Blog, Insights, and Announcements from Carolina Digital Phone

3 Ways that the Power of Prayer Sustains and Strengthens My Business

These days, you can talk to most people about catastrophes, disasters, calamities, and other terrible things, but mention the word “prayer” and the conversation often comes to a screeching halt. Some people call this political correctness. I call it misguided. The way I was raised and where I come from, prayer does not mean trying to force other people to believe certain things. It also does not mean judging and condemning people who believe differently, or who do not believe at all. Instead, prayer is about cultivating an intimate and essential relationship with God. A wonderful pastor advised me many

Nicky Smith August 9, 2021

How a Cloud Phone System Solves 3 Problems of Working Remotely

The Era of Working Remotely has arrived — and it is here to stay! In the foreseeable future, hundreds of millions of employees will spend at least part of their week working from a home office. In fact, Gartner projects that a whopping 51% of global knowledge workers will be remote by the end of 2021 — up from 27% in 2019 This is great news for employees who can avoid the time, stress, and cost of commuting. However, it is not great news for some employers who are running into three problems related to working remotely. Below, we highlight

Nicky Smith August 2, 2021

How Covid-19 Changed the World

So, your business was humming along nicely. Then, all of a sudden, COVID-19 reared its ugly head and threw the world into a tizzy. Almost overnight, companies were scrambling to find solutions to run their business remotely. The idea of having your employees work remotely is not a new concept, nor is having your team work from home for various reasons like inclement weather, illness, or lack of daycare. We’ve all been there – your toddler is sick and you need to stay at home with them. Or, you live in the south and there is a light dusting of

Neil Matson August 2, 2021

8 Massive Benefits of Working Remotely with a Virtual Phone System

The pandemic has ushered into a new era of remote working. Until early 2020, remote working was generally viewed as an optional perk. But since then, it has shifted into a fundamental necessity. A survey found that 40% of remote workers would consider quitting if forced to return to the office fulltime. In response to this change in work habits, organizations of all sizes and across all sectors —private, public, and non-profit — have pivoted towards tools and technologies that enhance remote work by making it more efficient and productive; and at the same time, boost remote worker engagement and

Nicky Smith July 26, 2021

man surprised with his business phone service

4 Surprising Features in Our Cloud Business Phone Service (Hint: They Have Nothing to Do with Phone Calls!)

Surprises come in two versions. There is the “wow, how exciting and wonderful!” variety. And then there is the “oh please let this be a bad dream that I’m about to wake up from!” kind (otherwise known as the “birthday party from hell”). Well, here at Carolina Digital Phone we are all about giving our customers delightful surprises. We are pleased to highlight four surprising features that are included in our all-in-one cloud business phone service. Why are they “surprising”? Because they have nothing to do with making and receiving phone calls, and because they are 100% free! Surprising Cloud

Neil Matson July 22, 2021

woamn using a small business phone system

Why Switching to a VoIP Small Business Phone System is a HUGE Money Saver

While some larger organizations can afford to waste money (at least for a little while), most small businesses do not have much margin for error. This is why a small business phone system is vital! If they fail to keep a close eye on the bottom line, then they eventually will fold. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics: Approximately 20 percent of small businesses fail within 12 months of launching. A further 10 percent disappear within 24 months. Another 20 percent are gone within 36 months. Yet another 20 percent bid farewell within 60 months. By the end of

Nicky Smith July 15, 2021

Is Hosted VoIP Right for your Business?

If you are planning on upgrading your business phone system you have surely come across hosted VoIP. What exactly is it, and how can your company benefit from a hosted VoIP from Carolina Digital Phone? Voice over Internet Protocol, known as VoIP, converts phone calls into a series of data packets and transmits calls to the public telephone network. Unlike on-premises telephone systems, hosted VoIP provides your business complete phone service from a local, trusted VoIP provider over your existing internet connection avoiding the costly copper phone lines. Instead of owning and maintaining an on-premise server, a hosted VoIP solution

Nicky Smith July 9, 2021

Why Your Hybrid Workplace Needs VoIP & Unified Communications

Before the pandemic, there were generally two types of workers. There were those who worked in the corporate office, and there were those who worked in their home office. Now though, there is a third type of worker that HR experts say will dominate the workforce landscape for the foreseeable future: the hybrid worker. This individual spends time in both environments (e.g. Monday and Wednesday in the corporate office; Tuesday, Thursday and Friday in their home office). The term for this configuration is “hybrid workplace,” and the engine that makes it function for hybrid workers and their employers alike is

Mitchell Smith July 8, 2021

FAQ: “How Much Bandwidth Do We Need for Cloud-Based Phones?”

