Telecoms technology is advancing all of the time and the ways in which communications can be improved for your business are many. Finding the best solution can be complex and involves an in-depth knowledge of the latest products and services.

Our aim is to guide you through the process, looking at your current needs and how these will change in the near future, suggesting ways in which you could improve productivity and flexibility and comparing the latest products to get you the best tariffs that fulfill all of your requirements.

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Advances in telecoms technology

Mobile technology is moving towards everyone having a SmartPhone and maybe a tablet too! More devices are coming out that bridge the gap between the two. Advances are being made in the programs and apps that you can use on your mobile device meaning that you can do more and more work when out of the office.

Integrating your mobile and fixed line solutions is also a trend. This enables you to answer more calls as a business and to have the right person answering each call, increasing your productivity and also customer satisfaction.

Fixed line solutions now involve VoIP more often than not and also hosted services are becoming a common theme. Each of these could involve a level of data connectivity over and above a standard broadband connection. EFM (Ethernet First Mile) and leased lines are becoming more common even among small and medium sized businesses as prices fall.

Our service to your business

Bringing together mobile, fixed line and data connectivity is where we come in. Ensuring that each of the recommended products work together and provide your business with an improved communications package.

It doesn't have to break the bank either. Increased competition within the telecoms marketplace mean that prices are falling. Hosted solutions generally do not require any initial costs for hardware or ongoing maintenance, making them ideal for new small businesses.

Whatever your size of business and whichever sector you operate in we would like to look at your current telecoms set up and improve it. In the process if we can also reduce your costs this would be an added bonus!

The benefits of increased productivity, more flexible working practices, increased customer satisfaction and retention should not be underestimated. Utilising the latest telecoms technology could put you a step ahead of your competitors and enable you to outpace them and overtake them.

Take advantage of our 16 years experience within the telecoms sector and work with us to enhance your communications and drive your business forward.

Posted in: Business Landlines , Business Mobiles , Business Phones , Business Telecoms , Hosted Solutions , SmartPhones , Solutions , Technology , Telecoms , Unified Communications , VoIP

For businesses that rely upon data, a strong internet connection is a must. This should be reliable, and fast enough to serve all of their users with spare capacity for busy times.

Standard ADSL business broadband can offer this for some customers, but for others it is not up to the job. The next step up in connectivity is EFM - Ethernet First Mile.

This is a dedicated internet connection, meaning that no-one else is sharing the bandwidth. The speed you get is guaranteed and is symmetrical - meaning you can upload as fast as download. This makes it ideal for VoIP telephony and video, for instance.

We offer EFM with speeds ranging from 1MBps through to 20MBps. The speed you can actually receive is determined by the distance from your local exchange. Contact us for an accurate assessment.

Data is carried by multiple copper pairs from the exchange into your premises. If one of the copper lines fails temporarily the others share the load to keep you connected.

We can also provide fibre leased lines with faster speeds, although these are more expensive and there is a longer installation time. EFM can typically be up and running within 30 days.

EFM is more reliable than standard broadband and our service is actively managed. This means that we provide a pre-configured EFM router to you and are notified of any issues with your line immediately. The SLAs on EFM lines are much quicker than for standard broadband so any downtime will be minimal (we can also provide failover options to eliminate downtime if required).

EFM can be included as part of a total data solution for larger businesses, connecting multiple sites. We can tailor a package for you that meets your requirements and budget.

So if your current broadband is too slow or unreliable you should consider EFM - the cost is coming down and is now within the reach of many small and medium sized businesses. Contact us for a free review of you data connectivity and a cost/benefit analysis.

Articles about EFM:

What is EFM?

Posted in: Broadband , Data Solutions , EFM - Ethernet First Mile , Ethernet , Hosted Solutions , Solutions

Does your business currently have a phone system? Is it approaching the end of its life or are you outgrowing the features it offers? Have you considered a hosted solution when the time comes to replace it?

A hosted phone system has a number of advantages over the traditional PBX:

• No need to buy a costly phone system
• No ongoing maintenance
• Always up-to-date with the latest technology
• Pay for the features you use
• Flexible and scalable
• Enables flexible working
• Ideal for multi-site operations

It does rely upon a decent broadband connection but most businesses now understand how important data is to their organisation and many are upgrading their connectivity accordingly. The cost of dedicated connections is also falling making it affordable for small to medium sized businesses.

The cost of a hosted phone system

Hosted phone systems are generally charged per user. This usually yields considerable savings over standard set ups. There are scenarios where this pricing can work out more expensive than traditional telephony, particularly in large organisations, and in these instances it is possible to find pricing models that are similar to traditional telephony, offering a price per channel instead.

If you don't have a phone system currently or have an analogue system you will usually have to purchase dedicated handsets for each user. These do not have to be expensive and offer better features than a traditional handset. For instance, you can take them home and plug them into your router there and use them as if you were in the office.

Hosted phone systems are particularly cost effective in multi-site operations. Instead of purchasing a phone system for each site you have a single hosted account meaning that your "system" is effectively spread across all offices allowing transfer of calls between sites and free calls between all users.

The extra features you will get from a hosted system, such as call management and call routing, will also lead to improved productivity which saves you even more money over time.

Compare traditional and hosted phone systems

At Best Business Phone Deals we offer both traditional phone systems and hosted solutions. This means that we can produce a report for your business which shows you how much you would pay for each and allows you to compare them both for pricing and features.

You see which is most cost effective for your business and make your choice accordingly.

Posted in: Broadband , Business Landlines , Business Phones , Business Telecoms , Cloud Computing , Data Solutions , Hosted Solutions , Phone Systems , Solutions , Telecoms , VoIP