tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22038701033153721542024-02-19T17:33:09.398-08:00Technology: Voice by IP<p>This blog is overview of what is happening in tech world brought to you by Igor Portugal</p>Igor Portugalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12429483048812830037noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203870103315372154.post-12643465007572851932013-03-16T17:22:00.001-07:002013-03-17T11:50:52.563-07:00Going GlobalI have many conversations about <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/" target="_blank">Vadacom</a> going global with customers, suppliers and others in our industry. After all, <a href="http://www.vadaxchange.com/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/" target="_blank">VadaXchange</a> is now recognisably a world class <a href="http://www.vadaxchange.com/why-voip/" target="_blank">VoIP</a> <a href="http://www.vadaxchange.com/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/" target="_blank">PABX</a> system. We also already have <a href="http://www.vadaxchange.com/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/" target="_blank">VadaXchange</a> systems running in the USA, China and Australia - those systems are deployed for our New Zealand customers with the global offices.<br />
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We have the unique capability to deploy and support <a href="http://www.vadaxchange.com/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/" target="_blank">VadaXchange</a> systems internationally. However, up until now, we don't have any sales presence outside of New Zealand.<br />
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However, this year we achieved something entirely new - we sold our first system that is deployed internationally where the customer resides outside of New Zealand - that system is in the Kingdom of Tonga.<br />
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So what is stopping us from increasing our international sales and how would we go about it?<br />
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To find out I went along to Ken Morse's seminar "<a href="http://entnz.com/" target="_blank">Global Sales Strategies for Ambitious Kiwi Entrepreneurs"</a><br />
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Ken is the co-founder of 3Com Corporation, Aspen Technology and a number of other global tech companies. I felt if I wanted to grow a successful international tech business, I need to learn form the best!<br />
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Ken didn't disappoint. I loved Ken's American, straight-to-the-point style. You can tell Ken knows how to grow sales. His message - sales are harder than technology. And it is true. I'm a firm believer that the ratio of sales to technical staff in a tech company should be 1:1.<br />
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Being in a small market, we often find ourselves selling our technology to small companies. Certainly most Vadacom customers at the moment have less than 100 people. So we often sell to the boss, or one person within the organisation who makes the decision.<br />
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Ken explained what it takes to sell to larger corporations - places where each decision is made by a bunch of people rather than just one. He calls them "The Jury". He shared with us his good, timeless sales techniques - from the first 30 second elevator pitch, through to building relationships overcoming objections and running sales presentations.<br />
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Ken's message about focusing on vertical, rather than horizontal market did strike an accord with me and focused me on what it will actually take to take <a href="http://www.vadaxchange.com/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/" target="_blank">VadaXchange</a> to international markets. This helped me focus on what is important in formulating our international expansion strategy.<br />
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If you interested to learn more about going global from the master, I would definitely recommend Ken's workshop - you can find details <a href="http://entnz.com/" target="_blank">by clicking on the link here</a>.<br />
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If you interested to learn more about <a href="http://www.vadaxchange.com/" target="_blank">Vadacom</a> international expansion strategy, please first visit our website to understand <a href="http://www.vadaxchange.com/what-we-do/" target="_blank">what we do</a> then <a href="http://www.vadaxchange.com/contact-us/" target="_blank">give me a call</a>.<br />
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Igor.Igor Portugalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12429483048812830037noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203870103315372154.post-28729831544152150832013-01-10T20:01:00.002-08:002013-01-10T20:01:52.143-08:00iPhone vs. Android is Alien vs. Predator: whoever wins... we loseHaving had a number of discussions with my colleagues about iPhones and Androids recently I decided to write a follow up blog to the <a href="http://voice-by-ip.blogspot.co.nz/2010/10/iphone-vs-android-is-alien-vs-predator.html" target="_blank">one I posted earlier with the same title</a><br />
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Much has changed in the last two years since my original post. Android platform is now much more widely used and is winning the market share. New entrants into the market, such as Windows Phone devices haven't really managed to take market or mind share and the dinosaurs such as Blackberry are slowly disappearing. So this is still very much a two-horse race. iPhone vs. Android.<br />
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Here at <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/" target="_blank">Vadacom</a> we work with both the <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/iphone/" target="_blank">iPhone</a> and the <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/android/" target="_blank">Android</a> platform. We didn't back then. Here is my opinion on where the platforms are at from the business use point of view:<br />
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While <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/android/" target="_blank">Android</a> is still lacking some critical integration features, it is certainly catching up to <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/iphone/" target="_blank">iPhone</a>. The user interface on some of the newer devices feels as responsive as <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/iphone/" target="_blank">iPhone</a>. The availability of the apps is certainly getting close. There are also some cool features that now exist in <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/android/" target="_blank">Android</a> but not in the <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/iphone/" target="_blank">iPhone</a> yet.<br />
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Much seems to be device and vendor dependant. Most Android phones are still falling behind because as they get older the vendor doesn't provide a timely update to the OS. So older iPhones hold up much better compared to the older Androids as the OS in those phones is usually more current.<br />
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Where is some of the new devices do now outshine the new iPhone 5 in features. The device to watch, in my opinion, is Nexus 4. One reason: apparently Google will keep this one up to date with the new releases. So, here are a couple of comparisons of Nexus 4 vs. iPhone 5:<br />
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<a class="ot-anchor" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdU29krrqqg" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: #f8f8f8; color: #3366cc; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.800000190734863px; line-height: 14.399999618530273px;" target="_blank">10 Things the iPhone 5 Can't do that Nexus 4 Can</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinions/google-nexus-4-vs-iphone-5" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Google Nexus 4 vs iPhone 5 - Screen, Power and Software</a><br />
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Our clients are split fairly evenly in their business use of <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/iphone/" target="_blank">iPhones</a> and <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/android/" target="_blank">Androids</a>.<br />
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Here at <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/" target="_blank">Vadacom</a> we turn your <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/iphone/" target="_blank">iPhone</a> or <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/android/" target="_blank">Android</a> into a <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/" target="_blank">Mobile Extension</a> of <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/" target="_blank">VadaXchange</a> <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/why-voip/" target="_blank">VOIP</a> <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/products/" target="_blank">PBX</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhme0qQWjaDe_HL-qQRwwnE9DBWRcJTnI75Q1Xa9hqxZKPMOkuRmSmwYIK3ouc_0c27Q2Jskx234Vew0OsIwy25c9Ljbip9RgJbRuiLRbAl8D08DQJC1sUhJX7vrqcHpttjUDET4FYReIg/s1600/iphone-extensions.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhme0qQWjaDe_HL-qQRwwnE9DBWRcJTnI75Q1Xa9hqxZKPMOkuRmSmwYIK3ouc_0c27Q2Jskx234Vew0OsIwy25c9Ljbip9RgJbRuiLRbAl8D08DQJC1sUhJX7vrqcHpttjUDET4FYReIg/s200/iphone-extensions.PNG" width="112" /></a></div>
<a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/" target="_blank">VadaXchange</a> <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/" target="_blank">Mobile Extensions</a> feature enables mobile phones to have the same features as other cordless phones attached to the <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/" target="_blank">VadaXchange</a> <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/products/" target="_blank">PBX</a> as an extension of the system. The call is made using a regular service, while it is billed to your <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/why-voip/" target="_blank">VOIP</a> account, so your business saves money which more than justifies getting a smartphone. After that you gain a lot in productivity.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhAbmjaTpk5Jat603Jol9iWzOOz7jS5Z6TMIJfM8_jpLCEYgPWpzup63xP0Vc474dT0vqzcvSmsjoMxO1cq6wDHclzinpBN38At9naj3CPOBfS1LS7reKvnkdq1pljjQkvS0anKP6qOsg/s1600/One_X_Buddy.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhAbmjaTpk5Jat603Jol9iWzOOz7jS5Z6TMIJfM8_jpLCEYgPWpzup63xP0Vc474dT0vqzcvSmsjoMxO1cq6wDHclzinpBN38At9naj3CPOBfS1LS7reKvnkdq1pljjQkvS0anKP6qOsg/s320/One_X_Buddy.png" width="320" /></a></div>
While developing for iPhone using iOS SDK is still slightly faster, Android allows much better integration with the environment outside the <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/" target="_blank">VadaXchange</a> App. With Android we are able to register VadaXchange as the default dialling application for contacts. We also put hold and transfer button right on the front of the standard phone app on the phone to allow call transfer of PBX based calls. This nicely and seamlessly turns the Android phone into the <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/" target="_blank">VadaXchange</a> <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/products/" target="_blank">PBX</a> extension.<br />
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I must confess that I believe iOS 6 and iPhone 5 made really underwhelming progress from the innovation view point. My personal view is that unless Apple is able to make a big leap with the next iOS version and the new range of the iOS based devices this year, we will see Android continuing dominating the market share to the point where iOS will become another niche player. That would be a shame as I am a great believer in having competition to fuel innovation. Plus, I still love my iPhone.Igor Portugalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12429483048812830037noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203870103315372154.post-68969892707028767002012-10-30T03:34:00.002-07:002012-10-30T05:11:12.051-07:00One entrepreneur's experience of building a new website.About six months ago I embarked on a new project. We, at <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/">Vadacom</a>, decided to redesign our website.<br />