When upgrading from a conventional landline phone system to a state-of-the-art cloud-based phone system, one of the most important factors to consider is how much bandwidth will be required. Bandwidth refers to the capacity of the connection to transfer an amount of data in a specific period of time. This is usually expressed as megabits per second, or Mbps. For example, an internet connection with a bandwidth of 25 Mbps is capable of transferring 25 million bits of data per second. Why is choosing the optimal bandwidth so important? Because if the bandwidth is insufficient (i.e. if it is “too

Mitchell Smith July 8, 2021

How to Sell Management on a New IP-Based Phone System

An Internet Protocol (IP)-based phone system is much more than a few new phones plugged into your network. It transforms your phone system into a next-generation communications hub, complete with cutting-edge technologies that let your organization deliver better customer service while cutting costs. An IP-based phone system piggybacks on your IP-network, connecting to the public-switched telephone network (PSTN) via your internet connection. Use this checklist to sell management on a new IP-based phone system: Reduce the cost of phone charges.IP telephony can significantly reduce the cost of your long-distance charges. It also reduces the number of circuits to the PSTN

Nicky Smith July 5, 2021

Benefits of Cloud-based PBX System

Carolina Digital Phone’s systems feature these business-critical telephone services: 1 Easy to set up and use. – Your internet control panel with Carolina Digital Phone hosted cloud telephone systems is designed for simplicity. Set up call forwarding numbers, add new users and phones, and pull reports all from one intuitive web console. You won’t need an IT professional just to make routine changes to your cloud based phone system. 2 Cut your monthly phone bills – Placing calls using our cloud telephone system allows us to offer you exceptionally low monthly rates for unlimited calling in the US & Canada.

Nicky Smith July 2, 2021

Cherishing & Celebrating: What I Will be Doing this Independence Day

Anyone who knows me is aware that I am fiercely patriotic. I always have been, and I always will be. And that is why Independence Day is always a very special occasion for me and my family. It is an opportunity for us to reflect on the immense gratitude that we feel to all of the men and women — past and present — who have served and defended our country in various ways; some of whom made the ultimate sacrifice. We owe these heroes a debt that we can never repay, and we honor them in our hearts, thoughts,

Nicky Smith July 1, 2021

The IP Desktop Phone Is Here to Stay

While many of us are used to our hard-wired phones and the reliability they offer in communications, this channel does not offer easy integration into the all-IP network. A number of companies have already made the move to deploy IP phones in order to leverage VoIP capabilities in the enterprise, yet the recession halted some of that spending. You may not realize just how big of a business it is, though. According to the latest statistics, there are one billion people using VoIP services by the end of 2017. Given that there are only 7.5 billion people in the world,

Nicky Smith July 1, 2021

CEOs & Business Owners: How to Save $28,104 (or More) Each Year

In today’s relentlessly competitive, fast-moving, and highly uncertain business landscape, the need for CEOs and business owners to find efficiencies and “get more for less” is not just a strategic priority. It is a fundamental necessity. You need to save money. Yet despite this urgent requirement, a surprising number of CEOs and business owners — through no personal fault or failing of their own — are wasting tens of thousands of dollars a year. How? By having their IT Director perform double-duty as their “telephone services guru”. Sound far-fetched? Let’s do the math: According to payscale.com, the average total salary

Nicky Smith June 29, 2021

How to Stop Robocalls

If you are searching for a way to stop robocalls, then you are not alone. In 2020, nearly 4 billion robocalls targeted consumers and businesses across the U.S. And if you thought that the pandemic might have at least put a dent in the global robocall machine, think again. Scammers increased their efforts during COVID-19, with the most common robocalls claiming to provide financial relief, testing and treatments. Of course, this is in addition to standard robocall fare that has been going on for several years, such as those that falsely claim an intended victim’s identity has been stolen, that

