Get an Instant Quote! 855.372.2835

Posts

teleconferencing

5 Ways Teleconferencing is Impacting Today’s Businesses

/in /by

One of the advantages of switching to a cloud-based phone system for your business is the ability to connect instantly with two or more people and conduct a teleconference over one phone call. If you don’t presently have a cloud-based phone system or haven’t yet taken advantage of this great feature take a look at the advantages.

Here are 5 ways teleconferencing is making an impact on today’s businesses.

  1. Improves Speed of Project Completion

Screen-to-screen communication allows teams to communicate more efficiently and saves time by eliminating the need for in-person meetings. Having the ability to conference with team members can increase the speed of project completion and reduce costs.

  1. Makes Remote Working Possible

Remote workers reduce the need for additional office space, and teleconferencing makes it possible for everyone to participate in meetings or discuss work by simply pushing a few buttons. Teleconferencing can reduce logistical and cost barriers that inhibit team growth.

  1. Common Link for Branch Offices

Having multiple branches, whether spread out throughout the country or around the world, can put a drain on the travel budget when meetings are needed. Teleconferencing greatly reduces the need for travel and allows for instant communications when needed. This can be very important when news needs to be shared quickly with multiple stakeholders.

  1. Helps B2B Communications

Time is money. When working with other businesses, it can be inconvenient to schedule time for a meeting where everyone can be present without taking time away from the office. Teleconferencing eliminates the need for traveling to a vendor or supplier’s office by allowing you to meet from anywhere, at any time.

  1. Cuts Down on Business Travel

Business travel is expensive and, at times, inconvenient for all parties involved. Coordinating schedules, making travel arrangements and coordinating meetings is a time-intensive process. Flight delays and emergencies can prevent meetings from taking place and then you’re back to square one. Teleconferencing eliminates travel expenses, such as planes fares, transportation from the airport, hotel costs and meal expenses. The better option is holding a teleconference from your desk with your cloud-based phone system.

Let FracTEL show you how conferencing with a Cloud-Based Phone System can improve the way you do business in today’s global economy.

Confused about business phone systems? Learn how to choose a business phone system in 5 easy steps with our free eBook. Download your copy today!

choosing a business phone system

 

FracTEL 2016 Holiday Schedule

/in /by

As we take time to celebrate the season, FracTEL offices will be closed from Monday, December 26th 2016 through Friday, December 30th, 2016.

For any service impacting emergencies, you can always contact the FracTEL support team at 321-989-6727.

You may also submit requests 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via email at support@fractel.net or via our support portal at helpdesk.fractel.net.

 For billing or other inquiries please call our main number 321-499-1000 and leave a message for your party or in our general mailbox.

Thank you and have a great holiday season, 

The FracTEL Team

Find out how FracTEL can help your business take advantage of the latest in cloud communications technology.  Call us today at 321-499-1023 or visit us at www.fractel.net

Hurricane Matthew Update #3

/in /by

FracTEL 100% Operational After Hurricane Matthew

As the remnants of Hurricane Matthew headed out into the North Atlantic, the FracTEL team along with other residents of the East Coast are heading back to their homes to survey the damage and begin the process of returning to normalcy. The Space Coast, where our headquarters is located, was spared the worst of the damage through a combination of fortunate events – low tide, last minute change of track, eye wall reorganization  – however, our neighbors to the north in St. Augustine were not so fortunate. Flood and wind damage there is severe. While a widespread catastrophe was avoided, many families and businesses are suffering and power and water are still being restored in communities along the coast. Overall, the impact of the storm on the US was far less destructive than it could have been, but the damage in other areas was severe, with Haiti particularly hard hit.

The good news for FracTEL is that our network maintained 100% uptime for all services through the storm and we were able to support business continuity for our customers. At this time, our offices are open and we remain 100% operational. The fact that our technology has helped in a small way to minimize the impact of this disaster is gratifying.

We know that many, including some of our customers, are still struggling to repair damage and return to normalcy. Our thoughts are with you, and we will be doing everything we can to assist in this stressful time.

For any service impacting emergencies, you can always contact the FracTEL support team at 321-989-6727.

For billing or other inquiries please call our main number 321-499-1000 and leave a message for your party or in our general mailbox.You may also submit requests 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via email at support@fractel.net or via our support portal at helpdesk.fractel.net.

The FracTEL Team

Find out how FracTEL can help your business take advantage of the latest in cloud communications technology.  Call us today at 321-499-1023 or visit us at www.fractel.net

Hurricane Matthew Update #2

/in /by

FracTEL Weathers Hurricane Matthew

While millions remain in harms way from a very dangerous Hurricane Matthew, the worst appears to be past for FracTEL. The storm moved through the Space Coast early Thursday morning, with the eye wall – where the most dangerous winds occur – passing within 30 miles of our offices.

