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Have you heard all the buzz about VoIP?

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is an emerging technology
which allows you to make telephone calls over the Internet -
many times for free. It is already starting to replace existing
telephone networks, with many people and businesses choosing to
cancel their traditional phone line and use VoIP instead. Why?
Price. Consumer are finding that they can save a lot of money
using VoIP technologies.

Originally developed to provide voice communication between
computer users in different locations, in recent years, VoIP has
been further developed into a telephone network in its own
right. People using VoIP can call any telephone anywhere in the
world and can receive calls on telephone sets connected to the
Internet.

Currently, there are quite a few VoIP services available for
consumers to choose from. Some of these still rely on PC-to-PC
connections but many VoIP providers offer other services such as
PC-to-phone and phone-to-phone connection.

In order to use VoIP, both parties need a broadband connection.
This is a high-speed Internet connection usually provided by a
cable or DSL modem- broadband modems are usually used to connect
computers to the Internet.

The simplest form of VoIP is a computer-to-computer voice
connection. This is also the type of connection which allows
users to make free phone calls over the Internet.

All that is required to make your first free call over the
Internet is a computer, a headset consisting of earphones and
microphone, and VoIP software. The VoIP software can be
downloaded from the service provider’s site. The best thing is
that most software packages are free and allow you to connect to
any computer running the same software.

There is no charge for this type of connection and calls can be
made to anywhere in the world free of charge. If you choose you
could also use an Internet telephone that plugs into the sound
card or USB port on your computer. However, this is an
additional expense which is really not necessary.

Until recently, the major disadvantage with computer-to-computer
calls was that both parties had to have the same kind of
software installed in order to make a connection; but things are
changing now and emerging technology is beginning to allow users
to make calls to users utilizing different VoIP software. Almost
every software package, however, has the ability to connect with
landline or cellular phones.

How It Works

Although each VoIP software package is different, most VoIP
software function the same way. Usually, you can call another
person on the network by typing in their user name or number. If
that person is online they will see a popup box alerting them
that you want to talk. The other party can see who is calling
and can choose to either accept or reject the call.

Before the popup appears, however, there has already been some
communication between the two computers. The VoIP software has
information about the speed of your Internet connection and the
type of code that can be used to compress and decompress audio
data. When a call request is made, both computers negotiate
which code is going to be used to make allowances for the
connection speed.

Other types of VoIP Services are available which allow you to
make PC-to-Phone connections, and also calls that do not involve
the use of your computer at all. Although these premium services
vary in price, in most cases by using VoIP technology you will
be saving a significant amount of money on your phone bills each
month.

Business phone systems and the companies who sell them exist in a world all their own. The competition is stiff, with several different retailers and wholesalers carrying the same brands. The competition for used and refurbished business phones and business phone systems is even fiercer, as many companies are searching for equipment that can be used to expand their current system. Often, phone and phone system manufacturers engineer their products so that they aren’t universal and will not work with a variety of other products.

This can be a poor selling point for buyers of new business phone systems, but if a company already has a system such as this in place and wants to expand, they have little choice but to use the same equipment. This is the reason why there is such a market for used business phone equipment. It is always much cheaper to hunt down a handset that is compatible with your system than it is to replace the entire system every time you need to add a few phone lines.

Additionally, so many businesses are ill prepared for purchasing the right phone system for their particular needs that they often end up replacing the system in a relatively short time. The old equipment can then be sold or refurbished and sold. Often, wholesalers and retailers will give discounts for new systems if they are able to take the system it is replacing as a “trade in”. New and even used terminals, KTX add-ons and PBX equipment can be a major expense.

It is often necessary to find out how much it will cost to expand the type of system you have, when possible. In many instances, purchasing a slightly larger system than you what you currently need can save you money as down the road, even used equipment may cost more than what you would have been able to pay for brand new.

Click to purchase small business phone systems, telephones, phone equipment and more. Read more smallbusinessphonesystems.blogspot.com/”>articles on phone systems and phones in the work place

Okay, you are super busy or you are down to your last email before heading home. Maybe it’s first thing in the morning, you have a full in box to read and handle, all before your meeting starts in 10 minutes. It’s easy to be in a rush and dismiss the little things, however…

…have you ever thought how your email looked from a receiver’s viewpoint? Of course you have, every day, haven’t you? It is so easy in our fast-paced lives to let the little things go.