Nicky Smith June 28, 2021

woman on phone at computer using phone system features

10 Cloud Phone System Features that Will Massively Improve Your Customer Service

Every successful business leader knows that “if we fail to take care of our customer, a competitor will.” Consider these eye-opening statistics: 17% of customers will walk away after just one bad experience, while 59% will leave after a handful of bad experiences. (Source: PWC) Companies that lead in customer service out-perform laggards by nearly 80% (Source: Forrester) Customers who rate a company’s service as “good” are 38% more likely to recommend that company to family members, friends, colleagues, and associates. (Source: Qualtrix XM Institute) While there are many ways for organizations to improve customer service, among the most effective

Nicky Smith June 18, 2021

8 Reasons Why a Cloud Phone System is a Game Changer for Remote Working

Before the coronavirus crisis, remote working was surging. Now, it is here to stay and will become even more common in the months and years ahead. If your company isn’t gearing up for remote working solutions, you’ll be left behind by your competition. Here are 8 reasons why a cloud phone system is a transformative game-changer for remote working: 1. Remote workers can make and receive calls — as well as access many other functions such as chat, SMS, and presence — simply by plugging in an IP phone to their computer or laptop. Using a landline is not necessary.

Neil Matson June 15, 2021

cyberattacks - best practices - blurred people in background behind 3 different phones and business card

How We Protect Our Customers from Cyberattacks + Best Practices on Staying Safe

At Carolina Digital Phone, we take the safety of our customers VERY seriously. That is why we implement the following cybersecurity measures to protect our customers from cyberattacks: Our hosted cloud phone system runs on private and highly secure LAN data networks. These networks are protected by end-to-end encryption mechanisms. Including Transport Layer Security/TLS, Secure RTP for transmitting media, robust password protection for managed routers, and secure web-based dashboard access. In addition, our servers do NOT connect to the public Internet. Our expert team continuously installs and configures security patches and updates. We conduct 24/7 monitoring to proactively detect unusual

Matthew Hutton June 9, 2021

happy businesswoman with papers talking on smartphone while sitting on table in office - workplace flexibility

Workplace Flexibility: 7 Ways that a Cloud Phone System Makes it Happen

In today’s uncertain, fast-paced, constantly-changing and relentlessly competitive business landscape, having a flexible workplace is crucial for success — and in the long run, survival. But how can organizations optimize workplace flexibility, so they can embrace rather than resist change? The answer is simple: upgrade to a cloud phone system. Below, we highlight seven critically important ways that a cloud phone system drives workplace flexibility: Location Flexibility The most well-known — and indeed, the most valuable — way that a cloud phone system makes workplace flexibility happen is by enabling employees to access the system from anywhere. For example, employees can

Joan Wilkerson June 1, 2021

743: Slow Adoption of Area Code in North Carolina

Back in 2015, North Carolina approved a second area code (743) for Piedmont Triad. This was primarily down to the fact that there was no more availability for (336) numbers. In North America, each three-digit dialing code can only be used approximately 8 million times. The trouble faced by most states is simply that they have exhausted the options for the initially designated area code. Since the introduction of the 743 dialing code, there has been a prolonged rate of adoption, and it’s not difficult to see why. We are going to take a closer look at the people most

Nicky Smith June 1, 2021

Flexible Workplace: 3 Essential Tools that Every Organization Needs

Motivational and self-help guru Brian Tracy has said that to succeed, it is necessary to “be clear about your goal, but flexible about the process of achieving it”. Indeed, these wise words are as applicable to organizations as they are to individuals. This is more true than ever in today’s business landscape where a flexible workplace is not just a profitable competitive advantage, but a basic requirement for long-term survival. Below, we highlight three essential tools for a flexible workplace that every organization needs to thrive instead of struggle: Cloud Phone Systems for a Flexible Workplace A cloud phone system

Nicky Smith May 21, 2021

Softphone vs. Deskphone: Which is Best for Your Organization?

