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Network infrastructure serves as the backbone of modern business operations. With data and applications residing everywhere from on-premises servers to cloud platforms, maintaining robust connectivity across diverse locations has become both essential and increasingly complex. This complexity has led many organizations to seek out managed connectivity services as a strategic solution for streamlining their operations while ensuring consistent performance and reliability through the use of numerous data centers, enhancing service…

Today's enterprises need communication tools that can adapt to rapidly changing business needs. Organizations often find themselves managing both Cisco Webex and Microsoft Teams separately, each platform offering its own powerful collaboration features. However, by integrating these two solutions, organizations can create a unified environment that transforms how teams communicate and collaborate.  This integration becomes particularly valuable as businesses continue to embrace hybrid work models, where employees need seamless access…

For today’s businesses, enterprise VoIP solutions have become a cornerstone of efficient, scalable, and cost-effective operations. Over 30% of businesses already use VoIP, and the numbers are growing. These sophisticated systems do more than simply transmit voice over the internet—they create unified communications platforms that seamlessly integrate with critical business applications and enhance business communication by enabling reliable connectivity across the enterprise. However, finding the right balance between cost optimization…

The continued growth of hybrid work environments has made reliable business voice solutions more critical than ever. Organizations with distributed workforces require flexible, secure communication systems that cater to specific business needs, enabling seamless collaboration regardless of location. Modern business voice solutions have evolved far beyond traditional phone systems, incorporating advanced unified communications platforms and global voice networks. This evolution addresses the complex challenges of supporting remote teams through geo-redundant…

In an era where digital infrastructure forms the backbone of modern business operations, the cost of maintaining an in-house IT team has become increasingly challenging. According to recent industry data, network downtime costs businesses an average of $5,600 per minute, while IT professionals command median base salaries of $130,000 a year and multiple specialized experts are needed to effectively manage complex networks.  As organizations face mounting pressure to ensure 24/7…

For today’s businesses, network infrastructure serves as the foundation for innovation, scalability, and competitive advantage. Managed connectivity services have emerged as a critical enabler for organizations seeking to accelerate growth while maintaining operational efficiency.  As businesses expand across multiple locations and embrace cloud technologies, the complexity of managing network infrastructure can quickly become overwhelming without the right partnership and expertise. This evolution comes at a critical time, as enterprise connectivity…

The modern workplace demands flexible, scalable communication solutions that adapt to changing business needs. As organizations expand globally and embrace hybrid work models, traditional phone systems often create limitations that impact productivity and growth. Microsoft Teams Phone System offers powerful capabilities for enterprise communications, but organizations need the right enterprise voice solution to unlock its full potential.  Working with an experienced provider that offers comprehensive global coverage and proven integration…

Organizations today are constantly seeking ways to optimize their operations and stay ahead of the curve. One proven strategy is leveraging telecom managed services to streamline processes, reduce costs, and enhance overall efficiency. These services, which encompass a wide range of enterprise IT services, connectivity management, and telecom network services, can be a game-changer for businesses looking to maximize their potential. Harnessing the Power of Telecom Managed Services Telecom managed…

As organizations embrace hybrid work models, Microsoft Teams has become the backbone of business collaboration. Yet maximizing its potential requires more than just implementation, particularly when it comes to enterprise voice capabilities. Organizations need expert voice integration, strategic optimization, and ongoing support to realize the full potential of Teams as a comprehensive communications platform.  Microsoft Teams managed services, particularly focused on voice optimization and integration, have become essential for organizations…

As companies seek to streamline operations, enhance collaboration, and empower remote workforces, traditional telephony systems are giving way to more agile, cloud-based solutions. This is where enterprise voice becomes invaluable—a game-changing technology that seamlessly integrates powerful telephony capabilities into the familiar Microsoft Teams interface. Quick Look: enterprise voice revolutionizes business communications Direct Routing enables seamless PSTN connectivity Enhanced functionality empowers remote workforces Seamless integration simplifies IT management By leveraging either…

It takes considerable technology to automate repetitive tasks, optimize business efficiency, and keep pace with today's rapidly evolving business communication needs. Most organizations have invested in the many standalone tools to remain competitive over the years. Those same companies now find their communication infrastructures fragmented, inflexible, and vulnerable to security threats. As awareness of the inefficiencies associated with conducting business with disparate technologies grows, so does the number of decision-makers…

Calling features are now part of Webex's suite of applications designed to facilitate communication and collaboration in the workplace. The applications support a hybrid work environment through cloud-based calling, messaging, meetings, and webinars. Webex Calling offers IP connectivity and is often bundled with the collaboration platform and meetings. As a cloud-based calling application, Webex requires a compatible communications infrastructure. Combining the application with a Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS)…

With over 300 million users, Microsoft Teams is the most popular business communication platform in the world. Its native integration with Word, PowerPoint, and Microsoft 365 makes Teams a natural choice for internal communications and collaboration. Now that Microsoft offers Teams SIP calling, with Microsoft Teams Phone, organizations can use Teams for their office phone system needs. With direct routing, employees can place and receive internal and external calls using…

Every business needs a telephone system of some sort. But today, the definition of "telephone system" is rapidly expanding to include a wide array of options for different needs. The landline-based system of physical phones plugged into jacks remains the main communication line for many businesses. Still, virtual and hybrid systems of digital telephony and VoIP are quickly becoming the new default, with 31% of businesses now using VoIP systems.…

Businesses across industries are rapidly adopting managed service providers (MSPs) as essential partners in their digital transformation journey, recognizing the critical role expert IT management plays in maintaining a competitive edge.  As technology continues to advance at an unprecedented pace, organizations understand the value of outsourcing their IT management to experts who can provide specialized knowledge, cutting-edge solutions, and cost-effective services. This shift towards managed services is not just a…

Most analysts see artificial intelligence (AI), cloud migration, cybersecurity, and labor shortages as the top IT challenges in 2024 and beyond. AI-enabled applications require large amounts of clean data that can be processed quickly for real-time responses. Large data stores require cloud services. Hybrid work environments can raise cloud costs exponentially.  These challenges are interconnected and compound one another. Securing networks becomes more complex as companies integrate on-premise and cloud…

When you're looking for the best place to allocate business funds for maximum revenue, never underestimate the power of investing in your customer service. 88% of customers value good service just as much as a good product. The same number of customers say it's good service that determines whether they return for a repeat purchase. When you dive deeper into what good customer service entails, you face a fork in…

Business leaders today face a critical challenge: balancing short-term stability with long-term growth. For IT decision-makers overseeing complex, multi-site organizations, this balancing act becomes even more crucial. The solution? Investing in robust enterprise network management services. A seamless network architecture, managed and monitored 24/7 by skilled IT professionals, ensures optimal performance across all your locations. This isn't just an ideal scenario—it's the reality for businesses that have embraced comprehensive enterprise…

