Unified Communications and Security

We often hear about security issues on our facebook or twitter account, but what about the security and potential risks within your own business. Truth is, it’s not a common topic of discussion unless it’s the foremost concern for a reason (security breach or malfunction) and/or you are designing a new data/information system specific to your business. Either way, a solid plan can only be accomplished if both you and your Telecom Broker are working together to prevent potential risks or keep some from never occurring…again.

If nothing has ever happened, it can give you a false sense of security and just because you have an updated Unified Communications system, doesn’t mean you are protected. There is always some level of risk, but you must decide what is acceptable for your business. Everyone must be on board; Business owner, IT Manager, Telecom decision makers, CIO, and anyone else who might be able to communicate to your Telecom Broker the best Unified Communications plan for your business. Telecom brokers can help you decide who has access to what information, who has limited access, what data is monitored and managed by who.

It is typical for a Telecom Broker to offer you solutions, but you need to offer information about your enterprise’s specific risks and issues. Doing so will put your bsuiness at a lower level of risk. It only takes one time; security issues can wreak havoc on a business. Ask a Telecom Broker at NWMAP about including VoIP and SIP trunking in your network security policies.

sources: http://unified-communications.tmcnet.com/unified-communications/departments/articles/114537-sip-trunking-unified-communications-security-what-need-know.htm

Don’t Just Guess! Get the Right Phone System and Internet Services For Your Business

When you guess, you lose money. Creating the most efficient phone system or internet service plan for your business should involve less time spent on guesswork and more time on enjoying the bottom line rewards a specifically designed plan can bring in.  The communications system within your business is it’s lifeline; it keeps everyone, employees and customers, connected and informed. How fast and efficient that system is greatly depends on how specific it is to your business requirements.

Questions to ask yourself before purchasing Unified Communications products and services are as follows:

  1. What is the latest technology in Unified Communications?
  2. Will your business benefit from an updated system?
  3. Does the service provider offer free quotes, installation, 24 hour support, packages tailored to benefit your company, ability to upgrade when needed?
  4. How concerned are you and/or the service provider with adhering to a lean budget and absolutely getting the biggest bang for your buck?
  5. Will the system and products be user-friendly for ALL your employees who will be using it regularly?
  6. How much time do you have to shop around? You can be assured that every other company is working on a better telephone solution for their office.

If you don’t know all the answers to these questions, don’t feel overwhelmed, because there is an EASY solution. The reality is you can certainly lose money on the Unified Communications purchase itself and in the long run as well. However, telecommunications agents at NWMAP can answer all your phone system and Internet/Ethernet questions, save you money, offer you more options, and provide full service form start to finish, and on-going. No guesswork.

Get More For Your Money By Using a Telecom Broker

Not many businesses, in the current economic climate, have extra money to put towards expanding their technology. Even though this single aspect is proven to improve business and the bottom line, they may feel overwhelmed or misguided by the choices and direction technology is headed towards. A Telecom Broker will pinpoint your specific needs and save you money.

What you should look for when choosing a Telecom Broker:  

  • How long the person has been a broker for their current company. Their is a high turnover rate in Telecom sales/agent positions. If a person’s position is completely dependant on the sales than they will be highly motivated to sell you products you don’t need.
  • How long the Telecom Broker has been in the business. In this business, expertise and ongoing relationships with carriers is crucial to saving your business money.
  • Help you consolidate your current phone systems and business Internet/Ethernet. Just as you may save money by bundling your cable and phone bill at home, you can do the same for your business. Don’t just pay the monthly bills, contact a broker to help you find ways to save money by consolidating services.
  • Search for ways to save you money. A Telecom Broker should never convince you to use products that don’t absolutely make sense specifically for your company.
  • Ongoing relationship with you. Telecom Brokers should always be available to meet your needs and answer questions. They should also provide a simple billing system.

 

NWMAP has Telecom Agents that will meet and exceed your expectations.

Building Redundancy Into Wide Area Network (WAN) with MPLS

Whether your business is large or small, you realize business is still running even in the off hours, 24 hours a day, seven days a week on the internet. The need for continuity and availability is crucial for success. Building a redundant network is one of the smartest strategies you can use to combat unexpected issues, such as inopportune site maintenance or other unforeseen down time and failures within your network.

Many vendors, or carriers, offer a variety of products to implement into your existing network. Even if you have a plan for creating a redundant network, ordering through a vendor can be tedious and time consuming, especially if you don’t know exactly what you want. There really isn’t any wiggle room for mistakes because, as I mentioned above, business is running constantly. The Telecom Brokers at NWMAP will listen to your needs, orders products specific to those needs, and install, as well as maintain this more efficient way of keeping your business competitive.

For many, the choice of redundant networks is a MPLS (Multiprotocol Label System). MPLS can be the best resource for building network redudancy in a wide area network (WAN) for several reasons. First, better security and survivability during those unexpected events we discussed above. MPLS offers hands-down better performance for your buck. It’s smart- yes, it’s true MPLS uses class of service and priority queuing, which means it recognizes your most important traffic and prioritizes it. Other benefits include consolidations and simplifications, which to a business translates into lower overall cost and increased efficiency- all in a day’s work.