When you receive a poorly formatted email and you don’t know where each paragraph starts or finishes — the thoughts are scattered and jumbled — here’s the reader’s self chatter in action: “What the heck, it’ll take me hours to decipher this. I don’t have time for this. Can’t X be respectful? I’ll just pretend I didn’t get it and maybe their follow-up email will be clearer.” Click and delete. Of course, you have never done this — chuckle.

By chance, your next email receiver is nicer and doesn’t delete and pretend. They just move onto the next email and leave yours for the “someday in the future” stack. And maybe it will or will not ever be answered. Their response may even miss your point entirely or only provide feedback to half of the items that need addressing.

If you have difficulty getting quick responses or any response at all, the receiver could be sending you a silent message. They could feel that you are wasting their time or do want to educate you on common email courtesies.

Recently, after receiving ten emails in one day from separate independent professionals, with their personal pronouns “i’s” in lower case besides other items. I asked them to enlighten me about their lax protocols. I received a wave of negative responses. In order to keep this a family-available article, here are a few responses cleaned up: “i don’t have time, too many emails.” A few others added, “i do it to everyone.” I particularly loved the “to” in the last two emails — I do it “to” everyone.

A human resource director client shared with me that every day she deletes ten or twelve applications, about 12% of the total number she receives daily, that omit common email courtesies. A majority come from individuals with higher degrees. I chuckled at the irony. She didn’t and just heavily sighed. She found it even more serious on the number of emails she received from recruiters that also lacked these simple courtesies.

“Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff” is a book I read a few years ago if I recall correctly. Normally I wouldn’t care much about the small stuff either. However, coherent communication, whether verbal or written, still represents who we are and shows respect. Using history as an indicator, communication started and stopped wars.

Recently, I attended a speaking engagement with Michelle Singletary, author, “7 Money Mantras,” and columnist, The Color of Money, for the Washington Post. In the presentation, she mentioned several times, “You had better sweat the small stuff.” Of course, her reference was to money. Yet, it was an important point. It takes pennies to develop into dollars, dollars to add up to ten, and so on up the monetary ladder. Doesn’t it hold true that if we leave out the small common courtesies and respect in emails, will it not block the dollars — directly or indirectly?

When thinking over the given benefits for taking care of the “small stuff” in emails, here are three powerful mantras:

* A professional email attracts a professional response.

* When you respect other people’s time, they usually will respect yours.

* When communication is thought through and clear, the chances increase significantly that the response will be returned in the same manner. Stinkin’ thinking attracts the same.

10 Simple Courtesies, gathered from reading 2,000 emails, and feedback from the human resource director:

1. Focus on one topic per email. Keep the email simple so the receiver can focus in fast and easy. This improves the chance of a faster response, maybe any response. If you write to someone regularly, ask what he or she prefers.

2. An appropriate subject line will help reduce accidental deletion. It will also help locate that specific email faster if needed. When forwarding or responding, change the subject line to reflect your response. You can also add your first name in the subject line as an added identifier. I like to start mine with: “Personal note from Catherine” or follow after the subject with: “From Catherine.” If you are dealing with deadlines add: “Please respond by.”

3. Keep each paragraph to one thought even if the paragraph turns out to be one fragmented sentence. You will want to limit email paragraphs to six sentences. A natural way of reading from a computer screen is with a scan-read process. Screen reading dries out the eyes and reduces blinking causing eyestrain.

4. Add subheader titles into the email when more than three paragraphs are in the email or more than three paragraphs follow the subheader. You can add subheaders as you type or while rereading. This keeps the eyes moving fast and easy. It also allows the mind to shift from topic to topic without developing cobwebs.

5. Re-read your email no matter how long or short. We always think faster than our fingers can type. Thus, what is typed isn’t always what was swarming around in our mind.