Deciding to make the switch from a conventional phone system to a cloud (a.k.a. VoIP) phone system is a smart move when you consider all of the advantages, which include: Significant initial and year-over-year cost savings. A wide range of enterprise-grade Unified Calling (UC) features such as voicemail-to-email, auto attendant, live call transfer, and more. Seamless scalability. No maintenance, update and upgrade costs. No technical support costs. Reliability and uptime (if the power goes out locally, the system will automatically shift to another area of the state/country where power is operational). The freedom to provide employees with a softphone or

Nicky Smith May 7, 2021

4 Powerful Ways that Cloud Business Phone Systems Boost Customer Service

It is widely understood — frankly, it is axiomatic by this point — that good customer service is important. However, the enormous impact and influence of customer service on today’s business landscape is truly eye-opening. Consider the following: 52% of customers have made an additional purchase from a company after a positive customer service experience. (Source: Dimensional Research) 86% of consumers are willing to spend up to 25% extra for better customer service. (Source: Squaretalk) 61% of customers have switched brands due to poor customer service. And nearly 50% have done so within the last year. (Source: Microsoft) The moral

Nicky Smith April 30, 2021

5 Ways that Cloud Office Phone Systems Cut Costs

These days, the need for businesses to “do more with less” is not just important: it’s essential! And that’s why a growing number of companies — from small firms to large enterprises — are upgrading to cloud (a.k.a. VoIP) office phone systems. Here are the 5 biggest reasons why 1. No PBX Costs With Office Phone Systems Conventional phone systems require an on-site private branch exchange (PBX). These are extremely expensive. While the exact amount depends on the size of the organization, generally the cost is about $1,000 per employee. So, a company with 15 employees would have to spend

Neil Matson April 28, 2021

10 Tips to Engage, Motivate and Energize Your Remote Workers

Right now, tens of millions of people who would otherwise be working in a corporate office are working from home. This is a good thing. If the COVID-19 pandemic happened 20 years ago, remote working would be far less viable of an option. Yes, people had internet at home back then, too. But connectivity speeds were much slower, and many were still using dial-up modem technology. Imagine taking 15 minutes to download a presentation (and even longer to upload one). And as for real-time video conferences: forget about it! However, the fact that millions of people are working remotely right

Neil Matson April 25, 2021

Is 3CX Really Free?

No, nothing is ever really free, even if it might seem that way at first glance. Many businesses today are making the move to cloud-based telephone services, and you might be tempted to do the same. Most cloud-based services run on either SIP trunking or VoIP protocol, basically using virtual connections, instead of wires and cables and using existing internet connection cables to convert audio into data to be transported. This can have many advantages. Landlines are quickly becoming a thing of the past. You might not have one at home at all. But, at work, having a phone is

Nicky Smith April 23, 2021

North Carolina Named “2020 State of the Year”

While 2020 was a very challenging year for obvious reasons, there were some bright spots as well. And one of the most encouraging and uplifting stories was North Carolina being named “2020 State of the Year” by Business Facilities Magazine. This is the first time — but certainly will not be the last time — that North Carolina has earned Business Facilities’ top honor. A title that has been bestowed annually since 2007. North Carolina earned top 10 rankings in several key categories for the “2020 State of the Year”: Best Business Climate Workforce Development Manufacturing Employment Foreign Direct Investment

Nicky Smith April 15, 2021

How Businesses in America will Thrive after the COVID-19 Crisis

Building Back A Better America America is a very different place than it was just a couple of weeks ago. When the COVID-19 virus first emerged, we were all told to wash our hands properly and follow typical guidance for stopping the spread of viruses. Now we’re told to stay at home. While there have been many crises over the years, this has changed life as we know it significantly, and all in a short space of time. It’s truly an unbelievable turn of events. But as with any crisis, we will make it through the other side. The lessons

Nicky Smith April 7, 2021

mergers and acquisitions - why bigger is not always better

Acquisitions in the Hosted VoIP Industry

Why Bigger is Not Always Better Bill Gates once said that “success is a lousy teacher because it seduces people into thinking that they can’t lose.” Well, to this we would add that success is sometimes not just a lousy teacher for people — it can also be a lousy teacher for companies, too. Take for example the consolidation that is happening in the VoIP industry. A growing number of relatively small companies are being acquired by larger organizations. On the surface, this seems like a good thing. After all, bigger is supposed to be better, right? But if we