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Have you ever built a new site for your business? Are you planning to build the site, or commission building of the new site? I felt sharing my experience - mistakes and all - could be useful for you. Please read on and let me know what you think. But first, please take a moment to have a look at my finished work:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/">www.vadacom.co.nz</a></div>
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Our old website looked like the image here.<br />
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<a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisWdZi367Hr8zchyphenhyphenyuA6Hkv93ys-N-2AT97F6qXpdeVv-OH2oU0BHjkAFkHv5Gh4k9FP4U6d_zeEMJO7NsjaceCqMD2vOUG0mRNAsmrK4jCrrMBq7Ciq0xV06__urV7Qg4z3VkcmtG-no/s320/old-site.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
It looked good and for seven years it served us well. However, we found some limitations:<br />
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The site was running in the old version of <a href="http://plone.org/" target="_blank">Plone</a>. A great, open source content management system (CMS). Unfortunately it was a few versions behind and we couldn't upgrade it without re-creating all of the content inside the new version.<br />
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Because the version was old, it wasn't easy to add new forms to it. We had to pay for developers creating forms to capture marketing data. <br />
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I also couldn't add meta tags or other meta data so it was impossible to optimise it for search engines (SEO). We ended up paying lots of money for google ads in order to just be found on the web.<br />
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So we decided if we are going to change to a more modern version of an open source CMS. This is where I embarked on a project that I thought would take me a few weeks.<br />
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In our business, I am responsible for marketing, so the website content, look and feel falls under my portfolio of things to do. Once or twice a year when we have a new product, or a new marketing strategy, I spend a weekend or a few weeknights refreshing the website look and content. So in my mind, I thought - a few weeks and I will migrate all the site's content from the old site into the new one. This was the first mistake I made in this project.<br />
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Next, we thought that we might as well re-design the website. Even though it worked for us, the site looked dated. So we set aside some budget for a graphics designer only to refresh the look and feel. Setting the budget low was the second mistake in this project.<br />
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Next, we commissioned <a href="http://www.swaytech.co.nz/" target="_blank">Swaytech</a> to help us with the design of the website. Now, this was the best decision we made in the whole project and it had saved us!<br />
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Swaytech suggested to run a workshop to discuss what we wanted out of our site. Having designed websites before, I gathered <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/about-us/the-team/">our executive team</a> and ran a pre-workshop workshop. This was extremely useful and helped me focus on exactly what I thought the team wanted out of the website. Having the workshop with Swaytech afterwards was invaluable. While the workshop was important for them to understand what we wanted out of the website, they also offered a wealth of experience and plenty of food for thought to challenge our original thinking: we completely missed out SEO part and also the biggest part of our business - our customers! So after this workshop with Swaytech we embarked on a very important exercise - asking our customers how they viewed our company and our product. This was extremely useful not only for the website, but also for our product development road map.<br />
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Being very clear about what the team wanted out of the website also helped the project for me, as it helped me to communicate clearly to the designers what the requirements are and make the right choices between different design ideas.<br />
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One great thing about getting the website templates back from Swaytech was that there were no usual "<a href="http://www.lipsum.com/" target="_blank">Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet</a>...." text in the templates - Mark from Swaytech went the extra mile and actually produced some fantastic content that we ended up using in the finished product. Mark also helped with more of the content later on and was extremely helpful. If I was to do this project again, I'd definitely get Mark to work on even more of our content. Swaytech also designed our website template such that it looks great on both the normal screens and smartphones small screens - the site design adopts dynamically towards the screen size.<br />
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Being a software development shop, we have some strict technical requirements so we had to implement and control our CMS in house. Vadacom development team implemented the website templates into our CMS. They did the excellent job of picking and implementing the site's content management system - I couldn't do this without having this great in-house expertise. We settled on <a href="http://ridethepony.org/" target="_blank">Django Fiber</a> - a simple, open-source, user-friendly CMS. Having easy drag-and-drop front-end CMS editing really helped.<br />
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Once the template and the content management were in, I started moving the content across. There I discovered another mistake - it wasn't all about copy and paste. I actually had to review content and re-create many of the images. This was starting to look like a bigger job than previously anticipated. However I felt I was up to the task.<br />
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Enthusiastically, I charged into the job and after a couple of weeks of having a go at it I decided to check on my progress. I calculated that I had over 50 pages of content to create, of which I managed so far ... a whooping 15! This was a shock to the system.<br />
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Clearly, it has taken a number of subsequent weeks, weekends and late nights to finish the project. Luckily, the team at Vadacom kept the business humming without me! (pays to have a great team). Having Django Fiber helped - I can't even imagine how many weeks it saved me.<br />
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So to my dear family, friends and work colleagues - if you felt like I disappeared off the face of the earth for a few months, this is why. And now I am back, and here is the result:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/">www.vadacom.co.nz</a></div>
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I had great feedback from our team so far. No wander they like it though - they helped me make all my decisions along the way. I'd like to get some feedback from people outside the business too.<br />
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So here are some key learnings for me from this experience:<br />
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<ol>
<li>Don't underestimate the task. Get help if you can't afford the time away from the business.</li>
<li>Do a workshop with the designers before setting your budgets!</li>
<li>Get your team to help you focus on what is important to your business. At the end of the day the way your business is presented affects all of the people working in it.</li>
<li>Make sure to pick a user-friendly content management system (let your web designers guide you if you don't have the in-house expertise)</li>
<li>Talk to your customers about who they think you are - this is a most valuable experience!</li>
<li>Get help with content from people who know how to create it</li>
<li>Don't forget about SEO - (this is actually the bit of the site I haven't finished yet - so, work in progress)</li>
</ol>
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I hope sharing my experience has been helpful. Let me know what you think.</div>
Igor Portugalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12429483048812830037noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203870103315372154.post-73394850541545536242012-07-21T01:24:00.002-07:002012-11-04T01:37:58.474-08:00Will you Bring Your Own Device?The Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend has become quite a popular one over the last few years.<br />
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Why?<br />
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It all started with the iPhone. People loved iPhones. <span style="background-color: white;">Corporate IT departments didn't.</span><span style="background-color: white;"> Main reason is that until recently, at least, managing <a href="http://vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/iphone/">iPhones</a> was hard for the IT departments. Or at least such is the perception.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/iphone/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/media/uploads/images/iphone-extensions.png" /></a><br />
Then came the <a href="http://vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/android/">Android</a>. While Android platform is more open than <span style="background-color: white;">iPhone, the corporate IT integration still wasn't quite readily available.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">However, despite the </span><span style="background-color: white;">IT departments </span><span style="background-color: white;">resistance, <a href="http://vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/iphone/">iOS</a> and <a href="http://vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/android/">Android</a> based smart phones and tablets are making their way into corporate networks. People just want to use them. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">When we introduced <a href="http://vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/iphone/">iPhones</a> internally at </span><a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/" target="">Vadacom</a><span style="background-color: white;">, our productivity significantly increased. It has given us an edge over larger, slow moving competitors. In many corporate organizations, senior executives understand this. So they bring their own <a href="http://vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/iphone/">iPhones</a> and <a href="http://vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/android/">Androids</a> despite IT department's best wishes, thus creating a headache for the IT manager.</span><br />
