Blog, Insights, and Announcements from Carolina Digital Phone

2019 Member Triad Business Journal Leadership Trust

New Member of the Triad Business Journal Leadership Trust

Nicky Smith, President of Carolina Digital Phone, Invited to Join Triad Business Journal Leadership Trust Triad Business Journal Leadership Trust is an Invitation-Only Community for Top Business Decision Makers in the Triad PRESS RELEASE: GREENSBORO, NORTH CAROLINA— Nicky Smith, President and Founder of Carolina Digital Phone Inc. has been invited to join Triad Business Journal Leadership Trust, an exclusive community for influential business leaders, executives and entrepreneurs in the Triad (Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point, NC). Nicky was chosen for membership by the Triad Business Journal Leadership Trust Selection Committee due to his experience, leadership and influence in the local

Nicky Smith November 20, 2019

Why You Should Post Good Reviews on Businesses You Do Business With

The age of technology has given us a world of information at our fingertips, for some of us though we take for granted the importance of the information we do have available to us and how we can add to this to make it more beneficial. In today’s world, we seem to follow the same patterns when it comes to the internet; we use it to either prove a point, or we use it to make one publicly. The trouble with this is, we have become a world of complainers, and what we need is to support each other. While

Nicky Smith November 19, 2019

Driving the Growth of Cloud-Based Phone Services in North Carolina

Over the last few decades, growth in the cloud-based (VoIP) phone service industry has been massive. Here are some of the statistics: By 2020, VoIP will have approximately 204.8 billion subscribers worldwide. (Source: Future Marketing Insights) VoIP is the fastest-growing industry in the world. (Source: IBISWorld) Total revenues for U.S. VoIP service providers reached $14 billion in 2019 (Source: IBISWorld) VoIP is now the #1 telephone choice by U.S. businesses. (Source: Software Advice) 70% of businesses have already deployed Unified Communications (UC) in the cloud, or plan to do so in the near future. (Source: InformationWeek) The hosted VoIP industry

Nicky Smith November 15, 2019

Cloud Technology in the Legal Industry

According to research by IBISWorld, the law firm industry in the U.S. has grown over the past five years at an annual growth rate of 2.3%, and in 2019 surpassed $330 billion in total revenue. There are over 440,000 law firms that support over 1.3 million jobs, with operators ranging from sole practitioners with a local and regional focus, to large multi-service firms with a state-wide or national footprint. Industry Disruption Despite the fact that the law firm industry is growing — largely due to the strengthening overall economy in the years since the Great Recession of 2007/2008 — it

Nicky Smith November 9, 2019

Cloud-Based Telephone System for Auto Repair Shops

According to research by IBISWorld, the size of the auto repair industry in the U.S. has surged to $69 billion dollars a year, driven by more than 271,000 businesses — from single-location shops to large nationwide franchises — who collectively provide over 577,000 jobs in communities and cities from coast to coast. No Slowdown in Sight Market research firm Future Market Insights highlights that the U.S. auto repair industry is projected to expand at a 5.8% CAGR through 2027 due to a convergence of factors, such as: An increase in the average age of vehicles due to technological advancements. An

Nicky Smith November 9, 2019

5 Signs It’s Time To Upgrade Your Business Communications

Communication is vital in any business. Whether you are talking to customers or internally to employees, ensuring your company has an efficient and reliable local service provider is essential to make sure business operations run smoothly. Fortunately, communications technology has been advancing in recent years and in turn, giving your company more options for improving systems such as office phone solutions, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and extending flexibility within your organization through virtual office solutions. If you’re one of the many businesses that have felt trapped in current communications contracts or are unsure where to turn to compare services

Nicky Smith November 2, 2019

Spectrum Nationwide Internet Outage

October 9, 2019: Today Spectrum has experienced a nationwide outage effecting millions of businesses and residential customers in North Carolina, South Carolina, Kentucky, Georgia, Ohio and many mid-western states. When calling Spectrum their Tier 1 Support Team will deny they have a problem, but after being transferred to a higher level technician they will tell you they are having a massive outage and do not have an estimated time for recovery. A recent Tweet from @Ask_Spectrum says they “do not have an estimated time of repair”. Additional Resources can be found at https://outage.report/us/spectrum and also https://downdetector.com/status/spectrum/map/

Nicky Smith October 9, 2019

safety security and emergency notification alerting

What is IP Strobe Lighting and How Does it Work?