Nicky Smith April 2, 2021

5 Support Related Questions You MUST Ask a Potential Cloud Phone System Vendor

Best Technical Support is Always LOCAL When it comes to choosing a cloud phone system for your organization, naturally you will focus on things like features, functionality, installation/implementation, quality, scalability, flexibility, security, and of course, price and total cost of ownership. All of these factors are essential and need to be part of the evaluation process. However, there is another critical aspect that you simply cannot afford to overlook — because doing so means that your investment in a new cloud phone system will turn out to be regrettable instead of rewarding. What is this all-important piece of the puzzle?

Eric Lyon March 30, 2021

We’re Improving Our Cloud Phone System with Rich Call Data for Smartphones

At Carolina Digital Phone, we are constantly working on ways to improve our advanced and affordable cloud phone system. Today, we are thrilled to give you a sneak preview of an innovation that will be available to ALL of our customers at NO ADDITIONAL COST in the coming months: rich call data for smartphones. With this new feature, our customers who contact customers, suppliers, or any other party that has a smartphone will be able to: Display their logo or any other image (e.g. headshot) on the receiving party’s Caller ID screen. This can significantly increase the chances of a

Nicky Smith March 27, 2021

Creating Time Frames

Time Frames determine specific hours of certain days or a span of days when features such as answering rules, call queues or auto attendants will be active. For example, Monday-Thursday 5 pm-8 am, or July 7–July 25. It is a good idea to have one or more time frames ready before creating your answering rules. This feature may not be available to ALL users of our cloud-based hosted platform. You must have the role of Office Manager to create and change a timeframe. Give your time frame a name that matches the time frame and usage; e.g., weekends forward to a cell

Nicky Smith December 20, 2020

How Secure is Your Company’s Communication Strategy Right Now?

Let’s face it, COVID-19 has changed our daily routine a lot, this includes our communications strategy. We have adapted rapidly and generally with good results. Cloud-based communications have become an integral part of how we do business. While switching to a work from home setup brings many challenges, like finding a suitable workspace and juggling home-schooled kids and pets, one area we tend to ignore is security. The proliferation of phishing schemes and Zoombombing has increased seemingly overnight. For companies both large and small, learning how to implement security needs to be a primary concern for companies needing to change

Nicky Smith December 10, 2020

Solve 5 Big WFH Challenges with a Cloud Telephone System

Even before the pandemic, remote working was on the rise, with 55% of people telecommuting full-time. Today, many employees are enjoying the flexibility of working from home, but employers face new challenges in managing their remote teams. Discover how a cloud phone system can solve five major work-from-home hurdles, from inefficient communication tools to the lack of visibility among colleagues. With features like built-in chat, unique extensions for every worker, and real-time performance monitoring, you can enhance productivity and maintain a professional image. Ready to transform your remote workforce? Read on to learn more!

Chris Villa September 21, 2020

Four Rules for a Happier Life

We live in a complex and unpredictable world. Lately, our world has been even more stressful and out of control than ever – or so it seems. In tumultuous times, I center myself with some simple guidelines that I apply to my personal as well as business life. I am sharing these rules for a happier life in the hope that you may apply them to your everyday life and benefit from them. Rule for a happier life 1: Laugh and the World Laughs With You Try this – make an effort every day to make someone smile. It doesn’t

Nicky Smith September 16, 2020

Survival of Small Business Depends on Digital

It is no surprise that small and medium-sized businesses across the globe have suffered due to the global coronavirus pandemic. What is becoming evident, based on research, is that the companies that are surviving and prospering are making a concerted push toward upgrading their digital technologies to survive. This means survival of small business depends on digital. What the Experts say 2020 Small Business Digital Maturity study According to a new 2020 Small Business Digital Maturity study from IDC, 70 percent of small businesses are speeding up their push to switch to digital in the face of hurdles coming from