6. Does the subject flow or was it choppy? Flow in an email isn’t the same as flow from one chapter in a book to another. Flow allows the reader to easily transition and comprehend the material. If choppy, the reader might daydream or take a break and formulate a different answer that might not fit the material, creating additional emails on your part to clarify. Frequent places to check for flow in your material are where you start or stop a message or submessage.

7. Is there any type of priority or order needed to follow so that the receiver follows along with the material? Are there steps or information that build on the previous message? Before you can pour a glass of milk you might want buy the milk — chuckle. When we are extremely familiar with how to do something, it’s easy to write past something, a common mishap by IT experts. Do you know the receiver and their level of knowledge or experience on the topic? My favorite saying is, “When in doubt, write it out.”

8. For goodness sake, turn on the spell check feature on. If you want to write pronouns in small letters, at least let spell check catch them for you.

9. Who are you? You would think that this one was common sense, at least I did. Yet, every week I receive 10-15 emails asking me a general question without telling me who they are or giving me some background. They are huge, open- ended questions that would take me years to answer. This falls into the lack of respect category.

10. What do you need or want? Forwarding an email that doesn’t ask for what you need makes the receiver try to guess. Not cool. Speak up, don’t be shy. If you take rejection personally, hire a life coach to work on this with you. Statements don’t automatically ask anything. Questions do. My dad had a saying, “Squeaky wheel gets the grease. If you can’t ask, squeak somewhere else. I can’t guess what type of oil you need.” A little harsh yet it makes its point. Go ahead and ask, and no this isn’t a reflection on you.

We all believe we have good communication skills. There could be some real surprises when you start practicing these 10 Simple Courtesies. Take your time, slow down in order to speed up. Tackle it slowly so that the lessons stick. You will be glad you did. The next email you send might be to your next boss, client, or forwarded to the President. You never know. It happened to me and it could happen to you.

Catherine Franz is a Marketing & Writing Coach, niches, product development, Internet marketing, nonfiction writing and training. Additional Articles: http://www.abundancecenter.com blog: http://abundance.blogs.com

VOIP has created so much hype that by now, everyone is aware
about the fact that VOIP is a computer phone that allows you to
make phone calls from your computer to anyone in the world. Over
the next couple of years phone over Internet will be the norm
for most homes and businesses. A VOIP provider can save you upto 75% on your
telephone/long distance expenses. Even now, not everyone is sure
how to go about this technology for home use and does it have
any benefit for your family. So lets clear our doubts regarding
this technology.

First of all, you must have a high-speed Internet connection,
which can be, satellite, or DSL Internet. The high-speed
connection is required for VOIP to function properly and dial up connection
doesn’t have the capacity to transfer voice without compromising
on quality. Secondly, you need a gateway that is connected
between your computer and Ethernet modem. The VOIP gateway is
where your phone line will be plugged into. With gateways, you
can be sure of getting improved voice quality.

VOIP is easy to use, and depending on the service and method
you choose, installation can be as easy as downloading software
or attaching an adaptor to your computer. With the elimination
of long-distances charges, unregulated charges, and all the
freebies that come standard with VOIP service, it can actually
amount to a significant saving for you. For example, you may be
paying extra for features like: Call waiting, three way calling,
Call forwarding, Caller I.D, Repeat dial. If you don’t want to
leave out of the exciting face-to-face conversations with
friends and relatives, get your videophone. One important thing
to remember is that your gateway is reliant on electricity to
function, which means power outages, will put your phone line
out of service.

So, if you want to save money on your telephone service using
the Internet, you will need to sign up with a VOIP service provider. Most providers allow you to
call any phone number in the world for a moderately low fee.
They also provide voicemail, call forwarding and conference
calls, at no extra charge. Decision to choose VoIP depends on
your needs. If you make a large number of long distance calls,
it may be well worth looking into. VoIP services are often much
less expensive than traditional providers.

Call accounting is software or hardware that provides metrics
for telephony functions such as traffic analysis, toll fraud
alerts, network management and cost allocation to various
department. There are countless call accounting vendors that
tout their various features and niches. Some specialize in
professional bill back, others focus on the unique requirements
of hospitality environments and others offer generic solutions
for general business requirements.

