Beating the Credit Crunch with Telecoms

For most people times are tough and the credit crunch is a reality.

In many ways I am pretty fed-up with the 'beat the credit crunch' sales and marketing courses and seminars, but times are tricky and now IS the time for review.

Most organisations cannot survive without a business phone system, business phone lines and business phone calls. However as much as this is my business, I appreciate that it is an overhead that organisations want to and quite rightly should keep to a minimum.

The problem is that this is a lifeline to the business so quality needs to remain high and there needs to be no compromise when that important prospect or clients needs to call in or someone needs to make an important call out.

The point is that we often see customers business telephone bills fall to 1/3 of their original value just by us taking over the business line rental and business calls. Using Tier 1 carriers that provide high quality business calls, there is no compromise and the transfer is totally invisible to the customer. Hence this is a no-brainer and within minutes we can provide quotations and start this process. For further information please call:
The Alfred Ashley Group on 0844 871 1830 and ask for Richard Crossland

If an organisation wants to change their ageing business phone system at the same time then we as a default will install a system that can connect to the latest generation of telephone line, the SIP trunk which uses a technology called VoIP. The savings and advantages in this arena are staggering. It is important that this service is delivered properly as quality can suffer if you cut corners, but the fact of the matter is that you don’t need to cut corners, to save vast amounts and hence this is a must for all clients who make large amount of outbound calls, likewise to explorer the options please call:
The Alfred Ashley Group on 0844 871 1830 and ask for Richard Crossland

Blackberry Storm, does not go down a storm!

3G Mobile Phone voice and Data has been blown a setback as RIM, manufacturer of the now famous Blackberry brand, at the tail end of 2008 launched their latest addition in the form of the Blackberry Storm.

Expectations were high and on the first glance these devices looked like they were going to bridge the gap between the style of the Iphone and the strong mobile email functionality, that has become RIM's home ground.

However, following a flood of complaints and returns it would appear that the naming of this product has become more appropriate than first thought. There have literally been thousands of complaints centred around the use of the device in even small companies.

Unfortunately in a bid to grab a share of the consumer market, by creating this device that was to be 'all things, to all men', they have compromised business functionality severely! Connectivity to all email servers is not available and the connections that are available are problematic.

Meanwhile Nokia have been making a secret comeback and the two best kept secrets in the industry at the moment appear to be the E71 and the E62, both which are very capable devices targeted at the Enterprise market, but stylish enough to be seen the the hands of the high flying
executives. Alfred Ashley Group can supply these with a very low cost monthly business tariff including connectivity to key email services, Internet access as well as the rapidly growing Video Conferencing features.

Please contact Sales@alfred-ashley.co.uk or head to the website to see more http://www.alfred-ashley.co.uk/ .

Annex M - An important piece of the puzzle!

What is Annex M?

Simply put, Annex M is a new type of Internet Access lines.

However its purpose is to try and boost the upload speed to the Internet, were as presently most moderate and low cost Internet Access lines are asymmetric, allowing fast download but still relatively poor upload speeds.

Whilst this hence might seem just another way to make your computers go faster, perhaps one of its
biggest advantages is that it will allow Business phone Systems using new technologies to be implemented at a much lower cost, whilst providing higher number of lines.

However for Computer Systems there are also advantages as it provides real advantages to Remote Workers accessing Office Systems over technologies such as VPNs. It also looks to replace expensive alternatives such as SDSL and also lease lines. Hence there also looks to be a strong demand in this area.

Alfred Ashley Group have access to the latest products in this area for both Business Phone System use and also Computer System use. We see this as complimenting rather than replacing our present ADSL and ADSL2+ installations that have enjoyed enhanced performance over traditional offerings.

For more information please visit www.alfred-ashley.co.uk and discover an important range of products.

Save money on telecoms without compromise!

Times are tough, I think all would now agree.

Companies are quite rightly keen to keep re-occurring costs to a minimum by removing all overheads that are not critical and lower those that are still essential to a business.

Telecoms in the form of telephone systems and data access to the Internet is crucial to pretty much all business on the planet and hence there is no option as to whether it is required. However the question comes, can the costs be reduced?

I think there is mileage in reviewing your costs in this area but in our eyes quality is key and should not be compromised or else the outward impression of the organisation is substandard and portrays that you are willing to cut costs at any expense.

The fact of the matter is that you can find a point where you can reduce costs but still maintain quality. Unfortunately it is hard to find providers that deliver this balance!

VoIP is reducing costs as 'the last mile' is not metered and monopolised by the incumbent supply such as BT or cable companies. However it is still important to keep the quality of the service in the core of the provider. It can be done and is delivered but by business grade providers and unfortunately the 'proof of the pudding is in the eating'.

Many IT companies have turned their hand to telephone service and telephone service providers started playing in the world of IT, which is partially where the problem starts.

There are very few companies that truly have the skill set to recommend and provide services that will work day in, day out and provide business grade quality, but I reiterate, it is possible!

From a purchasing point of view I think the key is to strike a balance and respect that for such an important part of the business you must allocate a proportion of the budget!

At Alfred Ashley Group, we use lines with guarantees to provide the underlying infrastructure and then use business grade carriers as the next layer.

If a carrier is not delivering we have to demonstrate this on a technical level but we can then take them to task over it. The same is true of the underlying data line provider, as often they are not the same carriers as each carrier can provider a specialism.

It has taken a long time but products are now available that deliver business grade communication saving currently over 40% on call charges and approx 10% on line rental. We could push this further but the compromise becomes too much for our customers and our reputation.

However, the by-product is that we can allow companies to take their numbers to any new location have great Disarster Recovery plans and so much more, but there is still some cost involved in this essential part of your business!

VoIP, what is the Hype?

There has been much hype, particularly over the last few years around VoIP.

The technical definition is that VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, which for most purchasers of Business Phone Systems, means nothing!

Whilst this is an important technology it really doesn’t mater about the detail, the fact of the mater is it allows companies such as the Alfred Ashley Group to provide telephone calls.

Typically setup costs of the lines are cheaper along with the calls. It also provides a more flexible delivery method so that you can relocate offices in case of emergencies or if scheduled and keep the communication flowing without any loss of service.

The key is that if anyone is supplying a new Business Phone System then they should be discussing all of the options and including lines that employ VoIP technology, but they must explain the basics of all options and the pros and cons associated.

Please visit http://www.alfred-ashley.co.uk as we would love to provide the options to allow your business to succeed!

Virtual PBX / IP Centrex

Known by the name either Virtual PBX or IP Centrex, this is a technology based on VoIP.

Essencially VoIP handsets are configured to connect to SIP accounts however the central SIP server acts as a remote Phone System.

This provides such things as huntgroups and the ability to transfer calls from one user to another, independant of the location of each handset. However, as previously mentioned there is no depandancy on a local telephone system.

To find out more about Virtual PBX/IP Centrex please contact us www.alfred-ashley.co.uk

AVAYA - IP Office 500 - Brief Description

Prior to the release of the IP Office 500, there were two options in the IP Office 406 V2 and the IP Office Small Office Edition (SOE).

The IP Office 500, looks to bridge the gap between the SOE and the 406 V2. The SEO is fixed configuration, i.e. the format you buy is what you are stuck with, whereas with the IP Office 500 & 406 V2 you have a choice of modules, either externally attached or internally.

The IP Office 500 however is far better suited to the smaller market, particularly price wise. However, there are many options around SIP & VoIP that are very affordable and easy to implement in the IP Office 500.

For further information or consultancy please contact us www.alfred-ashley.co.uk