Nicky Smith September 14, 2020

Why County Governments are Choosing Our Hosted VoIP Solution

As noted by GovTech.com, county governments across the country are increasingly leading the way when it comes to deploying advanced technologies that matter and make a difference to everyday citizens. And one of the most important ways they are demonstrating technological, governance, and civic leadership is by switching to a hosted VoIP phone system (a.k.a. cloud phone system). At Carolina Digital Phone, we have extensive experience working closely with both large and small county governments to help them reap the advantages of a hosted VoIP phone system. Here are some of the most compelling benefits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYCnyN6RxCQ 1. Significant Year-Over-Year Cost

Nicky Smith September 10, 2020

cloud contact center - Businessman typing on keyboard at call center

5 Reasons Your Business Needs a Cloud Contact Center

Recently, we highlighted that during the coronavirus pandemic many businesses with legacy (on-premise) contact centers are struggling to pivot to a remote working setup. As a result, they are being inundated with unhappy customers who, instead of speaking to a human being, are being put on hold and told that “their call is very important” over, and over, and over again. Fortunately, the solution to this anti-customer bottleneck is simple and proven: switch to a cloud contact center. Here are the five key advantages: Instant Scalability Business Continuity Boost Employee Performance Increase Customer Satisfaction Strengthen Security 1. Instant Scalability Adding

Eric Lyon August 31, 2020

20+ Years Strong, Carolina Digital Phone, Most Reliable, Best Value

Local Service and Support, Most Reliable, Best Value, and Easy Setup We will start by providing you with a free comprehensive assessment of your current telephone services, including actionable steps you can take to improve it. Our sales engineers know their way around older telephone systems, and can help you discover what you might be missing with your current system. Be assured that you will NOT experience any disruption to your current phone system during our assessment. Next, we will provide advice on how a cloud-based telephone system supports your remote workers, and how you can leverage advanced features like

Nicky Smith August 19, 2020

Here’s Why Cloud Phone Systems Are Now Essential

Cloud-based phone systems have been viewed as important and valuable for a while now. However, in the last few months with the coronavirus pandemic, this perception has evolved, and a growing number of businesses of all sizes — from startups to enterprises — now believe that cloud phone systems are essential. What is the reason for this mindset shift? It’s all about flexibility. We have entered the Era of Uncertainty, which means that the ability to adapt is arguably a business’s most vital core competence and competitive advantage. Cloud phone systems drive flexibility on several levels, including: Capacity Flexibility: With

Nicky Smith August 10, 2020

Would You Rather Live in The New Normal or The New Exceptional?

We’ve all heard that we are living in “The New Normal.” It’s a term tossed about by the news media and anyone else trying to wrap their heads around how much the world has changed seemingly overnight thanks to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic and, not too long ago, the recession of 2007-2009 – often referred to as “The Great Recession.” The dictionary defines the word normal as “conforming to the standard or the common type; usual; average.” As a business owner, do you want the label of average? Being average doesn’t make much of an impact nor does it drive

Neil Matson August 6, 2020

5 Reasons Cloud Phone Systems Are More Secure Than Landline Systems

Security is a top-of-mind concern these days and for good reason. The costs of a data breach can be significant — and in some cases enormous. For example, the Target breach in 2013 ultimately ended up costing the company a cool $162 million. And who can forget the Epsilon breach back in 2011? The price tag for that incident? Four (cue Dr. Evil voice) BILLION dollars. Of course, most data breaches aren’t as staggeringly expensive as these notorious cases. However, all breaches are costly and can take several weeks, months, or even years to investigate and clean up. And we

Nicky Smith August 4, 2020

Why Customers HATE Having their Call Transferred & What to Do About It

A survey by Consumer Reports found that a whopping 70 percent of customers become highly upset — and some outright hate it — when they hear the following phrase (or a variation): “I need to transfer your call.” – People hate having their call transferred. What’s behind this dread and loathing? Surely, it can’t be the simple act of transferring a call. After all, customers don’t have to lift a finger, and transfers are instant. There must be something else that infuriates customers. It’s not that customers inherently hate having their call transferred, it’s that they hate what usually happens

Nicky Smith July 31, 2020

Make BLF Your New BFF!