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Personally, I don't believe that <span style="background-color: white;">BYOD is necessarily a long term trend. I think it only exists because people want to bring their own <a href="http://vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/iphone/">iPhones</a> and <a href="http://vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/android/">Androids</a> to work. This issue, for example, doesn't exist at <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/" target="">Vadacom</a> as we provide our staff with a choice of smart phones - <a href="http://vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/iphone/">iPhones</a> or <a href="http://vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/android/">Androids</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">So the trend will only continue until the corporate mobile device management (MDM) software catches up to all the latest <a href="http://vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/iphone/">iPhones</a> and <a href="http://vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/android/">Androids</a>.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;">Recently Apple has stepped up the game by <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_532059944">quietly releasing a free </a></span><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13727_7-57394116-263/apple-configurator-offers-easy-ios-deployment-from-os-x/" target="_blank">Apple Configurator utility for OS X</a> in March 2012.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/apple-configurator/id434433123?mt=12" target="_blank">You can find this utility by clicking here</a>.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/android/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/media/uploads/images/android_phone.png" /></a><span style="background-color: white;"><a href="http://www.informationweek.com/byte/reviews/personal-tech/mobile-apps/232602364" target="_blank">You can find a review here.</a></span><br />
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There are also Multi-OS Mobile Device management platforms available, such as <a href="https://www.mobileiron.com/" target="_blank">MobileIron</a>.<br />
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I've been watching the adoption trends of <a href="http://vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/iphone/">iPhone</a> and <a href="http://vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/android/">Android</a> with keen interest. Vadacom was amongst the first in the world to release unified communication <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/iphoneos">client integration for the iPhone</a>. The equivalent Android software is now also available in beta version.<br />
<br />
One great thing about <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/">VadaXchange</a> <a href="http://vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/iphone/">iPhone</a> and <a href="http://vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/android/">Android</a> software is that all the settings and security is controlled from the <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/">VadaXchange</a> server.<br />
<br />
I would be keen to hear more views from people - is BYOD here to stay or is it a temporary blip trend only relevant until such time as the corporate IT departments figured out how to control <a href="http://vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/iphone/">iPhones</a> and <a href="http://vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-mobile-client/android/">Androids</a>?<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_532059985">Igor Portugal</a><br />
<a href="http://about.me/igorportugal" target="_blank">CEO Vadacom.</a><br />
<br />Igor Portugalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12429483048812830037noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203870103315372154.post-89478973351043797972012-06-22T04:05:00.000-07:002012-10-31T15:34:05.530-07:00Vadacom Cloud Strategy<br />
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At Vadacom we launched our <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/">VadaXchange</a> phone system offering in the cloud.</div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">This is a simple statement, yet it is so exciting. </span><span style="background-color: white;">What never ceases to amaze me is that you have the whole phone system in a virtual world </span><span style="background-color: white;">somewhere. You don't have to own or manage anything other than the physical phone on your desk, </span><span style="background-color: white;">if you choose to own one.</span></div>
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The <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/">VadaXchange</a> in the cloud offering is unique. It offers to businesses the same experience as <span style="background-color: white;">owning a PABX together with an advanced unified communications system, while not having any of the old </span><span style="background-color: white;">TDM systems or servers on your premises. You get to have and manage the whole phone system, </span><span style="background-color: white;">with phone lines, ability to fully manage your business call flow, a full contact centre offering with </span><span style="background-color: white;">ACD agents, calling queues and reports, as well as call recordings and quality control.</span></div>
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We can also integrate <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/">VadaXchange</a> into each unique business IT environment – you are not restricted at all <span style="background-color: white;">by the fact that it is in the cloud.</span></div>
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As with our on the premiss <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/">VadaXchange</a> system, Vadacom remains agnostic as to which ISP or <span style="background-color: white;">phone lines are used. </span><span style="background-color: white;">We are a software development company. We are committed to developing world class open </span><span style="background-color: white;">communication technology right here in New Zealand. However we are not an </span><span style="background-color: white;">ISP or a telecommunications provider. We leave the job of providing and billing for phone lines and </span><span style="background-color: white;">data to our partners</span></div>
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Vadacom's cloud strategy includes two offerings: One for the service providers, where the whole <span style="background-color: white;">solution end-to-end is delivered through one provider. Another one is for the businesses wanting to </span><span style="background-color: white;">manage different providers themselves, where <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/">VadaXchange</a> can be deployed in an approved VPS </span><span style="background-color: white;">(Virtual Private Server) environment and the phone lines and the WAN are delivered by other </span><span style="background-color: white;">parties.</span></div>
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Orcon is the first business service provider to roll out the end-to-end VadaXchange experience. <span style="background-color: white;">Vadacom is in discussion with others.</span></div>
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Vadacom developed an approval process for the individual data centers. To date virtual systems <span style="background-color: white;">have been deployed at Maxnet to run <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/">VadaXchange</a> inside </span><span style="background-color: white;">VMWare. Vadacom in the process of approving a number of other data centers.</span></div>
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We are committed to continuing to develop this amazing technology. In the last year we've doubled <span style="background-color: white;">our software development effort. In my opinion we are developing the best phone system available </span><span style="background-color: white;">on the market.</span></div>
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See more at:</div>
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<b><a href="http://www.techday.co.nz/itbrief/news/vadacom-kicks-off-in-the-cloud/24000/" target="_blank">Vadacom kicks off in the cloud</a></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.contactcenterworld.com/view/contact-center-news/vadacom-kicks-off-in-the-cloud.aspx" target="_blank"><img height="152" src="http://www.contactcenterworld.com/imagestemp/621201275031_shutterstock_92274781-280x.jpg" style="padding-bottom: 2px; padding-left: 2px; text-align: right;" width="200" /></a></div>
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<br />Igor Portugalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12429483048812830037noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203870103315372154.post-24506140614954956342012-06-15T04:34:00.002-07:002012-11-04T01:58:05.018-08:00Vadacom is selected Finalist in AUT Excellence in Business Support Awards<div style="text-align: left;">
Dear customers, colleagues and friends</div>
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I am delighted to announce that Vadacom has been selected as a finalist in the 2012 AUT Excellence in Business Support Awards. </div>
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<img alt="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifYzW-GFOfDkHSFKMsDQJNk_Yvi5aUsEFRbLhJJNQPatSbfMTxu3r7P5q5L13gYFpPYM17TgLSW3FjtrCXJQ-wLd3h43bwUTfSOB9ausAo58WFu-jtGaM3esIYERE0l1Xadu-Ae0GFVk8/s320/Blog_2012_AutExcellenceBusinessSupportAward.jpg" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifYzW-GFOfDkHSFKMsDQJNk_Yvi5aUsEFRbLhJJNQPatSbfMTxu3r7P5q5L13gYFpPYM17TgLSW3FjtrCXJQ-wLd3h43bwUTfSOB9ausAo58WFu-jtGaM3esIYERE0l1Xadu-Ae0GFVk8/s320/Blog_2012_AutExcellenceBusinessSupportAward.jpg" /></div>
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Recognised for excellence in the technology category, Vadacom and 2 other finalists in our category will join a total of 49 finalists in this years’ AUT Excellence in Business Support Awards – a record number in the awards seven year history.<br />
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The robust entry and evaluation process of the awards enables finalists to reflect on how effectively their organisation achieves business excellence in all key areas including leadership and planning, customer and market focus, provision of business support, evaluation and improvement, and business results.<br />
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We wouldn't get to where we are without our customers believing in that not only we offer them the best technology available, but that we will also provide them with the excellent service. I would like to thank all of our customers for your trust in Vadacom's abilities and the opportunity you presented to us to provide support to your business. Thank you.<br />
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Vadacom would not achieve this excellence recognition without a top performing team of professionals working within the company. Our bigest strength is our people and we have the greatest team! I am proud of our team and our ability to deliver the best business telephony solution to our customers. Well done, guys, we are being recognized for our good work.<br />
<br />
<br />
Having made it to the finals is an achievement. We will now wait in anticipation to find out if we won.<br />
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<br />
Finalists now have until 6 July to submit their final applications. The winners will then be announced in October at a black-tie gala dinner in Auckland. The Supreme Award will be chosen from the category winners.<br />
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Evaluation of all nominations will be overseen by The New Zealand Business Excellence Foundation, including evaluators for the management department of AUT Business School. Excellence will be assessed using the international Baldridge criteria.<br />
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<br />
Best Regards,<br />
<br />
Igor Portugal<br />
CEO, Vadacom Ltd.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/about-us/news/aut-excellence-in-business/">Vadacom official press release here.</a>Igor Portugalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12429483048812830037noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203870103315372154.post-85700645672635344422011-12-03T17:55:00.000-08:002012-10-31T15:41:01.960-07:00How much could PABX fraud cost your business?I recently came across this article discussing <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/">PBX</a> security issues:<br />
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<br />
