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A data center overlayed by multiple unified communications IT solutions.

How can Unified Communications Benefit Business Leaders?

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Unified communications are the quintessential service for local company owners seeking to simplify their services as well as enhance staff member efficiency continuously. See exactly how it profits your firm!

Offering premium networks of collaboration is essential for any type of business. Nevertheless, it encourages partnership across your departments and also quicker expression of thoughts.

Because mobile devices are usually not adequate for this, countless company owners resort to unified communications.

Yet exactly what are unified communications?

What are Unified Communications?

Unified communications is a managed IT solution that merges telecommunication, video, display sharing, text, and data organization into one platform. It’s a ready-to-use system that enables smooth interaction in various means.

The system runs as a cloud, making it conveniently obtainable to all your staff with accessibility to an internet connection.

However why should anybody think about changing to unified communications?

There are a number of factors, yet this is one of the most essential: Company owners that embrace it obtain the ability to evolve their company as well as make it smooth for workers to connect with each other.

With that in mind, here are 5 of the vital functions of this principle to aid you in comprehending just how it can assist you in growing your company.

The 5 Key Functions

Function # 1. Flexibility

When linked to unified communications, all workers can remain linked in any way times as well as from all areas. It matters not whether they’re functioning from residence, vacationing on a remote island, or being in the workplace. They’ll still have the ability to have conversations, be on phone calls, and a lot more.

Function # 2. Unified Messaging

This enables staff members to manage various kinds of messages utilizing individual devices. They can quickly change interaction settings, however they may see fit.

Function # 3. Video Conferencing

Whenever you require conferencing devices, you’ll can have them at the ready. You can permit a team of colleagues or clients externally from your business to attach and also talk by means of video or audio from various areas.

Function # 4. VoIP Multi-Device Assistance

VoIP phone logs obtained via unified communications can be formatted as e-mail accessories. Because of this, individuals can additionally obtain telephone calls as well as voicemails on their desktop computers and also smart devices.

Function # 5. Existence

This function allows your clients’ various employees recognize each other’s condition instantly. That indicates you’ll have the ability to see when somebody is active on the internet, in a meeting, or away from their workstation.

What are the Advantages of Unified Communications?

So, what are the advantages of using unified communications in your company?

Here are 6 that can be valuable for business leaders.

Advantage # 1. Greater Group Efficiency

It is very important for a local business owner to enhance their group’s process and also minimize downtime. Due to the fact that when they’re able to, efficiency will be considerably enhanced.

This kind of interaction makes it simpler for you staff to conserve time on numerous jobs, consisting of:

  • Faster data permissions that removes lengthy e-mail strings for team collaboration
  • Obtain telephone calls from any kind of area, even remotely
  • Obtain voicemails and also faxes straight to their e-mail
  • Single-click video conferencing for disaster situations

Groups with accessibility to such innovations can be extra reliable and also obtain even more jobs carried out in an individual day. Likewise, it aids in eliminating obstacles within your interactions.

Advantage # 2. Reduced Cost of Communicating

Traditional phones as well as on-site interaction devices frequently set you back at a far greater rate than your IT spending plan can permit.

However, unified communications relies upon internet connections for all its tasks. This implies your phone system resorts to Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and incorporates with the remainder of your devices. This strategy gets rid of the demand for web server and equipment framework development.

Unified communications additionally make it incredibly simple to setup incoming client users. You can merely do so by means of a user-friendly control panel without needing to conduct business calls.

Lastly, the expense of unified communications is at a flat-rate. There will not be any kind of shocks to your spending plan due to some Managed IT Solutions providing a flat-rate cost model, such as Nerds Support.

Advantage # 3. Improved Client Care

Whether a business can succeed significantly depends upon the way it values its client care.

With unified communications, your team can offer fantastic customer care less complicated. Nevertheless, they can react to customer inquiries no matter their place. It’s due to the fact that all conversations, inbound telephone calls, as well as e-mails show up on any kind of digital tool.

You can likewise incorporate all your CRM applications on the system for greater advantages.

For instance, when an individual calls your organization, the boss can see all the needed info as well as notes connected to that customer. Ultimately, they can help them resolve concerns much quicker.

Advantage # 4. Encouraging a Remote Labor Force

Countless firms have actually migrated over to working remotely over the past couple of years. As it turns out, there are a lot of advantages to this strategy.