We are no longer concerned for the worst, but now the next, and almost as difficult, phase begins – waiting for news and return to normalcy. Power is out for many areas and access to the barrier island where our headquarters is located remains restricted. It will likely be several more hours before we have a full report on the status of our facilities and likely even longer before we can get full access.

There is much good news, but the best is that the FracTEL network performed flawlessly. Network uptime has remained 100% for the duration of the event and, based on support ticket activity, almost all of our valued customers have so far weathered the storm with minimal disruption.

We continue to be concerned for those who remain in harms way and it will be several more days before the threat from Matthew is behind us. Occasions like this do not pass without reflection on those things in life that we value the most, and how quickly and arbitrarily it can all be taken away. Treasure your loved ones and care for each other.

For any service impacting emergencies, you can always contact the FracTEL support team at 321-989-6727.

For billing or other inquiries please call our main number 321-499-1000 and leave a message for your party or in our general mailbox.You may also submit requests 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via email at support@fractel.net or via our support portal at helpdesk.fractel.net.

The FracTEL Team

Find out how FracTEL can help your business take advantage of the latest in cloud communications technology.  Call us today at 321-499-1023 or visit us at www.fractel.net

Hurricane Matthew Update #1

/in /by

FracTEL is Prepared for a Major Hurricane

It now appears likely that Florida’s East Coast will be severely impacted by Hurricane Matthew. The storm is currently classified as a Category 4 hurricane with 140mph winds, and is anticipated to maintain current strength as it approaches Florida. Projections show it passing perilously close to the Space Coast and possibly making landfall in the area. As of 3:00PM yesterday, the barrier islands of Brevard County – where our headquarters is located – are under a mandatory evacuation order, so our offices will be closed Thursday 10/6 and Friday 10/7. We hope to resume business as usual on Monday morning. In the meantime, the FracTEL team is leveraging our cloud-based infrastructure to work remotely in support of our customers – especially those based in areas affected by the storm.

The FracTEL team has endured severe tropical weather before, and we are prepared. Our experience with natural disasters has been a profound influence on the architecture and deployment of our network, and it was explicitly designed to withstand events like this one. FracTEL facilities and network components are all triple redundant and none are located in Florida, so no network impact is anticipated. Currently, all FracTEL services are 100% functional and are expected to remain so for the duration of the event. However, there may be some delays with non-essential activities such as billing and LNP processing while we focus on critical requests.

At times like these, our thoughts turn to the well being of our families, friends and valued customers who are affected by this calamity. Please know that our thoughts are with you, and that we stand ready to assist you in any way we can.

Above all, PLEASE STAY SAFE!

For any service impacting emergencies, you can always contact the FracTEL support team at 321-989-6727.

For billing or other inquiries please call our main number 321-499-1000 and leave a message for your party or in our general mailbox.You may also submit requests 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via email at support@fractel.net or via our support portal at helpdesk.fractel.net.

The FracTEL Team

Find out how FracTEL can help your business take advantage of the latest in cloud communications technology.  Call us today at 321-499-1023 or visit us at www.fractel.net

Preparing for Hurricane Matthew

/in /by

It’s Time to Prepare!

We don’t know for sure whether Hurricane Matthew will affect the East Coast, but at this time it appears that residents should prepare.  We also aren’t sure how powerful it will be when it arrives. One thing we can be sure of is that the triple redundant FracTEL network will be safe and will remain 100% fully functional regardless of Hurricane Matthew’s impact.

As a precaution, we would like to offer some guidance on how to prepare for the storm, and to suggest some options for configuring your FracTEL phone system so that your customers can keep in contact with you in the event that you are forced to evacuate, or if there is a loss of internet or power at your facility. Always remember that you can contact the FracTEL support team with an email to support@fractel.net for assistance with setting up failover routing to an alternate location or to your mobile devices.

FracTEL Provides Business Continuity

One of the biggest benefits of the FracTEL Cloud-Based architecture is that all inbound phone calls route to one of our triple redundant data centers before being forwarded to your facility. This allows you to program failover options so that if we are unable to connect calls to your FracTEL phone for any reason, the call can be forwarded to another location – to your mobile devices, to an answering service, or any other way you want to handle them.

An additional benefit of the FracTEL Cloud PBX system is that your extension moves with your device. If you need to relocate temporarily to another office or work from home, you can take your phone with you and it will function properly as long as it has a working internet connection.