<a href="http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1109/S00390/how-much-could-pabx-fraud-cost-your-business.htm">http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU1109/S00390/how-much-could-pabx-fraud-cost-your-business.htm</a><br />
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<br />
This is so true. Many of our customers constantly refer letters to me that they receive from their phone line providers that state the following:<br />
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"An unsecured PBX system can be compromised via an insecure voicemail system (or similar), that allows incoming callers to dial extensions directly and sometimes even outside lines. Hackers have targeted these systems, across the world, sometimes resulting in a large volume of international calls being charged to the PBX user’s account."<br />
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When I get alerted to this, my normal response to our customers is:<br />
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"<a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/">VadaXchange PBX</a> is configured with the best security measures in mind. The passwords generated on the system are secure. The system is patched against all known vulnerabilities as a part of your SLA with Vadacom.<br />
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The only step you need to ensure you follow is when creating new log-ins on the VadaXchange system to use "generate" button to generate secure passwords as opposed to make passwords up yourself."<br />
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I'd like to elaborate more here on security of telephone systems.<br />
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If you own or manage a phone system there are two types of attacks that you need to defend:<br />
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<ol>
<li>Attack from the telephone line that exploits the ability of phone system to relay calls via voicemail and interactive voice response systems.</li>
<li>Attack from the internet where computer based telephony is hacked in order to make calls.</li>
</ol>
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The interesting thing is that both security risks affect both traditional TDM systems and the new <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/">IP systems</a>. This is contrary to many statements made by old-school telephone sales people, who don't often understand IP phone systems and have even less understanding of IT security. Last thing you want to do is seek IT security advise from a telephone sales person.<br />
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I need to establish my own credentials here. Although I would not call myself an IT security expert, I do have a background in IT security, having (a) a tertiary qualification in IT and (b) having run a business before who's principal product was a firewall and service was looking after business computer network security. <br />
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To defend yourself from both types of vulnerabilities you do need to follow the guidelines that were provided by Telecommunication Carriers' Forum:<br />
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1. CHOOSE A STRONG PASSWORD<br />
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Voicemail and Direct Inward Systems Access (DISA) passwords should be changed on a regular basis, avoiding factory defaults and obvious combinations such as 1234 or the extension number.<br />
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2. CHANGE IT<br />
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Make sure all security features – passwords, PINS etc – are changed following installation, upgrade and fault/maintenance. Don’t forget to reset password defaults.<br />
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3. KEEP IT CONFIDENTIAL<br />
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Keep all internal information such as directories, call logging reports and audit logs confidential. Destroy them appropriately if no longer required.<br />
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4. REVIEW REGULARLY<br />
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Review system security and configuration settings regularly. Follow up any vulnerabilities or irregularities.<br />
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5. VENDOR TERMS AND CONDITIONS<br />
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Make sure you have the right terms and conditions reflected in your contracts with your <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/">PBX</a>, <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/why-voip/">VoIP</a> and/or voicemail maintainer in order to keep your system regularly maintained and serviced to stay safe.<br />
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At Vadacom we provide regular security patches to our customers. We monitor vulnerability advisories. We also provide tools for generating secure passwords.Igor Portugalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12429483048812830037noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203870103315372154.post-54988103531848745302011-09-04T02:14:00.000-07:002012-11-04T02:02:01.721-08:00VoIP: the state of play in New Zealand<a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/why-voip/">Voice Over IP (VoIP)</a> is probably not yet the most used way for people to call each other in New Zealand. But it will be - sooner rather than later.<br />
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I am often asked a number of questions about <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/why-voip/">VoIP</a>. What are the rates of adoption? Is the voice quality OK? Do you provide <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/why-voip/">VoIP</a> lines? Who else does?<br />
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This prompted me to put together this overview on the state of play of <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/why-voip/">VoIP</a> in New Zealand. The way I see it. No statistics or scientific method here - this is simply a report from the trenches.<br />
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Looking at the industry I split the telecommunication companies into three tiers. Telecom, TelstraClear and Vodafone are what I call first-tier telecommunication companies. The second-tier telecommunication companies are local internet service providers, now delivering phone services, such as CallPlus, Orcon, WorldXchange and Snap Internet. There are also many third-tier, smaller providers like 2Talk, Kiwi and others in the market today.<br />
<br />
<b>At Home</b><br />
<br />
First, I will distinguish between the residential and business phone lines. <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/unified-communications-voip/voip--traditional-phone-lines/">The Plain, Old Telephone Service line (POTS line)</a> is the type of line most people still use at home. Until recently this was the only option.<br />
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In the last few years some ISPs and third-tier telecommunication companies started offering a service where you could buy an <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/products/phones-accessories/">IP phone</a> and get a phone number from them. As this was not widely publicized and the set-up was quite technical, this service was only used by a few enthusiasts that knew what they were doing.<br />
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<br />
Now, with the arrival of Orcon's Genius product this home scene may change.<br />
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<br />
<b>At Work</b><br />
<br />
Now, to the business world.<br />
<br />
Most businesses don't simply just rent a phone line. They normally use a phone system to connect to telecommunications companies phone lines and have company telephones connect to the telephone system.<br />
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<a href="http://vadacom.co.nz/why-voip/">VoIP</a> is a method that can be used by the telephone to communicate with the telephone system, as well as the method that can be used by the telephone system to connect to the telecommunications network.<br />
<br />
People often confuse the two. Lets split the two up. I will call the method of connecting telephones to the telephone system via <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/why-voip/">VoIP</a> as <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/unified-communications-voip/">IP telephony</a>; I will call the method of connecting telephone system to the telecommunications network via VoIP as VoIP phone lines.<br />
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When we talk about rates of adoption it is important to look at the two separately. <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/unified-communications-voip/">IP Telephony</a> has been steadily adopted in the enterprise since late 90's - early 2000's, while first <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/why-voip/">VoIP</a> phone lines only became available in New Zealand around 2005.<br />
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As such, the rate of adoption of <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/unified-communications-voip/">IP telephony</a> is much higher than the rate of adoption of <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/why-voip/">VoIP</a> phone lines. From my personal observations, both have now entered the mainstream business. While at home we still use POTS, at work both IP telephony and VoIP phone lines well passed the early adoption stage.<br />
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Despite this being the case, none of the first-tier telcos offer <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/why-voip/">VoIP</a> phone lines yet. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why second-tier telcos are fast gaining the market share.<br />
<br />
One thing to say about the quality of <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/why-voip/">VoIP</a> phone lines in New Zealand is that it is excellent. New Zealanders are very much used to the best experience while using digital business phone lines. This means that in order to compete with the traditional phone lines, the second-tier telcos had to put together a service that would compete well. From my experience working with two of the major second-tier providers CallPlus and Orcon, their service is a good match to the Telecom's old ISDN service.<br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/">At Vadacom</a></b><br />
<br />
Many people think that we provide <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/why-voip/">VoIP</a> phone lines. We don't. What we do, is develop world's best telephone system, called <a href="http://vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/">VadaXchange</a>.<br />
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However, to make it work for our customers, we would partner with phone line providers do deliver a turn-key solution for business.<br />
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Our system would work in either just the <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/unified-communications-voip/">IP Telephony</a> mode, with the traditional phone lines (mostly ISDN), or it can do <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/why-voip/">VoIP</a> throughout, or a mixture.<br />
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We are amongst the most experienced in this area in New Zealand, as we started integrating <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/why-voip/">VoIP</a> phone lines back in 2005 when most other business phone system providers stayed well away from it.<br />
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<a href="http://vadacom.co.nz/contact-us/">So, talk to us, if you are investigating VoIP in New Zealand.</a>Igor Portugalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12429483048812830037noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203870103315372154.post-42630167700189580922011-08-30T05:59:00.000-07:002012-10-29T11:40:19.836-07:00Vadacom launches VadaXchange BuddyIt is official:<br />
