New Support Center and Information Technology Product Showcase Opens in Atlanta

Alliant DataTel expands operations by offering more Voice over IP phone system choices

ATLANTA, GA., December 29, 2008 –– Alliant DataTel Inc., today announced an expanded office suite and the launching of several new marketing websites/blogs including http://www.phonesystemsatlanta.wordpress.com/ and http://www.cablingatlanta.wordpress.com/. Since 1996, Alliant DataTel an Atlanta, Georgia company has specialized in business phone systems, computer networks, cabling and PSTN circuits like PRI and T-1. Alliant’s new sales and support office at a prime location, 1200 Abernathy Road, Northpark Town Center is a mixed-use complex, located in Atlanta’s Central Perimeter business district. Here the company will conduct various business seminars, host “How to Choose an IP-PBX Luncheons,” plus perform demos on all offered business solutions to prospects and current clients utilizing the brand new live product showcase. The luncheon portion is complimentary and optional yet the hands-on mini-seminars require registration as the classes are small and expected to fill quickly. Visiting the http://www.goalliant.net/ website can provide upcoming dates and times to RSVP for the 2 hour seminar luncheons or call Alliant’s main number 770-441-9999 for more information.

Alliant DataTel has recently increased its product lines to include Aastralink Response Point and Sutus Business Central BC200 dealerships. The company’s core information technology services include designing, implementing and managing Voice over Internet Protocol phone systems known as VOIP or Voice over IP business phone solutions. Most systems offered have the ability to plug an IP phone into any broadband Internet connection, anywhere in the world, allowing seamless connectivity to the IP-PBX base system. From a single location to multiple sites around the world, both voice and data networks can be connected to a telecommunications infrastructure that can deliver many features including auto attendant, voicemail, Wi-Fi phones, headsets, door phones, access control, and call center applications to name a few. Alliant DataTel can integrate many systems into existing computer networks and can e-mail voicemail messages and incoming faxes directly to email clients, such as Outlook & Groupwise. In addition, voicemails and faxes can also be sent directly to cell phones. Cell phones such as Blackberry’s, devices utilizing Windows Mobile 5 & 6, & Symbian phones work seamlessly with most IP-PBX systems.

Alliant DataTel is a certified partner for Samsung, Zultys, Microsoft Response Point, Xblue Networks and Sutus. “Our primary objective is to inform businesses about features available in ‘Voice over IP’ phone solutions as well as TDM systems;” said Michael Kirchhoff, CEO of Alliant DataTel. “We educate business owners & decision makers in what to look for in purchasing the right system and setting up their complete infrastructure for their current and long term objectives.” When asked, Michael Kirchhoff says, “Many businesses are not aware of the amazing advancements that have occurred in telecommunications. It is not unusual for clients who need office cabling done during a move or renovation need a new updated phone system. There seems to be a lot of confusion with this upgrade between circuit providers, phone systems and their company’s data infrastructure,” said Kirchhoff; “when you add the new technology of VoIP on top; it becomes a major mountain in their eyes.” Kirchhoff continued, “The sticker shock for new technology first takes them by surprise. What we want to do is educate the end user to what their options are, utilizing their current requirements, budget, as well as their long range goals allowing them to run efficiently, while providing a cost effective solution. If their budget can’t handle everything at once, we break them down in mini-projects they can get their arms around. There is no sense in doing it half way; technology only works if you know how to use it.”

About Alliant DataTel Inc.

The IT professionals at Alliant are committed to providing excellent service, quality products and valuable solution resources that help companies achieve their corporate goals. The corporate website, (http://www.goalliant.net/) currently in redesign by http://www.3by400.com/ will be an interactive web portal that will make it easy for consumers to learn about the many options available when shopping for VoIP phone systems. Consumers will also have access to a knowledge base filled with guides on facilitating the buying process. The site will have detailed information about phone systems offered, along with their features and specifications. It is focused on educating the consumer about the technological advancements of phone systems.

Alliant is a one stop VAR from planning to deployment. Whether you are a Fortune 500 firm or an emerging organization, Alliant can help you plan, design and implement a robust IT infrastructure that grows with you. Find out more at http:// www.goalliant.net or 770-441-9999.

Zultys MX250

MX250

The MX250 is an IP PBX platform that integrates multimedia communications for businesses, large and small, into a single server compact system. All connections are made through standard interfaces. The MX250 integrates the functions of many applications into one Unified Communications platform without the requirement of several disparate adjunct servers. By integrating these functions into a single unit, Zultys delivers a cost effective, easy to provision, easy to use system that is also easily managed and expanded.

The MX250 combines the functions of an Internet gateway (switch and router) with classic PBX functionality: PSTN line interfaces, analog circuits, auto attendant, call routing, voice mail, and Automatic Call Distribution. It further adds support for video calls and multi-media files, such as text-to-speech announcements, automatic conversion of voice mail messages into WAV files, and MXIE, Zultys’ award-winning unified communications client application. The system uses SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) to communicate with IP devices on the LAN or across the WAN. This industry standard protocol permits the connection of desktop phones, conference phones, and other SIP endpoints from many manufacturers. Administrators use a single intuitive GUI on a PC to configure and monitor every aspect of the system.

With the MX250, workers are accessible on a central communication system from any location with an Internet connection. Direct connectivity among all users is easily achieved, regardless of their location within a building, campus, city, region, or country. Users of the system have full access to all system features when logging in at the office, from home, while traveling, or from a different site, while retaining their own personal user identity.

