All posts by SystemsNet Administrator

What Key VoIP Features Are You Missing Out On?

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VOIP, communications, telecommunications, remote, phones, technology, systems

Voice to email transcription, conference calls, call screening – VoIP systems do it all.

Many small businesses have either made the switch or are thinking about making the switch to Voice over Internet Protocol(VoIP) services. VoIP has the ability to provide many benefits and advantages to your business over landline phones. Today, we want to provide more insight into VoIP, including the features you may not be aware of.

Voicemail to Email Transcription

Did you know that one of the ways VoIP could simplify your workflow is by translating your voicemails to text? It does not matter if you have been away from your business for an extended period of time or if you generally receive a high volume of calls on a daily basis, you can use this feature to make sure you never miss a voicemail message.

When you use this feature, you will be able to open your inbox, click the message, and listen to the message that was left for you. You will also be able to manage your email inbox by removing, saving, or forwarding the voicemails you have received. You will no longer have to worry about frantically looking for paper and pencil to write down phone numbers and names from the voicemail message.

Conference Calling

While conference calling may not be a feature that is necessarily hidden, this feature can be used in more ways than many business owners know about. When conference calling is used, audio meetings can be held with dozens or hundreds of attendants through any device that is connected to an internet network.

Conference calling can be of great use for businesses that have created remote teams. Conference calls will allow teams to work collaboratively even when they are miles apart.

Call Recording

If you want to record incoming and outgoing calls for training purposes or for reference purposes, we encourage you to use the Call Recording feature that is available. Depending on the type of service you are able to use, the calls can be recorded individually or on a company-wide basis.

There are some call recording solutions that will offer storage space in the cloud so you will not have to store every phone call on your network. There will be times when you will want to save some conversations for a variety of reasons, and call recording is a great feature that will allow you to do this.

Call Screening

If you want to feel in control of the calls you answer, you can make use of the call screening feature. As we all know, Caller ID provides information about who is calling so that you can make the decision to answer, decline, or send the call to voicemail.

The call screening process can also ask callers to state their name and any other identifying information. The information the caller leaves will be relayed to you. We understand that you are not always able to answer every call that comes in, so the call screening feature will allow you to answer the calls you feel are a priority.

Do Not Disturb

This feature probably does not need an in-depth overview. The “Do Not Disturb” feature can be put to great use when you do not want to be interrupted for an extended period of time. If you are in the middle of another phone call or if you are in the middle of a face-to-face meeting, this feature will allow you to turn the ringer off the phone during this time.

Do you currently have VoIP services? Are there any features you have not used because you were not aware they were available? If you would like to learn more about VoIP features that can improve your business, please do not hesitate to contact us today.

Avoid Common Mistakes When Choosing A Managed Service Provider (MSP)

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Shot of a young attractive businesswoman working late at night in a modern office

Hiring a Managed Service Provider? Here’s what you need to know.

One of the biggest myths or misconceptions about partnering with a Managed Service Provider (MSP) is the idea that your entire IT department will be replaced. However, this is not the truth. Generally, businesses and organizations like yours will use Managed Service Providers to provide assistance to the current members of the IT team.

Small businesses and mid-sized businesses will often hire a Managed Service Provider (MSP) to provide the support they would receive if they make high-powered advances to their IT department, but the MSP can come at a lower cost. There are several benefits to hiring a Managed Service Provider (MSP). One of the key benefits is that an MSP will handle the application and network security issues so members of the IT department will not have to.

Your business or organization wants to grow, but what happens when the growth comes at a rapid rate? If a business or organization is growing extremely fast and there are no resources in place to keep up with the growth, this can cause a variety of problems. However, how can you choose a Managed Service Provider that can fulfill your needs?

Sometimes business leaders do not consider every important detail or factor when it comes to choosing an MSP that can be the right fit for them. Here are some mistakes that we hope you can avoid when hiring an MSP.

Mistake 1: Giving Up Control

Some Managed Service Providers are well-known in the industry because they are large. However, does the popularity or size of the business mean the provider is right for you? If the MSP is so popular and well-known, how often would you be able to contact the MSP when you needed assistance? Would you have the customer support you really need?

Some Managed Service Providers will not have the time or patience to cater to your needs because there are so many other businesses or organizations receiving their services as well. Your Managed Service Provider should be a bonus or extension of your business or organization. You should still have control over your business, but you will need an MSP that is easy to reach when you need help.

Mistake 2: Choosing A Managed Service Provider That Is Not Responsive

No business or organization ever wants to experience an extensive period of downtime. However, what happens when you choose an MSP that is not able to help you right away during your downtime?

If the MSP provider you choose fails to respond to your request when you are experiencing downtime, it can result in a very challenging period of time. Your business or organization needs an MSP that has an effective system that can alert them when there is an emergency or a period of downtime. If your business is down for a prolonged period of time, this can result in an outstanding loss in profits and revenue.

Mistake 3: Believing That Each MSP Will Provide The Same Services

When it comes to Managed Service Providers, there will not be a one-size-fits-all model. We do not want you to choose the first MSP you find because you believe they are all the same. It is important to ask the right questions before making a decision so you can find the MSP that offers the services and features you need.

With so many Managed Service Providers stating they can offer the best services for your needs, we understand how difficult it can be to make a final decision. If you want to learn more about the services we provide at SystemsNet, please do not hesitate to reach out to us today. You can complete the online form or call us at 888-676-1228.

6 Types of Backup Recovery Your Business Can Implement

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IT services, computers, computer backup, technology, data recovery

Data loss can be catastrophic to your business. Learn about the data recovery and backup options available today.

