Most business owners don’t consider how their phone systems can improve business capability. Phones are often the pulse of operations which keep partners, suppliers and customers connected – particularly in small businesses, which must stay mobile and light while providing continuous service. A phone system which connects traveling businesspeople and field offices to HQ is a key asset for enhanced productivity and good news at the bottom line. />

What’s VoIP?

VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, transforms voice data into data packets which are delivered to an IP address. Because remote employees can log on to the main phone system, the technology is favored among small businesses which support telecommuters. Advanced features include auto attendant, voice mail, and 4-digit dialing from any location with broadband.

VoIP works a bit like instant messaging. Your phone number is mapped to your IP address by a central IP server. You can make and receive calls as you would instant message. The company’s IT staff will need to install and provide ongoing support, or outsourced hosting solutions can be contracted. This can be a great solution for organizations which lack the staff and resources to operate the entire system in-house. Maintenance, support and upgrades are supplied by the contractor, freeing internal resources to go after more business.

The Benefits for Remote and Traveling Workers

A small law firm in Manhattan realized VoIP’s ability to attract and retain key employees. When a key legal assistant had to move to Virginia after twenty years with the firm, Managing Partner Nicolas Timko didn’t want to see her go. The VoIP system with remote usage support allowed the assistant to stay on and work from her new location. “Her caller ID even displays our main number, so callers have no idea she’s not in our New York office,” said Timko.

Don’t Miss the Chance for Flexibility

Many businesses rely on enterprise systems and applications, but don’t consider integrating home workers and traveling employees to log into the main system from afar. With VoIP, users can connect to the main phone system through a remote IP. Users can also opt for a Webportal solution, which puts system features in a simple, intuitive portal. Connected parties can call and receive, access voice mail, and speed dial with called ID and transferring. In addition, users can check voice mail with a Web browser, and take advantage of features such as meet-me-conferencing and click-to-dial.

A great alternative to regular cellphones, VoIP works for an expanding group of business travelers. It provides equal access, interface and usability as if they were at the main office, and pricey roaming charges are averted. VoIP beats mobile phone service in terms of quality and reliability, maintaining continuity via redundant connections. Substantial cost savings are perhaps the greatest benefit. An investment advisory firm, Prince Street Capital Management, reduced their monthly phone bill by two thirds once switching.

Whether telecommute receptionist, traveling sales rep or an office closed by a natural disaster, VoIP can help employees stay connected and productive anytime, anywhere.

Bluetooth Technology

What is Bluetooth?

Bluetooth technology is a type of the wireless technology that eliminates the need for the number of inconvenient cables and devices that are used to connect the computers, mobile phones, digital cameras, handheld devices and new digital appliances. Bluetooth enables the users to connect to a wide variety of telecommunication and computing devices easily, without cables.

It makes rapid ad hoc connections, automatic unconscious connections between two or more digital devices. Bluetooth provides the opportunity of using the mobile data in different applications. Bluetooth makes wireless communication between the two devices in a localized area of a room of office or home very easily. Bluetooth technology uses radio-based links and all the connections between the devices and invisible and instantaneous.

By Bluetooth technology your laptop can send print request to a printer in your next room. Bluetooth is actually a standard for wireless communication between the devices in a relatively small area and it is therefore works fine in the personal area network (PAN) using radio frequency.

Any two devices that follow the Bluetooth standard can communicate with each other. A number of the Bluetooth devices like digital camera, mobile phone and handheld pc can form a network. You can send emails to your mobile phones from your laptop without any physical connect between your laptop and your mobile phones.

Features of Bluetooth technology

• Bluetooth technology uses radio waves for communication in 2.4 GHz

• It supports multipoint communication not just point to point.

• Bluetooth works in a small area of 10-15 meters.

• Bluetooth offers speed of 1-2 Mbps.

• Bluetooth chipsets are less expensive though more expensive than IrDA.

How Bluetooth Technology Works

Bluetooth is a high speed wireless link technology that uses the radio waves. It is designed to connect the mobile phones, laptops, hand held devices and portable equipments with almost no work by the end users. Unlike infrared Bluetooth does not require line of sight between the connecting units. Bluetooth technology is a modified form of the current Wireless LAN technology and it’s more acceptable for its relative small size and low cost.

The current circuits are contained on a circuit board of 0.9 cm square and a much smaller single chip version is in development and soon it will be in use. The cost of the Bluetooth device is expected to fall rapidly. Bluetooth chip has to be equipped in many devices. In Bluetooth technology, small and inexpensive transceivers have been placed in the digital devices. The radio waves operate at 2.45 Ghz band on the Bluetooth devices. Bluetooth supports the data speed up to 721 Kbps and 3 voice channels. The Bluetooth chip can either be built into the devices or it can be uses as an adapter. In computer it can be used with the USB port. Each Bluetooth device has a 48 bit address from the IEEE 802 standards and the Bluetooth connections can be either point to point or multipoint. Bluetooth range is 10 meter but it can be extended up to 100 meters by increasing the power.

Bluetooth devices are protected from the external interference because they change their frequency up to 1600 times in a second. Bluetooth radio technology provides the bridge between the existing data network. Bluetooth guarantees security at the bit level and the authentication is controlled by the end user by using 128 bit key. An important face of the Bluetooth technology is that it instantly forms a network when two or more devices come closer in the range of each other.

Bluetooth Technology Benefits

Bluetooth technology is a convenient choice of communication in a wire free, short range environment. Bluetooth is a globally available standard for connecting the devices like mobile phones, digital cameras, laptops, MP3 Players, cars, stereo headsets etc. Bluetooth enable devices do not need to install any drivers. The key benefits of the Bluetooth wireless technology are its built-in-security, low cost, easy of use, robustness, and ad hoc networking capabilities.

The Bluetooth wireless technology is available globally. Many manufactures from the different companies are busy to implement the technology in their products. Bluetooth technology operates in the 2.4 Ghz, one of the unlicensed, industrial and scientific radio band. Bluetooth technology is a free of charge service but your mobile phones set should support the GSM and CDMA technology.

Today mobile phones have built in capabilities and Bluetooth functionalities in them. Bluetooth technology is available in the different range of the devices like mobile phones, automobiles, medical devices, industries and enterprises etc.

Due to the key features of the Bluetooth technology like low power consumption, low cost and wireless features make it more popular. Bluetooth technology does not require any fixed infrastructure and it is very simple to install and setup.

No wires are required to connect the Bluetooth devices. You can connect to other Bluetooth enabled devices anytime if they come in your range. Bluetooth wireless technology is widely supported and is secure wireless standard today. Bluetooth devices has built-in security features such as 128 bit encryption and pin code authentication when Bluetooth devices identify themselves they use the pin code when they first time connect.

Bushra Bashir

http://www.networktutorials.info