Another great capability facilitated by Cloud PBX is the option to configure an auto-attendant with a recorded greeting that will let your customers know about the pending storm, how it might affect your business, and provide them with information and updates as the situation evolves.

If you don’t have it already, this might also be a good time to install the FracTELfone app on your Android or iOS smartphone. You can use the FracTELfone App to make and receive calls as if you are calling from your desk phone in your office. You can also check your office voicemail.

Preparing Your Office for the Storm

Here are some general tips for preparing your business for a storm:

  • Ensure you have an up-to-date local backup of your computer(s).  You can use Windows Backup in Windows 7 or 10, or Time Machine on a Mac.
  • Move sensitive electronics away from windows or any location that might be exposed to water penetration.
  • Perform a software and data inventory on your computer (list programs you have installed, confirm backup and restore procedures, etc.)
  • Confirm you have your passwords in order.
  • Perform a Home / Business Video Inventory for insurance purposes.  This is easiest to film and narrate on your smart phone, and will show all of your electronics and equipment in their current condition.
  • Make sure laptops and cell phones are fully charged, you have sufficient car chargers, and consider purchasing some USB device rechargers to recharge your phone(s) and tablet(s) in the event of a power outage.
  • Non-essential devices should be unplugged from the wall .
  • Elevated electronics off of the floor (this includes computers / wires / surge protectors / etc.).
  • Disconnect coaxial cables from your modem and cable box(es), and phone and Ethernet cables from computers (lightning can short out equipment via coaxial, phone and Ethernet cables).
  • Essential devices without an internal battery should be plugged into a battery backup, or at a minimum a quality surge protector. This includes computer(s), phone system(s), and network equipment.
  • Make sure devices that are set to turn back on when power is restored after a power loss.

Get Up and Running After the Storm

These are general tips for using your computers and other electronics after a storm:

  • If all is well, reconnect your equipment the way it was before. If you use a modem with a separate router, power them on in this order:  Modem – wait for it to sync / connection light to turn solid or about 3 minutes, then turn on your router.  After that turn on your computer(s) and you should have network and internet access pending any service provider outages…
  • If all is NOT well and you need to run a generator, DO NOT plug your computer(s) or network equipment directly into a generator! Your computer is sensitive to electricity and most generators do not deliver a steady, conditioned stream of electricity. If you must run your computer equipment, make sure a good quality battery backup (recommended) or surge protector (at a minimum) is between the computer equipment and your generator.
  • For any service impacting emergencies, you can always contact the FracTEL support team at 321-989-6727.

For billing or other inquiries please call our main number 321-499-1000 and leave a message for your party or in our general mailbox.You may also submit requests 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via email at support@fractel.net or via our support portal at helpdesk.fractel.net.

The FracTEL Team

Find out how FracTEL can help your business take advantage of the latest in cloud communications technology.  Call us today at 321-499-1023 or visit us at www.fractel.net

Old Glory

FracTEL 2016 Independence Day Holiday Schedule

/in /by

As we take time to celebrate Independence Day, FracTEL offices will be closed on Friday, July 1st 2016 and Monday, July 4 2016.

For any service impacting emergencies, you can always contact the FracTEL support team at 321-989-6727.

You may also submit requests 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via email at support@fractel.net or via our support portal at helpdesk.fractel.net.

 For billing or other inquiries please call our main number 321-499-1000 and leave a message for your party or in our general mailbox.

Thank you and have a great holiday, 

The FracTEL Team

Find out how FracTEL can help your business take advantage of the latest in cloud communications technology.  Call us today at 321-499-1023 or visit us at www.fractel.net

FracTEL 2015 Holiday Schedule

/in /by

As we take time to celebrate the season, FracTEL offices will be closed from Thursday, December 24th 2015 through Friday, December 25th, 2015 and Monday, December 28, 2015 through Friday, January 1, 2016.

For any service impacting emergencies, you can always contact the FracTEL support team at 321-989-6727.

You may also submit requests 24 hours a day, 7 days a week via email at support@fractel.net or via our support portal at helpdesk.fractel.net.

 For billing or other inquiries please call our main number 321-499-1000 and leave a message for your party or in our general mailbox.

Thank you and have a great holiday season, 

The FracTEL Team

Find out how FracTEL can help your business take advantage of the latest in cloud communications technology.  Call us today at 321-499-1023 or visit us at www.fractel.net

Net Neutrality Faces Showdown in Federal Courts

/in /by

“The Internet’s future hangs in the balance today as three federal judges in Washington decide whether to strike down “net neutrality.” This is the popular term for a legal principle, embraced by the Federal Communications Commission this year, that means Internet providers can’t favor some websites over others when delivering content to consumers.”