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<a href="http://www.techday.co.nz/itbrief/news/vadacom-launches-vadaxchange-buddy/20947/">Vadacom launches VadaXchange Buddy</a></h1>
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Also, here is our new advertisement for Buddy, feedback welcome:<br />
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<a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/what-we-do/vadaxchange-voip-pbx/buddy-desktop-client/"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBmcYMJixFFeFrNkkb4Pxhs3G9RieAKq2DC5ddPKMaAc84kj4TtGXhNbtOCffQ3kKZ52sHLBtoCkLw2iV1dPLirYYj0gMSS9DV945M4UpbU1GC-NdCCEJxMtglZhrgajDgGb42wC3WjDM/s1600/VadaXchangeBuddy+300x250+ad.gif" /></a></div>
Igor Portugalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12429483048812830037noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203870103315372154.post-72231647420223910762011-08-14T05:30:00.000-07:002011-08-14T05:30:28.238-07:00VadaXchange for iOS v2.0 has been released in the Apple App storeThe long-awaited release of our VadaXchange iPhone app is finally here.<br />
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So, what's new?<br />
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<b>1. Presence</b><br />
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Finally, your phone system presence is now easily changed from your iPhone:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/iphoneos/index_html"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/iphoneos/iphone-status.PNG" width="180" /></a></div>...and you can see the presence of your peers:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/iphoneos/index_html"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/iphoneos/iphone-extensions.PNG" width="180" /></a></div>In fact managing your presence is very easy with this application - the button is always there on the front screen, it is easily accessible.<br />
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<b>2. Call Transfer</b><br />
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This is another big feature. You can see your call in your iPhone, either while you on the mobile call or on the desk phone call:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/iphoneos/index_html"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/iphoneos/iphone-call.PNG" width="180" /></a></div><br />
You can hold the call, or you can transfer it:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/iphoneos/index_html"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/iphoneos/iphone-transfer.PNG" width="180" /></a></div>When transferring the call you have the choice of blind or attended transfer. You can also transfer straight to voicemail.<br />
<br />
<b>3. New Layout</b><br />
<br />
All the same great features from v1.0, but now with a whole new layout:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/iphoneos/index_html"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/iphoneos/iphone-home.PNG" width="180" /></a></div>It is much easier to follow as it is closer to the iPhone phone app layout. You can easily see and change your presence status. You have access to all the main features from the front screent with one tap.<br />
<br />
I've been using this new layout for six months, and it is an absolute pleasure to use.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/products/ippbx/buddy">You will need VadaXchange Buddy to enjoy all the features of this brilliant app.</a><br />
<br />
Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://go.vadaxchange.com/inquiry">Inquire today.</a>Igor Portugalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12429483048812830037noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203870103315372154.post-91623533593483856362011-08-08T03:41:00.000-07:002011-08-08T03:41:56.981-07:00How mobile is your receptionist?Does your company receptionist answers calls all day every day without leaving the desk, or is the role mixed with other tasks needed to be performed around the office?<br />
<br />
I found that many of our customers order wireless headsets mainly for receptionist use precisely for the reason that reception task no longer means that receptionist must sit in front of the computer the whole day. Ability to answer the calls by pressing a button on a wireless headset, away from the computer, is quite valuable. However, how do you transfer the call? You couldn't until now...<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/products/ippbx/buddy"><img border="0" src="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/introducing_buddy.png" /></a></div><br />
<br />
VadaXchange Buddy is unique in that it is the first browser based user interface for the phone system that is built to work with touch-screen devices. This means it will work on an iPad, or an equivalent tablet device, giving your receptionist the mobility they require.<br />
<br />
However, some of them may find the tablet too bulky. In this case, they can use the VadaXchange buddy iPhone app on an iPod Touch:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohsNbQiKGNtdmnqHygJQrjRmwQjRZ-qbBcSRU3AJwJc9U7dayfeoliTlRKnEOhcnKVsFotBRHU2RAkgdDclsQ1S6RiSr5s-zuD-QH5ELNN9_E8VIjoPr0_55mL7OSMBfVfnKJUN4Dyrg/s1600/transfer2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiohsNbQiKGNtdmnqHygJQrjRmwQjRZ-qbBcSRU3AJwJc9U7dayfeoliTlRKnEOhcnKVsFotBRHU2RAkgdDclsQ1S6RiSr5s-zuD-QH5ELNN9_E8VIjoPr0_55mL7OSMBfVfnKJUN4Dyrg/s320/transfer2.PNG" width="213" /></a></div><br />
<br />
VadaXchange iOs interface places the full PABX reception switchboard into the palm of your hand. That is quite unique!<br />
<br />
The mobile receptionists use a cordless headset connected to their desk phone in conjunction with an iPod Touch with VadaXchange iOS software installed on it. The iPod touch is connected to the phone system using the office WiFi connection. <br />
<br />
The actual voice call uses the traditional DECT wireless method on the headset. This way the call quality is not compromised by the WiFi network.<br />
<br />
This delivers the ultimate mobility around the office while not compromising reception call quality and features for the reception staff.<br />
<br />
<div><a href="http://go.vadaxchange.com/inquiry">Inquire today.</a></div>Igor Portugalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12429483048812830037noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203870103315372154.post-77457331021039723832011-07-30T18:56:00.000-07:002011-07-30T19:09:03.481-07:00Every business is a contact centre. Not every business could afford to be one. Until Now.How does your business sell products or services? If you own a shop, probably you sell over the counter.<br />
<br />
You have enough counters to satisfy enough people in the most demanding times, but not too many counters so it is not too expensive for you to run. So when you have more people in the shop than you have counters, you let them queue and wait to be served.<br />
<br />
Many of my customers ask me to explain to them the concept of telephony queues and hunt groups. The explanation is simple: A hunt group is the row of counters. A queue is the place where people queue.<br />
<br />
Hunt groups and queues are basic features of contact centre environments. The features to implement hunt groups and queues in traditional phone systems cost you extra and for many businesses are outside of their budget. Therefor traditionally many businesses have opted out of purchasing contact centre features from their telephony providers, siting that they don't need it for their business. This was the case until the arrival of software based telephone systems such as <a href="http://www.vadaxchange.com/">VadaXcahnge</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/products/ippbx/buddy"><img border="0" src="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/introducing_buddy.png" /></a></div><br />
<br />
VadaXcahnge Buddy is the first browser based call control and instant messenger interface that is user friendly. VadaXchange Buddy enables you to have full contact centre features, where you can:<br />
<br />
<div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/products/ippbx/contact_center/" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/queue.png" /></a></div><div><a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/products/ippbx/contact_center/">queue</a> incoming phone calls</div><a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/products/ippbx/contact_center/">queue</a> incoming instant messages<br />
<a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/products/ippbx/contact_center/">queue</a> incoming faxes<br />
<a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/products/ippbx/contact_center/">queue</a> incoming emails<br />
<a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/products/ippbx/contact_center/">queue</a> any other incoming communications<br />
<ul></ul><div><br />
<br />
Queueing communications enable you to service more people. It also enables you to measure and tune the performance of your team.<br />
<br />
</div><div></div><div>If you communicate with you clients and would like to service them more efficiently you need contact centre features. <a href="http://www.vadaxchange.com/">VadaXcahnge</a> places contact centre features into the same price bracket as a regular telephone system. Further more, if you take into account the cost savings that <a href="http://www.vadaxchange.com/">VadaXchange</a> offers on you running costs, you may end up not having to pay any extra to get those features at all.</div><br />
<br />
<div><a href="http://go.vadaxchange.com/inquiry">Inquire today.</a></div>Igor Portugalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12429483048812830037noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203870103315372154.post-84792083242622426342011-07-19T05:00:00.000-07:002011-07-30T02:48:06.294-07:00About time business phone system become user friendlyBusinesses looking to lift their productivity and customer service require the tools necessary to achieve that. Unfortunately most telephony interfaces are complicated and cumbersome.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/products/ippbx/buddy"><img src="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/introducing_buddy.png" /></a></div><br />
<br />
VadaXcahnge Buddy is the first browser based call control and instant messenger interface that is user friendly.<br />
<br />
We spent considerable time developing this new software. I am very excited to see the first few of our customers actually using it.<br />
<br />
With Buddy you don't need to learn how to use the phone. The call control interface is right there on the screen, guiding you through every step.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/products/ippbx/buddy">The system is easy to deploy and easy to use. Please request for one of our sales team to demonstrate this amazing new software to you and show you how it can assist your business growth.</a>Igor Portugalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12429483048812830037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203870103315372154.post-56385377888698770162011-06-09T03:55:00.000-07:002011-06-09T03:55:19.173-07:00Yahoo! connects over 8,000 employees to a distributed Asterisk PABX systemIf you have any more doubts about the scalability of Asterisk PABX, here is a proof that Asterisk PABX is one of the most scalable telephone system in the world.<br />
<br />
According to Yahoo!, it has 8,477 employees on a distributed Asterisk system today, and we'll double that before they are done deploying the system. This has been shared in a discussion here:<br />
<br />
http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=64049&type=member&item=51807149&qid=061542b2-a645-425d-896e-50d08f43c452&goback=%2Egmp_64049<br />
<br />
<br />
And in a TMC keynote address here:<br />
<br />
http://www.tmcnet.com/tmc/videos/default.aspx?vid=1976<br />
<br />
<br />
I've always maintained that <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/products/products/ippbx/">VadaXchange</a>, based on Asterisk, can scale to as larger deployment as is necessary.<br />
<br />