Hosted Cloud Frequently Asked Question: What is IP Strobe Lighting and How Does it Work? Recently, we looked at the basics of IP Paging, and how it is ideal for organizations such as corporations, schools, retailers, manufacturers, and more that need to broadcast announcements to multiple employees in one or more areas. However, what if your organization operates in a noisy environment such as a warehouse or call center, in a noise sensitive environment such as a courthouse or hospital, or needs to ensure compliance with ADA and OSHA regulations? That is where IP Strobe Lighting enters the picture! What

Nicky Smith October 4, 2019

Top Considerations in Choosing a Cloud Service Provider

When choosing a cloud service provider, consider essential factors like features, scalability, local support, value for money, and security. Tailored solutions from local providers can enhance your business communications while ensuring reliable support and competitive pricing. Make informed decisions to find the best VoIP service for your unique needs.

Nicky Smith September 30, 2019

Advantages of Using a Cloud Phone System

Business cloud systems are becoming a popular option for modern businesses on an international scale. We at Carolina Digital Phone are proud to be able to deliver the best VoIP service that North Carolina business owners can access. Our system is designed to be simple to use, easy to set up and have scalability built-in. With fantastic customer reviews, we are confident that we can provide the ultimate solution that you need. However, you might still be wondering whether this is the right choice for you. Here are just some of the advantages that you can gain from switching to

Nicky Smith September 28, 2019

Need Technical Support? Getting In Touch With Us is EASY

Recently, we highlighted that the biggest missing piece of the Google Voice for business puzzle is a severe lack of technical support. Basically, there isn’t any. Businesses that run into problems or need guidance on how to use a calling feature have two undesirable options: Wade through pages and pages of online help, and hope that they find the answers they need (and further hope that they have the in-house technical expertise to understand and apply a bug fix, workaround, configuration change, etc.). Post their problem on a crowdsourcing platform, and (yet again) hope that someone can give them a

Nicky Smith September 27, 2019

carolina digital phone next generation business communications

Six Tips for Small Business VoIP

In the 21st century, communication is the key to success in business. Whatever the nature, size and scope of your enterprise you need to be able to make the outbound calls that secure new business and facilitate healthy operations while ensuring that when your clients need you, you’re never more than a phone call away. And in the digital age, more and more businesses are choosing to eschew traditional telecoms networks for VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) services to facilitate their business communications. If you’re considering changing over to VoIP for the first time, you risk walking into a potential

Nicky Smith September 27, 2019

Business Considerations for Hosted Cloud

Making the change to a cloud based service could be one of the best things you decide to do for your business. However, there are some business considerations you will need to make to ensure this is the right decision for you at this time. Do You Need More Flexibility? Compared to traditional phone lines, cloud allows for more flexibility. This is because cloud services enable just about any company to easily adapt to future changes. A traditional phone system will usually require the purchase of additional hardware, but a cloud system could safeguard you already. Do You Need Disaster

Nicky Smith September 26, 2019

Disadvantages of an In-House VoIP System

VoIP, or Voice over IP, allows users to make phone calls over Local Area Networks, in other words, the internet. This means that conversations can take place anywhere in the world where there’s an internet connection available. However, there are some disadvantages of VoIP to be aware of before deciding to use it in-house. The Disadvantages of an In-House VoIP System Are As Follows: Reliable Internet Connection Required Power Outages/Emergencies Latency The Emergency Services struggle to trace calls to a VoIP system More About The Disadvantages of an In-House VoIP System You Must Have An Internet Connection You can’t operate