Nevertheless, a continuous worry is guaranteeing that remote employees have all the devices they require for their responsibilities.

Thanks to unified communications, all interaction elements are combined into a solitary compliance & cloud security platform. This implies that all your remote employees require is a secure Wi-fi to obtain accessibility to your network and all the attributes.

Advantage # 5. Raising Business Dexterity

When you enhance your staff’s efficiency, it goes on to improve your whole company. The business dexterity mirrors the tactical worth of unified communications. And the outcomes you accomplish influence your service overall.

So, to determine exactly how this technique gives your business an advantage, you should see unified communications from an administration aspect, too.

Yes, communication has a practical duty for business owners. Yet when that interaction drives efficiency, simplifies your processes, and also brings about improved organization as a result, that is when you actually see its worth.

Advantage # 6. Improved Safety

The safety factor is vital for each company’s data. Unified communications improve the protection of an organization by incorporating all applications right into one system.

Consequently, it ends up being simple for your IT department or provider to use detailed protection procedures throughout all applications. It’s much easier for them to handle safety, security and compliance updates because all applications share the exact same procedures.

Understanding the Value of Unified Communications

Enhancing the procedures inside a company is incredibly crucial in boosting the general efficiency of its workers.

With Unified Communications, you can enhance your clients’ experiences as well as make your staff a lot more effective by incorporating your entire interactions system in one place.

Unified communications will allow you and also your group make telephone calls, host seminars, send out e-mails, obtain faxes, as well as have conversations from a solitary, combined platform to make your work (as well as life) less complicated.

If you want to find out more regarding applying unified communications through a Managed IT services solution, Nerds Support would certainly assist in your success. Contact us today for a free consultation to review your IT in-depth and see what’s right for your business!

Business employee working on his laptop remotely from home

Advice For Your Employees While Working Remotely

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More and more companies are working remotely due to the pandemic and it doesn’t look like this trend is going to stop anytime soon. Companies are offering more full-time remote positions, which gives employees more flexibility to their work-life balance. However, this shift isn’t always seamless for the company; managing technology and people is very different while the whole team is working remotely. Today we will cover some technology tips to tackle ASAP and advice to give your employees to help them work from home as efficiently as they can!

Technology tips

Providing the tools, platforms, and apps your employees need to work remotely is a must. Depending on the type of service you offer, a laptop will be the very minimum of what they need in order to digitally transform their home office. You may also need to provide things like a second monitor or external hard drives.

It will fall on the IT department to equip every computer with the communication and workflow systems necessary for your employees to work effectively from home, so you need to be ready to teach your employees how to use communication platforms. Tools like VoIP phone systems or chat room applications will help your team communicate just as you would in person. And unlike a traditional office phone set, these digital communication platforms can be easily installed for employees who are already working outside the office. Hosting meetings to teach your employees how to use the new applications will be a helpful start, then you can continuously share tips about system updates and user training so they stay up to date with the changing technology!

Once all of the heavy lifting from the IT department is complete, you can still blast out technology resources and help your employees work effectively from home. General computer help and cybersecurity will go far while people aren’t working in the office.

In light of COVID-19, online phishing and other scams have become more common. Provide your team with a comprehensive list of ways to avoid phishing scams, viruses, and other attacks on your devices that come via email. It’s important to have individuals stay aware and vigilant of these attacks, especially while working remotely. Other, general computer tips like restarting on a regular basis, backing up data to an external hard drive, and closing out of unused tabs can be helpful for people who aren’t technologically savvy! This advice will keep their computers running faster and will result in fewer headaches at home.

Workplace advice

HR is another department that will have a heavy hand in getting your team working remotely successfully. They will be the main communicators of company changes and the ones willing and ready to offer additional support to remote employees.

You may have to offer resources on home-office environments, mental health, and childcare services. Some employees may be looking to create a home office space or even preparing to sell their home now that they’re working remotely full-time. This is a great opportunity to share information about home equity loans. This large sum of money can be used to upgrade their home office or make other changes around the house if they’re planning to sell.

Telehealth services have seen a large increase in usage over the past 6 months due to the pandemic. This is a great time to share a telehealth service that can be used by your team and covered by your insurance provider. Proper mental health practices will help keep your employees productive and happy while working at home.