In the business world, there too are many acronyms to try to remember them all. The same goes for electronics. But there are a few that will make your workday so much easier. One is “BLF” which stands for Busy Lamp Field on your IP business telephone. While it doesn’t sound very sexy, the BLF indicator just might be your new BFF (Best Friend Forever). The BLF has been around for quite some time but is more useful now than ever on cloud-based phones. On most modern telephones, the BLF is usually a small Light Emitting Diode (LED). Great, another

Neil Matson July 27, 2020

Total Computer Solutions – A Trusted Resource

Carolina Digital Phone endorses and highly recommends Total Computer Solutions as a valuable resource for technical support. We are very happy to have them as a trusted partner. — Nicky Smith, CEO Carolina Digital Phone The analysts and staff at Total Computer Solutions (TCS) are experienced, capable, and care about your organization’s success. They understand that a reliable IT infrastructure can elevate your bottom line and give you a competitive advantage in your industry. Genuine concern for you and your organization paired with their expertise in the use of Microsoft cloud and on-premise solutions makes TCS unique. TCS helps provide

Nicky Smith July 23, 2020

Cloud Phone System Feature Spotlight: Music-on-Hold

First things first: we all know that customers don’t like being placed on hold, and some of them downright hate it. But what you may not know is WHY customers find this experience so dreadful. As with many things in life, this reaction has less to do with reality and more to do with perception. It’s All in the Mind Research has revealed that what rankles people so much about waiting on hold isn’t actually waiting: it’s that they have nothing to do, which makes them feel that they’re waiting much longer than they truly are. For example, a customer

Nicky Smith July 21, 2020

10 Great Reasons Your Business Should Move To The Cloud

While there have been advances in the telephone industry over the years, the basic concept has not changed much for over a hundred years. However, in the 21st Century, a major shakeup in the business phone industry means you should seriously consider updating your business phone system.

Nicky Smith July 15, 2020

Cloud Phone System Feature Spotlight: Auto Attendant

One of the most important — and also the most loved — features of a cloud-based phone system is Auto-Attendant. Much more than an answering machine, Auto-Attendant is an automated, sophisticated, customizable, and VERY easy-to-use virtual receptionist. Key Benefits Here are some benefits of Auto-Attendant that will make your team wonder how they managed without it: Answer calls with a professional and customized company greeting. You’ll never miss a call again, even during busy times and after hours. Route incoming calls based on business hours, date, date range, or specific caller ID. For example, you can automatically direct calls from

Neil Matson July 9, 2020

5 Secrets of Turning a Crisis into an Opportunity for Success

At the height of World War II, Sir Winston Churchill said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste.” Think about it. On the surface, what possible good could arise from a crisis? The answer is that it gives us an urgency to examine and rethink how things are working and how we can improve. With that in mind, here are five ways companies can learn and benefit from the coronavirus crisis: Embrace and Encourage Working From Home Naturally, some businesses cannot implement a distributed workforce. However, allowing some employees to work at least partially from a home office is

Neil Matson July 7, 2020

Helping the Arts Community in North Carolina

Carolina Digital Phone, a locally homegrown business based in Greensboro North Carolina is committed to helping Arts of North Carolina in uniting people and communities to strengthen and celebrate a creative North Carolina. The arts and culture industry, an essential economic driver as well as a vital cultural asset for North Carolina, has been devastated by COVID-19. Along with airlines, restaurants and sports, the arts and cultural sector took the first major financial blow dealt by the coronavirus. In the earliest days of the crisis, nearly all performances and festivals were canceled, and museums shut their doors to comply with

Neil Matson July 3, 2020

Why BYOD for VoIP is a Must!

