What To Look For In Small Business Phones Small business owners often want to know why they should upgrade their phone systems. People ask: “Isn’t our tried and trusted landline connection good enough to handle incoming calls?” Simply put, the answer is no—it’s not good enough anymore. The truth is that the communications landscape has changed significantly in recent years, with the customer experience (CX) emerging as a major business driver....

4 Must Haves For Small Business Phone Systems Small businesses have the same needs as big businesses in many ways; regardless of business size, requirements to provide stellar customer service, ensure that mobile and remote workers can stay connected, and enable efficient productivity to deliver on business goals remain constant....

Businesses are digitizing at a rapid pace, adding a variety of digital communication and collaboration solutions into their environments. Voice, video, mobility, and workforce productivity apps are all making their way into the enterprise arena, and changing the way companies operate. But this brings new challenges for cybersecurity. While it’s great to see digital transformation picking up steam, it’s becoming problematic from a cybersecurity perspective....

As the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic continue to unfold, it becomes clearer why having viable remote working solutions are critical to ongoing business success. Global pandemics aside, offering remote working solutions that employees can use to work from home or while traveling also allows your business operations to run smoothly while also offering increased flexibility for staff....

Cloud unified communications (UC) adoption is exploding, with experts predicting that the number of cloud-based UC platforms could jump from 15 percent in 2018 to 50 percent as soon as 2020. The market has been gradually shifting to adopt cloud services for several years now, but recently businesses have been making the switch in greater numbers....

Business cloud usage has exploded in recent years, with 77 percent of enterprises now storing at least one application, or a portion of their computing infrastructure, in the cloud. This trend is bound to continue accelerating. Related: 10 Reasons Businesses Are Switching To UCaaS One of the most popular ways that companies are leveraging the cloud today is with Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS)....

Desktop as a Service (DaaS) is a cloud computing offering that enables businesses to deliver cloud-hosted virtual desktops to any device, from anywhere. DaaS solutions provide complete hosted desktops for applications and email securely delivered over the web. They’re simple to buy and easy to manage, with no software for IT to maintain....

Teams is an excellent platform for supporting remote workers. It gives users multiple methods for communicating one-on-one, in private workgroups, for conducting real-time meetings, and collaborating on shared documents. It also supports communication with external business partners and clients. If you are already using Office 365, there’s a good chance you are already licensed for Teams....

For all the things it makes possible, cloud technology doesn’t come without hurdles. For an example, look no further than remote workers simultaneously being productive and feeling isolated from their colleagues. While working from home satisfies many remote employees, it can also make them feel disconnected from their teams. Finding a balance between productivity and connection may not sound easy on paper — but with the right approach and the right tools, the challenge becomes a lot more manageable....

The Covid-19 virus has disrupted and rearranged the workplace with breathtaking speed. In the span of a week, organizations across every sector have sent millions of employees home to work remotely. Without warning — and in many cases, without preparation of any kind — managers have been thrust into the position of leading virtual teams, many for the first time....

There’s a lot to love about remote access tools. Gone are the long, winding support calls, and the need for on-site troubleshooting is largely a thing of the past. Don’t Make It Easy for Cybercriminals to Gain Access Yes, everyone loves remote access tools. Including cybercriminals. You might not think you need to worry about a cyberattack on your company—but you’d be wrong....

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to evolve, one theme that has quickly risen to the top is that of remote and flexible work. BetterWorld conducted a six-month study over ten years ago with a team from the Bainbridge Graduate Institute outside Seattle and the conclusions of the report were resounding and unanimous....

This week BetterWorld takes another big step forward, launching our BetterWorld Podcast Series, now available via the News and Resources section of the BetterWorld Technology website. Hosted by Matt Bauer, the BetterWorld Podcast is a bi-weekly journey into the world of managed services, cyber security, communications, other aspects related to the mission critical infrastructure for small and medium businesses and organizations....

It was another big year for ransomware, the extremely profitable style of cyberattack in which computer systems and data are taken over by hackers and held hostage until the victim hands over a payoff. In 2019, these attacks wreaked havoc around the globe, earned criminals vast sums, and even occasionally provided a weapon for government hackers....

The increasingly competitive business landscape demands that businesses evolve rapidly to stay relevant to their customers. They must understand their customers better, innovate faster than ever before, and deliver consistently superior value to them. All of this can be possible only when the businesses are able to focus on customer satisfaction, innovation, product development, and other mission-critical activities without stretching their resources too thin on non-core activities....

In business, audits tend to represent both a short-term hassle and a chance at positive long-term change. But many organizations may not be aware of the value a communication audit can provide. Defined by content and PR firm Ragan as a tool to “uncover glaring weaknesses” in company communications, an audit can be particularly effective when moving tools to the cloud is the right step....

The difference between fixed and non-fixed VoIP numbers isn’t particularly complex, though it may not be readily apparent to someone who doesn’t fully understand what VoIP is to begin with. In short, fixed VoIP numbers are associated with an account holder’s physical address while non-fixed VoIP numbers aren’t fixed to any specific address....

Polycom phones are one of the most commonly-used communication tools for businesses, and it’s no surprise — they are versatile, reliable, and have a wide variety of options available. They’re a great option for use with hosted VoIP or SIP solutions in conference rooms, at employees' desks, and in call centers....

When it comes to customer service, quality and convenience have become baseline expectations. According to PwC, nearly 80 percent of American consumers say speed, convenience, knowledgeable help, and friendly service are the most important elements of a positive customer experience. The report also found employees are not meeting customers’ expectations, stating only 38 percent of U....

The benefits of managed services are well-established— the more you can outsource your core IT and communications needs, the more you can focus on growing your business. And in organizations with internal IT teams, the ability to free up those teams to focus on high-value differentiators is becoming vital to establishing competitive advantage....

Cloud unified communications (UC) adoption is exploding, with experts predicting that the number of cloud-based UC platforms could jump from 15 percent in 2018 to 50 percent as soon as 2020. The market has been gradually shifting to adopt cloud services for several years now, but recently businesses have been making the switch in greater numbers....

Updated on May 7th, 2019 You’ve already replaced your light bulbs, turned off your computer, and have even offered public transportation incentives to your employees. Your company is no stranger to going green, but you’re ready to take sustainability to the next level with more long-term, bigger investments. The upfront work to kick-off a larger sustainability strategy may be more substantial, but so is the payoff for both your business and the environment....

Over the last few years, we have seen a remarkable transformation take place in the enterprise communications arena, as businesses have migrated away from traditional phone systems in favor of IP-based communications. Today, the golden standard is Unified Communications (UC), a technology that combines multiple systems like voice, video, fax, presence, and instant messaging into a centralized, cohesive platform....

The global communications landscape is changing significantly, with the internet of things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI) both growing at remarkable rates. If you’re not already familiar, IoT stands for “Internet of Things” and is the industry term for this era’s “smart” devices including smart phones, appliances, cars, and other items we use every day....

Apple and Android accounted for 99.6% of smartphone sales in the fourth quarter of 2016. That’s a pretty significant duopoly of the smartphone market! What makes these two maestros of multitouch screens the standouts? Evolution. Over the last 10 years, both Android and Apple have come a long way, consistently outpacing their competitors. For a more in-depth look at the latest generation of the iPhone check out our blog, What’s New With the iPhone 7? ...