There are a few probable reasons why you might still be using a landline for your business. You may think your current phone system is working just fine or maybe you’re worried about the expense of switching from a landline to VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). And of course, maybe it’s just that VoIP just seems so new and complicated. But here’s the thing; VoIP has been around for more than 20 years and is more dependable and easier to use than ever before.

If you haven’t yet switched to VoIP because it seems too complicated or expensive, it’s time to take a deeper look at how VoIP and a cloud-based phone system can transform your company.

Here are 5 signs that it’s time to make the switch from a landline to VoIP.

1. Your Business is Growing

Traditional landline phone systems can be difficult to scale to the needs of a growing business. Traditional PBX has limitations with a fixed number of lines and ports, which means adding more lines and purchasing new equipment. However, with VoIP, you have a cloud-based phone system to which can easily add more employees without having to purchase expensive equipment.

2. Frustrated Customers

If your customers are frustrated by constantly getting a busy signal when they call, having their calls dropped or waiting on hold, only to be picked up by the wrong person, it’s time to switch from a landline to VoIP. A VoIP phone system, with features such as auto-attendant or interactive voicemail, allows your customers to contact your business and their intended party quickly and easily.

3. You Have a Mobile Workforce

When you have employees working remotely from home or located around the world, a traditional landline system makes it impossible to use your business number for contact with clients. A VoIP system makes it easy for these employees to access your business phone system from any location and to be reached by clients as needed.

4. Your Phone System Isn’t Cost Effective

Between equipment costs, long distance calling and mobile bills, a business phone system with a traditional landline can be very costly. Making the switch from a landline to VoIP reduces these costs significantly. There’s no need to frequently update your phone system equipment, and long-distance charges will become a thing of the past. It also allows options for creating bring your own device (BYOD) policies that can integrate your employees’ devices to cut down on mobile costs.

5. Supporting Your Phone System is Too Time-Consuming

When you have a landline PBX system, it needs to be maintained by in-house staff or your IT department. Having to maintain an aging phone system takes your staff away from other important duties. Switching to VoIP eliminates the time spent keeping your phone system up and running.

FracTEL is setting the standard for easy set-up, call quality, and reliability that reduces IT support needs. We offer seamless onboarding, robust collaboration features and scalable communications solutions that help you focus on growing your business. Learn how a switch from a landline to VoIP can benefit your business by contacting FracTEL for more information.

Small business owners are struggling to keep ahead of explosive changes in business technology and mobility. Learn how you can accelerate your growth with mobile marketing.

It seems today that business is moving faster than ever. However, there are some small to mid-sized business (SMB) owners that are finding it difficult to keep up, let alone stay ahead of all the innovations in business technology and mobility. If you want your business to grow, you need to increase information flow not only within your business, but also to your customers and vendors. And this is where advances in business phone systems can help by bringing their exceptional functionality to promote growth via mobile marketing.

How is Mobile Marketing Being Implemented?

More than 50 percent of the population uses their smartphones every day and marketers have taken note of this. The use of mobile marketing efforts and text-based marketing via cloud-based phone systems is leading the way for not only enterprise level businesses, but also for SMBs.

Consider these mobile marketing ideas that are now possible and affordable for SMBs:

• Using text messaging through phone systems to contact customers
• Sending location-based messaging and push-based messaging to mobile phones
• Using SMS to announce sales and new product arrivals

Mobile Marketing Fuels Growth

Mobile marketing is a cost-effective way to reach targeted customers. According to Mobile Marketing Watch, 98% of SMS messages are opened. SMS marketing is permission-based, so those receiving the messages have willingly opted-in and are expecting a business’ messages. This highly targeted approach yields higher returns and greater customer satisfaction than email which often ends up in spam folders.

Mobile marketing has an immediate effect. Most people check their messages as soon as they receive them. When you can reach your customers at any time, wherever they are, you have an opportunity to build a relationship with them. Sending messages about sales and new product arrivals in advance of announcing them to the public is a way to make mobile customers feel special which can lead to increased sales and loyalty.