Well, Yahoo! deployment is the best proof.Igor Portugalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12429483048812830037noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203870103315372154.post-27174230037873333982011-04-12T03:44:00.000-07:002011-04-12T03:49:32.226-07:00Why Linked IN is an important business toolLinked In and Twitter are great business tools for staying in touch.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://mycorporatemedia.com/2009/07/14/the-7-habits-of-highly-successful-linkedin-members/" target="_new">I found this very interesting resource on Linked IN about people using it. The 7 Habits of Highly Successful Linkedin Members </a><br />
<br />
It inspired me to write this post.<br />
<br />
People have all sorts of theories about Linked IN. Some believe you should only connect with colleagues that you've worked with. Some think that you should know people that you connect with well.<br />
<br />
I run a policy that if it is good enough for me to give you my business card, it is good enough for me to connect with you on Linked IN.<br />
<br />
When you connected to someone on linked in you have much greater control over the access they have to you than if they have your business card. So it is better to just link than exchange business cards.<br />
<br />
So what happens if you get a stranger connected to you on linked in? Nothing bad does. I've been asked for references for people that are connected to me. I declined to give a reference if I don't know them. I had some people email me newsletters I didn't request. I politely asked them to stop. You can't ask a true spammer to stop spamming you, can you? You can on Linked IN!<br />
<br />
People tell me that if you have too many connections you can't keep up with all the updates. I find that I get all the updates just fine. Most people a reasonably inactive on Linked IN. I, myself, also find myself too busy to bother at times.<br />
<br />
So if there are no negatives, are there benefits? Here are the benefits:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol><li>People that would normally fall off your radar will pop up in Linked IN every now and again and remind you of their existence. That can be very useful.</li>
<li>People will move jobs - you will be able to keep in touch</li>
<li>Linked IN is a great tool to find and profile organisations that you want to sell to, buy from or partner with</li>
<li>People's updates will keep you on top of the news in the industry </li>
</ol><br />
<br />
Most of the time I am reasonably active on Linked IN through Twitter. So, if you don't know me, Linked IN is a very good tool for you to get to now me. I can promise you, getting to know me will only benefit your business.<br />
<br />
So, if you already haven't, please, link up <a href="http://nz.linkedin.com/in/igorportugal" name="webProfileURL" target="_new" title="View public profile">http://nz.linkedin.com/in/igorportugal</a> or <a href="http://twitter.com/igorportugal" target="_new">follow me on twitter @igorportugal</a><br />
<br />
We will be building in some of the social media links into our <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/products/products/ippbx/"> VoIP phone system </a><br />
<br />
If you are using social media every day, I'd love to hear what features you are looking for from integrating social media into your communications system.Igor Portugalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12429483048812830037noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203870103315372154.post-15307687575378049032011-04-08T15:16:00.000-07:002011-04-08T15:20:15.377-07:00Is the desk phone dead?Some of our customers ask me about the possibility of doing away with the desk phones and having the whole phone communications managed by mobile phones.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ucstrategies.com/unified-communications-strategies-views/is-the-desk-phone-dead.aspx" target="_new"> I came across this article, which is a very good analysis of the subject</a><br />
<br />
<br />
From personal experience, even though I love my iPhone, I still prefer using desk phone when I have a chance. My personal reasons are:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>The effects of holding a mobile phone to you ear are still unclear. A mobile phone has a number of radios transmitting at the same time. When talking on the phone I try and minimize the radios that are active - turn Bluetooth and WIFI off. If I have them handy, I use corded headphones. If I have an option to transfer the conversation to the desk phone, I do.</li>
<li>The coverage is not always 100%. Cell cites can "breath", depending on the amount of people using the site. A perfectly clear call can turn into a patchy one at any time. We've learned to accept this when using mobile phones but are less tolerant when using desk phones</li>
</ul><div>I believe the desk phone will live for a number of years yet. </div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><br />
<a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/products/voipphones"> Good VoIP phones do make all the difference! </a>Igor Portugalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12429483048812830037noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203870103315372154.post-78841322865919380922011-03-29T03:13:00.000-07:002011-03-29T03:13:03.974-07:00Wired telecommunications in declinePeople are still asking me every now and again about the rates of adoption of VoIP technology in the market. When this question is asked, to the person asking the question VoIP seems new as opposed to the mainstream technology.<br />
<br />
Here is another bit of evidence that VoIP is much more widely accepted than many people think.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fiercevoip.com/press-releases/top-10-dying-industries-ibisworldcom-identifies-key-sectors-set-decline-eve">IBISWorld.com Identifies Key Sectors Set to Decline Even after the Economy Revives. As per the this report, the top of the list is Wired Telecommunications Carriers.</a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.fiercevoip.com/story/voip-cited-one-factor-staggering-decline-wired-telecom-industry/2011-03-28?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal">According to this analysis by FierceMarkets, VoIP cited as one factor in staggering decline of wired telecom industry</a><br />
<br />
From my own observation, most businesses are now deploying IP based systems. I believe there are two reasons many people in New Zealand are still under the impression that VoIP is a new technology:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ol><li>Most of us still have a Plain Old Telephone Service (POTS) phone line at home, and</li>
<li>You still need to remember and dial a phone number in order to reach someone</li>
</ol><div><br />
</div><div>The first reason is simply in my view a deficiency in our New Zealand infrastructure. This will be remedied when the government's fiber to the home initiative is implemented. </div><div><br />
</div><div>The second is something our industry is yet to tacke. </div>Igor Portugalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12429483048812830037noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203870103315372154.post-3536947722908493842011-01-14T01:34:00.000-08:002011-01-14T01:35:05.520-08:00What is in store for the New Year in Technology?Happy New Year everyone!<br />
<br />
This is already looking to be a great year.<br />
<br />
The year started with:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>Skype releasing video calling for the iPhone http://blogs.skype.com/en/2009/03/skype_for_iphone_yes_its_here.html.<br />
I've been waiting for this feature for the last six months. I downloaded the update over 3G data connection while over in Australia and made my first video call from my mobile using 3G. The voice and picture quality was fantastic. Having a video call in the middle of nowhere in Australian outback produced lots of excitement.</li>
<li>The fantastic consumer electronics show http://www.cesweb.org/ </li>
<li>Rumors about iOS 4.3 http://news.yahoo.com/s/pcworld/20110113/tc_pcworld/top5discoveriesinapplesios43beta_1</li>
</ul><div><br />
</div><div>Here is what I believe we will see this year in technology:</div><div><br />
</div><div><ul><li>There will be more competition of iOS vs. Android. Both iOS and Android will continue to grab headlines, market share and mind share. All other mobile and tablet platforms will move into the background and get confined to their niche markets.</li>
<li>There will be more VoIP. More Voice and more Video. I don't believe video calling will gain prominence this year in the same way audio calling does, but it will certainly make more inroads into the enterprise. Voice over IP will continue to grab market share, mind share and revenues.</li>
<li>Social media will become more important as a tool for every day communication. Business IT departments will start treating social media as another technology to integrate with and manage. Blanket bans on social media in business will no longer be viable. </li>
</ul><div><br />
</div></div><div>What do you think the focus will be this year in information and communications technologies?</div><div><br />
</div><div>Comments welcome.</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div>Igor Portugalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12429483048812830037noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203870103315372154.post-83703217635433037272010-11-29T03:06:00.000-08:002010-11-29T03:11:03.803-08:00Demolish roaming charges when traveling overseas.When I travel, I typically turn my phone to the "airplane" mode when I step on the plane in New Zealand, and turn it off the "airplane" mode when I step off the plane... back in New Zealand.<br />
<br />
The reason I do that is roaming fees are huge. Anybody who travels knows the meaning of bill shock. <br />
<br />
To avoid the bill shock I restrict data use to WIFI. You can turn on your WIFI on the iPhone while the phone is in the "airplane" mode and still get the data connection.<br />
<br />
However, if you are a business traveler, turning your phone off is a hard thing to ask for. Also, looking for WIFI hot spots is time consuming. So, what do you do?<br />
<br />
I was asked exactly that question by one of our customers about six months ago. I went looking and found an answer with iPhoneTrip.com<br />
<br />
My customer went away to Europe for a month. He was able to make calls and receive in most places using SIP soft phone connected to the VadaXchange back in New Zealand. Unlimited data connection also meant he could communicate via email, browse the web, get navigation tips etc... He was quite happy not having to pay thousands of dollars upon his return.<br />
<br />
I was so impressed with the service, I pursued the goal of bringing this service to our part of the world. And now it is here:<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/partner/iphonetrip">Vadacom now distributes iPhoneTrip.com SIM cards!</a>Igor Portugalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12429483048812830037noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203870103315372154.post-9631685168812416272010-11-22T02:37:00.000-08:002010-11-22T02:37:40.394-08:00Being MobileIn todays wireless world being locked to a desk in an office is no longer good enough for many people.<br />
<br />
We want to enjoy work and enjoy life. We want to be able to socialise with our co-workers away from our desk. We want to be able to get away from the office.<br />
<br />
We need to stay productive while we are not at our desk.<br />
<br />
I spend a good chunk of my day away from the computer screen and away from the desk phone. Being able to be fully productive while away from my desk has made a huge difference to my working day:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul><li>I am always available in case someone needs to call me (unless I am on another call or in a meeting). This means our customers appreciate that they can always contact us, and get a human on the other end of the phone.</li>
<li>I can respond to most email queries and assign tasks to other members of my team. This means our customers get timely response to their requests.</li>
