Category: Direct Numbers

As a user of KCOM’s Myriad platform, we are pleased to tell you about the launch of our re-developed Service Manager interface in the white label portal which will come into effect on 15 November 2016. 

What is changing?

We are pleased to confirm, following a successful beta release in October, that the re-developed Service Manager interface (comprising Service Builder and Service Designer) in HTML5 will replace the current Silverlight version.

Why are we making this change?

We recognise that Silverlight is not compatible with touchscreen devices and additionally Microsoft announced that they will be withdrawing support in 2020, with many non-Windows browsers already withdrawing support.

HTML5 is a universally recognised cross platform code, which doesn’t require additional software installation (such as browser plug-ins). This launch will mean that you will be able to access and use the Myriad 2 Service Manager on touchscreen devices¹, in addition to all popular web browsers² on PC’s and laptops.

How do I access the new Service Manager interface?

From launch, the HTML Service Manager can be accessed in 2 ways via the ‘Numbers’ screen in the white label portal; firstly through the ‘Service Manager’ button located in the left-hand menu and secondly through the ‘Update’ option next to any of your service numbers which show as the product type ‘Service Manager’.

Are there any significant changes to Service Manager as part of this launch?

We’ve focussed our redevelopment on aligning the HTML5 version as closely to the current interface as possible and are confident you won’t see any significant changes to how Service Builder and Service Designer work today but the attached overview document details of the key changes to Service Designer for your information.

Can I still use the Silverlight version of Service Manager?

No, after launch Silverlight will be completely withdrawn from the Service Manager interface, including the ‘out of browser’ application – if you currently use this and try to access Service Manager in this way following the launch, you will receive notification message instructing you to access Service Manager via the Numbers screen in the main portal.

So firstly, what is a cloud phone system? It’s basically a telephone network that runs over your internet connection and it’s hosted in the cloud on a supplier’s server which means you will not need any expensive PBX (Private Branch Exchange) kit to buy, rent or maintain.

A cloud phone system also gives businesses and organisations of any size the opportunity to have a professional and state of the art solution for the fraction of the price of a traditional legacy phone system.

We’ve highlighted below some of the key points why our customers are making the switch to a cloud:-

Cost – It’s hosted in the cloud so you won’t need to buy or lease a PBX box for your organisation. This also means you won’t have to endure any maintenance costs for the up keep of this kit. No large CAPEX commitments when making the switch!

Cheaper calls – the calls are carried over your internet connection so they work out to be a lot cheaper than your traditional telecom network charges. Calling a UK mobile is just 4 pence per minute compared to BT’s standard rate of 13.65p per minute + 17.06p set up fee*

30 Day contracts – Say goodbye to those long 3 year tie-ins that many of our customers have now managed to get out of. Rolling 30 day contracts are great for smaller businesses or start-ups that don’t want to have to commit to such a long period.

Multi-site – Got more than one work site? With a cloud phone solution you can link up all your offices, shops, restaurants etc under the one phone system without having to have kit installed at each location. All calls between these locations would be free as well.

Never miss a customer call again – Benefit from a variety of call features that are easy to use and set up. Stop missing customer calls by using services like call queuing and time of day routing. Set up a professional sounding IVR menu for your callers and redirect calls to the right department.

Clever smart phone app – The smart phone is a big part of our lives these days so benefit from having your work extension with you when you are away from the office. Make and receive work calls with our smartphone app means you can work remotely and stay in touch with your customers wherever you are.

Scalability – It’s a system that will grow with you without having to spend a fortune. Hiring new staff? New extensions can be added quickly and easily to your existing set up without having to spend a fortune doing it.

Plug n Play – If you’re like me then I still like to have a phone on my desk. With a large selection of pre-configured phones you literally just need to plug these into your available internet port and they are ready to be used.

Quality and reliability – Interconnected with BT data centres and 99.9% TUV certified means excellent crystal clear call quality.

Integration – Using a CRM like Salesforce or Zoho? Then bolt it on to our cloud phone system for a fully integrated CRM phone system. Of if you’re after full enterprise capabilities then integrate your cloud phone system with Skype for Business.

Looking to the future, BT have already announced that they will be switching off their traditional analogue PSTN and ISDN lines by 2025 so it makes sense to start looking at switching from a traditional legacy style phone system very soon.

Want more information on how to make the switch to a cloud phone system or if you would you like to see a demo then speak to us today at GO Telecom.

*BT call costs may vary. Always check directly with your supplier.

The Telephone Preference Service is a free opt out service that allows consumers to officially register their choice not be contacted by unsolicited sales or marketing calls.  In order for this to work, the telemarketing companies have to apply for a license to be able to screen their data.  This should stop the company making calls to registered numbers, and avoid large fines from the governing bodies.

The TPS ask registered consumers to allow up to 28 days for all “nuisance” calls to stop, as it then becomes a legal requirement for establishments not call these numbers, but as we have all probably experienced, sometimes there are instances where this is not the case.  The data a particular business owns could be much older than the date of the consumers registration, and coupled with a poor screening process, some of these calls are allowed to get through.

Luckily, the most efficient screening practice is now available to telemarketing companies.  Our NFON powered VoIP telephone system can be tailored to monitor the TPS database in real time for all employees making outbound calls.  A short message will play to advise the agent that the number that they are calling is a TPS registered number, and then give them the option of hanging up the call or continuing with it if they have gained explicit permission from the customer.