Benefits of Phone-Based Marketing

SMS functionality for SMBs is a popular feature with cloud-based phone systems. These systems provide an affordable way for SMBs to broaden their flexibility, automate their marketing and scale their systems.

Automating marketing can:

• Boost your sales by integrating your desktop phone system with an on-screen CRM database. You can have instant access to your past customer interactions to increase your opportunities for upselling.
• Improve your customer’s experience by providing useful business information while they are on hold. Calls can be recorded and monitored for review or training purposes, while marketing can be improved by analyzing call content, caller response rates and call times.
• Create better advertising by using multiple numbers where you can test the effectiveness of different advertising messages and offers to see what works best for you. It is also possible to increase response rates by creating personalized numbers that are easy to remember.

Upgrading to a cloud-based phone system for your marketing efforts can provide you with significant savings over the cost of using traditional phone systems. If you want to save money and build more marketing value from your business’s phone system, a cloud-based phone system is a major asset for boosting your company’s marketing effectiveness.

FracTEL’s Cloud-based phone solutions take mobile marketing to the next level. SMBs are finding that our feature-rich system gives them the options they need to scale and grow their businesses. Using SMS and integrating it with a phone-based, automated marketing is a cost-effective way to reach targeted customers and drive sales.

How can FracTEL help your business grow? Contact us at 855-372-2835 to learn more.

Download our free eBook Accelerating Growth With Mobile Marketing to learn how your business can benefit from cloud-based phone systems and mobile call functionality.

If your business has outgrown its current phone service and you’re looking to scale to a more advanced system, you are probably noticing that the latest technology is Cloud PBX.

Cloud PBX technology brings together cloud computing and a PBX phone system. The cloud allows data to be stored and accessed over the internet instead of requiring a dedicated computer or server. Public Branch Exchange (PBX) is a phone technology that is used by telephone providers to route calls. In the past, PBX technology required a significant investment in hardware, installation and maintenance and that system needed to be run on-site. With Cloud PBX business phone services, you are basically getting a phone system that is based over the internet. A cloud-based network allows you to have voice, data, and video on the same platform.

If you’re switching your business phone services to a Cloud PBX phone system, it’s easy to become overwhelmed with the various features that are available. As a cost-conscious business owner, you want to make sure you are getting the most bang for your buck by selecting the right system with features that you need and will use. You need features that can scale with your business.

Here are five business phone service features to consider:

1. Auto-Attendant

Having an auto-attendant can help take away the frustration callers often have when trying to reach a specific person or department. This function allows callers to select a touch tone option from a menu. Your recordings and options can be updated from your Admin Portal very easily.

2. Voice Mail

This feature provides a voicemail box for every extension on your phone system for messages when calls cannot be answered personally. Employees can have secure access to their messages not only through their phone but also through their email or an app installed on their smartphone.

3. Call Forwarding

The call forwarding function allows users to easily route calls to another extension or telephone number when they are not available in the office on a temporary or permanent basis when needed. This ensures that important calls reach their intended party quickly.

4. Follow Me

You and your employees can always stay connected and never miss an important call with the follow me feature. As business is becoming more and more mobile, your business phone services should reflect that with a feature, such as follow me that programs your incoming call to ring multiple devices all at once or in order.

5.  Smartphone Integration

This feature allows you to take the features of your desk phone with you on the go with an app for your Android or iOS phone. With Smartphone integration, your outbound calls will show up on the called party’s caller ID as your business number.

6. Video Conferencing

There are times when a face-to-face conversation works better than a phone call, but time and location make an in-person meeting difficult to arrange. Staying connected with employees and customers remotely is possible thanks to video conferencing technology. A cloud based telecommunications system allows you to connect with your employees and customers via video, helping establish better relationships while saving time and money.

FracTEL provides advanced Cloud PBX technology, helping businesses stay connected to their customers with a single, easy to deploy, simple to manage telecommunication solution. Our state of the art network provides more than 25 features for one easy price so you get more out of your business phone service. Discover how our Cloud PBX solution can help your business grow faster by migrating to the cloud with a 100% uptime guarantee.