<li>I can attend to most emails and little tasks before I get back to my desk. This means that when I actually sit down in front of my computer I can concentrate on things I need to do at my desk, making me much more productive.</li>
</ul><br />
<br />
What does mobility mean to you? Does it make any difference to your day? Are you at your desk most of the time, or out and about? If you are at your desk more often than you would like to be, what stops you from being mobile?<br />
<br />
Comments welcome.Igor Portugalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12429483048812830037noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203870103315372154.post-46969326994488011572010-11-14T12:30:00.000-08:002010-11-14T12:31:54.389-08:00Working from homeI spend much of my working week working from home. <br />
<br />
Working from home is not easy, it requires discipline. You must resist temptation of the fridge next door, and other distractions you have around the house. You must ensure that the other people in the house live you alone. You must ensure you don't get distracted with other house work.<br />
<br />
I manage to create a routine and discipline to enable myself to be productive at home. I walk in to my home office as if though I traveled to work. I shut the door and ensure nobody distracts me. The benefits are enormous:<br />
<br />
<ul><li>I cut out an hour a day of traveling. That is one whole extra hour in that day I can spend with my family and on those little 'distractions' I managed to resist all day - guilt free!</li>
<li>I save on parking and petrol expenses and help reduce pollution.</li>
<li>I save my lunch money - lunch is just in that fridge I am trying to avoid for the rest of the day!</li>
<li>Lunch is whole other hour I can spend with my family - so I save up to whole two extra hours with my family that day</li>
<li>I am more productive, I close the door to my office and get on with work.</li>
</ul><br />
There are definitely work benefits to being in the office together with the rest of the team. Not everybody will be able to spend as much time working from home as I do. However, the option of working from home, even if it is used occasionally will bring many benefits to any business.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flexibility.co.uk/cases/location/SUSTEL.htm" target="_new">The SUSTEL project provided the following findings on effects of teleworking at BT:</a><br />
<br />
<ul><li>78% of staff say they are more productive - generally estimated at 10-20% more productive</li>
<li>90% were satisfied with teleworking</li>
<li>22% said they had worked when otherwise they would have felt too ill to travel in for a whole days work</li>
<li>BT say they have made £100 million per year space savings: teleworking staff are expected to give up having a permanent desk, and use touch-down areas when at the office.</li>
</ul><br />
Today, with the high penetration of broadband in the home coupled with advances in internet-based VoIP telecommunications systems such as <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/products/products/ippbx/">VadaXchange</a>, migrating employees from office workers to remote workers is not only cost-effective, it has also become a high priority with a large percentage of companies.<br />
<br />
Your views and questions on working from home would be much appreciated - please leave a comment.Igor Portugalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12429483048812830037noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203870103315372154.post-11512363584409180152010-11-05T01:07:00.000-07:002010-11-05T01:07:44.672-07:00Reducing Telecommunications Costs in New Zealand<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">New Zealand Market Overview</span></b></div><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><i>"Competition is the keen cutting edge of business, always shaving away at costs.”</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i></i>-- Henry Ford</div><br />
When New Zealand Telecom was privatized in late 80s the phone copper network ended up in one set of hands. Telecom's monopoly position kept our costs relatively high and held innovation back. Almost two decades later successive governments started introducing measures to increase competition. Labor regulated the market forcing Telecom to split into three businesses. National are funding new fiber optic network.<br />
<br />
The measures are working, which is why you are seeing more competition. This spells lower costs and exciting new products and services.<br />
<br />
Six years ago you could only buy a phone line from either Telecom or, in some areas, from TelstraClear. Today there are more than 20 providers who can sell you a phone line in New Zealand.<br />
<br />
Telecom, TelstraClear and Vodafone are what I call first-tier telecommunication companies. The second-tier telecommunication companies are local internet service providers, now delivering phone services, such as CallPlus, Orcon, WorldXchange and Compass Communications. There are also many third-tier, smaller providers like 2Talk in the market today.<br />
<br />
The competition is high, and the costs are truly reducing. How can you take advantage of this?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Phone Lines</span></b></div><br />
<div style="text-align: right;"><i>“Why go through all the hassle of dealing with airlines, hotels, and rental-car agencies yourself, only to see the arrangements get all screwed up, when with just a single phone call you can have a trained professional screw them up for you?” </i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>–- Dave Barry</i></div><br />
In business one of the larger figures on the P&L statement often is telecommunications. Your aim is to keep that figure very low, while being able to be productive.<br />
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To understand how to keep the costs low, you need to first know the different types of telephone lines that are available.<br />
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The Plain, Old Telephone Service line (POTS line) is the type of line most people use at home. This line is delivered to you via an analogue copper wire which is still owned by Telecom. It lacks essential services that business requires. One is multiple phone numbers associated with one phone line. Multiple phone numbers per line enable businesses to have a direct dial-in number (DDI number) so a call can reach the right person. This makes POTS the most expensive service on the market.<br />
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The digital lines that were created for businesses also utilize copper wires. They use a standard called ISDN. ISDN allows more than one call through single copper wire. There are two options – basic rate service, allowing two calls per line (basic rate ISDN) and primary rate service allowing up to 30 calls per line (primary rate ISDN). This service is also mostly available from Telecom, and is as expensive as POTS lines, except it does have all the business services.<br />
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The new competition to the old Telecom services (described above) comes through the digital lines that utilize data connections that are also capable of delivering the Internet service to you.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">What are SIP Trunks?</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>“The march of science and technology does not imply growing intellectual complexity in the lives of most people. It often means the opposite.”</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i></i>–- Thomas Sowell</div><div style="text-align: right;"><br />
</div>SIP trunks are a term you will be hearing more and more. Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) was created to enable voice connection to be established over a computer network. It has now been established as the industry standard for delivering phone lines. The phone line that is delivered to you via a data connection using that protocol is called a SIP Trunk.<br />
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SIP trunks are offered by the new phone companies to deliver outstanding savings. When you get a SIP trunk, the supplier doesn't need to pay Telecom for the service. The data links are available wherever Internet is available and can be delivered over a vast variety of physical links – copper, fiber optic cables, wireless....<br />
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Variety and choice breeds competition in the market, creating price wars, enabling you to negotiate the best deal for your business.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Cutting Costs</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>“In business, the competition will bite you if you keep running; if you stand still, they will swallow you.”</i> </div><div style="text-align: right;">–- William S. Knudsen</div><br />
If Telecom was the only option, would you be able to cut costs without affecting your business?<br />
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With the new competition you are in a better position to negotiate. A modern telecommunications specialist can go through your phone bills and show you the savings. If the last time you negotiated your contract was more than two years ago, chances are, you will be able to save 50%-60% of the costs you are paying now.<br />
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Everybody knows that when you are negotiating a contract you can get the best deal. However, what can you do when you are already in a contract?<br />
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This is where voice over the internet protocol (VoIP) comes in handy! If your telephone system is capable of connection to VoIP providers, you can have more than one supplier of phone calls and use the cheapest route on every call. You cut costs without breaking contracts.<br />
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But what about the call quality?<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">What about VoIP?</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>“If you're not making mistakes, you're not taking risks, and that means you're not going anywhere. The key is to make mistakes faster than the competition, so you have more changes to learn and win.”</i> </div><div style="text-align: right;">–- John W. Holt, Jr.</div><br />
The call quality issues of bad VoIP implementations has given VoIP a bad name. However, it is widely accepted in the industry, VoIP is the future of all phone calls. VoIP has been around for many years and the industry had plenty of time to learn from its mistakes. A modern VoIP system can deliver the same, in some instances better, call quality as the traditional telephony.<br />
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There are many ways to implement VoIP systems and many types of VoIP phone lines available on the market.<br />
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SIP Trunks are a type of VoIP. The second-tier telecommunication competencies delivering a SIP Trunk to you provide you with both the data link and voice link. Effectively they are selling you a phone line in competition with Telecom. The quality of that line is equivalent to the quality of the business digital (ISDN) line, and is better than a POTS line.<br />
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Third-tier telecommunication companies often don't own network infrastructure and can't control quality. However, thy are often the cheapest. Implemented well a combination of good internet connection and third-tier VoIP can save you even more money.<br />
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To cut international costs many companies now use Skype. Some phone systems even integrate Skype as a telephone line. This enables millions of people around the globe to reach you for free and vice versa.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Improving productivity</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>A phone system can't make you a coffee. But it will let you have one, and still be fully productive.<br />