In today's data-driven business landscape, having a reliable communication network is crucial. Many organizations, however, aren't utilizing their existing infrastructure to its full potential. Instead of capitalizing on the secure, cost-effective nature of digital communication technologies, far too many companies are bogged down by the potentially detrimental impact of system-wide fragmentation, departmental isolation, and security concerns due to knowledge gaps and oversight.   Business owners and decision-makers recognizing the importance of…

There are multiple ways for IT decision-makers to modernize their communication infrastructure. Companies determined to manage their communication needs in-house, however, inevitably discover that developing, implementing, and maintaining a system capable of overcoming the challenges of working with disparate analog and digital technologies is cost-prohibitive. Organizations that recognize the importance of choosing cost-effective alternatives invest in modern enterprise voice solutions. These solutions are capable of providing the stability, security, and…

SIP trunking is an expanding market that's expected to grow to $22.99 billion over the next four years. This market growth matters to service providers, but it also matters to businesses like yours. The rapidly expanding market means more service providers are emerging, more advanced features are developing, and companies are working harder to take as much of the market as possible.  Whether you were an early adopter of SIP…

Connectivity is not only the driving force of today’s enterprise communication, it’s also a critical foundation for harnessing the power of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. As AI continues to grow and transform businesses across industries, organizations must ensure their communication infrastructure is optimized to support the bandwidth-intensive demands of these cutting-edge technologies. However, navigating connectivity for enterprises can be a complex challenge, even for the most experienced IT…

Workers across virtually every industry are spending more time on digital communication tools—and this is good news. Workers can generate a lot of business value by instant messaging to solve complex problems, scheduling web conferences with prospective clients, and automatically generating reports of customer interactions through online portals. In today's professional contexts, workers spend at least 20 hours a week on digital tools. When they can easily collaborate, share information,…

While organizations prefer an omnichannel communication approach for personalized customer support, reliable voice service is still critical to business. According to UC Today, nearly 7 out of 10 employees say voice delivers improved productivity and helps build relationships. Traditional voice solutions can be costly and inflexible, especially for companies growing or switching to remote office arrangements. Many companies are seeking a method to simplify their voice migrations for enterprises and…

The demand for modern cloud-hosted business communication essentials continues to rise. So, companies of all sizes are turning to communication and collaboration platforms to support remote workers and geographically dispersed teams. Business owners and IT decision makers recognizing the value of having video, voice, and data services consolidated into a single user-friendly interface appreciate the many features voice for Microsoft Teams brings to the table. As of 2023, Teams is…

Today's rapidly evolving digital environment requires a modern cloud presence, including advanced solutions that ensure workplace connectivity, network security, and long-term profitability.  Business owners and IT decision-makers are solving complex issues caused by the disconnect between the software solutions they need to stay competitive and the limitations of the analog services they've relied on for years. They're achieving this by investing in managed services like SIP trunking, enterprise voice, and…

In today's interconnected world, international business expansion is attainable for nearly any company. Decision-makers are investing in advanced communication solutions to bridge the vast physical distances between their workers, suppliers, and customers. As a result, they're achieving unprecedented efficiency with the help of managed service providers specializing in global voice connectivity and network optimization. With the solutions and services needed to expand their global presence, managed service providers operate, manage,…

More than a million organizations choose Microsoft Teams as their default messaging service. That number, according to Microsoft's most recent updates, includes 91 Fortune 100 companies and more than 183,000 educational institutions. When adding voice for Teams, users also have the option of using Microsoft as their phone service provider. Since Teams was developed to function as part of Microsoft 365, the system works seamlessly with Outlook, One Drive, PowerPoint,…

Organizations selling products and services internationally navigate an abundance of complex challenges along their path to global success. Most corporate decision-makers understand the value of using effective platforms to bridge the vast physical distances between their workers, suppliers, and customers. And businesses that recognize the value of streamlining their communication and collaboration solutions invest in the services of enterprise network providers to tackle those challenges. Building a robust global enterprise…

Business owners and IT decision-makers worldwide are understandably impressed with the communication and collaboration features of Microsoft Teams. It's the most popular conferencing platform in more than 40 countries. With bundled and pay-as-you-go calling plans available from Microsoft and third-party providers, organizations of all sizes are determining if they're equipped to manage voice migrations for enterprise-level connectivity.    For small- to mid-sized organizations, moving voice communication to Microsoft's platform is relatively…

For today's multi-site enterprises, achieving seamless connectivity is the key to sustained success. It's a foundational step in any enterprise's digital transformation. Establishing a reliable communications infrastructure within your network prevents information silos, delays in information sharing, rework on collaborations, and missed opportunities.  Managed Session Initiation Protocol (mSIP) is a transformative solution that offers a streamlined approach to communication and collaboration across diverse locations. This sophisticated system not only simplifies…

Unlocking a new era of communication efficiency and collaboration, enterprise voice solutions empower organizations with the seamless integration of advanced features. From scalability and flexibility to robust security protocols, these solutions redefine the way businesses communicate.  The power of these solutions lies in their ability to streamline workflows, optimize communication strategies, and ensure business continuity, ultimately revolutionizing the dynamics of enterprise communication. But what does that mean for your operation? …

Enterprise voice is a modern business essential, a term used to describe a comprehensive suite of communication solutions consolidated into a single user-friendly interface. The tools integrated into that interface are the key to optimizing workplace productivity and unlocking efficiency. According to the career experts at Zippia, efficient and effective communication can increase workplace productivity by as much as 25%. With the right set of enterprise communication features for your…

  Businesses everywhere continually seek options for improving productivity, increasing collaboration, exceeding customer service standards, and decreasing unnecessary expenses. One of the most costly investments many companies have is their traditional Private Branch Exchange (PBX) phone systems.  Between the cost of hardware, installation, and maintenance, not to mention the dependency on physical phone lines that literally tether the business to a single physical location, the numbers can add up quickly.…

Nearly 90% of businesses are using cloud-hosted collaboration tools to help coworkers solve complex problems, boost efficiency, optimize productivity, and improve communication. According to data compiled by Frost & Sullivan, collaboration software is a sound investment. In an article published by the career experts at Zippia, workplace collaboration improves customer satisfaction scores by 41%, increases product development by 30%, and boosts overall sales by up to 27%. Yes, the numbers…

When organizations evaluate their cyber security risks, they think of data breaches and denial of service attacks. They worry about ransom demands and how long their systems will be down. They forget about the impact a cyber attack can have on voice communications. Companies that use the internet for all or part of their voice or video conferencing may experience disruptions during a cyber event. For many businesses, the cost…

How we do business today is vastly different than even a decade ago. Many companies very recently experienced a paradigm shift in how they operate when business as usual was no longer possible. Connectivity, both in the technical and interpersonal sense, has become a crucial element of successful companies. Managed connectivity is a critical foundation for a thriving network, keeping employees connected to the people, tools, and resources they need…