When you’re hosting a party, the acronym that fills your heart with joy is “BYOB,” which stands for “Bring Your Own Beer” (or other preferred adult beverage). But if your company is planning on upgrading to a cloud phone system, there’s a different acronym that is even more worthy of your love: BYOD. BYOD stands for “bring your own device,” and it allows your company to enjoy three massive advantages: 1. If you have pre-existing compatible phones, routers, and POE switches, then you can integrate these into the cloud phone system. This will save you a significant amount of money

Nicky Smith June 30, 2020

Is Your Business Hot-Desking? Then You Need a Cloud Phone System

As we emerge from the COVID-19 lockdown, millions of people are preparing to return to the corporate office (and many have already started the migration). However, we are likely to see a significant shift in the workplace landscape: the popularity of hot desking. What is Hot-Desking? Hot desking refers to a layout in which employees don’t have assigned workstations or offices. Instead, when they’re in the corporate environment (as opposed to their home office), they simply sit at any available desk and start working. It’s similar to hotel business centers or shared workspaces like WeWork, Impact Hub, etc. Post-Conavirus Hot-Desking

Nicky Smith June 25, 2020

Study: Most School Districts Failing to Support Students During COVID-19 — and How We Can Help

On the educational landscape, typically students fear getting an “F” on an assignment or test. However, an eye-opening new study reveals that most school districts around the country are not making the grade during the coronavirus pandemic. The study carried out by the Center on Reinventing Public Education (CPRE), looked at the policies of 477 school systems across the U.S. and discovered that only 33% of districts expected teachers to remotely provide instruction, track student engagement, and monitor academic progress for all students. The gap was especially pronounced in economically disadvantaged communities. As the study’s lead researchers soberly concluded: “This

Nicky Smith June 24, 2020

A Brief History of VoIP and Why You Need it Now

Since the beginning of recorded history, communication has been an essential part of everyday life. From individuals to major corporations, hospitals, and schools, being able to share information is critical. But we’ve come a long way since cave drawings, the adaption of the modern alphabet, and smoke signals. A communications revolution began with the invention of the telegraph in the 1840s and the telephone around 1876. It wasn’t until well into the 20th century that we began to move away from the analog telephone. With the creation of ARPANET in 1969 and the internet in the 1970s, a new communications

Neil Matson June 22, 2020

Do This Before You Reopen Your Business

As businesses worldwide begin coming out of their coronavirus induced hibernation, the world is a very different place. Having a plan for reopening your business is imperative. Also critical is having a plan to communicate with your customers what to expect. Even before they walk in your door, your customers are faced with a laundry list of do’s and don’ts. They must be made aware of any services you may have (temporarily) modified or discontinued as well as precautions you are taking and procedures they must adhere to. It’s not enough to make sure your business has taken the necessary

Nicky Smith June 17, 2020

The #1 Mistake Businesses Make When Buying a Cloud Phone System

Learning from our own mistakes is smart. But learning from the mistakes of others is wise — and also a heck of a lot less painful, tragic, awful…you get the picture. If your business has decided to switch from your conventional landline phone system to a cloud phone system, here is the biggest and costliest mistake that others have made, but that you can wisely avoid: underestimating the importance of OUTSTANDING SERVICE. Don’t ignore factors like features, functionality, scalability, and price. But without a doubt, service is going to determine more than anything else whether your investment will be rewarding

Nicky Smith June 15, 2020

What NOT to do When You Move to the Cloud

Cloud migrations have been increasing rapidly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, companies have been moving more data, services, and applications to the cloud as a means to become more streamlined and productive. Businesses migrating information to the cloud is not a new trend. The move toward cloud adoption, however, has been picking up steam during the worldwide lockdown with some interesting results: A major shift to remote working Reduction in capital investment Innovative business models adapting to a major shift in consumer habits Welcome to the Cloud Worldwide demand for cloud services is swelling as more people

Neil Matson June 12, 2020

Take a Good Look at Your Remote Work Infrastructure or You’ll Be Sorry

Many municipalities were caught off-guard when the COVID-19 pandemic required them to make a swift change to remote work. Businesses at all levels, but particularly in local government, were forced to address a host of concerns from a shortage of secure infrastructure and increased risks of cyber-attacks to untrained staff managing critical information without the help of their IT team. Let’s take a look: Infrastructure Without pre-planning for a teleworking-friendly structure, many offices were ill-prepared for the stay-at-home orders at the outset of the pandemic. Lacking reliable communication and collaboration tools like VoIP or a committed hosting platform, many didn’t

Nicky Smith June 10, 2020

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