All users, regardless of their role within the organization, enjoy a high quality voice system with access to productivity tools designed to increase their ability to get more done in less time. The system offers powerful applications such as presence, instant messaging, unified messaging, call handling, screen pops, and detailed call logs. These tools can operate on a single system or among multiple MX systems of varying sizes for a centrally managed platform that painlessly scales to support large enterprises.

The MX250 connects to a standard Ethernet switch, along with the connection of computers and IP phones. The connection to the LAN is made through one or two 10/100Base-T Ethernet ports on the MX250 main board, thereby providing redundancy. Additional redundancy is available with dual hard discs in a RAID 1 configuration, and AC and DC power inputs.

The MX250 provides three module slots that support the connection to the PSTN, legacy PBXs, and analog telephony devices.

SIP and Open Standards From The Beginning
The MX250 was designed and built from its inception to be an open standards IP PBX platform. Most similar products were either originally designed with IP in their core with telephony services added on top, or they are traditional PBXs designed with telephony at their core with VoIP added in later development. Systems of these types typically use proprietary phones and have closed architectures. Conversely, the architecture of the MX250 has been optimized to combine voice and data technologies while using standard interfaces and phones.

Key Features
2U rack-mounted system
Expandable in capacity and function without purchasing additional hardware
Interconnect up to 32 boxes to support up to 10,000 users (MXgroup Application)
Switches and routes voice, data, fax, and video
Up to two T1 or E1 circuits, 24 analog circuits, 12 ISDN BRI circuits, or any combination
Integrated IVR (Interactive Voice Response) function with text-to-speech capability
64 automated attendants
400 hours of voice mail
24 simultaneous accesses to auto attendant or voice mail
Up to 4,000 hours of call recording storage
64 operator groups
64 ACD groups
Integrated call center application for up to 240 configured agents of which 60 may be actively logged in simultaneously
64 paging groups
Connects to phones and fax machines with up to 26 analog circuits
Automated configuration of phones
50 VPN sessions directly support users over the Internet
Standards based QoS support
Built-in fax server for up to 16 simultaneous fax sessions
Moves, adds, and changes are performed in minutes
SIP protocol — allows connection with standard SIP phones, soft phones, Internet Telephone Service Providers (ITSPs), or other SIP servers
G.711 or G.729 codecs
Interoperates with any standards based network infrastructure
Based on highly stable embedded Linux operating system
Upgrades entail software downloads exclusively – no hardware forklift changes required
MXcluster

The MXcluster application provides an easy means of multiplying the system’s capacity of users, resources and services. Up to four MX systems may be connected together to create a single IP PBX for the support of up to 10,000 users in a single system. Once clustered, all systems are managed as a single system through the Administrator UI application. An additional MX system may be configured to provide full-scale redundancy for a

Pain Solutions Treatment Centers chooses Premise-Based IP Phone System from Zultys

Doctors Realize Significant Productivity Gains and Rapid ROI after Linking Offices with Zultys VoIP Solution

ATLANTA, GA., October 28, 2008 – Zultys, Inc., a Silicon Valley company known for its open standards IP communications and telephony products, today recognized an innovative solution devised by Alliant DataTel, Inc. for a four office medical practice in metro Atlanta, Georgia.

Pain Solutions Treatment Centers., Inc.( www.painsolutionscenters.com ) with a network of north Georgia offices needed to quickly replace its communications system while maintaining its investment in Polycom IP telephone sets. Alliant DataTel, Atlanta, GA ( www.goalliant.net ), a Zultys dealer since August 2004, was selected for the project.

Donna Rice, Pain Solutions Treatment Centers, Director of Admin Operations stated; “our hosted Digital Agent telephone system was becoming expensive and difficult to administer. We chose a Zultys MX250 and MX30 media exchange after a couple product demonstrations and validating provided Zultys references. Donna went on to explain; “Michael Kirchhoff, of Alliant installed the hardware, worked diligently and was an asset to get all running smoothly. He held multiple training sessions before we went live and was here throughout the deployment. In addition to an enhanced IP-PBX with dynamic features, we have presence icons. I know when anyone on my team is speaking with a patient, engaged in a meeting or at lunch.

From an administrative standpoint, Michael has been very helpful in answering questions, allowing me to learn the various features. We can now make routine changes to the phones, add, edit and delete users without waiting on a tech to arrive on-site. We have increased the response time to our patients with centralized appointment scheduling and improved the efficiency of our employees.”

By deploying an IP telephony solution from Zultys, Pain Solutions Treatment Centers solved its business communications issues between their four practices. As a result of the cost savings with the Zultys solution, Pain Solutions should pay for their investment in four to six months. The MXIE interface on the PC enables operators and co-workers to view the presence and availability of schedulers regardless of their location. Each individual staff member can set up rules governing how their calls are handled, allowing the Zultys system to locate them for important phone calls even if they are away from their desk.

“We are thoroughly pleased with our investment in the Zultys solution,” said Dan Hurd, Telecom Manager for Pain Solutions Treatment Centers. Zultys MXGroup breaks down the barriers of distance between our offices and allows us to operate as one efficient organization. The PSTN voice quality via Paetec SIP trunks is excellent and we could not be happier with our decision in selecting Zultys and Alliant.”