Nicky Smith September 26, 2019

Coalition of 12 telephone companies agree to fight robocalls

North Carolina attorney general Josh Stein announced a coalition of 12 telephone companies and 51 attorneys general to adopt a program to fight unwanted robocalls. This program includes 8 principles to protect phone users from unwanted robocalls and make it easier to prosecute unlawful robocall perpetrators. Josh Stein, NC Attorney General: “Robocalls are the greatest frustration I hear about from North Carolinians,” said Josh Stein. “Last month, my office announced a robocall petition and within days, we’d heard from thousands of people who have been harmed or harassed by these unwanted and illegal calls. Today, I’m proud to lead this

Nicky Smith September 25, 2019

n11 Numbers

An N11 code or N11 number (said as n-one-one) is a special abbreviated dialing telephone number within the North American Numbering Plan, which allows access to special services. Each of these eight numbers prevents 10,000 telephone numbers (from N11-0000 to N11-9999) from being used. Only non-geographic area codes, such as toll-free 800/888/877/866/855/844 numbers and 900 numbers may use N11 as the telephone exchange prefix, since the area code must always be dialed for these numbers. Usage is generally assigned as follows: 2-1-1: community services, United Way. This service is not available via Carolina Digital Phone Service. Please visit the United Way web site http://www.211.org/ for more information. 3-1-1: in some areas used by municipal government services,

Nicky Smith September 23, 2019

Virtual PBX Will Help Your Business Grow

If you are looking for a way to grow your business, increase efficiency and essentially ensure that your company is firing on all cylinders, then a Virtual PBX solution or Hosted VoIP from a local company like Carolina Digital Phone could be the answer. With this option, you will be able to say goodbye to your telephone system and opt for a virtual service instead. This works through VoIP technology, so there’s no need for a phone line, which means that you are immediately saving costs. You won’t miss out on the crucial solutions you need either. Everything from voicemail

Nicky Smith September 21, 2019

The Biggest Missing Piece of the Google Voice Puzzle

As we recently highlighted, there are 10 reasons why Google Voice is NOT a business telecommunications solution — and the recent integration of Google Voice with G Suite doesn’t change this. In case you’d like a recap, here are the 10 reasons: No Business Caller ID No Technical Support Number Porting Limitations SMS Problems Feature Limitations (e.g. no toll-free numbers, no vanity numbers, no hunt groups, etc.) Blocked Calls Quality Issues Privacy Concerns Voicemail Confusion No Implementation Help Any of these reasons — let alone all 10 of them — is enough to disqualify Google Voice as a legitimate, reliable

Nicky Smith September 20, 2019

How to Budget for a Cloud Phone System Migration

Are you currently exploring cloud phone service migration in your business? If so, then it’s important to make sure that you understand how to budget for this effectively. There are lots of ways to make sure that you are keeping this under control and approaching it the right way. One of the best ways to make sure that you are budgeting the right way is to take an inventory of hardware as well as software. Remember a budget is basically an inventory of all the items as well as the associated costs. If you do not include all the items,

Nicky Smith September 19, 2019

How Hosted Cloud Service Can Make Your Law Office More Professional

Communication is key for forward-thinking legal firms. While many law offices focus on attracting local clients, they don’t always opt for local service providers, and this can come at a cost. Local cloud service providers offer cutting-edge, enterprise-grade telecommunications systems and features with the added bonus of a personal touch. If you’re looking to update or upgrade your cloud phone service, there are several benefits to opting for local cloud providers for law offices. The benefits of cloud phone service for law offices Law offices deal with a range of clients day in, day out, and they also liaise with

Nicky Smith September 18, 2019

How Carolina Digital Phone can Help your Schools Save Money On Telephone Services