Software-Defined Wide Area Networks (SD-WAN) are how big businesses keep resources connected across multiple locations. This virtual architecture manages wide area networks so that users can securely and reliably access applications through a variety of methods, such as 4G LTE and 5G, Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS), Point to Point, Direct Internet Access, and broadband internet. This cloud technology can optimize and streamline business processes, propelling them to the next level…

Within just two years of its introduction, Microsoft Teams became the communication and collaboration platform of choice for 500,000 organizations. Today, Teams has nearly 300 million active users and the distinction of being the most popular conferencing platform in more than 40 countries. Although many companies initially started using Microsoft Teams for its ability to keep their remote and hybrid workforce connected through its video conferencing capabilities, it's traditionally been…

In today's tech-driven world, business owners and IT decision-makers are slashing their communication costs by switching from legacy phone systems to cloud-hosted solutions. They've grown to appreciate the scalability, predictable pricing, and ability to choose the features that make the most sense for their organizations. Many of these companies are taking their communication capabilities to the next level by combining enterprise voice with Microsoft Teams, one of the most widely…

Today's increasingly competitive work environment demands an advanced mix of business communication and collaboration solutions. Decision-makers are saving time and money by investing in cloud-hosted telecom services to provide their teams with secure, efficient connectivity. For companies trying to navigate a diverse range of digital services spanning multiple locations, technology expense management is priority one.   But for businesses without a plan to manage those cost-saving solutions, technology spend can still…

With Microsoft Teams Direct Routing, enterprises can use the Teams platform as a business phone system. It allows users to make and receive calls from any device in any location. In today's often geographically dispersed work environments, communication is more important than ever before. People are conducting business anywhere at any time, and they depend on communication platforms that work—whether they are at the office, at home, or on the…

The past few years heralded a paradigm shift in how companies do business. Digital nomads and virtual workplaces are common, which has opened up new opportunities for both companies and potential employees, as geographical location is no longer a limiting factor in recruiting. However, this shift requires that businesses consider new and more-efficient tools and technologies for voice communication that includes chat, text, or email, collectively known as enterprise voice. …

What is enterprise voice? For most businesses, it’s a simple question with a surprisingly complex answer. At its best, enterprise voice is a comprehensive and integrated communications solution for all your business needs. But that’s just the beginning. Over the last few years, business communications continue to see drastic changes as companies adjust to a more remote, flexible, and hybrid workforce. The enterprise voice and cloud telephony market.) demonstrates this…

Over the last few years, Microsoft Teams’ popularity has expanded exponentially. First released in 2017 as a basic workplace collaboration tool, the service has evolved into a communication system that reached 300 million users in the last year. The platform’s increasing popularity has also led organizations to consider business voice vs. enterprise voice plans, especially after Microsoft launched a Teams Phone plan in late 2021 to help businesses integrate their…

Numerous organizations depend on Microsoft Teams for communication and collaboration within both virtual and traditional office dynamics. According to UC Today, 280 million users logged in to Microsoft Teams monthly during Q2 of 2023. If you want to use Teams for more than chat and file-sharing, you can make external voice calls with enterprise Microsoft Teams. Enterprise Microsoft Teams offers the features you expect from an enterprise-grade cloud-based communications system…

While your organization may only use Microsoft Teams as a collaboration tool, there's a golden opportunity to enhance your business communications with the right partner and replace your PBX with enterprise-level Microsoft Teams. According to UC Today, a staggering 280 million people utilized Teams monthly during the first quarter of 2023. Nearly 5 million seats are connected to a public switched telephone network (PSTN) for inbound and outbound calling. This…

Why Businesses Are Migrating to SD-WAN Running a successful business means staying connected. Whether communicating with employees or customers, companies need reliable connectivity. That's why companies of all sizes increasingly seek to use advanced technologies such as software-defined wide-area networks (SD-WANs) as an alternative to traditional wide-area networks (WANs). Organizations also require flexible communication systems. Adjusting WAN configurations to meet changing demands must happen in real time. Peak sales in…

Today's businesses rely on the cloud for virtually every action. In fact, 60% of corporate data is stored in the cloud, and nearly half of all companies use the cloud to store business-critical data. Internal employees communicate across cloud-based instant messengers and access in-progress documents and spreadsheets on the cloud. CRMs and financial tools, not locally installed programs, use cloud-based data storage and integrations, and even retail checkouts use the…

Although inflation and supply chain disruptions dominate the economic landscape, consumer expectations continue to grow, demanding an accelerated digital transformation from organizations of all sizes. Faced with financial and supply limitations, companies must find ways to maximize their technology expenditures to deliver the best return on investment. Every dollar must contribute to their short-term survival and long-term viability. Software-defined wide area networks (SD-WANs) are a technology that can optimize infrastructures…

IT decision-makers across numerous industries are slashing the cost of keeping their company's hybrid workforce connected by investing in cloud-sourced communication services. Although business owners and decision-makers are well-versed in the benefits of outsourcing various aspects of administrative support, customer care, sales force training, and recruitment, they're often tasking staff with monitoring, securing, and troubleshooting a complex digital network made up of thousands of technologies. Even with highly skilled on-premise…

Since the technology was first established in 2019, Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) has proven to be the future of connecting businesses with locations and employees worldwide. In 2020 and 2021, SASE enjoyed considerable growth as organizations searched for solutions to allow fast and secure remote user connections to enterprise networks as many offices closed for the COVID-19 pandemic. The need for secure connections in remote and hybrid office environments…

Organizations across multiple industries have been outsourcing business tasks for decades. Although many decision-makers are well-versed in the value of hiring third-party contractors for administrative support, customer service, and recruiting talent, far fewer take advantage of the benefits of managed IT services. But the tides are turning. With today's global embrace of multi-channel communication solutions, many business leaders also turn to managed service providers (MSPs) to ease (or eliminate) the…

When moving critical business operations to the cloud, the two most important considerations are security and accessibility. Facilitating both with the same service can save enormous time, labor, and costs. Combining SD-WAN's cloud networking capabilities with SASE's enhanced security, usability, and system-management features enables business owners to create a robust enterprise-grade IT system. Transforming critical business infrastructure into a polished and reliable suite of cloud networking tools can now be…

Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) architecture is rapidly becoming a popular solution for organizations seeking to improve network performance and increase scalability. SD-WANs use software-defined technology to manage network components, including firewalls and routers and perform software and firmware upgrades. There are several types of SD-WAN architecture, all of which enable enterprises to leverage a variety of services to connect users with their applications. An SD-WAN solution is centrally controlled…

Software-defined wide area networks (SD-WAN) have become the most popular business networking solutions due to their low costs and high flexibility. Combined with Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), those benefits include highly robust security and greater accessibility for remote workers. These are significant advantages as companies shift to cloud-based Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), which is driving an impressive 30.8% CAGR for the SD-WAN market through 2023. SD-WAN can be…