Backup recovery is an essential part of running a modern business. Today, we rely so much on our digitally stored data and the very computer systems that we work on that it’s not practical to fly without a backup recovery plan in place. Backups make it possible to restore from mistakes, from malfunctions, and from hacking attempts simultaneously, or whichever disaster comes first.

Whether your office is hit by a hurricane or a bad batch of ransomware, a good backup is the key to shaking off that setback and getting your team back on the grind with barely any interruption. Of course, not all backups are the same. What you choose to backup shows both your priorities and your versatility in restoring any data that is lost.

Let’s dive into the six primary types of backup you can take to aid in future data recovery efforts.

Key File Backups

The first and leanest way to make backups is to only create copies of your most important files. For some businesses, this is a practical approach. In fact, all businesses should have their key files backed up. Having just these files essentially at-the-ready ensures that anything from a data-entry error to a device disaster cannot lose more than a few days to a week of work, depending on how often you back up your key files.

Database Backups

Database backups tend to be quite large and need to be very effectively compressed to be practical. Database backups are also absolutely necessary if you have an active database that serves your website, your business venture, or both. Backing up the database can make it possible to completely restore all of your stored data, even if something corrupts your entire database or damages the host server. A database backup can keep a company afloat after a disaster and ensure that years of collected data are not lost.

Project Backups

Project backups are more selective and tend to focus around one person or team working on a shared project. Backing up a project has several useful purposes. If one team member accidentally changes or deletes an essential file, it can be restored from the latest active backup. If the project is damaged or even if you need to reset your project from a previous point for development reasons, you can restore your project from any recent backup.

Some active project backups take the form of “version control” which is a unique type of backup made for collaborative projects. It records each change made by each person, time-stamped and labeled so all changes can be reviewed and, if necessary, rolled back.

Personal Computer Backups

A personal computer backup is something you can help employees implement for themselves. This ensures that if anything like malware or a bad software update corrupts the device, that the device owner can restore almost everything about their computer from a recent backup. All personal files and installed programs should be included so that someone who needs their personal computer restored can jump right back into the saddle.

Workstation Reset Backups

Workstation backups are different from personal computer backups. A workstation, especially a hot-desk workstation, should not have any personal or even local files. Instead, a workstation backup is a save of a configuration. The software and the security settings are particularly important. With a complete workstation backup, restoring one of your hot-desks or even establishing a new workstation is a simple matter of loading the backup onto the computer. This is much easier than re-downloading, installing, and configuring each workstation when it needs to be built or reset.

Whole-Network Backups

Last but not least, there are backups for your entire network. A truly thorough backup can make it possible to restore your business network, local or cloud, with all the right settings. This is an ideal restoration plan for natural disasters, system-wide ransomware, and location-changes. If your business network, with all it’s custom configurations, is compromised then it could take months to re-establish. With the right backup, you won’t have to deal with setbacks and can quickly restore your computers from any known disaster type.

Contact us today to learn more about backups and disaster recovery plans. Our team can help and we look forward to meeting you.

IT Monthly Management Reports: Leading Your Department

Manage Service, ,
Call center worker accompanied by her team. Smiling customer support operator at work. Young employee working with a headset.

When you’re in charge of your IT department, monthly management reports are essential.

As in nearly every industry, the Information Technology industry continues to face the hurdle of creating timely and thorough reports. In the Information Technology industry, IT reports can be used to improve the overall success of a business or organization. How? An IT report can help extend your value from an influx of digital data.

IT reports are extremely vital to a business or organization’s development and success. However, if you create reports that do not offer any value or insight to your needs, the work that was put into creating the reports will be wasted.

If you are responsible for leading the IT department, you have probably been asked a variety of questions in regard to the number of help desk tickets and the amount of time it took to resolve those tickets. If you do not have the information you need to thoroughly answer those questions, how will you be able to fully support the IT department?

Making Informed Decisions

Today, there are numerous tools and resources that can be used to create reports that will help you answer the simple and tough questions. There will always be a long list of questions coming in, and it is crucial to the success of the business or organization that you are able to answer those questions. IT monthly management reports will allow you to make informed decisions. When you are able to make decisions that are informed and well-thought-out, you will be able to lead the way and create strategies and solutions that can improve your business.

Why Do We Need IT Reports?

When creating a new business strategy or when revising a current business strategy for the IT department, it is important to have clear missions and goals. When you have visions and goals that are clear to you and everyone in the workplace, you will be able to use IT monthly management reports to determine where you stand. The IT monthly management reports can also be used to determine how effective or ineffective you have been on the progress you have made so far.

It is important to create reports that are correct because you need to know if you are meeting your business objectives. If the information on your reports do not meet the goals that have been aligned, you may be placing a wedge between the IT department and the other departments in the business or organization. If you create reports that are not correct or reports that are lacking key information, you can also negatively impact the budget that was set ahead of time.

Improve Your Business With IT Reports

If you have created IT reports in the past, you are aware of how many benefits it has. IT reports can do more than provide you with an assessment of your current needs and activities. When you have all of your data in one place, you will be able to fully analyze everything at one time. When you are able to analyze everything in front of you, you will be able to create IT dashboards.

When your IT dashboards provide you with information in real-time, you will not have to worry about constantly refreshing or searching for the data you need because everything will always be current. IT reports can lead to better decisions, greater flexibility, better agility, and an increased confidence throughout the department.

Are you ready to deliver valuable and thorough reports for your IT department? Are you ready to accelerate your business or organization? Please do not hesitate to contact us today for more information on the importance of IT monthly management reports.