Call accounting has evolved since early iterations during the
dawn of desktop computing. Their popularity remains high as
systems grow and adapt to latest billing requirements, computer
operating systems and web integration.

Call accounting systems vary in price, performance and
functionality. Some of the more elaborate systems integrate ACD
reporting, carrier comparisons, grade of service calculations,
switch management, equipment inventory and billing integration.
Many systems have transformed and boast SQL databases, web
browser capability, automated reporting and notification,
enterprise reporting and manufacturer compliance.

There are many choices for an average business. It is virtually
dependent on your budget and needs to determine a viable
solution. Many interconnects and equipment vendors have
solidified relationships with call accounting providers. They
may be of help if you select and deploy their hardware.

In a professional environment, it may be desirable to have your
call accounting transactions automatically integrated with your
accounting system. You should ask your vendor whether their call
accounting software is compatible.

In a hospitality environment, it is imperative to have flawless
integration with your property management system (PMS). Your
telephone calls should be allocated to guest folios seamlessly.
Many hotels also require billing for conference rooms, internet
usage and night audit reporting.

A search of the internet may yield countless results not
necessarily in order of price, quality or reputation. You will
have to weed through many pages, many demonstration packages and
many inquiries to find your solution. You may also find that
cost is not necessarily related to quality.

Some call accounting systems are readily available on the web
for download or online demonstration. Some of the more elaborate
systems require a sign up process.

You should keep in mind that whatever solution you select should
be backed by a good maintenance program for software updates,
tariffs and inquiries. The software should be available to
trial. You should consider installing the software before
purchase to determine if it fits your needs. This will give you
a good idea about the quality of the software and the company
providing the solution.

Discover more about call accounting, internet usage, hotel
billing and telephone reporting from Resource Software
International Ltd. (RSI).

No matter who you are or what you do, your voice reveals a lot about you. Studies have shown that your vocal qualities account for 84 percent a person’s impression of you on the telephone. To have a more likeable and confident telephone voice, follow any or all of these five quick tips.

1. Photo - Look at a photo of someone you love or something that inspires you to remain consistently positive and upbeat.

2. Smile -When we smile our voices naturally become warmer, brighter and friendlier. (Some sales and customer service professionals even put a mirror in front of them while they work to check their attitude.)

3. Stand Up - On an important telephone call or even when you record your voice mail, stand up. This will generate energy in your body and your voice. (If circumstances make it difficult for you to stand, sit alert with your back erect, feet on the floor and buttocks towards the front of your chair.)

4. Script It – Scripting your introductory calls and incoming or outgoing messages can make you sound more articulate and self assured.

• Does your voice mail say something like “Hi! This is (your name). I’m currently unavailable to answer your call. Please leave your name and number and I’ll return your call as soon as possible. Thanks a lot and have a great day!”? Or does a computerized voice say, “Box 3709 - leave a message at the tone”?

• Taking a few minutes to write a simple script, practicing it while smiling and standing up, and then recording it while looking at your favorite picture or screensaver, will work wonders to create a better impression and leave people with a positive experience of who you are.

• To have fun with this you can even play your favorite instrumental music in the background of your voicemail.

5. Speak slower – In today’s global environment most people do not share the same native tongue. Especially if you are communicating with someone that may be fluent in a language different than your own, slow down and enunciate clearly. This will give your listener time to absorb what you are saying and in some cases adjust to your accent or translate your words back to their first language for improved comprehension.

We all prefer to interact with people we like and relate with. You can authentically share yourself and connect with others by following these simple steps to lift your spirit and your voice. Invest a few minutes to sound better and you will repeatedly reap rewards for your efforts.

Deborah Torres Patel helps ordinary people become extraordinary communicators. For free voice, presentation, powerful public speaking and video training tips subscribe to her popular newsletter at: http://expressingyou.com

Picture messaging is used by mobile phone owners to customize
their mobile phone displays. I am sure many users saw the
pictures on mobile displays used by friends and family before.
These picture messages could be personalized pictures, just some
fun pictures or even company logos.

