Stay Connected; History and Future of Telecom

Historically, staying connected meant consistent use of stamps and waiting the entire day for an important call. Remember phone tag? Currently, staying connected is a business’ lifeline- the difference between success and failure. An ability to stay connected efficiently is even more crucial.

Everyone is staying personally connected through technologies like Facebook status updates and Twitter. Why shouldn’t a business expect the same instant gratificaion in their communications? That kind of technology is available and a business would see the most benefit with bundled deals, keeping their cost low and their connectivity high.

Today’s businesses should expect technology to surpass their demands, deliver instant connectivity, with less burden to their budget and spending allowances. In addition, Telecom Brokers come into the mix to make the search easier- to connect a business with a carrier’s plan or product that suits them specifically and optimally. If you have questions or issues down the road, Telecom Brokers stay connected and are there for you almost instantly to get you back on track.

Imagine productive, enjoyable, and personable business exchanges made easy and affordable. No more waiting, guessing, missing calls and clients. Business Ethernet, voiceover IP, and video conferencing capabilities are a few technologies that businesses can expect to be the norm, now and into the future.

The Business and Benefits of Being aTelecom Broker

Just to give you a look at the business end of Unified Communications, this post will help you appreciate the benfefits of being or utilizing a Telecom Broker/Agent. You can buy direct from a sales agent at a specific carrier, but there are no benefits for you or your business by going that route. The benefits for the sales agents are limited as well.

The Telecom Broker receives benefits by working with you and for you in a reciprocal fashion- they don’t benefit unless you do. Whether you are seeking a Telecom Broker to assist you with the communication infrastructure within your business or you’d like to diversify your own income by becoming a Broker/Agent, you’ve arrived at the right place.  

  1. Build and maintain relationships with businesses
  2. Gain and utilize your experience.
  3. Apply your knowledge and creative problem-solving skills to help businesses.
  4. Choose from and have access to several carriers’ products and packages to help businesses save money.
  5. Stay informed and current on new technology within the industry.

Suggested Reading: https://nwmap.com/questions-to-ask-when-choosing-a-telecom-agency

https://nwmap.com/clients-versus-sales

https://nwmap.com/get-more-for-your-money-by-using-a-telecom-broker

Questions to Ask When Choosing a Telecom Broker

Outstanding  customer service is what a Telecom agency should be all about. Telecom Agents/Brokers can possess impressive telecommunications verbiage and tech speak, but experience and customer service dedication outweigh tech speak any day. It’s like judging a book by it’s cover- don’t be fooled. The telecom business is crawling with sales agents and each one wants to impress you with their spiel. How do you make a wise decision without being persuaded by a well-articulated tech spiel about products and/or services you don’t need?

Believe it or not, being aware about customer service practices and your expectations is more important than being tech savvy when choosing a  Telecommunications Broker. Another helpful tip; Choosing your Telecom Agency (MasterAgency) should be done prior to deciding on which Unified Communications/ Telecom Carriers you are interested in. Questions to ask yourself and a Telecom Broker:

  1. How much experience? How long has the Telecom Agency been in business and also how long have the Master Agents been working there?
  2. Are they concerned with providing a specific plan for YOUR business?
  3. When I have an issue, who will be there to answer my questions?
  4. In what part of the process is my Telecom Broker involved in?
  5. Do I have to pay for a quote from the Telecom Broker?

These questions will give you an optimal head start. Because there are so many consistently new Unified Communications products and services available to your business, the determining factors for where you take your business and who you trust comes down to experience and superb customer service.

NWMAP offers free quotes, customer service first promise, and agents with 20+ years experience individually.

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.