As it stands, school districts across the country are dealing with a budget squeeze. Teachers across the board want to work in an environment where they feel they can remain connected, communicating within their building and outside it. For this to be effective, teachers and schools need a phone system that works efficiently, is dynamic and isn’t going to let them down in a time of crisis. It’s one of the biggest reasons that schools are starting to adapt to cloud phone systems. Educators are facing a challenge where they need to keep up with the times while continuing to

Nicky Smith September 16, 2019

Google Voice for Business: The Positives and Negatives

Great communication is one of the fundamental features of any modern business, which is why all companies naturally want to incorporate the best tech features to achieve the smoothest possible operations on a 24/7 basis. Given that Google is a global tech giant that influences virtually every aspect of your digital communications, Google Voice instantly stands out as one of the leading candidates. As with any software or business investment, though, it’s imperative to weigh up the positive and negative features in order to make a calculated decision for the good of your venture. Here’s all you need to know.

Nicky Smith September 14, 2019

What is IP Paging and How Does it Work?

Many organizations such as manufacturers, retailers, schools, car dealerships, medical offices — and the list goes on — need to broadcast messages to multiple employees. Naturally, phoning each individual employee is tedious, time consuming, ineffective, and can even be hazardous if the message is of an emergency or urgent nature. Fortunately, that is where IP Paging enters the picture and avoids all of these problems. What is IP Paging? IP Paging uses specially-designed speakers, which is attached to a hosted cloud phone system just like any other endpoint. Each speaker has a unique and designated extension. When supervisors, managers, or

Nicky Smith September 9, 2019

4 Reasons to Choose a Local Cloud Service Vendor

We all know that all businesses these days need to “think global and act local.” But when it comes to selecting the right cloud service vendor, this wisdom needs an adjustment: “think global and buy local.” Let’s start with the first part of this advice: think global. What this means is that small and mid-sized businesses should ensure that they get the same enterprise-grade telecommunications features enjoyed by large multinational firms, such as: auto attendant, live call forwarding, call transfer, automatic call distribution, online message access, call queuing, call announce, company directory, hold music, voice and fax email messages, message notification,

Nicky Smith September 3, 2019

10 Essential Questions to Ask Hosted Cloud Phone System Providers

Why your business will be better with a Hosted VoIP system from Carolina Digital Phone. Your business has decided that upgrading from a costly, inflexible, and restrictive on-premise phone system to an agile, advanced, and affordable hosted cloud phone system is the way to go. However, before you can start reaping the rewards of your wise decision, you need to choose the right partner. To help you make this decision, here are 10 essential questions to ask hosted cloud-based phone system vendors: 1. Do you specialize in installing and supporting hosted cloud phone systems? You want to steer clear of

Nicky Smith August 25, 2019

Which One is Right for You?

Cloud-based PBX vs. Installed On Premise VoIP Server with SIP Trunks. Which One is Right for You? Business needs, growth plans, and in-house expertise will influence your decision. Once you’ve made the decision to replace your legacy phone system with a Voice over IP (VoIP) solution, you must decide whether a hosted service or an on-site installation is better for your small business. Both delivery methods have unique pros and cons, and, like most technologies, one type is not inherently better than the other. Some small businesses will prefer the ease and scalability of a hosted VoIP service, while others will

Nicky Smith August 23, 2019

Benefits of Adding a Toll-Free Number to Your Cloud Phone System

While a lot of business communication these days has shifted to email, chat and instant messaging, rumors that the phone has died have been greatly exaggerated. Here are some eye-opening statistics: Calls to businesses are expected to surpass 169 billion per year by 2020, and are 10-15 times more likely to generate a successful sale or follow-up activity vs. digital form submissions. (Source: BIA/Kelsey) 65% of customers prefer to contact a business by phone, while only 24% are satisfied with only a web form. (Source: Invoca) 75% percent of customers believe that calling is the most effective way to get

Nicky Smith August 21, 2019

It’s Easy Being Green: How a Cloud Phone System Makes Your Business Environmentally Friendly

