VadaXchange for iOS v2.0 has been released in the Apple App store

The long-awaited release of our VadaXchange iPhone app is finally here.

So, what's new?

1. Presence

Finally, your phone system presence is now easily changed from your iPhone:

...and you can see the presence of your peers:

In fact managing your presence is very easy with this application - the button is always there on the front screen, it is easily accessible.

2. Call Transfer

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:

You can hold the call, or you can transfer it:

When transferring the call you have the choice of blind or attended transfer. You can also transfer straight to voicemail.

3. New Layout

All the same great features from v1.0, but now with a whole new layout:

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.

I've been using this new layout for six months, and it is an absolute pleasure to use.

You will need VadaXchange Buddy to enjoy all the features of this brilliant app.

Enjoy!

Inquire today.

How 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?

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...

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.

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:

VadaXchange iOs interface places the full PABX reception switchboard into the palm of your hand. That is quite unique!

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.

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.

This delivers the ultimate mobility around the office while not compromising reception call quality and features for the reception staff.

Inquire today.

Every 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.

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.

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.

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 VadaXcahnge.

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:

queue incoming phone calls

queue incoming instant messages
queue incoming faxes
queue incoming emails
queue any other incoming communications

Queueing communications enable you to service more people. It also enables you to measure and tune the performance of your team.

If you communicate with you clients and would like to service them more efficiently you need contact centre features. VadaXcahnge 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 VadaXchange offers on you running costs, you may end up not having to pay any extra to get those features at all.

Inquire today.

About time business phone system become user friendly

Businesses looking to lift their productivity and customer service require the tools necessary to achieve that. Unfortunately most telephony interfaces are complicated and cumbersome.

VadaXcahnge Buddy is the first browser based call control and instant messenger interface that is user friendly.

We spent considerable time developing this new software. I am very excited to see the first few of our customers actually using it.

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.

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.

Yahoo! connects over 8,000 employees to a distributed Asterisk PABX system

If 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.

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:

http://www.linkedin.com/groupItem?view=&gid=64049&type=member&item=51807149&qid=061542b2-a645-425d-896e-50d08f43c452&goback=%2Egmp_64049


And in a TMC keynote address here:

http://www.tmcnet.com/tmc/videos/default.aspx?vid=1976


I've always maintained that VadaXchange, based on Asterisk, can scale to as larger deployment as is necessary.

Well, Yahoo! deployment is the best proof.

Why Linked IN is an important business tool

Linked In and Twitter are great business tools for staying in touch.

I found this very interesting resource on Linked IN about people using it. The 7 Habits of Highly Successful Linkedin Members

It inspired me to write this post.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

So if there are no negatives, are there benefits? Here are the benefits:

1. 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.
2. People will move jobs - you will be able to keep in touch
3. Linked IN is a great tool to find and profile organisations that you want to sell to, buy from or partner with
4. People's updates will keep you on top of the news in the industry 

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.

So, if you already haven't, please, link up http://nz.linkedin.com/in/igorportugal or follow me on twitter @igorportugal

We will be building in some of the social media links into our VoIP phone system

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.

Is 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.


I came across this article, which is a very good analysis of the subject


From personal experience, even though I love my iPhone, I still prefer using desk phone when I have a chance. My personal reasons are:

• 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.
• 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

I believe the desk phone will live for a number of years yet. 

Good VoIP phones do make all the difference!