Finally, share local childcare services that are still available and open during COVID-19. Parents who work from home may appreciate the break in their day that they were used to having while working in an office setting or while their kids were at school. Employees will value the advice you have to share about local happenings that can positively impact their family and home environment!

There is plenty of information and resources available to you to pass along to your employees while they work remotely. From cybersecurity to childcare, your employees will value that you are researching and sharing ways to help them do their jobs effectively and keep a good work-life balance while at home.

 

Miami-VoIP-Phone-Services

Why Companies Needs Miami VoIP Phone Services in 2020

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Americans are working from home more than ever before. Statistics from Smallbizgenius reveals the number of people working from home has increased by 150 percent since 2005.

Remote working is changing the workplace dynamic dramatically and knowing how to use the right tools will be essential in growing your business in the coming years.

One such tool is VoIP.

VoIP Phone Services (Voice-over Internet Protocol) phone services, which is a technology that allows you to make voice calls over an internet connection, rather than a regular phone line. This means that you can make calls from anywhere through your office phone number.

Getting the Most Out of VoIP

To make sure you have the best VoIP system in place you will need a VoIP that:

  1. Has a secure and encrypted connection, preferably in the form of VPN. A Virtual Private Network lets users connect to the internet securely without worrying about being infiltrated or breached. This way, remote workers can share files and communicate even when they’re in other locations like coffee shops or restaurants.
  2. Is Hosted by a Cloud Provider. A hosted VoIP system means remote workers have easier access from different places. Additionally, outsourcing your provider is more practical because an outsourced provider has more experience and technicians to provide the best possible service.
  3. Has a mobile App. There is greater versatility for remote workers if they can access video chats on their devices. Communication doesn’t only happen when workers are in front of their computer. In the case of an emergency, you need to be able to contact anyone at a moments notice.

In 2020, VoIP phone services are very important business IT support tools with remote work becoming the norm. Below, our IT Support Miami team lists three reasons why business owners need Miami VoIP phone services.

Keeps Remote Workers Connected

With VoIP phone services, business owners and their employees can stay connected, wherever they go. As long as they have a secure  internet connection, business owners and employees can take calls from their office number, their personal phone and even their email address even while working from home.

These features make it possible to stay connected with your employees regardless of where they are in the world. Furthermore, each system is scalable and customized, so you can have a phone system that meets your needs as your business changes and grows.

Moreover, business owners and employees don’t have to give out different phone numbers or even their email address to their clients. Business owners and employees can simply hand out one phone number and keep their other personal information confidential. This will help a lot of employees separate their work life from their personal life, without coming off as rude or limited to their clients.

Fastest Business IT Support in Miami

Other technology companies that offer VoIP Phone Services may take hours to get back to you, but Nerds Support’s 24/7 IT support Miami help desk will ensure that your business is helped in under an hour.

Miami VoIP Phone Services is More Than a Phone Number

Communication isn’t just limited to audio; video calls can bring remote employees in direct contact with one another. They can exchange files, leave comments, or edit each other’s work with ease.

There are some factors that really set Nerds Support’s Miami VoIP Phone services apart from other VoIP phone services. Some big differentiator are the services that Nerds Support’s VoIP system brings. Such included services are:

  • Call Forwarding
  • E-fax
  • Auto-attendant
  • Call Processing
  • Voice to Email

Call Forward

With these services, you can have calls forwarded from your office to your personal phone. Having your business phone number connected to your email also means that you can have your voice converted into text. That way, business owners and employees will never miss another email again!

These services also mean that you can disconnect your fax machine and save money on having an online fax service for your clients.

Auto Attendant

Finally, Miami VoIP phone services come with an auto attendant. That means you will never have to miss another call again, because the auto attendant will take the call for you and record your message so you can reach the caller again later.

The Industry’s Only Money Back Guarantee

Nerds Support’s Miami VoIP Phone services is the only Miami VoIP phone service that offers a 100% money back guarantee. Our promise is that if you don’t like Nerds Support’s Miami VoIP phone services, then Nerds Support will refund you up to two months of your money back.

Employee working remotely at home on his laptop securely connected to the cloud.