There is a great nutshell summary on entrepreneur.com of the opposing views and high stakes involved as the telecom industry sues the FCC in Federal Court to overturn their recent ruling in support of Net Neutrality. Of course, contrary to predictions from industry pundits, it hasn’t resulted in massive tax increases nor has it significantly impacted investment in new infrastructure. In fact, it hasn’t really even resulted in Net Neutrality. T-Mobile recently announced their “fast lane” program called Binge On, wrapped nicely in a bow for Holiday Shoppers. They must be pretty confident that they will prevail – maybe the fix is in. I am cynical enough to believe it is. FracTEL is a long time proponent of Net Neutrality and truly believes that it is best for the consumer and for the industry. Supporters seems confident that Net Neutrality will survive the challenge. We hope that it does. Either way, it is likely to end up in the Supreme Court soon.

Read the article here:

Everything You Need to Know About Today’s Net Neutrality Trial

Find out how FracTEL can help your business take advantage of the latest in cloud communications technology.  Call us today at 321-499-1023 or visit us at www.fractel.net

FCC to Consider Normalizing Communications with Cuba

/in /by

“We propose to remove Cuba from the Exclusion List based on the State Department Letter announcing certain changes to its policy guidance and requesting that the Commission remove Cuba from the Exclusion List. We seek comment on this proposal, and, in doing so, we follow the procedures regularly used to remove a country from the Exclusion List.”

The above quote is from an FCC solicitation for comment with respect to International Bureau Docket No. 95-118, and you can file this one under “It is about F%^&ing time.”  Almost everyone knows that for the last 55 years the policy of the United States towards Cuba has been hostile. Some would say beyond reason. Unless you have family or friends there, you may not know that that the restrictive trade policies of the U.S. towards Cuba extend to simple telephone communications. Fortunately, that may be changing soon. Cuba, uniquely, almost thirty years after the end of the cold war, remains on a list of countries that require special exemption from the the FCC to communicate with legally. Russia? Not on the list. North Korea? Not on the list. Iran? Iraq? Syria? Libya? Not on the list. This “special” treatment means that while the tariff for most international calls is somewhere in the $.02-.10 range, calls to Cuba typically cost an order of magnitude more. Ironically, communications from the U.S. with Cuba have been characterized by a lack of competition and the resulting profiteering that one might expect. Once more, we salute the efforts of the current FCC administration to act in the interests of the consumer, and to support normalization of trade with one of our closest neighbors. If you are in a position to support this policy change, please join us in doing so.

Read the FCC Solicitation for Comment here:

International Bureau Seeks Comment on Removing Cuba from the Exclusion List

Find out how FracTEL can help your business take advantage of the latest in cloud communications technology.  Call us today at 321-499-1023 or visit us at www.fractel.net

Getting Meta with the Inbound Marketing Masters

/in /by

“When you don’t have the right system in place, running a marketing campaign can be messy business. From assigning ownership over certain tasks, to establishing deadlines, to collaborating with campaign stakeholders, to writing and editing copy … there’s a lot to manage. And with so many moving pieces to consider, disorganization can be a major enemy. That’s where Google Apps comes into play.”

The above quote comes straight out of a white paper from HubSpot, Inbound Marketing thought leaders and purveyors of one of the best known Cloud-Based software tools for Marketing Automation. There is some great advice in the white paper, especially for those that are working on a tight budget. After absorbing all of those tips, one might ask why a Marketing Automation provider would promote a process and a suite of tools for Inbound Marketing that are not only from another company, but free? Because they get it, that’s why.

Do you get it? If not, consider train of thought: HubSpot believes that by helping you dip your toe in the Inbound Marketing waters you will see the benefits and eventually dive in head first. They also believe that you will eventually outgrow and tire of the “free” tools you cut your teeth with. When that happens, and you need to spend some real money on Marketing Automation, HubSpot will have earned your trust and favor through careful and deliberate cultivation. The probability that you will eventually purchase HubSpot is much higher, and they will have gathered very detailed information about who, when, where, and how that happened – information that they can use to further refine their tactics.

When it comes to Inbound Marketing, I have come to be convinced that there is simply no better strategy for getting educated than to go straight to the leaders – HubSpot, Marketo, InfusionSoft, Velocify, etc. They offer great – no, make that awesome – content to help you understand the sophisticated strategies and processes associated with the discipline – and you can learn even more by carefully observing how they ply their trade on rubes like us.

