philip publishes regularly on his websites, Cell Phone News + Reviews (focusing on cell phone news, rumors and reviews from around the world), and DTVScoop - Plasma, LCD Reviews + News (focusing on digital television news and reviews).
March 16, 2007
There have been significant improvements made recently in cellular phone security. But be careful. Read on for valuable information to protect yourself.
Just remember that wireless phone conversations are transmitted over radio frequencies and these transmissions are not secure. However, analog cell phones are not as secure as digital or personal communications service phones. Low cost, easy to get, radio scanners are used to eavesdrop on phone conversations using analog wireless phones. With digital wireless phones, the conversations are encoded and are much more difficult to be listened in on. However, it is much more difficult to eavesdrop on conversations using personal communications service phones as your conversation is transmitted over multiple frequencies that may be scrambled. These conversations are impossible for interception.
Cloning is a term used to describe illegally charged calls to someone else’s account. The cost to cell phone service providers is astronomical. Digital wireless phones are difficult to clone compared to analog cell phones.
If your wireless phone is stolen, contact your cell phone service provider right way to have your service suspended. Each cell phone provider has its only policy concerning exactly how much you will be billed for local and long distance calls, so it is imperative that you notify your cell phone service provider immediately.
Cell phone insurance is available in cases of theft or loss of your mobile phone. Your cell phone service provider will be able to tell you about cell phone insurance.
Catherine Kenyeres is a free lance writer and publisher for Best-4u-Cell-Phones.com. Catherine provides the latest information, reviews and comparisons for her cell phone clients.