Mother Lode: (209) 694-4599
Central Valley: (209) 790-4560

Tag: Voice Services

  • Mandatory 11-Digit Dialing Starts October 24, 2021

    Key Information

    Beginning October 24, 2021, you must dial 11 digits (1 + area code + telephone number) for all local calls. On and after this date, local calls dialed with only 7 digits may not be completed, and a recording will inform you that your call cannot be completed as dialed.

     

    Why Is This Change Happening?

    In preparation for the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC’s) adoption of 988 as the new three-digit number to be used nationwide to reach the National Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Lifeline, starting July 16, 2022, 11-digit dialing is being implemented. However, customers must continue to dial 1-800-273-TALK to reach the Mental Health Crisis Lifeline until July 16, 2022.

    In order for 988 to work in the 209 area code, mandatory 11-digit local dialing will begin on October 24, 2021. At that time, everyone in the 209 area code will need to change the way they dial local calls.

     

    What will be the new dialing procedure?

    To complete all local calls, you will need to dial 1 + area code + telephone number. This applies to all calls within your area code that are currently dialed with seven digits, including to your neighbors. For example, you will dial 1-209-790-4560 to reach NTELogic.

     

    Who can I contact with questions?

    If you receive your voice telephone services from NTELogic and have questions about this change, please call our office at 1-209-790-4560 or via email to info@ntelogic.com. Otherwise, please contact your voice telephone services provider. You can also visit the FCC website at https://www.fcc.gov/suicide-prevention-hotline.

     

  • Essential Features to Look for in a Cloud Communications Platform

    Enabling communication between your employees and with customers is critical for any company’s success. The key to streamlining it and promoting flexibility and mobility is to use a cloud communications platform.

    The reality is that more businesses are leveraging the cloud to power their communications and collaboration. It’s a wise choice since it’s cost-effective, secure, and accessible. If you’re looking to migrate from a legacy on-premises solution or are currently using a platform that doesn’t fit your needs, it’s time to find a better way to communicate.

    Why Cloud Communications?

    Adoption of the cloud continues to grow. The last year, in particular, saw remarkable growth. Remote workforces and the acceleration of digital transformation made it imperative to migrate.

    Cloud communications delivers so many advantages. It keeps all your tools in one enterprise hub and allows staff to work from wherever. It’s scalable, cost-effective, and highly secure.

    However, not all platforms are the same. Most will have the same basic features, but not all will fulfill your needs and deliver on reliability and affordability.

    So, which features do you really need?

    Cloud Communications Platform Features to Seek Out

    PBX Phone System

    A PBX phone system is a fundamental building block for your solution. It uses VoIP (voice over IP) to route calls. That means your team can use it from anywhere, as long as they have a connection.

    While this is a standard feature, there are some more advanced features you’ll want to seek out:

    • Call analytics: Great for measuring the performance of sales or customer service.
    • Desktop and mobile app: Team members should be able to make and receive calls through an app.
    • Virtual voicemail: You can manage voicemails through the app—no pin required. A transcription of the voicemail can also arrive via email.
    • Spam caller protection: This technology can detect spammers and block them or send them directly to voicemail.

    Team Chat and Business SMS

    Chat is a great channel for internal communication, allowing co-workers to get quick responses. It’s much more efficient than long email trails. You can chat within the app or via SMS. One other thing to consider in this feature is if the chat has a presence indicator. This will show you if someone is available, away, or in a meeting.

    Video Conferencing

    Video calls are now part of the normal day-to-day of your employees. You’ll want this as part of your cloud communications platform. Look for these specifics:

    • Browser-based so you can start meetings in a click without the need to download.
    • HD video capabilities.
    • Screen sharing so that users can share any application on their desktop. Also, the ability to annotate on these supports better collaboration.

    File Backup and Sharing

    A secure way to store and share files is a critical feature for cloud communications solutions. It enables access, no matter where the employee is, and provides a way to co-edit documents in real-time.

    Backups of everything are automatic. This ensures quick recovery should a ransomware attack occur. It’s a must-have for business continuity.

    What makes this different from public shared folders like Google Drive is that you control access to the files in a more secure way. With cloud storage, you can also consolidate where you keep documents. One hub means employees can find what they need faster.

    Integrations

    The ability to integrate other applications with your cloud communications platform provides a productivity boost. From Office 365 to CRMs like Zoho and Salesforce, the ability to integrate streamlines processes and creates new efficiencies.

    It can also improve customer experiences. When your employees have access to information in CRMs or other platforms, they have more context and can help the caller faster. Your customers will appreciate you saving them from repeating their issues.