For previous generations, working outside the traditional office environment was a dream – now, it's become a reality for over a quarter of the entire American workforce. It's marked a drastic shift in how businesses connect with employees, requiring new methods for facilitating an increasingly mobile workforce. More than ever, companies making significant shifts to remote work arrangements require advanced networking solutions. This is especially true of UCaaS (Unified Communications…

Remote and hybrid workforces create immense demand for companies to develop reliable and secure off-premise network solutions. It requires a focused plan to establish a cloud-based infrastructure, but the rewards are tremendous. Far from just a matter of convenience, research from McKinsey & Company found that the efficiency of mobile work meets or exceeds that of on-premise labor when up to a third or more of a nation's labor hours…

How Can Microsoft Teams Make External Calls If It Doesn't Have Voice Capabilities? The popularity of Microsoft Teams has exploded recently due to the large number of people working remotely. UC Today reported nearly 270 million monthly active users in January 2022. The number of Fortune 500 Companies using Teams climbed to 9 out of 10, and the number of Teams Rooms has nearly doubled in the last year. Small…

As more than 90% of companies had moved portions of their infrastructure to the cloud by 2021, any company involved in the almost half-trillion dollar industry requires the most robust cloud-security services possible. Organizations can now secure vital off-site information with cutting-edge security protocols that, in many ways, rival even the best on-premise security practices. To keep your company's data protected during and after cloud migrations, it's crucial to know…

As the market for cloud networking reaches half-trillion dollars, cloud solutions have become far more sophisticated and effective. That's good news for businesses migrating essential business functions to cloud infrastructure – especially for SMBs. They need the easiest and most streamlined way to get up and running without a steep technical learning curve. Though getting started with a secure cloud network isn't necessary, it's helpful to know the fundamentals behind…

The pandemic has caused a dramatic shift in the ways organizations operate. Many people are working remotely, and there are multiple satellite offices around the globe. For this reason, organizations are considering such technological solutions as Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) as it guarantees them security, provides agility, flexibility, and enhances the quality of network service. Several firms are offering SASE. However, not every product can fit your needs. This…

There’s a lot of talk about SD-WAN and the benefits it can deliver. If you’re a multi-site business with growing bandwidth needs, lesson #1 in SD-WAN 101 is that SD-WAN enables you to manage bandwidth more efficiently across all your locations. By decoupling the networking hardware from its control mechanism—that’s the SD, or software-defined, piece of the acronym—SD-WAN simplifies the management and operation of your WAN and enables you to…

When the bulk of employees lived in one place and worked in a secondary location, accessing data centers in a very predictable manner, legacy security systems sufficed. These systems operated at the data server level, applying identity checks at the same point of access. In 2022, things are quite different. SASE security has become the standard, with a 2021 study showing that 64% of businesses have implemented this approach, or…

Traditionally, companies have had to invest heavily in hardware to manage their networks and security. In today's world, that's just not sufficient anymore. Because so many people are working remotely, they need access to data and applications from anywhere in the world to be productive  — and that means companies need a reliable way to secure their networks and data as it travels from the end-user to its destination.. This is…

Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) is generally defined as a security architecture for combining software-defined network connectivity and security technologies into a single cloud platform for rapid and secure migration to the cloud. The convergence of networking and network security capabilities in the SASE architecture addresses the demands of digital business transformation, edge computing, and workforce mobility. Impact of Secure Access Service Edge on Network Security As businesses seek to…

SD-WAN is changing the network game for business leaders and decision makers in all niches. But what is SD-WAN? Software-defined wide area networks, or SD-WANs, are a software-based approach to managing wide-area networks that can improve connectivity to branch offices and the cloud while also providing ease of implementation, central manageability, and cost savings.  Over the last several years, there have been substantial advances in wide-area networks, none more so…

In some ways, business, at its core, is the same as it’s always been. Teams are working hard to exchange goods and services with the public, organizations, and other businesses in order to get ahead. However, what is happening within these companies to allow for better communications, less wasted time, and increased productivity has shifted drastically. Unified communications providers are now taking center stage as companies embrace remote and hybrid…

Connectivity IT Solutions Are Key In a Hybrid World With enterprise-level connectivity IT solutions, your business can better connect and communicate with employees, customers, and stakeholders. With all of the changes in technology, the variety of these services is impressive, and they have become more popular due to the pandemic.  CNBC's recent survey on remote work concludes hybrid offices are the way to go. Take a look at some of…

You Don’t Need to Decide Between SASE vs. SD-WAN   If you're looking for the most agile, secure, and cost-effective way to modernize your business networks, it's only natural to evaluate technologies. You may be comparing “Secure Access Service Edge” and “Software-Defined Wide Area Network,” or SASE vs. SD-WAN.  Nevertheless, in this short post, you will discover these two technologies have more in common than they do differences. Experts affirm that…

UCaaS Definition and Functions With the reality of the ongoing pandemic and remote work becoming the new norm, companies must move from traditional network infrastructures to cloud-based solutions to best serve distributed workforces. Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) platforms are becoming increasingly popular as a result. Since many businesses cannot deploy these technologies on their own, forward-thinking companies are looking beyond the UCaaS meaning and are partnering with experts…

Unified Communications Integrators: What Do They Do and Why Are They So Relevant These Days? Your business can benefit from unified communications integrators who can understand and implement new, more robust communication infrastructures. It can be challenging to choose the best one due to a highly competitive industry. Providers with these skills tend to be experienced with both digital and legacy platforms and can assist you in deploying a communications…

UCaaS vs. CCaaS: What Does Each One Do? Before evaluating UCaaS vs. CCaaS, it’s essential to review their basic definitions and functionalities. The main difference between UCaaS and CCaaS is that UCaaS improves and facilitates overall communication and collaboration, while CCaaS focuses on increasing customer satisfaction and optimizing the customer experience. UCaaS UC, which stands for Unified Communications, offers a variety of enterprise communication channels, including voice, video, personal and…

Can You Get an MS Teams Phone Number as a Default? Recently, Microsoft Teams (MS Teams) has become increasingly popular as more and more people work remotely. In April 2021, there were 145 million active MS Teams users, up from 75 million in April 2020. These users began to ask if they could get an MS Teams phone number to enhance the tool's capabilities. It is well known that Microsoft…

Is SD-WAN for Small Businesses a Good Approach? It doesn’t matter if it’s a small company. If your business has several locations, remote employees and is constantly relying on cloud services, it may be time for you to switch to SD-WAN for small businesses. Recent research suggests the market for SD-WAN will be worth almost $8.4 billion by 2025. This advanced technology is becoming the preferred option for companies of…

Businesses of All Sizes Can Benefit from an SD-WAN Managed Service Provider Whether you manage a small company or a large one, SD-WAN may be the best communications decision you can make. By partnering with an SD-WAN managed service provider, you can better support a business with multiple locations and remote employees who constantly rely on cloud services. Data indicates 43% of enterprises had implemented SD WAN by 2020, compared…

