A new year is a new reason to review your telecom
Happy New Year! A new year means personal and professional resolutions. At Diallog, we’re all about goal setting for 2017, and since we’re in the planning stages of making it an amazing year, we wanted to share some tips for improving your business telecom services.
- Increase Security
2016 saw some significant security breaches, with companies such as Verizon, Wendy’s, and Snapchat succumbing to schemes that compromised employee and/or client data. Yahoo experienced another data breach in December of 2016 so large that it’s being called the largest breach in history. (Source) Companies large and small need to be aware of vulnerabilities and tighten measures to decrease their risks.
What does this mean for telecom? Telecom fraud is very common, and includes anything from employee fraud to PBX (phone system) hacking. Diallog’s article, “Protecting Your Business from Telecom Hacking,” provides a number of tips, including the following:
The best defense is education and awareness. Diallog advises all our clients to:
1. Avoid using factory pre-set passwords for voicemail
2. Select a unique or hard to guess password of at least 6 digits in length
3. Ensure voicemail passwords for all staff are changed at least once per month
4. Monitor remote access on telephone equipment and protect it against unauthorized use
5. Have your phone systems checked semi-annually by your phone systems provider or call Diallog to help connect you to the right people
- Consider Upgrading Technology
Technology advances are resulting in incredible gains for businesses. Whether it’s the continued adoption of Voice over IP solutions (VoIP) such as Hosted PBX or SIP Trunking, companies are realizing the benefits of web based phone systems. Improved Internet offerings, such as Fibre optics or FTTN/DSL products means faster Internet speeds at reasonable costs. In all cases, these telecom improvements increase productivity and improve your bottom line. To learn more about technology upgrades, contact your telecom provider to discuss further, or better yet, contact Diallog!
- Implement Disaster Recovery Solutions
With unpredictable weather patterns at any time of the year and uncertainties facing your business regardless of location, an effective disaster recovery plan is essential. During downtimes, you’ll want to ensure that your customers are still able to reach your organization when power outages occur and servers go down.
If your business relies on traditional phone systems such as in house PBX and/or PRI systems, a disaster recovery process is something you’ll want to implement. Unfortunately, this can be a detailed process that will require Management and IT time and focus.
One of the major advantages to IP systems is the ease of disaster recovery. With newer technologies such as Hosted PBX (cloud based) solutions, a disaster recovery plan can be implemented that automatically re-routes office calls to a cell phone or alternative office. Disaster recovery is no longer a complicated, headache inducing process thanks to the convenience of newer Internet related technologies.
- Review your Accounts
Telecom is an essential service, and as such, can be a costly one. Committing to an annual review of your services can save your business substantially – sometimes this may mean finding incorrect charges or hidden costs in your bill. Sometimes it can mean switching suppliers to save significantly. If you’re looking for a no-obligation review of your telecom services, Diallog will be happy to conduct an analysis that can help identify cost savings.
And there you have it. Four simple telecom goals for 2017 that will help reduce costs while boosting productivity.
Diallog Telecommunications is a Canadian owned, full service telecommunications provider that has been serving business customers since 1998. Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Diallog services customers all over the country with Voice over IP through Hosted PBX or SIP Trunking, PRIs, business lines, Fibre Optics, DSL, and Data Services. If you’re looking for a customer centric telecom company that offers a full range of services, then Diallog is the place for you.
