Posts

Unified Communications. Bringing People Together During the Holidays and Everyday.

/in , , , /by

All small to medium businesses can benefit from adding Unified Communications and Collaboration to their IT arsenal. The backbone of progress is efficient communication and UC allows companies to seamlessly integrate the various channels necessary to daily operations; email, messaging, virtualized environments, video and web conferencing, etc.

Many IT leaders are reluctant to embrace any one Unified Communications solution because they fear that such a change could leave their company “boxed in” to a certain server model or require an entirely new IT infrastructure to support it. We’re happy to report that these concerns are in large part unfounded, at least when companies choose to deploy a UC solution like Mitel MiCollab.

Mitel MiCollab is a single UC platform that addresses IT department’s concerns about complexity and inflexibility.

From Mitel:

  • One server for all functionality
  • One interface for user deployment
  • One management view
  • One point of control
  • Multiple deployment options including virtualized environments
  • Powerful APIs to bring other applications like email and CRM into the user’s communication realm.

In addition to the user-friendly interface, MiCollab offers the most sought-after UC features.

With MiCollab, the way you choose to deploy initially is not the end all be all for your company’s business communications future. Like we mentioned, the suite is compatible with public cloud hosting services, but it can also run on a dedicated site specific server, a private cloud or even a hybrid cloud model, depending on a business’s unique needs. And what’s more, it is incredibly easy to move the MiCollab suite to different platforms as your company grows. You may be running your business on a public cloud now, but if in two years you choose to upgrade to a private cloud model, MiCollab will upgrade with you. No need to invest in a new Unified Communications suite.

As an exclusive Mitel partner, BCS offers Unified Communications solutions like MiCollab as well as the latest business phone systems and the very best IT support and outsourcing in Hampton Roads and the Midatlantic region. Call or contact us today to learn more.

 

The Three “H”s of VoIP Productivity

/in , , /by

You may turn back the clocks this weekend, but that doesn’t mean you should turn back the clock on your approach to business communications. Technology in this industry is always changing, and falling behind could mean the difference between efficient productivity and lagging progress. VoIP and virtualized IP environments, for instance, have been adopted in recent years by the higher education, hospitality and healthcare fields. All three industries utilize IP communications to simplify once cumbersome processes.

Higher Education

Colleges and universities are full of bright minds, great ideas and data…a great deal of data. Rather than risk the loss of vital scholarship and student records, schools are widely transitioning to virtualized environments.

From Mitel: “A virtualized, IP communications environment enables educational institutions to run multiple operating systems via one physical machine—all of which can run on multiple servers. This way, if a blackout suddenly sweeps campus, the school’s IT administrator can access the central, physical machine via a remote server to ensure that all documents, projects and important files that were opened can be kept safe and restored.”

Hospitality

Last year we wrote about the success certain hotels have had with the implementation of VoIP technology. As the rise of mobile phones devalued hotel phone systems, hospitality managers transitioned to VoIP systems which allow users to make calls at a lower rate than the mobile provider’s. Read the full post here.

Healthcare

Efficiency and accuracy are important, especially when it comes to caring for people’s bodies and health.  This year, Cibola General Hospital in Cibola County, New Mexico,upgraded their Internet, data storage and phone services to a VoIP based system. Cibola General is one of many small hospitals that have grown to recognize the value of cutting edge communications technology. According to Rick Smith, the IT director at the hospital, “We’ve dramatically improved performance with built-in redundancy, which means there are two points to get to the same data backup system…If we put in a whiz-bang system but the nurses and doctors can’t use it, then it’s of no value.” (Cibola Beacon).

We agree with Mr. Smith that IT is nothing if it’s not user-friendly. That’s why BCS is proud to offer extremely intuitive Mitel IP Business Phone systems, innovative VMware virtualization solutions and more. Call or contact us today to learn more about how VoIP can add value to your enterprise.

Image: freedigitalphotos.net/stockimages

Business-IT Alignment

/in /by

How long has it been since your company last assessed the quality of its business-IT alignment? If it has been a while, there is a good chance that your company isn’t operating as efficiently as it could with an IT strategy revised to support current business objectives and fiscal needs.  Especially in an age when business depends so heavily on technology, it is vital that the two elements interact strategically toward one goal.  As we enter 2013, it’s a good time to take account of your business-IT alignment and make changes as necessary. Let’s look at three ways you as a forward-thinking business professional can adjust the business-IT relationship for the better and reap the rewards as the year ensues:

Make your company’s customer the focal point of IT

Like a company’s product or service offering, marketing and advertising, and fiscal planning, IT strategy should be tailored to the company’s ultimate client-base. Often internal IT departments begin to view the company as their customer, when in order to operate effectively, all departments including IT should focus on serving the needs of the customer.  How you make this happen depends on your type industry.  If you sell to people, you can simply ask them how your technology can serve them better.  B2B operations are a little more complex, but by considering the nature of the businesses to which you sell, you should be able to make small changes to your IT strategy that will enhance customer experience.

Come together frequently to assess business-IT alignment

While this seems like a function of common sense, the daily grind can put up a wall of non-communication between a business’ leaders and its IT department that neither party intended to be there. In order to avoid this issue, companies should hold regular meetings in which business and IT goals are coordinated, service problems/failures are accounted for and evaluated, and, in general, everybody makes sure they are on the same page.

Outsource discriminately

If your IT operations are handled offsite, make sure that you work with a service provider that considers and understands not only your company’s technology needs, but also its overall goals, mission, and client base. Just as you would an internal IT department, stay accountable to your service provider and demand the same in return.

BCS Voice and Data Solutions works closely with its clients to provide tailored outsourcing solutions that will drive your business forward. Call us today.

Source: SearchCIO