• With in-person events and conferences now impractical, an alternate solution for the long term is to hold “virtual” events. We offer 3 tips for success.

• In this uncertain business climate, it’s best to conserve resources. One way to do this is to avoid unnecessary spending on outdated broadband and network services, especially those coming up for auto-renewal.

• If your current phone system wasn't able to handle the exodus of workers to home, that's one sure sign you’re in need of cloud voice technology. We offer 6 more glaring signs.

• We discuss Sourcewell, formerly the National Joint Powers Alliance, a contracting agency that procures products and services for schools, non-profits, and government agencies - and how members can purchase Mitel telecom solutions without issuing an RFP.  

• Finally, we offer 10 ways TCI Host Service will connect your mobile teams to make using technology easier than ever.

• Content – Plan to offer a variety of sessions that appeal to all levels of your audience. Some attendees may want to hear about the company strategy and attend roadmap sessions, while others want to talk to product experts. Some want to focus on expanding their skill set through training classes. Your content should be broad and deep enough to appeal to all types of attendees.

• Balance – The second element is striking the right balance between static content and live engagement. You want to create a sense of energy, even though the event is virtual. Announcements and notifications of what's coming up next keep traffic flowing and attendees engaged.

• Planning – Most importantly, you need a strong project manager. With the exception of live sessions, almost everything is pre-loaded in a virtual environment. This means it's critical to hit deadlines and the project manager plays a vital role in ensuring that everything loads on time.

• Business Voice | Unified Communications 

• Carrier & Telecom Services

• IT Services & Support

• Speedier negotiations and contract execution. No more wasted time comparing apples-to-oranges, trying to deal with one-size-fits-all solutions, or getting locked out of better solutions that become available

• Improved savings and ROI through negotiated price reductions and/or quantity discounts

• Reduced miscommunication and disputes with suppliers and service providers by leveraging Performance Guarantees and SLAs

• Ongoing consultation to keep Network and carrier services in line with your business objectives

• Traffic – With fewer people working in the office, just about all communications is now handled remotely. Is your current phone system supporting the increased demand? If not, busy signals, dropped calls and low-quality video will impede conversations, frustrating employees and customers. 

• Security – With more employees working from home, protecting sensitive information is a top priority. But if you're not 100% confident in your communications system, you'll want to ask vendors some hard questions such as: Do they offer Secure Real-Time Transfer Protocol (SRTP), which ensures voice, web and signaling traffic is encrypted? What cloud platform are they using and what levels of security do they offer?

• Regulation – If you operate in a regulated industry like healthcare or finance, compliance looms large. Violations are expensive and can tarnish your reputation. However, when you work with a cloud phone provider committed to ensuring high levels of security and protecting sensitive data, you can ease your compliance worries.

• Rapid Response – The onset of COVID-19 was a classic example of the need to be able to rapidly respond to changing demands and requirements. Ask yourself how difficult it is to add or remove lines, features, and users to your current system. If it requires a call to the vendor every time you need to make a change, then it's time for a cloud phone solution. 

• Client Expectations – A stellar customer experience is more important than ever, but it can be difficult to deliver when employees need to jump through extra hoops to share documents or discuss issues remotely. When collaboration is built into your communications, it's easier for your people to exceed customer expectations. When employee collaboration is easy and seamless outside the physical office, customers get answers faster and satisfaction soars.

• License Management – When you're trying to run a remote employee workforce and keep customers engaged, you don't have time to worry about managing multiple licenses for your communications system. With a cloud phone solution, you can mix and match license types on a single plan. Need a contact center? Collaboration tools? It's simple to add licenses on-demand and manage each user via their own profile. 

• Unified Communications, UCaaS

• Public, Private Cloud, and On-site Systems

• Contact Centers

• Team Collaboration

• Business Phones, Devices & Accessories

• Mass Notification

• Professional Services

• Educational institutions – both public and private, including K to 12, special education districts, charter schools, and higher education/universities

• Non-profits – including hospitals and nursing homes, rural power cooperatives, housing authorities, member associations and groups

• State and local government agencies – including cities, counties, water districts, and tribal nations