Business VOIP Comparison

Norfolk, VA — October 3, 2008

Affinity4, one of the nation’s leading affinity-based marketers specializing in helping charities, ministries and other non-profit organizations raise funds, once again demonstrated its continued emphasis on “Best in Class” customer service with a major upgrade of its Norfolk, Virginia Call Center. The project was prompted by the steadily increasing number of calls coming into Affinity4′s Call Center. This past July represented one of the company’s highest call center volumes.

To effectively manage the volume and maintain its high standards of customer service, Affinity4 incorporated new, advanced technologies into the center. All new Hewlett Packard (HP) PCs and flat panel monitors were installed along with a new Asterisk-based Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) phone system, as well as a 52-inch plasma screen to communicate important information to agents. Additionally, the off-site data center was changed with all new servers to improve the service quality.

Also as part of its Call Center upgrade, Affinity4 is in the process of implementing a Sugar Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solution, which will replace previous proprietary and commercial packages the company had been using. The new Sugar CRM program will enable Affinity4 to aggregate management of all customers, products and potential customer into a single application. As a result, Affinity4′s reporting capabilities will be greatly enhanced and its call center agents will be able to access more information about customers on a real-time basis, while on the phone with customers. Overall efficiency relating to order entry, maintenance tasks and the streamlining of reports also is expected to increase. The initial phase of the Sugar CRM application launch has been completed with the full-scale rollout expected to be complete by year’s end.

Affinity4′s Senior Call Center Manager, Michael Baldwin, noted, “Our Call Center not only handles incoming customer service-related calls, but it represents a key sales channel for us. With these significant enhancements in technology and personnel, we will be able to exceed our customers’ expectations when it comes to customer service, while still focusing on growing the business at a manageable rate.”

According to Mr. Baldwin, all Affinity4 agents will attend refresher training on all products the company offers. In addition, product benefits will be discussed in each pre-shift meeting daily. Affinity4′s new CRM will be tailored to allow its agents to be ‘tagged’ so that they are reminded to follow-up with customers who they initially contacted.

Affinity4′s Call Center previously was located in Tahlequah, OK, but was relocated in 2007 to Norfolk, VA where the company is headquartered.

More about Affinity4:

Affinity4 is an affinity-based marketing company whose mission is to help support its non-profits’ goals by assisting in their fundraising and development programs. Specifically, Affinty4 markets various telecommunications products and services, including long distance and digital phone services, high speed Internet, as well as DIRECTV

ENCINITAS, Calif. — October 7, 2008

FreedomIQ helps TAG members compete more effectively in broader markets. Since there are no major equipment purchases involved, hosted VoIP phone systems are attractive to small and medium-sized businesses.

However, the real advantage of FreedomIQ lies in its month-to-month service agreement. As a monthly service, FreedomIQ gives TAG members the opportunity to approach clients without requiring them to sign long-term service contracts. Commissions for these sales are paid every month without needing to meet a sales quota. Members can also recruit other partners to earn tiered commissions.

“With a traditional PBX commission model, a reseller can’t make a significant profit on a sale under 20 seats,” states Eric Thomas, founder and CEO of FreedomVOICE Systems. “Rather than walking away from smaller clients, FreedomIQ’s month-to-month service and recurring commissions provide an easy-to-build revenue stream. These leads are now worth pursuing.”

FreedomIQ also enables TAG members to capture an audience that has traditionally been unable to afford a business phone system: entrepreneurs with little or no financing. FreedomIQ provides these clients with a maintenance-free enterprise phone system with little initial investment.

“TAG members are the most innovative and customer focused providers in their communities,” states Dale Stein, co-founder of TAG. “The FreedomIQ hosted VoIP solution enhances the ability of our members to fulfill the technology needs of the businesses they serve. This will be a valuable partnership for everyone involved, especially the end user.”

For more information about FreedomIQ, visit http://www.FreedomIQ.com.