This feature can reassure call centres that they are sticking to the very stringent rules that govern this industry, and helps to avoid some hefty fines in the process.  With call recording , call centre monitoring, call queuing  and real time stats available to you, there really has never been a better time to switch to the cloud.

A big thank you to everyone that came to see us at the Let’s Do Business Brighton Expo last week.  It was a fun show to do and it was great to meet so many people.  We went a day early to set up ready for the morning which was a nice luxury to have seeing as the beautifully set Brighton Racecourse is on our doorstep.  Despite the fact that it was the only day of the week with awful weather, the show was a big success and we wanted to say thank you to everyone involved.

The winner of our raffle, and proud new owner of a Kindle Fire HD, was Gemma Doughtyof YMCA Downslink Group.  Congratulations Gemma.  We will hopefully be doing more shows this year, follow us on Twitter for more information on upcoming events where we will be exhibiting.

We hope to see you at the next Let’s Do Business Brighton Expo!

Businesses have thought for a long time that having a freephone contact number is a great way to entice people to call them.  It’s certainly more attractive to the consumer than calling a service charge number, like 0871 or 0845, and also as its a non-geographic number, it can help your company appeal to a national audience.  The only downside to this is that most members of the public generally tend to make calls using their mobile phones, and the network providers have been charging quite a large sum in order to call a number which you have intended to be free.  This has seen the emergence and the success of 03 numbers.  They are charged at a local rate from landlines, and are covered as part of the free minutes packages that are included in bundle deals and mobile minutes packages.

However, from July 1^st 2015, the regulators of the industry, OFCOM, have announced that
free will finally mean FREE.  0800 and 0808 numbers will be non-chargeable to the customer when they call from mobile phones.  This is great news not only for your customers, but also for businesses that may have suffered from a loss in calls due to people not wanting to use their mobile to enquire about their services.  This change should encourage more companies to use freephone numbers.  Not only are they now completely customer friendly, but virtually hosted 080 numbers can provide a plethora of call handling services, such as IVR, call queuing, call whisper, as well as being able to manage this all online with a dedicated portal.  These features can give your business a professional appearance, as well as providing you with an easier call management system, especially if you are advertising your business with a mobile phone number.

For more information on 080 or 03 numbers, please visit www.directnumbers.co.uk.

Given the time of year, you could be forgiven for turning up at work with a nice bottle of red having misheard someone in the office telling you to B.Y.O.D. in to work tomorrow, however give it a few months and this acronym might be a policy heard commonly in the workplace.  B.Y.O.D. stands for “bring your own device”, a new initiative being implemented by some companies across a number of industries.  It allows employees to use their own laptops or phones in the workplace to access company data or receive emails to their iPhones.  Given the rate in which our technology improves, most people usually have better equipment at home than they use in the office, and of course are more comfortable using it.

Of course, this initiative has divided opinions; on the one hand you have the company security and data protection to consider, and on the other this resourcefulness will save companies a tidy sum on their technology overheads.  The general consensus about the idea as a whole is that it IS going to happen, and governing bodies have already started issuing guidelines, as well as informing enterprises to put B.Y.O.D. policies in place.  A balance of cost efficiency and security could be hard to find.

Seeing as this is a blog from Telecoms company, it was inevitable that we would end up talking about something industry specific eventually, but a good example of the equilibrium can be found in FMC technology.  Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) is a feature of the N-Connect VoIP phone system that allows employees to use their mobile phone as a device coupled to their office phone extension.  Handy if you are out of the office or working from home, but more applicably it can provide the sense of balance companies need when considering B.Y.O.D.  It saves money, as colleagues trying to reach an employee at home don’t have to call mobile numbers; they simply dial the internal office extension number for that person.  There is no need for a company mobile phone, as the employee is using their own smartphone, and calls made through the application are charged through your main office VoIP system.  The application is also voice encrypted with Secure Real Time Transport Protocol (SRTP), meaning that it is safeguarded when transferring multimedia content via network structures, as well as an ever changing cryptography key when making calls.

Well, we did say it was a good example!  For more information regarding the N-Connect VoIP phone systems featuring FMC, please visit our new website, at www.directfromthecloud.co.uk

Good news for employees with hectic schedules!  You are allowed to ask your boss for a flexible working programme to help give a better work life balance under a new legislation that came into play on June 30^th 2014.  You have to have been employed for longer than 26 weeks at the company you work for, and as long as your request isn’t a detriment to the business objectives then there should be no reason for your request to be declined.  Of course, if you are business owner, then you will need to evaluate some of the long term changes this may have on your investment.  A big example* that has been written about recently is the rise in telephony costs due to employees who now have to contact colleagues by calling their mobile numbers.  It’s a problem that a lot of small businesses have not planned for long term, and certainly not something that would have been planned for when making the flexible work agreement with their employees.

So, what can we do about it?  Well, in the telecoms industry, voice over IP (or VoIP as it’s more affectionately known) telephone systems are really beginning to gather huge momentum.  Hosted in the cloud, these telephone systems put your business firmly in control of it telecoms, and one of the great features that exists is the Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC).  This allows your employee to add their smartphone as a registered device on their personal extension.  They can then make and receive calls from their own DDI as if they were sat in the office.  All external calls would go through the phone system as normal, but all internal calls from other colleagues would be free, just like they normally would in the office!  All that is needed is to download the app and you are away!  VoIP systems can generally save you money on your phone bills anyway, but additional savings on calling colleagues on mobile networks is a great long term solution if you are thinking of granting your employees the flexibility you both need for a greater work life balance.

 *Source: http://bit.ly/commsdealerarticle