What Are Unified Communications Integrators? Unified communications integrators can assist your business with understanding and implementing new, more robust communications infrastructures. Since it is a highly competitive industry, choosing the best one for you can be daunting. These providers usually have experience with both digital and legacy communications platforms and can help you deploy a new system with more modern features. Gartner explains Unified Communications (UC) combine and provide multiple…

Microsoft Teams has become a cornerstone of business communication. The growth of its user base from 270 million in 2022 to 300 million daily active users in 2023 reflects the platform's continued evolution from a simple chat and conference call tool to a comprehensive collaboration ecosystem.  As organizations embrace hybrid work models and seek to optimize their communication infrastructure, many are turning to advanced features like Microsoft Teams SIP integration…

VoIP: The Foundation of VoIP Video Conferencing With the advent of new technology, people can now communicate through many more channels than ever before. Phone calls, text, chat, social media, and other communications methods are crucial, but VoIP video conferencing has taken an extreme leap, especially in recent months. Increasingly, companies are shifting their video communications systems to VoIP solutions to improve their productivity. In the field of technology, VoIP…

Managed SIP Trunking Services: What Is SIP? For your business to be successful, clear, high-quality voice communications is essential. By switching from Private Rate Interface (PRI) or SIP to managed SIP trunking, you can gain increased voice capacity and security without compromising your call data quality.  Let’s just recap what SIP protocol is in its most standard mode. SIP stands for Session Initiation Protocol, which is a more reliable way…

Microsoft Teams Conference Call Features The COVID-19 pandemic made Microsoft Teams’ popularity and adoption explode worldwide. Every month, 250 million people use this app, making Microsoft Teams conference call modes become more complex and intricate, adapted to hybrid workforces. For example, aside from regular calls, meetings, or video chats, the Teams app introduced a feature called Together Mode back in 2020. The feature allows multiple users to share virtual space…

What Is SD-WAN Architecture? According to recent research, the SD-WAN architecture market could reach a value as high as $8.4 billion in 2025. More and more companies are selecting this advanced option over traditional WANs because they are no longer meeting their needs. Are you interested in selecting an SD-WAN solution for your business but are unsure about the available types or how they differ? Let’s break down the basics…

What Does MSIP Stand for? Regardless of the circumstances, you need clear, high-quality voice communications for your business. By migrating to SIP using mSIP, you can gain greater capacity and security without sacrificing voice quality at all. But what does mSIP stand for?  First off, you should know standard SIP protocol (without the “M”) can deliver more reliable business communications. SIP means Session Initiation Protocol. It allows for setting up,…

It’s Official: Microsoft Teams Replaces Skype for Business Skype for Business took simple instant messaging and videoconferencing capabilities and added security and productivity features. It was helpful for companies globally for many years. However, this app ended its lifecycle in July of 2021, and the announcement became official: Microsoft Teams Replaced Skype for Business. This is what Microsoft originally communicated about the shutdown: “Skype for Business Online will be retired…

Businesses face increasing pressure to maintain reliable connectivity across distributed locations and remote teams. While many organizations still rely on enterprise multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) networks to connect their branch locations and data centers, the landscape of business communication is rapidly evolving. Decision-makers must now evaluate whether their existing infrastructure can effectively support modern collaboration needs. The convergence of cloud services, remote work requirements, and digital transformation has organizations reassessing…

Does Microsoft Teams offer Voice Calling? Even though it is not a native feature, Microsoft Teams voice calling is possible. Business owners often want to enhance this already powerful tool to help it fulfill more communication needs. So, let’s learn about its basic functionalities. First off, there is a free version of Microsoft Teams, but it is only available to Microsoft365 subscribers. With this plan, chat, audio and video calls…

Microsoft: Teams Managed Services, Cloud Solutions and More Cloud technologies offer an attractive pricing model for capital expenses, but they may also bring operational costs, adding up considerably over time. These fees are well worth it, but only when cloud systems contribute directly to value creation for your business. This is where the best Microsoft Teams managed services, cloud solutions and more could help. Microsoft has long been the dominant…

Before SD-WAN Security, Let’s Review the Basics If your company is migrating to SD-WAN technology, getting the best SD-WAN security may be of concern. However, before digging into what you need to consider, let’s briefly review the basics. Software-Defined Wide Area Network or SD-WAN aggregates multiple internet connections and dynamically determines the most effective path for traffic based on the current conditions of such connections. SD-WAN can provide organizations with…

SIP Trunking Defined If you are looking for better communications solutions to improve your company’s connection to other parties, you probably run into SIP technology and are wondering: What is SIP trunking and what can it do for you?  To start, SIP stands for Session Initiation Protocol. It’s a series of digital signals that create and terminate multimedia sessions (such as calls) with one or more participants.  Oracle explains, “The…

Why Is It Important to Compare UCaaS Providers? Your business needs seamless, secure and cost-effective communications. Connecting efficiently across multiple platforms wherever you are is key to today’s on-the-go business world. Investing in Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) will give your company the edge it needs to compete in real-time in an ever-changing communications environment, but how do you find the best UCaaS provider?  According to Gartner, UCaaS supports…

Replacing Legacy Technologies to Realize SIP Trunking Benefits The business world is embracing SIP trunking benefits. Transparency Market Research estimates the market for SIP trunking services could grow at a 13% annual rate through 2030, with a market value of US $35.5 billion by then. What is the impact of this technology on companies' communications vs.legacy copper wire?   Most people don't realize it is SIP trunking technology that allows them…

How to Use Microsoft Teams: Basic Features Have you ever wondered how to use Microsoft Teams in your company? If you haven’t already jumped on the Microsoft Teams bandwagon, then it's time to get familiar with one of the latest additions from Microsoft. Microsoft Teams is a chat and conference calling app that combines all your conversations into one place and, with the right partner, it can integrate enterprise-level voice…

SD-WAN Cloud in a Remote and Hybrid Work Culture SD-WAN stands for Software-Defined Wide Area Network. It can help you deliver effective network connectivity across your company. This technology has never been more relevant than now, in an increasingly remote workplace reality. SD-WAN Cloud can help you quickly tie together both your in-house and off-site resources, among other benefits. Understanding WAN isn’t always simple. The Telegraph recently defined SD-WAN as…

SD-WAN Benefits: Starting with The Basics SD-WAN benefits may be complex to understand, especially for people who own a business but do not have an IT-related background. This post will help you learn the basics of this technology and why it improves your company’s bandwidth and costs. The acronym SD-WAN stands for Software-Defined Wide-Area Network. Compared to a traditional WAN, SD-WANs are based on software, not hardware. Therefore, they are…

The Origins of E911 According to the Federal Communications Commission, the emergency 911 phone number we know today launched in 1999 with The Wireless Communications and Public Safety Act or 911 Act. The service’s objective is “to improve public safety by encouraging and facilitating the prompt deployment of a nationwide, seamless communications infrastructure for emergency services.” Since then, the FCC has led the transition from any other emergency numbers in…