About FreedomVOICE Systems:

Founded in 1996, FreedomVOICE Systems develops and markets FreedomIQ, a VoIP Hosted PBX service allowing businesses and professional offices to interact more effectively with their customers, clients, patients and associates. FreedomVOICE Systems also offers a comprehensive slate of integrated virtual office solutions, enabling business owners to enhance company image, communicate seamlessly with customers, track marketing effectiveness, and increase profitability.

About Technology Assurance Group, LLC (TAG):

Technology Assurance Group, LLC (TAG) is an international organization of leading independently owned business communications companies. TAG provides its members with the competitive advantages necessary to achieve a dominant position in their marketplace. Members benefit from programs including strategic partnerships with communication solution providers, best business and management practices, and advanced sales training programs. TAG’s mission is to increase its members’ sales and profits through education and to ease their introduction of new technology to the marketplace by leveraging their combined intellect and purchasing power. For more information on TAG, please call 858-673-5800 or visit http://www.tagnational.com.

Dedham, MA — October 23, 2008

As economic woes on Wall Street impact businesses across the nation and world, companies can find simple savings on technology that are otherwise overlooked in robust times, says Michael Corey, the CEO and founder of Ntirety Inc., a pioneer in remote database administration. From reviewing licensing and support agreements to questioning the need for technology upgrades, corporations can keep their information technology fully functioning and save resources.

“I have witnessed the hidden waste that goes unnoticed in corporate IT budgets. It’s there if you know where to look, and cutting the waste can free up dollars for other initiatives without impacting the business,” said Corey, who has founded two managed services firms and is a recognized expert in database administration. “The good news is there are more choices today than ever before on how a company can provide the technology infrastructure it needs to stay competitive. It’s a matter of making choices that maximize those dollars and keeps flowing the information the business needs to stay competitive.”

In a message to clients posted on his blog, michaelcorey.ntirety.com, Corey outlines seemingly simple, yet often overlooked, steps for squeezing savings from technology budgets. Corey’s advice:

1. Cut unneeded software licenses

Check your licenses and make sure you are not paying for ones you don’t use. If you have eight licenses to Salesforce, but only need five, that is waste hidden in the technology budget. It’s worse if you have 50 antivirus subscriptions, but only needed 35. Given the various software licenses companies require, unused licenses can waste tens of thousands of dollars annually.

Cutting out unused licenses can reduce costs without negatively impacting the business. And if your company unfortunately has layoffs, remember to reduce licenses as head count drops.

2. Use your technology or lose it

Many companies purchase technology with the best intentions, but never actually deploy it. Where it makes sense, brush the dust off and start using it. For example, many businesses have Microsoft SharePoint – it came with the server license – but they don’t use it to its fullest potential. You might be able to get more efficiency from the dollars already spent by using it fully.

If you bought technology and deploying it no longer makes sense, double check that you are not paying support fees on it. Often, companies acquire technology that is packaged with free additional software. What a deal! The catch is you may be paying for ongoing maintenance of the so-called free software, which you may not even be using because you never really wanted it in the first place.

3. Do you need a support group?

There can be such a thing as too much help. It’s time to review your support network and ask these questions:

Are you paying for 24-7 support when you can get by with support during normal business hours?

Do you need to hire a new database administrator when you can get a team of DBAs to remotely manage the database at a fraction of the cost of a new employee? You should ask the same question about support for desktop environments. Is remote support more efficient than in-house?

Does it make sense to maintain an in-house email infrastructure when it can be bought by the head, at a fraction of the cost, from a third-party?

4. Invest now or later?

If you have the option to upgrade your database, ask yourself whether you really need to? Would it be better to manage with your current version and wait until a game-changing upgrade comes along?

You should also ask whether the upgrade requires new hardware, a potentially hidden expense that may be a budget buster. (New technology projects are notorious for rising budgets because of unforeseen expenses, so make sure you fully vet project plans for all costs.)

You will also want to reconsider other technology upgrades, such as:

Is now the right time to invest in that new VOIP phone system?

Is now the right time to build customized technology for specific business needs, or can you live with a cheaper, off-the-shelf product that is workable, but not perfect?