Zultys’ award winning IP PBX systems offer an all-in-one system with pre-loaded software that does not require additional or external servers. It supports PC, Mac, and Linux equipment. Companies interested in learning more how they might benefit with a Zultys MX may contact Alliant at 1-770-441-9999.

About Alliant DataTel Inc.
Alliant DataTel, Inc., an Atlanta based company is a Zultys value added reseller. It provides telecommunication and computer networking integration with the highest level of customer service. The IT professionals at Alliant are committed to providing excellent service, quality products and valuable solution resources that help companies achieve their corporate goals.

Alliant is a one stop VAR from planning to deployment. Whether you are a Fortune 500 firm or an emerging organization, Alliant can help you plan, design and implement a robust IT infrastructure that grows with you. Find out more at www.goalliant.net.

About Zultys Inc.
Zultys develops products that enable companies and organizations to deploy integrated communications systems. Our products are designed to maximize investment, interoperability and usability. Companies and organizations around the world are experiencing the benefits of an Open Standards IP platform for their communications needs. Find out more at www.zultys.com.

Why Record Your Calls?

Why Record Your Calls?

In today’s global economy with ever-increasing pressure to compete and improve performance while maintaining compliance with stringent laws and regulations, call recording just makes sense. While large enterprises could generally afford the technologies to meet these needs, smaller organizations were shut out of the market. Now, SIP Print offers every businesses a world-class yet affordable solution to meet and overcome these challenges:

Regulatory Compliance
Businesses of all types face growing regulatory requirements. Today, many businesses are simply required to record phone calls for an undisputable record of transactions. Others find that implementing a call recording solution offers the most effective and affordable way to demonstrate a pattern of compliance.

Enhance Customer Satisfaction
It’s easier to keep existing customers than to find new ones. That’s why so many companies use SIP Print to coach call center employees and other front line employees with recorded examples of high-quality customer interactions.

Using SIP Print to increase customer satisfaction drives operational efficiencies, reduces costs and reduces employee attrition. SIP Print empowers managers to:

•Evaluate and improve the effectiveness of customer service policies
•Ensure employees provide the promised level of customer service
•Create the positive customer interactions that are at the heart of a successful business
Limit Legal Liability
Recorded telephone activity provides a degree of legal protection to both the company and the consumer. SIP Print helps companies limit liability by documenting verbal requests and authorizations, verifying contractual compliance and arbitrating disputes.

In regulated industries, SIP Print play a key role in many companies’ ability to verify compliance with: the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, and other regulations that require comprehensive information security planning by affected companies.

Improve Employee Productivity
SIP Print’s call monitoring and recording software solution has proven effective in evaluating and improving employee productivity. Reviewing recorded calls with employees provides managers with a powerful training tool and a concrete, objective measure of employee performance. SIP Print allows managers to coach customer service agents with real-life examples of high-quality customer interactions to ensure that employees are operating at peak productivity.

Increase Security
The majority of security threats are created by employees intentionally or unintentionally distributing confidential information. Workplace monitoring and recording encourages employees to be more aware of what they are saying and doing, and helps prevent unauthorized verbal or electronic dissemination of confidential information.
SIP Print helps prevent abuse by encouraging employees to rise to a new level of vigilance. In the event of a security violation, SIP Print provides an undisputable record of activity to help identify the source of the problem and prevent recurrence.

United Seal & Rubber selects Premise-Based IP Communications System from Zultys

ATLANTA, GA., October 6, 2008 – Zultys, Inc., a Silicon Valley company known for its open standards IP communications and telephony products, today recognized an innovative solution devised by Alliant DataTel, Inc. for a minority supplier of custom and standard rubber products.

United Seal & Rubber Co., Inc. (http://www.unitedseal.com/ ) recently needed to replace its aging phone and voice mail platforms. Alliant DataTel, Atlanta, Georgia ( http://www.goalliant.net/ ), a Zultys value added reseller since August 2004, was selected by Shirley Waters, United Seal’s controller, to displace an out-dated Tadiran Coral PBX and Callware Callerga voice mail server with a Zultys MX250 media exchange.

Shirley Waters explains; “Michael Kirchhoff, of Alliant installed the hardware in a couple of days, held training sessions before we went live on the system, and was here throughout the deployment. He was available to us when we needed assistance. In addition to an enhanced phone system with dynamic features, we can also send and receive fax information to our desktops. We have an IM (instant messaging) feature that is available to the users of the company. Also, some users now only answer their phone through their PC without touching the stylish Aastra handset. At this point, we are considering wireless headsets for them. From an administrative standpoint, Michael has been very helpful in answering questions, allowing me to learn the various features. We now have real time history reports available. I now can make changes to the phones, add, edit and delete users without waiting on a tech to arrive on site. We have increased the response time to our customers and improved the efficiency of our employees with this technology.”

“Our new system simultaneously manages both the data network and our voice communications. It provides secure instant messaging between colleagues, advanced voicemail, fax, and call recording features. I am most excited about the unified management dashboard. Just by looking at the presence icons, I know when anyone on my team is speaking with a client or engaged in a meeting. This is possible anywhere I have an Internet connection.”

“We will realize our nominal initial investment in four to six months. This whole voice-over-IP project came off exactly like Alliant promised and clearly in a speedy manner. The network and PSTN voice quality is excellent and we could not be happier with our decision in selecting Zultys and Alliant.”