It’s Easy Being Green: How a Cloud Phone System Makes Your Business Environmentally Friendly Reducing your business’s carbon footprint does more than just help protect the environment for future generations — it also demonstrates your community and social leadership, and helps you impress the growing number of consumers who are choosing eco-friendly companies. For example: 81% of consumers feel strongly that companies should help improve the environment. (Source: Conference Board Global Consumer Confidence Survey) 50% of consumers consider a company’s environmental reputation as they make product choices. (Source: Shelton Group) 33% of consumers choose to buy goods and services from

Nicky Smith August 10, 2019

Is Your Hosted Cloud Phone System Recording Legally Compliant?

One of the most important features of a hosted cloud phone system is the ability to record incoming and outgoing calls for quality assurance, security, training, and record-keeping purposes. However, it’s even more important for businesses to ensure that they are complying with prevailing rules and laws, or else they may end up facing fines, lawsuits and reputation damage. To avoid this trifecta of pain and suffering, here are some basic facts to keep in mind when recording calls: The most important factor is consent. According to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), businesses must obtain consent to record calls, regardless

Nicky Smith August 7, 2019

Highlighting Common Types of VoIP Fraud and How We Fight Back!

The good news is that more and more businesses, schools and government agencies are switching to a hosted VoIP phone system, so they can take advantage of key benefits like: Dramatic up-front and ongoing cost savings Seamless scalability in both directions Total mobility Advanced calling features Unified communications Business continuity Integration with other systems in the environment (e.g. CRM, billing, etc.) However, the bad news is that the popularity of VoIP phone systems has attracted the attention of hackers who are trying to steal private data and commit identity theft. Here are four major types of VoIP fraud: Call Transfer

Nicky Smith August 2, 2019

Why Our Customer Support is U.S. Based

Message from our CEO: A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog to celebrate what is probably my favorite day of the year: the Fourth of July. Since then, I’ve received some nice feedback from our customers and partners, and I wanted to say thank you. Patriotism is about principles and pride, and it runs very deep in our company. And that brings me to another topic that has come up over the years that is along the same theme: why we always have — and always will — provide U.S.-based customer support vs. outsource this to a call center

Nicky Smith July 31, 2019

Why Multi-Location Retailers are Switching to a Cloud Telephone System

While life on the retail landscape has always been challenging, the situation today is even more pressure-packed as supply chains get more complex and difficult to manage, profit margins shrink due to relentless offline and online competition, and customer expectations rise with every touchpoint and transaction. In light of the constant and urgent need to do more for less — and stay ahead of the competition vs. fall behind — a growing number of multi-location retailers are swapping their bloated, costly and inflexible on-premises phone system, for an agile, affordable and scalable cloud telephone system. Here are 10 key reasons

Nicky Smith July 29, 2019

Hosted Cloud FAQ: What Happens If We Lose Our Internet Connection?

To dramatically lower costs and take advantage of advanced Unified Calling features (e.g. instant messaging, paging, call screening, etc.), a hosted cloud phone system shares the same network infrastructure that is used for connecting to the internet, browsing the web, sending and receiving emails, transmitting files, and so on. As a result of this integration, if the power goes out — such as during a storm — then provided that you have back-up power supplies, you can continue using the hosted cloud phone system. This is because a hosted cloud phone system uses a geographically dispersed cloud-based infrastructure. In simpler

Nicky Smith June 12, 2019

Hosted Cloud FAQ: “How Much Bandwidth Do We Need?”