What Is SIP Trunking and How Does It Work? SIP trunking is a technology that enables businesses to send voice and other unified communications services, such as video, chat and messaging, over the Internet instead of traditional phone lines or PRIs (Primary Rate Interface). All you need to enable diverse communications is an IP-enabled PBX (private branch exchange), Internet access, and a SIP trunk. SIP trunk providers will help you…

Hosted SIP Trunk and The Modern Business What does your business look like today compared to last winter? If you are like the vast majority of companies, you likely have more employees working remotely than ever before. And if studies and predictions are correct, many of your remote workers will remain remote long after the threat of COVID-19 subsides. Harvard Business School found that at least 16% of American workers…

What Is SD-WAN? SD-WAN stands for “software-defined wide area network” and is the technology that aggregates multiple Internet connections and dynamically selects the best path for traffic based on the real-time conditions of those links. SD-WAN vendors swear it is a game changer in how it allows organizations to rapidly, reliably and securely access applications in the cloud without needing dedicated pipes to enterprise data centers. It’s also considerably less…

Organizations are always looking for ways to reduce costs and streamline their networks. Against that backdrop, Microsoft's SIP Gateway—by way of Microsoft Teams—has given customers more functionality and flexibility without adding complexities. When implemented the right way, Microsoft Teams enables organizations to utilize SIP calling and leverage core features by making MS Teams compatible with most standard SIP-based phones. Through a Microsoft Teams SIP phone solution, your business can integrate…

 Microsoft Teams, the unified communication and collaboration platform that’s integrated with Office 365, is seeing massive adoption rates. In March of this year, there were 44 million daily active users. That number jumped 70% to 75 million daily active users the very next month. And a report in June found that Teams usage growth has surpassed that of Zoom, the original poster child for video conferencing in the work-from-home…

If you are managing a growing business, you know the importance of providing a secure, connected communications platform to your employees, particularly if you have multiple locations, a distributed workforce, and multiple applications. Traditional PBX phone systems are no longer enough to support your dynamic and diverse application environment. What is the next level in communications and how do you provide the foundation your company’s employees require to efficiently and…

CIO magazine recently ran an article on how CIOs are reshaping IT priorities in wake of COVID-19 and it reflects the reality we’re seeing across our own clients and the entire industry. The current pandemic is a health crisis. But for most businesses, many of the changes they needed to make to support stay-at-home directives had significant technology implications. Companies like this union benefits provider and this insurance company had…

There’s a lot of hype out there in the industry, and it can be difficult to figure out what’s essential for a stable, reliable network that supports your business requirements. You don’t want to over-invest in technology you really don’t need. But you also don’t want to miss out on improvements and innovations that can drive your business forward and deliver real ROI. The answer doesn’t start with the technologies…

The concept of telemedicine—using technology to deliver remote clinical services to patients—has been around for quite a while. The current shift to remote everything, however, has made telemedicine a necessity for virtually all non-critical healthcare. This means that healthcare organizations everywhere, ready or not, are forced to support telemedicine right now. But to be effective, telemedicine requires a strategy and network infrastructure that can support its unique needs. If you’re…

In 2013, Kari Hunt was in a hotel room with her children when she was killed by her estranged husband. Her then-9-year-old daughter tried repeatedly to call 911, as she had been taught to do, but was unsuccessful because she didn’t know the hotel phone required her to dial 9 to get an outside line. To prevent another tragedy like this happening again, on February 16, 2018, Kari’s Law became…

Unified communications systems can prove transformative to your business. However, finding the right tools for your specific needs and supporting the underlying technologies needed to put those solutions in place is a complex matter. The challenge is well worth tackling as a modern UC system can: Reduce travel costs by allowing for powerful videoconferencing capabilities. Keep employees engaged by creating more personal means for corporate communications. Foster collaboration as the ability…

Information and communications technologies are intersecting in new ways, giving enterprise employees opportunities to work and engage customers in more intuitive ways. IT systems have long played an instrumental role in working in the background behind communications systems. However, they haven't generally done much to make them better. Advanced network systems may allow for high-quality voice performance, but that is still a situation where IT is supporting good communications functions, not…

Businesses within every industry have had to shift radically in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, doing what needs to be done right now, while trying to plan for an uncertain future. BCM One’s three key niche verticals—healthcare, retail, and financial—are arguably some of the most affected when it comes to a direct impact. Of course, the entire BCM One team is working alongside our clients, first and foremost, to ensure…

BCM One is excited to announce the addition of Michael Milnamow to the BCM One family. Michael has a strong history of delivering revenue growth through aggressive sales approaches in the communications, SaaS, and network services markets and will be responsible for building out the company’s channel presence in the central region. Michael brings over 20 years of channel management experience with a strong background in UCaaS/VoIP and an emphasis…

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the first priority is the health and safety of everyone across the nation and the globe. But we need to keep businesses running, too. Many are necessary to protect and sustain us—such as hospitals, utilities, and the food supply chain, to name just a few—and others are just looking to stay afloat, which is critical for their employees who depend on their salaries and benefits. For…

As an independent consultant, you want to provide your clients with the best possible solutions and service to meet their business needs. But that means working with a slew of suppliers. That’s a lot of points of contact to juggle. And different terms to manage. Not to mention all the different commission programs. And now you have way less time to focus on your own business and clients. No wonder…

When you’re running a business in the channel, you’re working hard every single day to build strong partnerships with vendors and valuable relationships with clients. Undoubtedly, you want to grow your business. But it’s so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day that you don’t have a moment to pause, take a breath, and think about your strategy and direction. BCM One’s Andy Steinke has spent the last decade…

BCM One is excited to announce the addition of Derrick Dike in the newly created position of Director of UCaaS. Bringing Derrick on board, together with the acquisition of Arena One, is part of BCM One’s strategy to drive growth in its unified communications offerings and become a top-tier UCaaS provider. Derrick brings 20 years of industry experience to this strategic role with a unique perspective—he’s spent time on the…

BCM One would like to welcome Chanter Adams to the BCM One family!  Chanter oversees the BCM One Channel Support team and works with our Channel Sales Managers to ensure the success of the company’s channel partners and agents. Chanter has over 15 years of industry experience. She comes to BCM One from MetTel where she held the role of Analyst supporting the direct sales team. Previously she held a…

Putting a simple device in the hands of your clinicians has the power to transform the care your patients get—and their overall health. The World Health Organization (WHO) defines mHealth as “medical and public health practice supported by mobile devices, such as [cell] phones, patient monitoring devices, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and other wireless devices.” The Potential for mHealth is Huge mHealth has the potential to transform virtually every aspect…

Collaboration is more important -- and easier -- than ever, thanks to tools for sharing documents, instant communication and workflow tracking. However, too many collaboration tools can often be counterproductive. Many companies purchase Microsoft Office 365, but retain competing legacy collaboration tools. In fact, BCM One has found that many of our clients who have Microsoft Office 365 are only using it for email, nothing else. There’s no need to…