Zultys’ award winning IP PBX systems offer an all-in-one turnkey system with pre-loaded software that does not require additional or external servers. It supports PC, Mac, and Linux equipment. Companies interested in learning more how they might benefit with a Zultys MX may contact Alliant at 1-770-441-9999.

About Alliant DataTel Inc.
Alliant DataTel, Inc., an Atlanta based company is a Zultys dealer. It was founded in 1996 to provide telecommunication and computer networking integration services to small – medium sized companies. The IT professionals at Alliant are committed to providing excellent service, quality products and valuable solution resources that help companies achieve their corporate goals.

Alliant is a one stop VAR from planning to deployment. Whether you are a Fortune 500 firm or an emerging organization, Alliant can help you plan, design and implement a robust IT infrastructure that grows with you. Find out more at http://www.goalliant.net/.

About Zultys Inc.
Zultys, a Silicon Valley company founded in 2002, is showing what’s possible for Open Standards IP communications and telephony. The company’s Open Standards IP technology is the building block for its award winning IP PBX systems. Companies and organizations around the world are experiencing the benefits of an Open Standards IP platform for their communications needs. Find out more at http://www.zultys.com/.
###

SOURCE: Alliant DataTel, Inc.
Alliant DataTel, Inc.
Michael Kirchhoff, CEO
1.770.441.9999 ext. 307
1.877.GO ALLIANT
michaelk@goalliant.net

Aastra Telecom Announces the Launch of AastraLink™, a Microsoft® Response Point Phone System for Small Business

Aastra Telecom Announces the Launch of AastraLink™, a Microsoft® Response Point Phone System for Small Business

Powerful, easy to use and easy to manage system offers three compatible phone models including a cordless option for the North American SMB marketCONCORD, ON, CANADA/HOUSTON, TX — MICROSOFT WORLDWIDE PARTNER CONFERENCE JULY 8, 2008 — Aastra Telecom, a leading provider of enterprise grade corded and wireless SIP telephones in North America, today announced the launch of AastraLink RP™, a Microsoft® Response Point™ phone system, designed specifically for small businesses that have up to 50 employees.The AastraLink RP phone system is comprised of the RP 500 Base Unit which hosts the Response Point system software, the RP 540 Gateway with 4 analog telephone ports, and a choice of three Aastra Response Point IP phone models. Setting up features such as auto-discovery and auto-configuration, or changing the system can be done by an average PC user in minutes with no special phone training or additional license fees. In addition to supporting both IP and traditional analog calling, other innovative system features include: a voice-enabled user interface, advanced call routing, built-in voice mail, automated receptionist and contact integration with Microsoft Office Outlook®.

Three different enterprise-grade phones have been developed for the AastraLink RP system; the entry level 6751i RP, the full featured 6753i RP, and the advanced 6757i CT RP which comes with a cordless handset. Offering larger display screens, superior audio, programmable keys, full duplex speakerphones, and POE support, AastraLink RP terminals deliver enterprise level features and functionality to the SMB market. In addition, the 6753i RP and 6757i CT RP models have headset jacks and support up to three expansion modules providing additional choice and flexibility to meet specific small business requirements. The AastraLink RP base unit will ship pre-loaded with the SP1 software release just announced by Microsoft providing a host of new enhancements including SIP trunking.

“The combination of Microsoft’s unique voice-enabled telephony software, and Aastra’s robust feature rich phones, offers a powerful yet affordable telephone system for Small Businesses that have 1 to 50 employees” said Yves Laliberté, Executive Vice President at Aastra Telecom. “When you add the choice of three phone models to the mix, it allows Aastra to deliver the most comprehensive and complete end-to-end Response Point system solution available in the market today”
We are pleased to welcome Aastra and the AastraLink RP phone system to the Response Point community,” said Xuedong Huang, general manager of Microsoft Response Point. “Small businesses and channel partners can benefit from Aastra’s industry-leading expertise in telephony and enterprise telecommunications, and their focus on providing leading hardware solutions to meet the changing needs of business.”
The AastraLink RP system is now available for ordering from Aastra’s authorized distributor Wesbell Technologies. List pricing for a complete starter system bundle that includes a base station, gateway and three phones is $2,400, with additional phones ranging from $139 up to $399.
For further information on the AastraLink RP system, visit Aastra at www.aastralinkrp.com or Wesbell at www.wesbell.com/responsepoint. For more information on Response Point, visit www.microsoft.com/responsepoint.