About Ntirety

Ntirety Inc., remote database administrators based in Dedham, Mass., provides U.S.-based professionals leveraging best-of-breed technologies at an affordable monthly cost to proactively monitor, manage and optimize customers’ Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server databases.

For more information about Ntirety, visit http://www.ntirety.com, and read founder Michael Corey’s blog at http://michaelcorey.ntirety.com.

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New York (Vocus) October 27, 2008

M5 Networks (http://www.m5net.com), a leading provider of hosted VoIP phone systems and the pioneer in developing the “Voice-as-a-Service” platform and infrastructure, today announced it has been chosen by Alianza, a 21-year-old non-profit community service and development organization serving more than 17,000 members, to provide hosted VoIP phone service for its 12 offices in New York City.

Employing three different phone service providers, Alianza frequently experienced equipment problems, multiple automated menus, and busy signals that made communicating with the community difficult; in addition, service disruptions threatened the non-profit’s ability to run its programs and help its residents. As a critical resource in the community, Alianza decided to streamline and upgrade communications to maintain always-on availability to its residents while accommodating its rapid growth.

“Our goal is to connect and collaborate with our community – that means every call reaches a real person from Alianza, not a machine, which is the antithesis of what we aim to do as an organization,” said Moises Perez, founder and executive director of Alianza. “We have incorporated all of our existing sites into the M5 system and are in the process of developing a new administrative location, which will have hundreds of phone lines. Today, we run more efficiently as an organization, incorporating M5′s metrics for handling inbound and outbound calls and making sure that our most important assets, our residents, remain our top priority.”

As part of the agreement, M5 provided unique direct-dial numbers for each employee, making it easier to reach colleagues across all locations using four-digit calling. As a result of these changes and additions, Alianza now projects a consistent and unified image when answering calls from its community and business partners.

“No one should have to speak to a voice-enabled or touch-tone automated menu anymore,” said Dan Hoffman, CEO at M5 Networks. “The entire M5 solution was customized and configured for Alianza’s needs – to connect different office locations with each other and always present a real person to a community member in need. We look forward to keeping Alianza and its members in close touch as the organization continues on its path of rapid growth.”

Alianza will honor New York political, business, philanthropic and community leaders for their contributions and investments in New York City and its neighborhoods on 28th of October. The event will be held at the Tavern on the Green and awards to be given include lifetime achievement, excellence is social responsibility and others. National and community leaders will be recognized for their commitment to supporting distressed peoples in New York and Latin America through health care, patronage of the arts and many other avenues.

About M5

M5 Networks provides Voice-over-IP phone systems, delivered as an Internet-based managed service. M5′s “Voice-as-a-Service” delivery model speeds deployment of advanced voice functionality and drives a consistent user experience as businesses become increasingly dispersed, malleable and 24/7. M5 experts manage system support and maintenance. A simple pricing model provides small- to mid-size businesses a low cost-of-entry to features that traditionally required large capital expenditure and dedicated IT resources. M5′s software frees all voice-related data and commands to mesh with other applications and mobile services, driving business intelligence, improving customer service, and enhancing enterprise application effectiveness. Headquartered in New York City, M5 has over 850 customers, numerous industry awards, and recognitions. To learn more about M5, please visit http://www.m5net.com.

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Related Voip Phone System Press Releases

New York, NY (Vocus) October 30, 2008

M5 Networks, Inc. (http://www.m5net.com), a leading business to business VoIP phone system provider announced today the release of M5Connect for SalesForce. M5Connect for Salesforce acts as an intermediary between M5 and Salesforce by connecting the M5 Voice as a Service platform with the Salesforce user interface. Sales executives can now place calls to and receive calls from contacts directly in Salesforce and automatically measure performance within Salesforce reports and dashboards. For current SalesForce and M5 clients, M5Connect for Salesforce is immediately available to test drive and deploy on the Force.com AppExchange at http://www.salesforce.com/appexchange/.

M5Connect for Salesforce is specifically designed for midsize businesses with sales teams that view the phone call and CRM as strategic parts of relationships with clients and prospects. M5Connect for Salesforce Dashboards, which are built on the extensive business call logs and data, gives sales executives the ability to track and monitor client and prospect call details, call frequency, call duration, as well as take notes, assign wrap-up codes, and other performance measurements. Metrics from these reports and dashboards are instrumental in enabling high performance sales teams to have early key indicators of expected performance and results.