Unlike a conventional phone system that requires a separate voice network, a hosted cloud phone system uses your business’s existing data network — i.e. the one that your team uses for emails, transferring files, connecting to the web, and so on. By eliminating the need for a voice network, you not only significantly reduce CapEx and maintenance costs, but you also unleash Unified Communications (UC) features such as video conferencing, instant messaging, call screening, integration with CRMs and ERPs, etc. Avoiding Traffic Jams Of course, to make all of this work and to reap the full benefits, you need sufficient

Nicky Smith June 4, 2019

Discover How Our Browser Extension Makes Your Employees MORE PRODUCTIVE

Organizations in different sectors — private, public, non-profit and academic — have various mandates and visions, but they all share one core objective: they constantly need to find better ways to make their employees more productive. And that is where our innovative browser extension makes the difference! KEY FEATURES Designed to work seamlessly with our hosted cloud phone system solution, our browser extension enables your employees to do all of the following from their desktop or laptop: Make calls directly from their browser simply by typing in the number. For employees who make multiple calls a day, this saves a

Nicky Smith May 28, 2019

Memorial Day Remembrance and Thank You

On behalf of everyone in the Carolina Digital Phone family, we would like to honor and salute the fallen American soldiers throughout our history who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our freedoms and keep us safe. We are forever in their debt, and they are always in our hearts. We would also like to take this opportunity to express our gratitude and support to the men and women who currently serve in our Armed Forces. Your patriotism, dedication, bravery and loyalty are an inspiration to us all. We thank you for your service. God Bless America!

Nicky Smith May 27, 2019

Working to Combat Robocalling

Update May 21, 2019 In 2018, the FCC issued an order (FCC 17-151) that allows service providers to block calls originating from numbers that are not valid under the North American Numbering Plan (NANP). As of May 21, 2019, we have started, exercising our right to block outbound calls from invalid numbers in a continued effort to combat robocalls. We are going to begin at the NPA level only (and a small handful of NPAs to start). Any domestic originating calls that contain an invalid NPA will be blocked with an ISUP 21-Call Rejected or SIP 403-Forbidden. Overview of Carolina

Nicky Smith May 20, 2019

Porting phone numbers to a hosted VoIP phone system

Hosted Cloud FAQ: Can We Keep Our Phone Numbers?

For many businesses, the idea of being forced to change their phone number when they upgrade to a new hosted cloud phone system is not just a concern: it is a deal breaker! This is certainly understandable. After all, the last thing that your business wants is for past, current and prospective customers to hear a “we’re sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service” recording, or get routed to another business — and maybe even a competitor! The good news is that when you upgrade to Carolina Digital Phone’s advanced hosted cloud phone system, in most cases your

Nicky Smith May 14, 2019

Hosted Cloud Phone System Frequently Asked Question: “What Kind of Support Do You Offer?”

One of the most important questions that any organization must ask before they purchase a hosted cloud phone system is: what kind of support do you offer? Indeed, while hosted cloud providers claim to offer post-sales support, this does not mean that all support is the same! Some providers offer superficial support that is basically useless. Of course, you’ll only find this out after spending hours (or days) going back and forth with various so-called technical support representatives. Many providers offer average support. It’s not useless and frustrating, but it’s definitely not great. They may even farm out support to

Nicky Smith April 29, 2019

7 Reasons Not to Buy Your Hosted Cloud Business Phone System from a Big Box Retailer

There are times when it makes sense to hop in the car and head to your nearest big-box retailer, such as when your kids (read: you) want the latest PS4 or Xbox One video game, or when you need to pick up a flash drive to store pictures of your “bucket list” dream trip to Augusta National (wait until you get to the glorious 13th hole). However, there are also times when big box retailers don’t have the solution you need — in fact, they will add to your problems. And this is definitely the case with a hosted cloud

Nicky Smith April 3, 2019

Hosted Cloud Feature Spotlight: 7 Reasons Your Business Will Love Video Conferencing

One of the most popular and useful features of a hosted cloud system is video conferencing, which allows employees to connect and collaborate face-to-face, regardless of where they are located. Here are 7 reasons why your business — and your employees — will love hosted cloud video conferencing, and wonder how you ever managed to survive without it: 1. Dramatically Reduce Travel Costs Business Travel News’ Corporate Travel Index study reveals that the average cost of business travel in the U.S. — including meals, car rentals, hotels, and incidentals — has climbed to a whopping $325 per day. And this