Connectivity e-News Alert

Connectivity e-News Alert

Alliant DataTel, Inc. – Atlanta, Georgia – Monday – July 7, 2008 – 770.441.9999
Wireless data communication tools are an integral part of today’s mobile workforce. The trend for remote connectivity and data access is fueled by demand for real-time access to information including the Internet, corporate intranets, IP phones and e-mail. Sierra Wireless has teamed with Accel Networks and both are well positioned in the wireless market to deliver a range of solutions for your mobile application. Working with partners like Alliant DataTel, we have developed complete wireless solutions in sales force automation, public safety, transportation, e-commerce, health care and utilities. In each environment we offer an innovative wireless solution that meets customer’s needs.SOLUTION HIGHLIGHTS:• Alltel, AT&T, Sprint and Verizon 3G coverage (United States, Puerto Rico and Canada)• Speeds average 1Mb x 512Kb• Proprietary provisioning qualitative analysis process gives the client 100% accuracy with zerofall-out• Three-day installation guarantee• Bundled equipment option, reducing NRC cost• 100% Private Layer 2 PCI Compliant network, ideal for merchants & retailers• Low cost network continuity/backup options• Proprietary patent pending enterprise grade equipment (modem/router/antenna), no otherprovider in the market offers this level of technology• Free 30-day multi-site pilot with approvalBENEFITS:Serial or Ethernet connectivity • Highly secure (PCI/Visa compliant) • No professional installation requiredService Level Guarantee • Always connected • 3-day installation • Unlimited data • Low-bundled monthlycharge (service & hardware) • $95 non-reoccurring costs • Accel Networks patent pending proprietaryhardware • health status monitoring 24/7Contact us to today to learn more about this affordable WiFi option…• Great for residential or commercial Internet back-up• When T-1, DSL or cable is not available/practical• Remote locations; i.e. construction trailers, second homes• When quick install Internet and e-mail is required• Remote IP phones

You are Seconds Away from Finding the Best PSTN Carrier Service Provider
It is probably time to review your contracts. Prices have dropped. This service is FREE and available 24/7. It includes quotes for voice and data. T-1, PRI, DSL, etc. Click on the ShopforT1 header below to get your quotes. Better yet contact Alliant DataTel directly to get multiple quotes with personal attention. 770.441.9999 x306

Service Type:
[High-Speed Internet \/]
Your Name:
[ ]
Company:
[ ]
Email:
[ ]
Main Phone (BTN):
([ ]) [ ]-[ ]

[Step 2 >]