Let’s get back to the white paper and see what we can learn about Inbound Marketing from it. Lesson number one; the advertisement/link for this download was on Facebook. Why advertise for a business product on Facebook? It’s where the people are. Using a re-targeting algorithm, HubSpot continuously, at a very specific cadence to avoid being creepy, chums Facebook and other websites with content that it thinks I will find interesting based on the profile they have developed for me. In this case, they have inferred that I am keen on the topic, but not yet a buyer after several contacts – maybe because I am frugal (thus, the free alternative). Lesson number two; while some of it is not, this content was gated (requiring that I provide info to download). While they already had my basic info from previous contacts, this content required a few extra questions so they could fill in the gaps in my profile. Lesson number three; they followed up with a very personalized email offering more info and a “Free Trial”. Based on my experience, they will be following up again in a few days with another email or maybe even a phone call.

I would definitely encourage those who want to learn Inbound Marketing to start getting schooled by the masters. But, as with many things in life and business, pay at least as much attention to what they do as what they say.

As for the white paper, click the link below to begin your education:

HOW TO MANAGE MARKETING CAMPAIGNS WITH GOOGLE APPS

Find out how FracTEL can help your business take advantage of the latest in cloud communications technology.  Call us today at 321-499-1023 or visit us at www.fractel.net

Cloud and Open Source Have Transformed Venture Capital

/in /by

“In fact, angels have nearly completely replaced venture capital at the seed stage, which means they are the first to form critical relationships with founders. True, this has led to an explosion in new companies far beyond the levels seen previously, which is entirely expected — lower barriers to entry to any market means more total entries — but this has actually made it even more difficult for venture capitalists to invest in seed rounds: most aren’t capable of writing massive numbers of seed checks; the amounts are just too small to justify the effort.”

In a classic case of man bites dog, mounting evidence supports the thesis that Cloud, SaaS, Open Source, and other technologies that fueled the explosive success of the current Venture Capital giants has actually transformed the startup world to the point that these same funds are finding themselves squeezed out of participation in the next generation of startup or “seed stage” companies.

In the software world at least, the cost of developing an idea to the point of a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is now so low that it is possible for a savvy entrepreneur to develop a business to the commercial stage for a small fraction of what it would have cost even a few years ago. Because VC funds are typically subject to relatively steep fees and management costs, these smaller investment asks at the early stage are often not feasible or worth the risk. Instead, and increasingly, these smaller investments are being made by “angels” – individuals or groups that invest directly in businesses as opposed to participating indirectly through a fund. While angels generally lack the value-add of a VC, such as business development and follow-up financial resources, they also tend to be less intrusive – a big plus for some entrepreneurs.

The most successful Venture Capital firms have massive war chests at their disposal. They seem to be increasingly capable of, satisfied with, and focused on, later stage investments in companies that have a high probability of becoming “Unicorns” (privately held firms with with valuations in excess of $1Billion). Time will tell what this trend portends for the startups of today. Generally speaking, diversity tends to be healthy for a population. The test will come if and when a downturn occurs, and we see how patient this new angel money is.

Click this link to download the article: Venture Capital and the Internets Impact

Find out how FracTEL can help your business take advantage of the latest in cloud communications technology.  Call us today at 321-499-1023 or visit us at www.fractel.net

Research Shows That the Best Companies Leverage Cloud Technology

/in /by

“SMBs Using cloud technology to overcome their challenges grow 26% faster and deliver 21% higher gross profits. 85% of those surveyed believe the cloud enabled their business to scale and grow faster.”

As a provider of cloud technology and an enthusiastic user of some amazing cloud applications, the notion that the best companies leverage cloud technology to execute more effectively comes as no surprise to us. However, it is always powerful to see factual research that provides unambiguous and high-impact validation. This study from Deloitte not only provides data to support what we already believed to be true, it does a terrific job of explaining why cloud technology is having such a revolutionary impact on the business world and zeroes in on the specific attributes that make it so beneficial. We find this report to be particularly interesting in that the analysis shows how businesses at different phases of development (startup, growth, mature) tend to realize different value from cloud technology (respectively: low cost, scalability, innovation). This is a very interesting insight that businesses should ignore at their own peril. In addition, the recognition that mobility is an increasingly dominant business reality and that cloud technology is inherently more conducive to leveraging a mobile workforce is a very forceful argument for embracing cloud technology ASAP.

Click this link to download the full report: Small Business Big Technology

Find out how FracTEL can help your business take advantage of the latest in cloud communications technology.  Call us today at 321-499-1023 or visit us at www.fractel.net