“Connecting Salesforce and M5 gives our common clients an end to end solution within the as a service framework,” commented Clarence So, chief marketing officer, Salesforce. “Just as SalesForce eliminates the need for businesses to purchase software, M5 enables businesses to no longer have to purchase premise- based phone systems and M5Connect for SalesForce is the bridge for high performance sales teams that value connecting their CRM to their Phone to drive more sales.”

“As a client of both SalesForce and M5 since 2002, I can see firsthand the power of connecting these two leading “as a Service” providers,” stated Eric Berridge, co-founder, Bluewolf, the world’s largest leading provider of professional services for on-demand software applications. “For example our inbound and outbound telesales groups and their managers, can easily measure their productivity and effectiveness on a daily basis, enabling us to have leading indicators of success that enables us to sell more and increase loyalty with our clients.”

“Connecting your legacy CRM to a premise phone system like Avaya or Nortel can be a time consuming and expensive project that typically is still only done for high end call centers and very large enterprises if at all,” said Jeff Silbert, Vice President of Channel and Alliances at M5 Networks, Inc. “With M5Connect for Salesforce, any sales team of a mid-sized business can now take advantage of tools that can dramatically improve performance that until now were out of their reach.”

About the Force.com AppExchange

Force.com (http://www.force.com/) reinvents the traditional development, deployment, and distribution of any business application with platform-as-a-service. Developers, customers, and partners can use Force.com to easily create a new generation of on-demand applications and deploy them worldwide as a service. Force.com allows applications to be easily shared, exchanged and installed with a few simple clicks via the Force.com AppExchange marketplace, enabling all the innovation that Force.com unleashes to be easily distributed to the entire on-demand community.

The AppExchange economy continues to expand, with thousands of customers installing applications via the Force.com AppExchange. Customers of all sizes can quickly and easily extend Salesforce with additional on-demand business applications available on the AppExchange, found at http://www.salesforce.com/appexchange/.

About Bluewolf

Founded in 2000, Bluewolf is a leading Software as a Service consulting company that specializes in the deployment and adoption of enterprise software applications. Through its Customer Success Guarantee?, Bluewolf is reinventing the concept of traditional consulting, one that is tailor made for the on-demand world. Bluewolf’s practices incorporate three main areas: On-Demand Consulting, IT Resourcing and On-Demand Remote Services. With offices across North America and Europe, Bluewolf has successfully implemented more than 1,200 SaaS solutions, with customers including Dow Jones, ADP, General Electric and Fox Interactive Media. For more information, visit http://www.bluewolf.com.

About M5

M5 Networks provides Voice-over-IP phone systems, delivered as an Internet-based managed service. M5′s “Voice-as-a-Service” delivery model speeds deployment of advanced voice functionality and drives a consistent user experience as businesses become increasingly dispersed, malleable and 24/7. M5 experts manage system support and maintenance. A simple pricing model provides mid-size businesses a low cost-of-entry to features that traditionally required large capital expenditure and dedicated IT resources. M5′s software frees all voice-related data and commands to mash with other applications and mobile services, driving business intelligence, improving customer service, and enhancing enterprise application effectiveness. Headquartered in New York City, M5 has over 850 customers, numerous industry awards, and recognitions. To learn more about M5, please visit http://www.m5net.com.

Media Contact:

Anne Ahola-Ward

Director, Marketing

M5 Networks, Inc.

award@m5net.com

646.747.1634

Gordon Evans

Director, Public Relations

salesforce.com

415.536.7608

gevans@salesforce.com

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Related Voip Phone System Press Releases

Axia Technology Partners is a national provider of converged network services, VoIP services (SIP origination/termination), and enterprise PBX solutions (Hosted/Premise).
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Axia Technology Partners is a national provider of converged network services, VoIP services (SIP origination/termination), and enterprise PBX solutions (Hosted/Premise).

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