Independent Telecom Agents – The Top 10 Reasons Companies Use Them 1. Mergers and Acquisitions Sales is already known as a high turnover profession, but the recent rash of mergers and acquisitions in telecom make it highly unlikely the representative who signed you to your term agreement will still be there to assist you within a year. After making it past the phase of bankruptcies following deregulation, the next phase is mergers and acquisitions. In the past couple of years, a few of the major mergers include Level3/Broadwing (Focal), XO/Allegiance, ATT/SBC/Bell South, MCI/Verizon, Paetec/US Lec, and Time Warner/Xspedius among many others. By using an Independent Telecom Agent, you can be sure that regardless of continued merger activity or bankruptcies, your Independent Telecom Agent will continue to have the same contact phone number and email address. He/She will not be laid off or fired, and will continue to supply you all of the options you need. 2. Single Point of Contact Regardless of whether your Independent Telecom Agent recommends a single carrier solution or a multi-carrier solution, you still have a single point of contact to deal with the person who knows your account best. During the pricing and evaluation process for a new carrier, it is typical to get at least 3 bids and have at least two appointments with at least three carriers. The number of appointments you have to schedule could easily reach up to a dozen before an educated decision is made on your company’s communications. If you use a qualified Independent Telecom Agent, you can spend one appointment determining the best course of action, and just one more evaluating the best options available in your market. Having a single point of contact is a huge time saver! 3. Person who understands your company, how you make decisions, and why. Your Independent Telecom Agent acts as an assistant buyer once he/she understands your business needs and preferences. He/she gets to know your organization, your goals and long range needs, and how you make decisions and why. Why would you want to repeat that process every couple of years? 4. You get to hear the truth! Perhaps this should be ranked #1! When you use an experienced Independent Telecom Agent, you tap into a wealth of knowledge and experience of someone who has been in the field for many years-and most likely with multiple carriers. Your agent will typically have experience dealing with multiple carriers in your market, and can tell you how they really perform. Not the rosy picture they all want to paint for you. Who has the most reliable network? Who has billing problems? Who is going bankrupt? Who can make the desired install date? When using an Independent agent, you don’t have to listen to “The Company Story” for each carrier, as they always tend to dress up their deficiencies. You get to hear the truth. 5. Unbiased opinion of multiple carriers and their product lines Based on where your business is heading, whether that be expanding, streamlining, or contracting, your Independent Telecom Agent can put you in the right situation. Just like buying an inexpensive phone system that can’t grow with you, and can create the need for a forklift upgrade sooner than expected, getting stuck with a carrier that can’t meet your future expectations can be crippling to your operation. Since most carriers have gone to term agreements in the T-1 age of communications, it’s key to get set up with a carrier that can move with your needs. Do they have MPLS? Do they do SIP trunking? Can they offer an IP-VPN solution for your remote sites? Your Independent Telecom Agent knows the carriers’ products and limitations, and can put you in the right solution for your company. 6. Agents are invested in your success long term This is an incredibly important concept to understand when choosing to use an Independent Telecom Agent! When you work with a direct sales representative for a telecom company, one that may be here and gone tomorrow (rep or company), they are paid only to bring in the sale. As we all know in the world of corporate sales, comp plans drive behavior, and sales reps are specifically told, “If the customer has a problem, send them to the Help Desk. Do not get involved. You are paid ONLY to bring in new business.” There is absolutely no motivation, despite the direct representative’s best intentions, for them to ever speak to you again after you sign the dotted line. It’s sad but true. On the flip side, because Independent Telecom Agents are commission only and residual based, earning a small percentage of the monthly bill, it takes them, in many cases, up to 24 months to get paid what the direct representative will get paid in month number one after the sale. The entire motivation for someone even becoming an Independent Telecom Agent is to build a book of business of happy customers that don’t have to find someone new every couple of years to deal with. This relationship only makes sense for the agent if you stay with them for over 24 months, so they have EVERY motivation to assist you in solving any service issues that you may ever have. A good Independent Telecom Agent isn’t just another business associate; they become part of your team. 7. They don’t have a quota to make One of the biggest issues I have with local RBOC/ILEC, is that if you call in to the call center to order new service, you will only be told about what THEY want to sell you. NOT what is best for you. Everyone LOVES to sell bundles in telecom, but let me ask you this. Why do you need Centrex calling features or voice mail on your alarm or elevator lines? Do you need call transfer or remote access to call forwarding on every line in your hunt group and on your fax lines? Do you have mysterious items in the back of your bill for web hosting or other items you are afraid to disconnect in case you actually use it? When I call the ILEC/RBOC directly from the agent channel, I get offered different packages, and more attractive packages, than I get over the phone through the call center. It is very common for Independent Telecom Agents to uncover up to 10-20% of pure fluff on your bill during the auditing process. Why does this happen? Simple. The direct representatives you buy from have a quota to make and will often sell you what is good for them, not what is good for you. They are directed to sell what is profitable for the carrier they work for, and are paid accordingly based on their ability to do so. Top Independent Telecom Agents, almost without exception; do not carry quotas with any carriers. Because they do not carry quotas, you will not find them pushing you towards a solution that doesn’t feel quite right just to meet their numbers. Be frank and ask your Independent Telecom Agent if they carry quotas with the carriers proposed. If they do carry a quota, be sure to ask enough questions about the solution they are suggesting to make sure it is right for you. 8. Extra Incentives and Promotions The Telecom Industry is moving increasingly towards the Independent Agent Channel. In fact, last year, a local ATT/SBC agent manager said the Agent channel gained more business through their agent Winback program than they did their direct Winback program. Even they were shocked! There are several reasons for this. Independent Telecom Agents are typically more knowledgeable, better trained, set proper expectations with the clients, their clients tend to remain clients longer (since they were sold the right program), and it is more cost effective for the carriers to deal with Agents. They do not pay base salaries or benefits, in addition to commissions. Strangely enough, where I have seen this benefit the customer most, is in the form of special incentives and promotions offered only through the Agent Channel. It is not uncommon for agents to compete head to head with a direct representative for one of the carriers they are presenting. It is also not uncommon for the agent channel to have promotions or incentives that the direct representative has not been given for the customer, and the agent will typically win the customer because of that fact. If the direct representatives have promotions available, they are often compensated extra if they do not use them. Independent Telecom Agents will pull out any available promotions available in an effort to gain your business for the long haul, as they are typically not incented or penalized for use of promotions. 9. Same Pricing The exact same standard pricing is used in the Agent Channel and the direct channel. In spite of all of the additional knowledge you can tap into with Independent Agents, you can be sure you are not charged any extra for it. For large projects, special pricing is available to both Agent and direct channels at the same amounts. It’s an incredible model that helps the customer and agent win, and insures all clients are treated equally. 10. They understand Next Generation Technology Independent Telecom Agents will typically be better versed in MPLS, IP-VPN, VOIP, hosted solutions, call center applications, and SIP technologies since they need to understand multiple carriers’ offerings and have attended their trainings. Direct representatives will often know a few tweaks to their individual limited product line a little better than agents that do not exclusively sell their product, but they will not have the overall understanding of all that is coming with new technology. No carrier can be the master of all technologies and master of all niches. It’s a business impossibility. So it follows that it is nearly impossible for a direct representative to have the same breadth and width of exposure to the applications you are facing decisions on. Business is fiercely competitive, and implementation of some of the new technologies correctly can literally save larger companies hundreds of thousands of dollars. That may be the exact edge your company needs to gain the competitive advantage in your marketplace for security, marketing, recruiting, or even retention. Likewise, implementing a bleeding edge technology that is not ready for prime time may cost you the same. Using an experienced Independent Telecom Agent who is looking out for your best interests may make all the difference. 770.441.9999

SIP PBX. The Smarter VoIP Solution. Zultys Technologies is a leading manufacturer of enterprise IP telephony systems based on the open standard SIP. Our award-winning products are designed to improve worker productivity while remaining easy to use, deploy and manage. Zultys combines the full suite of telephony, voice mail, presence, instant messaging, desktop faxing, call recording and network gateway functions into a single box that seamlessly integrates into your business. At Zultys we make it easy for your company to leverage the power that is converged communications.

SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES
This message was sent by: sales@goalliant.net
Alliant DataTel, Inc., 1200 Abernathy Road, Suite 1700, Atlanta, GA 30328770.441.9999 Toll free 1 877 GO ALLIANTwww.goalliant.net
Copyright Alliant DataTel, Inc., 2008Since 1996, Alliant DataTel has been connecting businesses. Committed to keeping your business up to date with the latest technologies,Alliant provides the expertise required to get your solution right, the first time.
Leave voice & data to the experts – Alliant DataTel. We’ll keep you connected.

Is open-source ip telephony dependable?

Is open-source ip telephony dependable?

Perhaps your business has made the decision to upgrade to a premises-based IP telephony system. The question is: which route is best, proprietary or open source? Does your business choose a well-established supplier of proprietary IP PBXs or is it attracted to the often cheaper and more reactive route of an open source IP PBX? How important is the underlying hardware and software upon which your telephone calls will be made and received?

