What's All the Fuss over VoIP?

Sometimes that thing that sounds too good to be true turns out to really be true. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) has turned into one of those techno-promises that has proven its potential, especially as a cost saver for business.

The concept is simple – plug your phone into the Internet, and talk to the world as if it were all next door. And the reality is almost as easy: VoIP service converts your voice to a digital signal, and that can be sent over the Internet. On the other end, it comes out as your voice in a signal that the receiver can process – cell phone, wired phone, whatever. VoIP does require a broadband (high-speed Internet) connection for your computer, but these days you need that just to conduct business effectively anyway.

Since the service starts with your computer, your desktop computer can actually make calls directly from your CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system. Now, while you talk to a customer you can also be reviewing their information on your computer, entering orders, checking schedules, or even writing a confirmation of your phone conversation. Sure, you could do that before, but what was that phone call costing you?

As simple as the VoIP concept is, the main attraction has always been the potential cost savings. Installing a traditional wired phone system for your office with multiple stations could be an enormous investment. But a VoIP PBX system with up to 16 extensions costs under $2,000. And if that got your attention, how about calling from Sydney to Perth for just 10c? Period. Now your mobile phone can become an extension of your PBX, and a call to a mobile can cost only 20c/minute, regardless of the carrier.

During the early days of VoIP there were stories of dropped calls, just as there were with the early cell phones. But the technology has advanced rapidly, and these days VoIP is highly reliable. You do need to understand how the system works and what services are available, because there will be differences from your old style wired phone system. But that brings us to another advantage of a computer-based VoIP phone system - one service provider can install and support everything for you. That provider will be able to advise you about the best service choice for your business.

So give VoIP a look and a listen. With the cost savings and increased efficiency, I think you will soon be saying, “Now we’re talking!”

At Chill we take the heat out of IT. No matter what pressure you are under, we will always keep our heads and make sure you get back up and running as soon as possible. So don't sweat - Chill IT. Click here for more information on our consulting services.

Choosing an ISP, with Emphasis on SERVICE!

Have you noticed that the more choices you have, the harder it is to decide between things that look and sound similar? If you aren’t already an expert, how can you choose? When buying a digital camera, how do you choose the right combination of mega pixels, optical zoom, digital zoom, wide angle, memory cards, batteries, and so on? You want a checklist that would say “Here’s what to look for.”

I can’t help you with the camera, but I can make the task of choosing your Internet Service Provider (ISP) a little less daunting. First of all, let’s be sure we’re talking about he same thing. An ISP is a company that provides access to the Internet for a fee. An ISP might provide dial-up service, cable, DSL, or other types of Internet access. For a business, having cable, DSL, or another high-speed connection is essential, but it is just the start. To make the best use of technology today, you will want to be able to provide appropriate access to your network to employees and customers.

How do you know whether an ISP has what your business needs? These are some of the key questions to ask:

• Does the ISP offer permanently managed VPN (Virtual Private Network) links between offices or outworkers to the main office? A VPN allows for multiple locations to have a secure permanent connection over the internet. It also allows key employees to gain full access to all network services – in effect, enabling to them to work as if they were sitting in the office, no matter where they actually are.
• Does the ISP offer link services in every location you want to be in? If you do not have access to your ISP wherever you are, then it is not going to provide value to your business.
• Will the ISP deliver and install your communications service to your locations? If you have several offices, or remote locations, they all need to be connected to your ISP to take full advantage of high-speed connectivity.
• Does the ISP offer QoS (Quality of Service) so that services such as VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) can perform well? VoIP is a new sort of phone service. It allows you to call and communicate with friends, colleagues and others, whether those people are also using VoIP, or whether they are using a conventional telephone service. VoIP lets you place voice calls using your broadband service as the medium that carries your voice, instead of using the 'Plain Old Telephone Service (or POTS) to do it. In order for VoIP to work well, though, the network has to have the capacity to guarantee that data will flow without delay. QoS is the ability to provide different priority to different applications, users, or data flows, or to guarantee a certain level of performance. QoS guarantees are important if the network capacity is limited, for example in cellular data communication, especially for real-time applications, such as voice over IP (VoIP), since these are delay sensitive.
• Are anti-spam filters available? The fastest network can grind to a crawl when overloaded with spam (junk email.) You want an ISP that includes anti-spam filtering in its services. You should be able to “blacklist” senders that you never want to receive messages from, and likewise “whitelist” senders that you always want to allow through.

With an ISP as with most other things, you get what you pay for. So whilst yes's to all these points may cost a little more, the advantages of getting FULL service from an ISP is well worth the investment. Put another way, what is the cost of a dropped call with an important customer? How much might it cost to have an employee idle because he cannot log on to his VPN account and get information to complete an important proposal? Choose an ISP with the emphasis on Service to give your business the best competitive advantage.

At Chill we take the heat out of IT. No matter what pressure you are under, we will always keep our heads and make sure you get back up and running as soon as possible. So don't sweat - Chill IT. Click here for more information on our consulting services.

Network Security - Seal IT with a KISS

You know by now that I believe in keeping things as simple as possible when it comes to information technology. It is very easy to dive into a subject and feel that you are drowning in the details of do's and don'ts. Network security is a good example of a topic that has many levels of detail, threats on all sides, and a bewildering array of options for protecting your company's network. Even the descriptive words are frightening: hack, worm, phish, spoof, denial of service attack, malicious code, spam, Trojan horse. And when you learn that 90% of businesses and government reported a security breach in 2002, and 80% reported a resulting financial loss, the whole issue can seem overwhelming.

Where to begin? The first thing to do is not to rush in and throw money at the problem and hope you get it right. Putting in a $199 firewall router by itself won't solve anything; if it is not configured, you may as well put in a lock and leave the key in the door. You need a plan.

Take the time to create a coherent and comprehensive approach to network security. This will help you identify where you are in terms of security, what threats hold the greatest risks for your business, and what you should do in response. Your integrator should be able to help you with this task. It will also help you avoid focusing on something that may sound terrifying while overlooking something else that is a more realistic threat to your specific situation. Think KISS – Keep It Simple Security.

So how do you create that important approach? There are plenty of resources available in articles and sites to help you understand the potential threats, the areas you need to consider, and how to select the best protective measures for you. You might start with Microsoft's small business Security Guidance Centre; scroll down and click on the "Quiz" to see a good overview of security concerns and issues for small companies. Another resource is this chapter from the book, Executive Guide to Information Security: The Threats, Challenges, and Solutions. And this article reviews 10 major threats to network security and how to prevent damage to your system.

Network security does not have to be complex. It does need to be the simplest appropriate system for your situation. Start with covering the basics and build on that solid ground. Then as your company's security needs grow, your KISS system will grow with it.

At Chill we take the heat out of IT. No matter what pressure you are under, we will always keep our heads and make sure you get back up and running as soon as possible. So don't sweat - Chill IT. Click here for more information on our consulting services.