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

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

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

Expert Outlook: Dynamic Business Solutions Through Cloud Communications

FracTEL invites you to join our CTO, Olaf Bellstedt,  for a Webinar hosted by our Videoconferencing partner Grandstream Networks.

Please click on the image below to view the Webinar:

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

“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

“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

“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

Direct Access Will Improve Service and Simplify Number Porting

With a unanimous ruling passed on June 18, 2015, the FCC has made it possible for FracTEL to directly access telephone numbers in North America, removing the need to rely on third party providers for this service. The decision will make it possible for FracTEL to significantly increase the geographic areas to which we can provide service, dramatically improve our ability to quickly and easily provide porting of numbers (LNP) from legacy and other telecommunications providers, and facilitate better service through unimpeded access to routing and other databases.

FracTEL has been an industry leader in supporting direct access, having previously filed a motion with the FCC to participate in the trial program that was established to test the processes associated with this transition. We made a significant investment in establishing the systems required to support these processes and, while our petition was ultimately declined for procedural reasons, our investment leaves us well positioned to take immediate advantage of this ruling.

https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-modernizes-numbering-rules-spur-competitive-voip-options

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

FracTEL Presents a weekend of Art, Music and Technology at the Robot Love 3D show at the Eau Gallie Arts District

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

Art connects people across continents and all walks of life. It has the power to change the way we think about our world. As a global communications company, we believe in providing creative solutions that have the power to transform our customers’ businesses.

FracTEL and the Eau Gallie Arts District (EGAD) rang in the new year with the inaugural EGAD.ROCKS, an all ages rock concert at the Eau Gallie Bandshell.

EGAD.ROCKS

Featuring three of the hottest new bands on the Space Coast: Jacie and the Knick-Knacks, Monday’s Mona Lisa, and The Civil Ties. The program was well attended by an eclectic all-ages crowd. “We had toddlers spinning in the grass, teens jumping and tons of people of all ages,” says Lisa Packard, EGAD’s Executive Director.

Artist Derek Gores  and friends created a live “Tape Graffiti” backdrop featuring our logo inside the Eau Gallie Band Shell using blue painters tape and a healthy dose of creativity.

Derek Gores Tapes

We believe that a great entrepreneurial community grows from the intersection of technology and creativity. EGAD.ROCKS! was a great start to the new year and FracTEL looks forward to many more projects to support the Arts on the Space Coast in 2015. Special thanks to the volunteers that made this event so great!

EGAD.ROCKS

Check out the gallery at – www.egad.rocks and  Facebook/EGADRocks.

For further information, please contact Lisa Packard at (321) 574-2737 or info@eaugalliearts.com.

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

Art connects people across continents and all walks of life. It has the power to change the way we think about our world. As a global communications company, we believe in providing creative solutions that have the power to transform our customers’ businesses.

It is very important for small business owners to make potential customers feel confident that they are an established, well-staffed organization that is capable and ready to serve them.

FracTEL Cloud PBX has many easy-to-use features that can assist a small business in creating a positive impression. One great example is the Auto-attendant feature.  The Auto-attendant feature allows you to offer your callers a custom greeting for a powerful introduction to the business and lets you define a set of menu options such as Sales, Support, Billing, etc. that portray a robust and fully staffed organization (even if there’s only one person handling all the calls!).  Best of all, your Auto-attendant works around the clock, every day of the year.  The greeting that plays and the routing of menu selections can vary based on the time of day, the season, or special occasions.  By combining Auto-attendant with FindMe/FollowMe, you can ensure that you never miss a call.  With FindMe/FollowMe, you can ring your desk, home office, mobile phone, or smartphone app at the same time or in sequence based on your preference.  In addition, you can take advantage of a marketing opportunity by playing promotional messages while a caller is waiting to get connected.  With the power and flexibility that FracTEL’s Auto-attendant feature provides, the possibilities are endless and any entrepreneur can look like an enterprise without spending a fortune.

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FracTEL’s auto-attendant feature provides a powerful and flexible way for your business to appear much larger than it actually is, around the clock, through a professional incoming-call interface that you control.

Find out how your business can have the latest in auto-attendant technology.  Call us today at 321-499-1023 or visit us at www.fractel.net.