First we need to consider what is meant by ’open source’ in the context of IP PBX systems, so let us take an example: word processing applications, such Windows Word or Mac Pages, are proprietary applications as are nearly all the applications that a business will use on a day to day basis. That is, the behind-the-scenes source code cannot be amended in order to allow the implementation of any new features that may be required. This is an advantage is many ways as it is not often wise to allow anyone to amend software in this way – and therefore subsequently be responsible for retesting and supporting the amended version – as could be done if these applications were ’open source’. In other ways it may be a disadvantage, for example if a business really must amend the way an application works in order to suit special needs, this is not always possible when the software application is proprietary. In addition, as the development of open source systems is undertaken by a wide variety of people with a range of skill levels, and as open source software can run on relatively inexpensive off-the-shelf hardware, open source systems can be cheap. It’s a similar story for telephone systems: the operating system that controls an IP PBX’s may be amended, tweaked or re-written by anyone who chooses to do so – ‘open source’ – or alternatively, by design, it may not be modified – ‘proprietary’.

Open source IP PBX systems such as those based upon Asterisk, of which Digium-based systems have the lion share, have made some headway into the IP PBX arena. Although reputable proprietary systems often have a surfeit of functionality required by most businesses – such as click-to-dial, sophisticated in-bound call routing, automatic pop-up of CRM client details and the ability to make calls simultaneously via a number of interfaces – there is sometimes a need for businesses to tailor their telephone system in business-specific, non-standard ways. Or perhaps a business is forced to make cost the primary factor. So there can be a real and valid reasons to consider open source systems.

However, few open source systems are adequately able to support small to medium-sized businesses – certainly those who deem telephony as ‘mission-critical’ – as few systems can be scaled to cater for larger enterprises. Perhaps most important of all, fewer still can stand up to being rigorously tested and it’s often a challenge to obtain meaningful information on testing regimes and mean time between failure rates. In common with other open source applications, Asterisk-based systems are developed by a number of varying companies: there may be some advantages to this approach but these must be contrasted by the fact that no one system has significant enough market exposure to a large customer base over a protracted period of time. This can result in coding errors and security vulnerabilities remaining undiscovered and users finding themselves beta testers for what they may have been lead to believe were tested and released implementations.

For those businesses who feel they really must consider a highly-bespoke and non-standard telephony implementation it should be borne in mind that building and programming an Asterisk IP PBX is not for the faint-hearted; few businesses have the expertise to build a system in-house and so opt to purchase from Asterisk suppliers. In turn a robust support contract is needed which means making sure that the supplier that provides the Asterisk system is ’solid’ and will be around for the duration in order to provide any support you may require. Owing to the nature of open source systems there is rarely the option to rely on the back-up of a distributor or manufacturer. In addition, there are platform issues to consider: not every business runs Windows or uses PC’s.

Our best of breed premises-based IP PBX system from Zultys, however, provides client software that can run on a PC, a Mac OS X and Linux environment. This – coupled with the functionality, robustness and scalability that Zultys provide and their longevity and their many years of experience in IP telephony – makes Zultys our premises-based IP PBX system of choice. Long established since 2002 and developed in America’s Silicon Valley, Zultys are the best kept telephony secret in Europe!

Ask yourself this: would you be happy knowing that the software of the plane you’re flying on has potentially been amended by anyone when your life, and the life of everyone on the plane, depends upon its correct functioning? Or would you prefer for it to have been designed and tested by the manufacturer who built the plane? It is an extreme example perhaps but a parallel can be drawn here: telephone calls are often life-blood of a business.

Inexorably then, there seems to be a logical draw back to proprietary IP PBX systems, placing the open source systems to one side. Here at 500 we have considered open-source PBX systems – and we’ll continue to monitor the progress of Asterisk-based PBX systems and other emerging open-source IP PBX solutions – but of the three we have reviewed, all were ultimately found wanting. So, we must state that we believe that current open-source offerings do not truly provide mission critical business-grade telephony.

To find out further information on why or to talk to us on any other matter, please don’t hesitate to call us at 770.441.9999.

Cbeyond Ranks Seventh Among Georgia’s Top Public Companies

Atlanta – Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Cbeyond Ranks Seventh Among Georgia’s Top Public Companies

Cbeyond®, Inc. a leading IP-based managed services provider, ranked seventh on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s list of Georgia’s top 100 public companies. Cbeyond improved by nine positions from the 2007 list, which ranked the company sixteenth.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP ranked the list of the top 100 public companies based on five weighted variables: annual revenue, year-over-year revenue change, annual change in profit margin in fiscal 2007, return on equity and total return on investment for calendar 2007. The ranking is determined by totaling the five variable rankings for each company and dividing by five.

Featuring a growing portfolio of more than 30 productivity-enhancing applications, Cbeyond is the last communications company a small business will ever need. From landline phone and email access, to BlackBerry® and Hosted Microsoft Exchange, Cbeyond tailors an appropriate solution for its small business customers.
The company also offers a SIP trunking solution, which enables direct IP peering with SIP enabled IP PBX phone systems. Called BeyondVoice® with SIPconnect, this service eliminates the need for a VoIP gateway on the premise, improves voice quality and creates a strong foundation for personalized applications and rich media services. Cbeyond currently interoperates with more than 20 IP PBX phone systems.