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How much time do you spend transferring calls to other people? Can you do it while you are out having coffee? Can you do it when you need to work from home? Do you need to be by a computer to help a customer? How many people do you need in the office to answer all the calls from your customers?<br />
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There are infinite possibilities to improve the way you communicate with your customers and suppliers and ensure that each member of your staff is fully productive at all times. I will give you a few examples here.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Direct Dials and Hunt Groups</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>“If it's the Psychic Network why do they need a phone number?” </i></div><div style="text-align: right;">–- Robin Williams</div><div style="text-align: right;"><br />
</div>Incoming calls can be handled intelligently by the system if the system knows who the call is for. For example, if the call is for sales, your system can call your sales team. Alternatively, you can detect who is calling and put the call to the appropriate person. This can be done not just for sales, but with every function in the business – operations, finance, administration.<br />
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When you group people in your organization by function, the phone system will “hunt” for someone to answer the call. This feature is called a “hunt group”. Hunt groups can be used effectively to eliminate the need for transferring calls and save your valuable time.<br />
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Many business people prefer to talk to a person rather than a machine. They don't want menus to press one for this, two for that. This is where DDI can be used effectively – you can have a phone number for every business function and every person that needs to answer calls.<br />
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A combination of DDIs and hunt groups can save valuable time for both you and the caller.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Mobility</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: right;"><i>“Birds have wings; they're free; they can fly where they want when they want. They have the kind of mobility many people envy. “</i></div><div style="text-align: right;"><i></i>-– Roger Tory Peterson</div><div style="text-align: right;"><br />
</div>The world is becoming increasingly mobile. Your desk at work isn't the only place you work from anymore.<br />
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Answering calls on your mobile phone is one way to be productive everywhere. However, how much will it cost you to forward calls to your mobile? It depends. If you simply call forward all the calls, you may end up with increased bill. To keep phone bills low you need calls from your office to your mobiles to be free.<br />
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There are two ways to achieve that. One way is to have free calling between your company mobiles and your land lines. Telecom, Vodafone and TelstraClear will offer that to some of their customers.<br />
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The other way is through a 0-rate-calling plan between your mobiles in combination with what is called a “Cellular Trunk Unit”, (CTU). The CTU will make your office phone system into another mobile phone in your group, so the calls between the office and your mobiles are free.<br />
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Will hunt group calls follow you? Many phone systems by default are configured not to allow hunt group calls to follow the call forwarded to your mobile. You need to remember to ask you PBX supplier to allow that.<br />
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The fear of answering group calls on your mobile, is “what if the call is not for me”? If your phone system allows full mobile extensions, you will be able to transfer those calls.<br />
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What about calling from mobile phones? You can make the phones always dial the office first, which is a free call, then ask the phone system to call the destination. This way all your calls are charged at land line rates. This can be automated on most mobile phones and really reduce your mobile bills.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;">Remote Working</span></b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div>High cost of petrol in conjunction with increased amount of traffic jams make working from home an attractive proposition for many people.<br />
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From telephony perspective, you need a good broadband connection at home. Modern phone systems will allow for a telephone to be connected remotely. You need a remote IP phone connected to your phone system as you don't want to be only using your mobile phone for the whole day.<br />
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With good systems in place you are free to work wherever you choose without it costing you the earth.<br />
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<a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/products/ippbx/">For more assistance on cutting telecommunications costs, please investigate VadaXcahnge phone system</a>Igor Portugalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12429483048812830037noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203870103315372154.post-1937594969685378022010-10-28T13:56:00.000-07:002010-10-28T13:56:25.064-07:00How to choose a good IP phoneI was thinking about a review of different IP phones and was coming back to the fact that Polycom probably makes the best business IP phones. While we are selling a range of phones, we found Plycom to be the best. However I couldn't justify writing a review of different phones when all I am talking about is benefits of Plycom phones, until I discovered the following review:<br />
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<a href="http://www.eweek.com/c/a/VOIP-and-Telephony/How-to-Choose-a-Quality-IP-Phone-for-Your-Business/" target="_new">How to Choose a Quality IP Phone for Your Business</a><br />
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Basically under the pretenses of giving an overview of different phones the author is talking about how good Polycom phones are. I must admit I agree with the assessment in that article and will not repeat the material here. <br />
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<a heref="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/products/voipphones/polycom">We offer a range of Polycom phones that can be found here.</a><br />
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However, to give a balanced view, I must highlight the weaknesses of Polycom phones and also the benefits of some other phones.<br />
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Let me start with the main weakness of Polycom phones. The main weakness of the Polycom is lack of support for STUN. STUN is the most commonly used method of deploying SIP phones in remote locations. Here is a more technical explanation of what STUN is:<br />
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<a href="http://www.voip-info.org/wiki/view/STUN" target="_new">STUN overview on voip-info</a><br />
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So when we need STUN we use other phones.<br />
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<a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/products/voipphones/ST2030">Thomson ST2030 is a great all-around phone that offers top features like BLF fields at an entry - level phone price.</a><br />
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Same with the Grandstream range of phones - if you need more features at a lower cost, which I must admit not all of our customers do.Igor Portugalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12429483048812830037noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203870103315372154.post-73552203207944140422010-10-25T10:38:00.000-07:002012-10-31T15:46:10.479-07:00VoIP is capturing the market away from traditional phone lines.People are often asking me about the rates of adoption of <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/why-voip/">VoIP</a> technology in the market. Finally, I've got some real figures to report.<br />
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According to FierceVoIP analysis of the Point Topic report, <a href="http://www.fiercevoip.com/story/broadband-voip-bundles-could-push-market-saturation/2010-10-25?utm_medium=nl" target="_new">Broadband and VoIP bundles could push market to saturation.</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.realwire.com/releases/More-Than-One-in-Five-Consumer-Broadband-Lines-Now-Come-with-VoIP" target="_new"> More than one in five consumer broadband lines already come with VoIP </a> and it has reached 100 million subscribers worldwide by the end of 2009.<br />
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So, here is the summary of the adoption figures:<br />
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22% of worldwide market has access to <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/why-voip/">VoIP</a><br />
Over 100,000,000 have subscribed to it and are using VoIP instead of PSTN (that obviously doesn't include services like Skype that have over 400 mil. subscribers)<br />
Over 70% of French households now have a <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/why-voip/">VoIP</a> service available<br />
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Open source PBX systems also help business adoption, leading all other PBX vendors in the markets share for phone systems:<br />
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<a href="http://www.nojitter.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=212903167" target="_new">Open Source PBX is 18% of North America Market!</a><br />
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Not all open source PBX systems are deployed in conjunction with <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/why-voip/">VoIP</a> phone lines, but all are capable of connecting to <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/why-voip/">VoIP</a>, future-proofing your investment.<br />
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Interested to know how you can cut costs in your business by adopting <a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/why-voip/">VoIP</a>? Here is a link to an article I published on Vadacom website earlier this year:<br />
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<a href="http://www.vadacom.co.nz/why-voip/" target="_new">Reducing Telecommunications Costs</a>Igor Portugalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12429483048812830037noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2203870103315372154.post-19416275769305751782010-10-21T15:12:00.000-07:002010-10-27T02:50:31.010-07:00Asterisk PBX Success NewsAsterisk is going from strength to strength.<br />
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From AstriCon Speaker Highlights:<br />
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<a href="http://ip-pbx.tmcnet.com/topics/ip-pbx/articles/111355-asterisk-solutions-offer-low-costs-improved-flexibility-astricon.htm" target="_new">Asterisk Solutions Offer Low Costs, Improved Flexibility</a><br />
<a href="http://asterisk.tmcnet.com/topics/open-source/articles/111403-asterisk-has-increased-awareness-interest-open-source-telephony.htm" target="_new">Asterisk Has Increased Awareness and Interest in Open Source Telephony</a><br />
<a href="http://ip-pbx.tmcnet.com/topics/ip-pbx/articles/110474-astricon-speaker-highlights-asterisk-success-israel.htm" target="_new">Asterisk Success in Israel</a><br />
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Also, in other Asterisk news:<br />
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<a href="http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/tom-keating/asterisk/asterisk-18---major-release-sports-200-new-features.asp" target="_new">New Asterisk 1.8 - Major Release Sports 200 New Features</a>Igor Portugalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12429483048812830037noreply@blogger.com3