When is it time to ditch landlines and opt for business VOiP services?

If you’re in the market for a phone system upgrade, are moving to a new office, or are a hybrid team, and have fast internet speed, it’s time to ditch landlines and opt for business VOiP services. Voice Over Internet Protocol is the fancy name for VOiP and its simply the use of the internet for phone service instead of traditional phones. While households are moving away from landlines, businesses are still using them.

Business VOiP Services

The reason businesses are using landlines is because they have already sunk money into the system. They’re just using what they know. We’re here to tell you that the functions of landlines like call forwarding, caller ID, faxing, call blocking, three-way calling, voicemail, and international calls are all options with business VOiP services. If you have employees who work from home, they can still use their work phone. We know faxes are still used on a small scale and those can be sent to and from a fax number that is attached to an email at the business.

We can test the internet to see if it is fast enough to run the office functions plus VOiP. If you’re located in a rural area or a new development, the internet accessibility and speed can be a deterrent for switching to VOiP. We see this as less of a barrier than we did even a few years ago. Services like Google Fiber are making the internet easier and faster to access now more than ever, even in once hard to reach places.

From our customers we hear that VOiP call quality is the same or better than with traditional lines. Calls are dropped less. Voicemails work well as do all the other functions we mentioned earlier in the article PLUS adding a line is easier. Just call your Stimulus Technologies business VoIP services representative and let them know you want to add or delete lines. We can take care of that right from our office!

In addition to functionality, the cost of VOiP is less and other benefits, like portability, are better, making the business processes more efficient. Ditch the landline and opt for business VOiP services with Stimulus Technologies. You won’t be sorry you did!

If you’re wondering about your phone options, we’d love to talk to you!

Spoiler Alert: In a word, no, business internet and residential internet service is not the same. In this article, we explore the differences between the two and why it makes sense to review and update your residential internet service.

Throughout the year my husband and I travel to see family across the country. Inevitably we must take video meetings and work online. While the internet is good for what the family needs, it may not be the fastest or highest quality for business needs.

At the height of pandemic lockdowns, many of us worked from home fulltime and kids were at home attending online school. That taxed the residential internet service to the brink.

Oftentimes, we had to shut down devices so one or two of us could be online for meetings or class. It was a nightmare to juggle everyone’s needs. If you’re still struggling, it’s time to see if there are better options for your internet at home.

Connection Speed

Business internet is designed to operate on many devices at high speeds. When working from home, the residential internet service may operate at a slower speed so when you’re working, you may not be as efficient as you are when you’re at the office. This is especially true if many people are working at the same time, on video calls, watching streaming services, gaming, plus operating devices like Google Home or Alexa which also use the internet.

Symmetrical Connection

Not only are upload and download speeds important but so is symmetrical connection. This simply means the upload and download times are the same, so your video conferences run smoothly as do the rest of your devices. Typically, business internet is designed this way but not all home internet offers this to their customers. The issue can be resolved with higher internet speeds on dedicated lines.

Dedicated Line

If you’re sharing a line with your neighbors, it can impact your internet speed because you’re sharing a line. If you’re both working at home and using video, gaming, classes, etc., the problem isn’t just how much your household is using; it’s also about whoever else is on your line. A dedicated line to just your home can solve the problem of slowed speeds during peak times, like when you are working from home.

With so many of us working from home at least part-time, it may be time to consider upgrading to higher connection speed to increase productivity and efficiency of internet usage at home.

Your office and home workspace should operate similarly so if you’re experiencing glitches in your residential internet service, Simulus Technologies can identify the problem and solution to keep you home office running smoothly.

Pre-pandemic there were many employers who didn’t understand the benefits of working from home. To the benefit of the company, employees report they accomplish more in less time when they can work from home, even just one or two days a week. We offer more benefits below.