    Security and Protection

    Security features can vary across options. There are some specific things you should be looking for in this category. Providers that are security-first will have:

    • Encryption capabilities for data at rest and in transit
    • Endpoint protection that includes remote wipe of PCs if compromised, MDM (mobile device management), and detection and response
    • Access controls with role-based access assignments
    • Password management and policies
    • IAM (Identity Access Management) features like single sign-on and two-factor authentication
    • Infrastructure security with intrusion prevention and detection, enterprise-class firewalls, and DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) protection
    • Compliance with regulations like HIPAA or PCI-DSS
    • Security credentials like SOC 1 and 2

    Responsive 24/7 Support

    The last thing on your list should be the support the platform offers. While these applications are intuitive and easy to use for most, you still want to have a good support team in your corner. Look for those with 24/7 support and short wait times.

    Support shouldn’t seem like a burden to your provider. If you get this impression, you should probably keep looking. Companies that win awards for their support and voice their commitment to it will go above and beyond to ensure you have what you need.

    Choose a Cloud Communications Platform That Satisfies All Your Requirements

    If you’re ready to move to the cloud, make sure you opt for a solution with all these features. It will likely exceed your expectations and make a real impact on your workforce’s daily tasks. We invite you to explore Elevate from NTELogic, a unified communications platform that delivers all these features and more.

  • UCaaS Solutions for Small Business: Everything You Need to Know

    Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) can unlock a lot of doors for small businesses. Flexible, mobile, and easy to implement, this is one solution that has become even more useful in 2020 for companies forced to work remotely. UCaaS solutions for small business offer a way for teams to communicate, collaborate, and to stay productive from wherever.

    Let’s take a look at why UCaaS is becoming increasingly popular and how this technology is uniquely positioned to help SMBs thrive, even in the coronavirus era.

    Small Businesses Depend on Efficient Solutions

    Unlike big-budget enterprises, smaller companies don’t usually have a lot of financial flexibility. According to a recent McKinsey survey, close to one-third of small businesses in the US were operating at a loss of breaking even – before the pandemic.

    Yet, for many, adopting the right technologies quickly has become vital for sustaining business. With a UCaaS solution, there’s no need to invest in expensive hardware or to shoulder maintenance and IT management costs. To use the software, users simply need to download an app to their laptop or mobile phone.

    Not only that, but as a cloud-based solution, there’s no tech implementation hurdle. Once your teams have the software and your subscription is activated, staff can get to work. UCaaS has served as a frictionless solution for small businesses during the pandemic.

    UCaaS Boosts Productivity

    With Unified Communications technology, users can access all collaboration and communication apps from one interface. Your employees can log in to one platform – which means one password and username for one integrated solution. From there, they’ll have everything they need to connect, share, and stay productive.

    • Business phone system
    • Team chat and SMS
    • Video conferencing
    • Screen sharing
    • File management

    Since all of this is available through one platform in the cloud, your staff can use all these tools on-the-go. Whether employees are working from home, in the office, or anywhere else, they’re equipped to answer emails, chat with co-workers, host meetings with clients, send and review documents, and more.

    This is why UCaaS solutions are often adopted for their ability to increase agility and productivity. It’s also why this technology boasts a year-over-year market growth rate of 29 percent.

    Secure Solutions Are Exactly What Small Businesses Need

    With the right UCaaS solution, small businesses can count on comprehensive security. When exploring solutions, check that your provider is vigilant about keeping their infrastructure – and by extension, your data – safe. Here are some of the standard security measures you can expect:

    • Data centers that are physically monitored 24/7
    • Multi-layered security controls to protect the infrastructure such as formal policies for authentication and configuration standards for firewalls
    • Monitoring controls to identify potential security threats quickly
    • Use of Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) protection to further safeguard network security

    They should also use data encryption to protect sensitive customer and call data. For a higher level of security, look for a provider that encrypts data both in transit and at rest.

    More than one-third of senior technology executives say that cybersecurity risks have gone up as the majority of employees started working from home. Chief technology officer for Nationwide, Jim Fowler said about the uptick in cyber threats, “Businesses should anticipate that bad actors will assume people aren’t manning the gates, providing them with an opening.”

    One way small businesses can combat this increased risk is to only adopt technologies that they know are safe. As your Unified Communications solution is the hub of business communications, choose a provider that takes security and data protection very seriously.

    UCaaS Is a Win for Small Businesses

    This is true in the current business climate. It’s also the case for the future of work. Whether your teams are working remotely or not, UCaaS solutions empower teams to be more productive and more efficient.

    NTELogic Elevate, our popular Unified Communications as a Service solution, comes with a 99.999% financially-backed uptime service level agreement and relies on state-of-the-art technologies to monitor for and protect against malicious intruders.

    You can also embed your communications into your everyday business apps. NTELogic Elevate integrates with Office 365, Microsoft Teams, Outlook, G Suite, NetSuite, Salesforce, Slack, and other leading CRM, sales, and collaboration applications. Find out more about how it can benefit your business.