Regardless of the nature of the pictures it surely have taken
off in the industry and handset owners all love to have their
own pictures on their phones.Recently some companies published
articles about the Wireless service providers that are easing
the use of picture messages in an advance form called MMS. The
article basically describes how inter-network agreements will
allow mobile phone users to take pictures of nearly anything and
send it to someone. Well, that is still to come. For the time
being we will focus on the use of static images known as picture
sms (normally black and white pictures) created by companies or
individuals to customized mobile phones.

Yahoo mobile India offers a picture message generator where
users are able to generate their own picture messages. During
the process, a special code is generated which the user then
send to a short code in order to download the SMS. The user’s
mobile account is then charged with the download costs. Revenue
share with the operator takes place in order to cover costs.

Several options are available for mobile phone users. One such
product is PositiveSMS V2 - a free downloadable desktop
application. This desktop application offers users a picture
message generator with which users could generate their own
pictures and send to friends and family at the cost of 3 credits
per picture. Users simply download the free desktop (pc to
mobile) software and register online for a username and password
(each user receives 10 free test sms). Once registered the user
could go to their desktop software and select the picture
message icon.

Users could then upload various file formats for editing (png,
gif, jpeg, ico, jpg) or create their own new picture with the
generator, which is available.

Advanced options such as saving the message in the history or
scheduling the message are available to users. The software also
contains a display, which shows users what the picture looks
like while changing it.

This tool is a great feature for users just wanting to have fun
with pictures - in particular picture messaging to friends and
family. Networks and coverage, as well as payment options and
pricing is available to users at the network coverage list.

The software is ideal for personal use or even creating company
logos sending it to various clients. If you enjoy mobile fun
this is surely an option to look at. Visit SMS warehouse for more
information

Nokia 2652 Review The Nokia 2652 introduced earlier this
week is a cosmetic improvement of the one year old Nokia 2650, a
low-end clamshell phone targeted for consumers in emerging
markets. The phone will be available in Europe, Middle East,
Africa and China, and estimated retail price is 100 EUR (£60 /
$115) before subsidies or taxes. No phone details were mentioned
in the official press release and as far as I can tell, there
are no new features, except that it comes in different colors,
dark grey and pearl with white key mats. The review below is
therefore based on what we know about the Nokia 2650. The phone
has a somewhat odd clamshell construction. The phone may be
opened for an angle of almost 180 degrees and unfolded the phone
looks like a beach chair. Not my kind of design, but maybe this
makes the phone stand out from the crowd. The phones internal
surface is made of rubber or soft plastic. According to Nokia
the 2652 “builds on the success of the award-winning Nokia
2650″. Battery According to Nokia the battery works for 2500
hours in standby mode and up to 3,5 hours the talk mode. Phone
users report less than 150 hours of standby time and 40 - 50
minutes of talk time. The thruth should be something in between.
Full charging takes 2 hours. Keypad The keypad is standrard and
has a white backlighting. Flashing LED light alerts on the
outside of the phone to announce incoming calls and messages.
Useful - maybe, cool - for teenagers, yes! The only flaw is that
the keypad gets really dirty over a period of time. Screen The
128 x 128-pixel, 4096 color TFT display is acceptable for a
low-end model. An external display would be nice and can be
found on many other low-end phones. Applications Being an
low-end phone, the 2652 comes with only basic Series 40 phone
features such as calendar, calculator, alarm clock, countdown
timer and stopwatch. The 2650 had 3 games. Phone book You can
store up to 250 names in the phone book. You can enter to 5
numbers for a name, which are primary, mobile, home, office,
fax. E-mail address, web site url, post address and text note
can be set as extra information to a number. Organizer You can
store upto 100 entries such as meeting, call, birthday, reminder
and memo. A notification may be assigned to an entry. The to-do
list allows you to create events with priorities high, normal
and low. User Opinions for the 2650 Pros - The relaibility
factor is good - Cheap - Very cool design - Excellent battery
Cons - Keypad keys were very hard to press - Hard to text in a
hurry - Keypad starts to bulge! - No Bluetooth or infrared to
download stuff from PC - LCD screen easily gets scratched - No
camera - Dualband Conclusion If you need a budget phone, the
design appeals to you and the lack of features is not an issue,
then consider.