The nature of telephone systems has changed a lot since Alexander Graham Bell; actually it’s changed a lot in just the past 10 years. Since we have been servicing businesses in the San Francisco Bay Area since 1984, we have seen the evolution of business phone systems. The criteria today’s business shoppers use to buy new telephone…

Following news November 22 that Keith Nealon has resigned as president and general manager of ShoreTel’s Cloud Division, I have to wonder if the storm clouds are continuing to gather for ShoreTel. Nealon’s departure is just the latest in a series of senior staff resignations – there’s a virtual parade of departing Sh

Since the days when what is now Silicon Valley was apricot orchards, the Bay Area has been home to innovation. The start of semiconductor manufacturing at Fairchild Semiconductor in 1957 started an entrepreneurial boom that pushes the edge of disruptive technology ever farther. Today, that spirit o

The old axiom states that no one ever got fired for buying IBM. But do you really want to buy from the biggest vendor in the market? Bigger doesn’t always mean better, and sometime being the biggest player means you stop innovating and serving your customers and focus more on protecting your image and your…

There are numerous well-known business regions across the country. In California are the nine counties of the San Francisco Bay Area: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma. Within this region alone, there are more than 198,000 small businesses with even more medium and large companies. All of…

The need for business communications has dramatically changed over the past few years. While we all used to be tied to one desk and one phone, today we communicate with a variety of devices and in a variety of locations. To implement this new work model requires the use of VoIP (Voice over IP). It…

Unified communications creates unique security issues as it brings together various technologies, including VoIP, video, chat and presence. While it provides productivity gains it also increases security risks. Securing a voice network is different than the process of securing a data network. This piece explains best practices for securing the modern PBX.  Managing security for…

I’ve always been a student of the PBX industry. As a reseller since the mid-80’s, I like to think that I’ve seen it all: Spectacular lift-offs (Rolm, Nortel, Isoetec) and fiery corporate deaths (Nortel, TIE). A cozy duopoly (Nortel & Lucent) that co-hyped themselves as two brawling competitors.  Being the outspoken sort, I’ve always provided…

If you interested in the cost saving benefits of SIP Trunking but aren't ready to give up your old PBX just yet, you're in luck. You don't have to. Here's how you can do it. SIP Trunking on Analog Lines

If you've been paying attention to the ShoreTel turmoil lately, you've got to wonder what the heck is going over there. In Q4 2012, they lost 13 cents for every dollar of product they sold and marketing costs were completely off the charts at 43% of revenue!But more