Cbeyond saw significant growth in 2007 propelling it into the top 10 of the Georgia 100. In 2007 the company opened offices in San Diego, Detroit and San Francisco. The company is poised to continue its growth in 2008 with new offices slated to open in Miami, Minneapolis and a third, yet to be announced market. Cbeyond currently serves more than 36,000 small businesses and offers its services in 11 cities throughout the United States.

Focused on measured growth, Cbeyond’s strategy is to leverage its sale-driven distribution model to deeply penetrate the small business community in each city it serves. The company also works closely with each small business customer to design a communications solution to meet their needs.

“Cbeyond experienced great success in 2007 due to our consistent, predictable business model,” said Jim Geiger, chairman and CEO of Cbeyond. “The continued growth and profitability of the company highlights the need small businesses have for big business communication tools that are affordable, reliable, and easy-to-use.”

For more information about Cbeyond and its portfolio of small business communication services, visit www.cbeyond.net.

About Cbeyond

Cbeyond, Inc. is a leading IP-based managed services provider that delivers integrated packages of communications and IT services to more than 36,000 small businesses throughout the United States. Cbeyond offers more than 30 productivity- enhancing applications including local and long- distance voice, broadband Internet, mobile, BlackBerry®, broadband laptop access, voicemail, email, web hosting, fax-to-email, data backup, file- sharing and virtual private networking. Cbeyond manages these services over a private, 100-percent Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) facilities-based network. For more information on Cbeyond, visit www.cbeyond.net.

Polycom Desktop IP Phone Combines Color Display, HD Voice and 1Gbps Ethernet

Polycom Desktop IP Phone Combines Color Display, HD Voice and 1Gbps Ethernet

By Tim Gray
TMCnet Web Editor
Unified collaborative communications solutions player Polycom (News – Alert) today announced the latest addition to its SoundPoint IP desktop phone line, the SoundPoint IP 670.

The SoundPoint IP 670 is an application-enabled desktop SIP phone with a high-performance color display, Polycom’s revolutionary HD Voice technology, and Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) connectivity. It provides professionals with an intuitive color interface for easier viewing and navigation of phone functions and productivity-enhancing applications, according to Sunil Bhalla, senior vice president and general manager of Polycom’s Voice Communications Solutions division.

“We’re always seeking ways to improve the customer experience and offer productivity-enhancing features that drive the speed of business,” said Bhalla. “The SoundPoint IP 670 combines a rich color display with Polycom HD Voice to offer our customers a visually pleasing user interface, an incredible sounding voice experience and a future-proof platform with Gigabit Ethernet.”

The new phone also features the industry’s first color expansion module and when equipped with up to three color expansion modules, it delivers the industry’s first color attendant console solution for call attendants and administrative assistants.

Matthias Machowinski, directing analyst with Infonetics Research (News – Alert), called the phone “noteworthy’ for both its power – which operates at 1 Gbps – and in turn, its ability to leave unscathed a new congestion point on the network.

“Polycom’s new SoundPoint IP 670 phone is a good choice for organizations that are pursuing a standards-based communication strategy and are planning to embed applications on the phone,” said Machowinski.

This solution significantly increases the call handling capability of the phone and enables attendants to better manage incoming calls by being able to view presence status without having to be in front of a PC.

The SoundPoint IP 670 supports six-lines and includes advanced SIP features and capabilities, such as support for shared lines, text messaging, and buddy presence monitoring. It features 14 default color background displays for phone personalization. Additional customized backgrounds, such as a company logo, can be added to deliver a rich desktop branding experience, the company said.

The phone also includes an integrated XHTML micro-browser that enables users to take advantage of productivity-enhancing Web-based applications and also provides the ideal platform for Polycom’s recently announced Polycom Productivity Suite for SoundPoint IP phones.

“The SoundPoint IP 670 provides a full-color user interface to deliver a significantly augmented and visually pleasing user experience when running productivity-enhancing applications, such as the Polycom Productivity Suite,” said Victor Yue, Director, Fujitsu Asia Pte Ltd. “We applaud Polycom for enabling us to continue to offer our customers the most comprehensive, best-sounding, most interoperable, high-quality IP telephony solutions for small and medium–sized businesses and enterprises.”

The SoundPoint IP phone is being certified to deliver comprehensive interoperability and extensive feature support with Polycom’s growing list of more than 24 SIP-based call control platform partners including 3Com, BroadSoft, Digium (News – Alert), Interactive Intelligence, Sylantro, and other Polycom VoIP Interoperability Partners (VIP). For more information on the Polycom VIP Program, visit www.polycom.com/vip.

The Power over Ethernet (PoE) version of the Polycom SoundPoint IP 670 is available in North America, most of Central and Latin America, Europe and most of Asia-Pac today through Polycom certified channel partners for an MSRP of U.S. $599. The SoundPoint IP Color Expansion Modules are available for an MSRP of $319 each. To learn more about the SoundPoint IP 670 and its Color Expansion Modules, please visit the Polycom web site at www.polycom.com/voip.

Tim Gray is a Web Editor for TMCnet, covering news in the IP communications, call center and customer relationship management industries. To see more of his articles, please visit Tim Gray’s columnist page.

Don’t forget to check out TMCnet’s White Paper Library, which provides a selection of in-depth information on relevant topics affecting the IP Communications industry. The library offers white papers, case studies and other documents which are free to registered users.