Benefits of Working from Home

• Ditch the Commute. Workers commute to and from work for an hour or more each way. Imagine if you had the time back, even a couple of days a week. You could get more rest, spend more time with loved ones, go for a walk, or go to the gym with a block of time at the beginning and end of the workday.
• Eat Healthier. Make a healthy lunch and eat healthier snacks instead of heading to the vending machine. Couple that with a walk and you’re starting healthier habits!
• Ditch the business clothes. Wear comfortable clothes has become a staple for many who work at home. Two of my friends say they wear leggings with blouses on the days they Zoom meetings. If you don’t get up, you could wear pajamas on the bottom instead of business attire!
• Flexible Schedule. There are employers who allow their employees to work from anywhere if the work is getting done. That means a flexible schedule where you can work when your mind is most focused, like the afternoon or early morning, instead of working to a 9-5 schedule.
• Focused Work Time. 77% of workers surveyed said they complete more projects and tasks when they work from home, even for just a few days a month. Some said they get the same amount of work done in less time because there are fewer distractions.
• Safe and Healthy Environment. Working remotely means you can work from the safety and health of your own home. This is especially important for people who have compromised immune systems or loved ones that do.
• Get Household Work Done. For this writer, working from home means writing or attending a meeting, then taking a break to fold laundry or sweep the floors, then back to work. It’s a terrific way to complete household tasks that would otherwise have to wait for the weekend and a focused way to get up from my desk and move.
• Reliable Internet. With so many people working from home full-time or part-time, it makes sense that you have reliable residential internet services. At Stimulus Tech, we offer packages that make working from home easy with reliable internet that can be bundled with other services. If you have fast internet at the office, you should have the same at your home office.

We can’t replace workplace confidantes and water cooler gossip, but we think the benefits of working from home may outweigh that for many of you!

If you’re looking for residential internet services for your home office, Stimulus Technologies is here to support you. Call us today.

What happens to your business in case of manmade or natural disaster? Who will be contacted and what steps do they need to take? How much downtime can your business afford? We will answer these questions and more when our team supports you in developing a business continuity plan. In other words, a plan of how business will get back online in the event of a disruption.

In today’s world, there are any number of reasons you need a plan in place. From data center downtime and hackers to natural disaster, downtime can cost your business in revenue and reputation. At Stimulus Technologies, we are dedicated to making your business efficient with as little downtime as possible.

5 Components of a Business Continuity Plan

Collaborating with your team, we discuss the what-if scenarios. What if the servers go down? What if there is a fire? What if data is compromised? Then we discuss how we get operations back online. Without a plan, it is likely your team would be scrambling to find the right professionals to fix problems. Working with us, you already have a plan for the what ifs.

The components of a business continuity plan are as follows.

1. Threat analysis. We begin by analyzing the likelihood your business would experience a threat that would impact, or stop, operations. Understanding this, we can move forward with a plan that makes the most sense.
2. Threat scenarios. We’d then develop strategies to manage various threat scenarios including ransomware attack, data center hack, and storms. In this way, we can plan for what needs to happen within your business.
3. Key contacts. We’d like to know who the key people are at the business. Who would we need to talk to in case of emergency? That’s the business continuity plan contact. They will function as project manager to coordinate communications from our team to yours for vital messaging.
4. Phases of recovery. Depending on what happens, we will map out the phases of recovery. For example, in a hurricane, you may lose your physical space and data centers may need to be relocated. That takes more coordination and time than a smaller event.
5. Testing. A business continuity plan isn’t just to have in theory. It is a real solution to address manmade and/or natural disasters. In doing testing, we can work out glitches and get key players comfortable with solutions in the what if scenarios.

Once we’ve created the business continuity plan, we encourage you to share widely with your staff. This will ease their minds in case of emergency and let them know their role when and if disruptions occur. Ready to get started? Contact Stimulus Technologies today to learn more.

We get it. Your neighbor’s nephew wants to be your tech guy. You love technology and have been running IT since the inception of your business. It’s time to consider that your neighbor’s nephew isn’t as skilled as he said and that you need to focus on the business, not technology. The reality is that hackers are getting more sophisticated in how they breach data, so your Managed IT Services need to be updated as well.

Downtime Costs Money.

The network that was set up two years ago is probably not as secure as it could be. Workstations for your growing business aren’t all up to date with the latest firewalls and antivirus software. Confidential business information is being transmitted through personal emails and isn’t housed on a secure server or cloud service. As a result, systems go down and business is halted.

Downtime is costing money. Not only that but it’s making you and your team stressed. You’re not sure what to do.

We’re here to tell you that it’s time to call Stimulus Technologies.

Our team of Managed IT Services professionals is experienced in supporting businesses just like yours. We’re a growing company too so we understand that you can’t rely on your neighbor’s nephew or your own technology knowledge. It worked for when it worked but now the business has reached a new level.