BCM One is excited to announce the addition of Jose Padilla, Enterprise Account Executive – Healthcare Solutions.  Jose specializes in advising healthcare companies of valuable solutions to launch telemedicine practices, efficiently manage and support electronic health records (EHR), streamline the management of integrations of legacy and new systems for acquired offices and improve overall patient care. Jose spent 8 years at Verizon, working for the last 6 years as a…

BCM One is excited to announce the addition of Chelsea Mann, who joins BCM One as an Enterprise Account Executive-- Retail Solutions. Chelsea specializes in advising retail companies of best practices with regards to implementing the right blend of technology solutions to tackle prominent retail issues including PCI Compliance, ensuring a consistent omnichannel experience without margin-busting IT budgets, streamlining the connectivity of all store locations, taking control of cloud usage…

Fundraising is an integral and necessary part of successfully managing any nonprofit. You need to have the right people skills—to engage with donors, communicate and spread your passion for the mission, and convince them to give their time and/or money. Technology can also play a key role in helping you fund your operations. But according to a survey conducted by NetChange, only 11% of nonprofits report that their organization’s management…

When we think of blockchain, we often think of cryptocurrencies, but it’s more than just Bitcoin. In fact, a Deloitte survey of over 1,000 global executives found that 74% see a compelling business case in blockchain, and 84% expect mainstream adoption. And, we’re not just talking futures—34% already have a system in production and 41% will deploy an app within a year. The unique characteristics of blockchain technology—notably, providing a…

BCM One is excited to announce a new addition to our Southeast Channel Team – Matt Frechette who is based in Raleigh, North Carolina. As Channel Manager for the Southeast, Matt will work closely with local BCM One channel partners throughout the region to drive business and provide dedicated channel sales support and co-selling with our existing channel partners. Over the past decade, Matt has held sales roles for a…

The Patient Experience: It’s Not Just “Customer Experience” for Healthcare In many ways, delivering a high-quality patient experience is similar to providing a great customer experience in any field. Except there’s one critical difference: when someone is a patient, they are likely coming to you in a moment of vulnerability, anxiety, and pain. This means all your communication platforms have to be utterly reliable. Patients need to be able to…

Digital Signage Isn’t Just Signage That’s Digital Oh no, it’s so much more. According to a Cisco IBSG study, over 40% of shoppers say that digital displays change what they buy, because relevant information is provided near the point of purchase. The result? Retailers can generate higher brand awareness and sales uplift. When you give creative retailers the ability to combine all kinds of data with an information delivery platform,…

Financial services companies of all kinds understand financial risk and have tried-and-true strategies to manage that risk. But what about cybersecurity risk? This is a much newer kind of risk—one that we know can have significant financial consequences—and it’s starting to get executive- and board-level scrutiny. What is third-party cybersecurity risk? With the emergence of cloud computing, remote and mobile workforces, fintech solutions, and more, a lot of applications and…

Just about every company on the planet today depends on technology. If something goes down, business functions go down with it. That puts a lot of pressure on the IT staff who are responsible for those systems; and that pressure is compounded by the global shortage of technology talent. It’s no wonder IT burnout is rampant. You can’t hire your way out of the problem. You can, however, partner your…

Technology changes fast. That’s why at BCM One we hold quarterly reviews with every single one of our clients to help them stay on top of their technology investment and ensure it continues to meet business needs today and in the future. If you’re a BCM One client, here’s what you can expect. Components of a Thorough Quarterly Review The centerpiece of the quarterly review is, not surprisingly, a review…

BCM One is excited to welcome Chris Robbins as our Channel Manager on the West Coast. Chris, who is based in Southern California and will focus on managing and building out BCM One’s channel partnerships in the west region, joins Andy Steinke’s team as part of our regional expansion to provide local support to our partners. Chris has over ten years’ experience in the telecom space starting his first sales…

Moving applications and services to the cloud makes good business sense for a bunch of reasons. But if you’re like most organizations, your understanding of cloud expenses and utilization is, well, cloudy. The reality is there are a number of aspects of cloud computing that are challenging to manage with the tools that cloud providers give you. One tool you could use for trying to understand your cloud spend is…

At BCM One, we never start with technology. Our clients’ business needs are the focus, and then we determine which enabling technologies will best meet those needs. It’s why we’ve always stayed technology-agnostic. And it’s why we engage in thoughtful and probing discussions right up front with each and every client. After having done this for more than a quarter-century, we’ve learned a thing or two about how to build,…

Once upon a time, there was an IT director who was completely overwhelmed. We know you can relate. In this case, his was working for a national veterinary hospital which was expanding at a rabbit-like pace—acquiring two to four clinics every month! And did we mention that the voice and internet solutions in the acquisitions were mostly set up by the local doctor or office manager who had no IT…

You’ve been going along, taking care of business as it comes up. And there’s nothing wrong with the way you’ve been doing it. But then you have a moment of realization. You’ve reached a certain scale, and as you look around to all those as-they-came-ups, it’s all a bit of a mess. If you had known this would be the point you’d get to, maybe you would have done things…

Firewalls are like insurance—it’s not fun, it’s not sexy, but it’s a necessary precaution. Installing and configuring a firewall is just the first step; you need to patch and update it on an ongoing basis, which includes testing (you don’t want anything to break!) and ensuring all your compliance checkboxes stay checked. It takes a couple of hours to update a firewall, which doesn’t seem like much in the grand…

Imagine you’re a retailer spending a lot of money on your MPLS network. Spending so much, in fact, that pretty much your entire infrastructure budget goes to said network. You want to do so much more—like backup systems, upgraded software, and hosted VoIP. Is it possible that enough savings could be squeezed out of that network spend to fund these other initiatives? Without sacrificing quality or coverage? While at the…

The word “partnership” gets thrown around a lot and, as a result, it’s become a rather empty promise. But at BCM One, we believe our channel partner program is truly unique; we emphasize the word “partner” rather than “program,” and nothing underscores that more than our investment in helping you retain and expand your clients. We call it Retention-as-a-Service. We may be in the technology business, but relationships are paramount.…

On paper it might sound like a good idea to work directly with the carriers and suppliers of your communications infrastructure. It gives you control. They’re accountable directly to you. But in reality, the process of evaluating, selecting, deploying, and managing technologies can be challenging along a number of different fronts. Here are seven ways working with BCM One as your single-point-of-contact technology partner can actually save you time, money,…

As a technology consultant, you provide value to your clients by taking on the responsibility for their IT strategy and management so they don’t have to. Could they do it themselves? Yeah, probably, but it’s not their thing and it wouldn’t be the best use of their resources—and they couldn’t get nearly the same results you deliver. That’s because you’ve got some serious chops when it comes your area of…