Top Practices for Businesses Working Remotely

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Working remotely, as we have seen in recent times, has become increasingly necessary to maintain a productive and profitable business. It is also an invaluable asset for any business continuity plan. If an unforeseen natural disaster or power outage takes place, organizations need to be prepared to continue operations.

A good example was in spring 2020 when the Securities and Exchange Commission became the first federal agency to encourage remote work for employees.

Although remote work is ideal for some, it can be an adjustment for others. And if you run a business or work for a businesses with sensitive data, how do you ensure your information is safe outside of the office?

Working remotely does not provide the same level of security that an office would. Furthermore, the environment in which you find yourself working might have present challenges to data security.

Here are some rules and policies we suggest when working remotely. Even when working on a cloud  environment, you must practice caution and communicate regularly to maximize the remote experience.

Communications

Periodic Check-ins

Working remotely requires daily and frequent calls with one another. A manager especially must take actions to establish calls with remote workers. Whether they are in the form of on-on-one calls or team call, if they are collaborating on a project.

There is no such thing as over-communication

Periodically notify your superiors of any information you might consider important. If there’s a doubt about the relevance of some information, share that also. In the case of remote work, nothing is too insignificant.

Clarify to your team all expectations moving forward

Communicate priorities and establish metrics for success. Remote work is more efficient when expectations and policies are clear and understood.

It’s also important to let employees know the best way to reach you and at what time. Nothing must be left to the imagination to successfully deploy a remote operation.

If you are off to lunch, notify for how long. When you return, notify your team. It’s crucial that all employees understand what the goals and directives are to avoid repeating efforts.

Track your progress

Keep track of your progress by documenting it and sharing it with relevant personnel. A work long with specific time slots for each task is particularly helpful in this case. It could be done in an excel sheet or a notebook. The medium is less important than the method. So long as it helps keep things organized.

Cloud computing keeps your remote business operations secured & accessible

Security

Stay away from public networks, encrypt your web connection, or use a personal hotpot

A public Wi-fi connection like the ones found in coffee houses and some restaurants create a risk for remote workers. In a public network, a threat actor or hacker can easily make their way into your device without a firewall in place. Moreover, anyone on a public network could easily monitor your traffic as well.

For these reasons it’s crucial that you keep your devices protected and secure.

Personal Hot-Spots

Using a hot spot eliminates the problem of a hacker jumping on the network you’re using. Although your web traffic remains unencrypted, your data stays safe. This will count against your cell phone data but it is worth the extra costs.

Most cell phone carriers there’s a minor fee for using hot spots but the alternative could cost you much more. And with the advent of 4G and 5G networks, hot spots are just as fast as home network connections.

VPN’s

A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, allows you to create a secure connection to another network over the Internet. VPNs can be used to access region-restricted websites, shield your browsing activity from prying eyes on public Wi-Fi, and more.

VPN’s are another solution if you find yourself working in a public network. A VPN, or Virtual Private Network, enables you to create a secure connection with another network through the internet. These networks are often used to shield browsing activity from anyone snooping around on a public Wi-Fi network.

A VPN connects your device to a server that then connects it directly to the internet. But you must make sure the VPN you utilize is secure because hackers have been known to target unpatched VPN to access the user’s information. They usually do this via phishing scams that users interact with through a fake email.

This leads to the next point:

Encrypt your email and devices

If you have the proper safeguards in place, like email encryption and multifactor authentication then your data will remain secure no matter where you work from.

There are many software companies that provide encryption for email. Retruster, is one such example but there are others. This gives you added protection and peace of mind when working remotely.

Malicious actors often leverage current, events, personal information , or natural disasters to manipulate targets through phishing emails. An example of this was in spring 2020, when there were instances of hackers using the COVID-19 outbreak to send malicious emails to users.

Multi-Factor Authentication for Secure Devices

Multifactor authentication is a security system that requires multiple methods of authentication from independent credentials to verify user identity. In other words, it is a system that requires verification from a cellphone and a computer, for example, to then access data on your devices.

Having these measures in place creates a secure environment that facilitates remote work. None of these measures work in isolation. If communication is not up to par with data security or vice-versa, your operation will be compromised.

In Conclusion

What is most important is ensuring all members of your team are meeting your requirements, communicating effectively with one another and avoiding unnecessary risks like joining insecure networks or leaving devices unattended or unencrypted.

 

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