Managed IT Services

When you work with us, we begin with a conversation. What are the biggest challenges? What’s on your wish list related to technology related operations? Where do you see gaps in security? How can we help you streamline systems and processes? We’re here to guide you through these, and other, questions, to identify the pain points, create solutions, and streamline how you do business. We do this in the following ways:

• Upgrade hardware and software.
• Update firewalls and antivirus protections.
• Secure cloud services and ensure everyone is working on the same systems.
• Set up VPN so data is shared on a secured and monitored network.
• Update, upgrade, and secure servers.
• Protect, secure, and monitor data 24/7/365
• Flat rate fee so you never have to worry if a call to the help desk is going to be added to your bill. You will always know what your package includes.
• Ability to change Managed IT Services as your business changes. Whether you need additional storage for new projects or less storage for the slow season, we’re here for you.

There is so much to keeping business data safe and secure. If you’re feeling like you’re over your head, we’re here to help! Contact us today!

Imagine your business just lost internet access. Maybe you don’t have to imagine, maybe it’s happened to you. If it hasn’t, visualize your business’s dependency on connectivity and internet services. What would you miss?

• License activation
• Offsite backup
• Email and other group communications
• Transfer of funding and signed agreements
• Security updates
• Remote office connections
• More?

Networking has become so invisible in our day-to-day that we forget how woven these services are into our operation.

Redundancy Defined

At Stimulus Technologies we offer internet services through our fixed wireless Metro Ethernet Network. In comparison to traditional wired services through cable or fiber, our network travels wirelessly to your business. We deliver a completely separate reliable connection to the internet.

Redundant network services are common in the healthcare, financial, hospitality, and professional services industries. All rely on the high availability of internet access and services. Interruptions in connectivity are costly, can bring your business operations to a halt, and can freeze customer confidence and trust.

The Problem with Just Adding a Second Line

Perhaps you connect to the internet through a cable-based ISP. That’s a good first step. Now add another internet connection through a fiber-based ISP. This certainly accounts for a single type of failure (service provider down). This is not the most likely scenario and does not offer true physical diversity of connections. When connectivity fails, the cause is rarely that the ISP has gone down. It is more feasible that there has been a line failure for many reasons including nature, human error, or backhoe,  or some other kind of structural damage. While lines can enter a building from different locations, through diverse conduits or varied powerlines overhead, often they don’t. Many telecommunication providers deliver their services through the same lines underground.

What’s Enough Uptime?

We’ve been talking about redundancy in internet services. We want your business and your customers to experience 100% uptime. When a business claims 99% uptime over a year, you may pause when you realize this still means 3.5 days a year of downtime. Yikes! How reliable are internet services through Stimulus Technologies? Our internet uptime may surprise you. You can anticipate 99.999% uptime, which is less than 6 minutes of downtime per year.

This is such a high degree of dependability for your data, voice, video IP, or TDM traffic that like many of our customers, you may decide to use us as your primary internet provider and use your wired line as the backup.

Let Stimulus Technologies help you design and implement the best solutions for your businesses.

You interviewed for a specific business role. You landed the job. You showed up and exceeded everyone’s expectations. You were offered extra opportunities and special projects and you nailed them all. You earned the reputation of an employee who manages the unknown and thrives in the unfamiliar. Did I describe you or someone on your team? If this is you, read on, you may see yourself in a new light. If this is someone that works for you, here are a few helpful tips.

Their motivations are different

Yes, this individual works to get paid, but her motivation and high achievement come from the satisfaction of overcoming the challenge. He may not approach you as other workers do seeking annual increases. Remember, praise and reputation are powerful. Recognition reinforces positive patterns of taking on fresh challenges and pushing the business forward into new places.

They can feel forgotten

A term I haven’t used yet is “generalist”. This is a word that may carry a connotation of somebody that isn’t good at any one specific thing. On the contrary, a generalist has the broad capacity to complete connections between gaps. They can manage projects between siloed teams. They have the capacity and ease to expand in areas of the business where they may not be well known. This can be a lonely place. Do them a favor and pave the way for them. Explain their role to other workgroups in the business. Your oversight and touchpoints will preserve this worker’s sense of meaning and value.

They will do anything you ask (within reason)

This employee is not accustomed to saying no or considering the possibility that they are beyond their capacity. There is little they could [not] do for your business. But these high achievers, while relentless learners, still have to learn, gain experience, and make mistakes. If you assign them to a project, they [will] do it. But it will take time. Be selective in assigning them to projects and roles that will truly accelerate your business. Don’t use them up on tasks or side-gigs that you could hire out. Resist the urge to use this person for projects others can’t or won’t do. A recurring example of this is information technology.

As tempting as it is to manage loose ends or “extra hats” with generalists and high achievers, you may consider partnering with a Managed IT Services partner. Let a professional partner take care of your tech and free your internal consultant up to take your business to new places.