The SDWAN market is hot right now. IDC’s worldwide SDWAN forecast from 2017 to 2021 predicts SDWAN network sales to reach over $8 billion. This is a titanic jump from $225 million back in 2015. Why is the SDWAN market blowing up like this? Because SDWAN provides benefits too attractive for any organization seeking to remain a competitive to turn down. BCM One has identified several technical and business benefits…

For many organizations, their cloud budget has become their new phone bill. Your organization needs cloud services, but you have finite resources and don’t want to spend any more than you have to, and you certainly don’t want to go over budget. At the same time, you don’t want to nickel and dime your organization out of optimal services. Adding to the difficulty is the complex nature of understanding a…

Nearly every company deploys some kind of legacy product that just doesn’t perform as well as a new and improved alternative. Case in point, copper-based communication lines like Ethernet over Copper, POTS and DSL. Many organizations continue to use legacy products in the face of more agile and efficient alternatives. They’re comfortable with their phone lines the way they are. Even when an outside expert tells you that copper is…

Author: Corinne Kerner Vice President, Technology Optimization Group at BCM One   For the last couple of decades, technology expense management (TEM) has been the way many organizations handle their billing. Paper billing has long gone the way of the dinosaur, thanks to the large expense involved in printing, shipping, storing and processing. When TEM first came on the scene, it saved organizations around the world tens or even hundreds of…

Gartner predicts total spending on SDWAN network products will rise from $129 million in 2016 to $1.24 billion by the end of the decade. Meanwhile, Frost and Sullivan believe SDWAN has moved from the early adopter stage into the growth stage of  the product life cycle. This explosive growth is due to SDWAN’s increased uptime and connection quality compared to just MPLS circuits alone. A wide array of vendors on…

In the not-so-distant past, VARs and system integrators sold software and cloud, and there was a Telephony agent who you went to for your carrier business. Now everyone is becoming a one-stop shop for everything under the sun. Traditional telecom companies are selling the cloud. Cloud providers offer telecom services. Where the lines exist at all, they’re extremely blurry. Some companies think they can remain inside their comfort zones, providing…

Formatting can cost you! Microsoft Azure quick format gives a representation that a disk is ready to use.  However, it does not truly prepare the disk, be it virtual or physical. It merely overwrites the index tables of the drive.  A full format however will write zeros across the entire drive to both overwrite any existing data as well as check the disk during the write process. Microsoft charges for…

Author: Traci Blowers Microsoft SME & Manager, Cloud Operations for BCM One No doubt you’ve heard about Skype for Business Voice. You can use this to replace your current PBX and phone carrier. Still, you want to make that transition as seamless as possible. Your phone system is the lifeline of your business, so a careful approach is essential. So how do you decide which partner to work with if…

Cloud computing can be far more efficient at meeting your computing and storage needs than traditional computing. You can obtain far more computing power and storage at a fraction of the price of traditional computing solutions. The cloud allows your organization, regardless of size, access to many of the same tools available to enterprise-class organizations. While the cloud is nothing new -- it’s been around since at least the 1960s…

See the complete webinar here. Transcript SD-WAN has the ability to identify e-mail traffic. We all know e-mail traffic is very important to businesses, but it's not necessarily time-sensitive. So SD-WAN will choose the lowest-cost link. And that's where e-mail traffic will flow. So let's say that lower-cost link has some major delay on it and will throw in some packet loss. Well, SD-WAN's real-time circuit monitoring will recognize that…

Holistic planning plays an integral role in finding success with collaboration in business settings. Browse a few studies and you'll find that plenty of companies are using social, mobile and video tools to bolster collaboration in the enterprise, but you'll also see an overarching theme that technology alone is not enough to transform the way an organization operates. Instead, cutting-edge solutions must be tightly integrated into everyday processes and procedures…

Balancing business flexibility with cybersecurity can be a somewhat overwhelming challenge, but it is increasingly important as IT and corporate leaders work in tandem to protect company data. The problem is that business and technology leaders have vastly different priorities when it comes to security, something that is underlined by a recent study from The Economist Intelligence Unit and VMware. "Business and technology leaders have vastly different priorities when it comes…

We recently discussed how transparency into relationships with managed services providers can pay dividends for businesses. Similarly, deepening insights into every detail of IT operations can fuel value creation. IT transparency and value creation are closely linked as having a clear understanding of the nuances of how IT systems operate can empower business and technology leaders to ensure investments deliver returns. The problem is that many IT departments are functionally siloed,…

Businesses have long depended on technology to get the job done. This reliance on technology has long fueled a relationship in which business and IT units have been segregated from one another. The enterprise operates to meet customer needs and drive profits, and IT exists to support those tasks. This longstanding relationship is changing, but how do you adjust your culture around a new world of responsive IT that is…

Vendor partnerships are a key strategic issue in the managed services provider sector. MSPs will partner with vendors to be certified as specialists with those technologies, giving them added clout when working with businesses that want specific solutions. If a company likes the Microsoft Cloud ecosystem, for example, an MSP that is a Microsoft partner will often be best positioned to meet those needs. However, this is the simplest explanation…

Virtualization has been transforming IT infrastructure strategies. It began with server virtualization. Establishing virtual machines within single systems allowed one server to host dozens of applications, changing the way data centers operate by allowing apps to use system resources on an as-needed basis. This process extended out to storage, network and desktop systems, creating software-defined data centers. Virtualization's rise has also led to more discussions around the idea of software-defined…

Big data is a major point of discussion when businesses explore digital transformation. In theory, gathering information from a wide range of unstructured and structured sources should help companies build efficient, streamlined operations using digital apps and services. Going digital makes it easier to gather data from diverse locations, and having apps and services in place to leverage that information enables companies to make both real-time and strategic decisions with…

Performing an all-purpose IT audit can be a great way to kick off a partnership with a managed services provider. An audit will help you and the MSP understand how technology is currently impacting your business and identify potential strategies for improvement moving forward. A good MSP doesn't just sell you technology and support it, it will also serve as a consultant that helps you maximize value creation through IT innovation. An…

The data center without walls movement has taken hold in the enterprise, creating a situation in which organizations can freely mix and match diverse technology services to drive value creation. In particular, being able to subscribe to cloud technologies, colocation services and similar hosted data center solutions lets companies move to an operating cost model for many of their IT systems. The result is a situation in which raising large…

Telecommunications expense management tools offer organizations visibility into how they use and pay for a variety of communications technologies, something that is increasingly valuable as technological models shift across the telecom services sector. Historically, enterprise communications investments have boiled down to purchasing phones, fax machines, internet services and the various network services that support them - such as a direct line for fax machines. Over time, this model became more…

Enterprise culture is changing as many businesses work to establish startup-like collaboration and flexibility to fuel innovation and gain a competitive edge. Advanced communication tools have become critical as this cultural shift has gained momentum, and Microsoft Skype for Business has emerged as an easy-to-use solution for the modern enterprise. The longstanding collaboration problem Creating genuine team environments in which people actually work together on projects instead of simply taking…