Nicky Smith March 26, 2019

Virtual Numbers VoIP Business Phone System

Hosted VoIP Feature Spotlight: 7 Reasons Your Business Will LOVE Virtual Numbers

An old movie from the 1950s informed us that “love is many splendored thing.” Well, at the risk of offending all of the romantics out there, we suggest that “love is many virtual numbers.” Admittedly, it’s not the most lyrical turn of phrase. But if you’re a business owner or executive who needs to lower costs, increase productivity, and improve the bottom line, then poetry isn’t on the agenda: getting a hosted cloud phone system with virtual numbers is! Here are the 7 reasons why your business will LOVE virtual numbers, and why your employees will wonder how they ever

Nicky Smith March 25, 2019

9 Principles of Quality Customer Service

The quality of customer service is the key differentiator between good, bad and indifferent companies. Good quality customer service keeps customers coming back; bad customer service drives customers away, taking their friends, family and workmates with them. All else being equal, good quality customer service gives the edge over competitors. Regardless of industry, here are the 9 key principals of good customer service that always make business sense. 1. Attracting new customers costs more than retaining existing customers A satisfied customer stays with a company longer, spends more and may deepen the relationship. For example a happy credit card customer

Nicky Smith March 23, 2019

How Automatic Failover Helps Some Business Avoid Losing $5,600 a Minute

So it Begins… It’s the kind of nightmare scenario that sends chills up and down the spines of even the most unflinching business owners and executives: without warning the network goes down and takes the phone system with it, along with wireless connected devices including computers, laptops, tablets, printers, and smartphones. Operations grind to a screeching halt. Customers cannot get through to buy solutions or get support, colleagues cannot connect to move the needle on projects and programs, and everyone sits around hoping — and praying — that someone, somewhere, reconnects a wire or flips a switch. Indeed, according to

Nicky Smith March 15, 2019

voip phone systems are perfect for marketing teams mad men

10 Ways that a Hosted Cloud Phone System Drives Marketing Success

Unlike the Mad Men era, today’s marketing professionals are not enjoying “3 martini lunches” while they look over color samples and stock photos, or flip through their rolodex. Instead, they’re pouring over mountains of analytical data and market research, so they can optimize campaigns, increase brand visibility, establish competitive advantage, expand marketplaces, and populate the sales funnel with qualified leads. And that’s why one of the most valuable tools in the marketing world today is a hosted cloud phone system. Here are 10 ways that a hosted cloud phone system drives marketing success: 1. Get Customized Local Numbers Businesses can

Nicky Smith March 4, 2019

How a Cloud Telephone System Solves 3 Key Mobile Worker Challenges

We are well on the way to a work landscape where remote and mobile workers won’t be the exception, but instead will be the norm. Here are some of the eye-opening statistics: 55% of workers now telecommute full-time. (Source: AND CO) 90% of mobile workers plan on working remotely for the rest of their careers. (Source: Buffer) By the year 2020, 72% of the workforce will be partially or fully mobile. (Source: IDC) 48% of workers don’t think traditional offices will exist by 2021. (Source: com) Employers save an average of $2,000 in real estate costs for each mobile worker.

Nicky Smith February 26, 2019

5 Reasons Your Business Will Fall in Love with Softphones

We’ve all heard of soft skills, software, softball, and of course, everyone’s favorite: soft serve ice cream. But softphones? For many people, this term is not part of their vocabulary — yet. For starters, no, this is not some kind of Nerf-inspired phone that people can use to make calls one minute, and kick across the room the next (although the inventors out there might want to take a run at this, because it would be a bestseller). Rather, softphones are software apps that let people make and receive calls on the cloud phone system network across various devices, such

Nicky Smith February 15, 2019

why a voip business phone system is a smart investment

12 Reasons Why Businesses Should Elevate their Phone System to the Cloud

Just how dominant has the cloud become across the business landscape? Here are some statistics that confirm beyond any doubt that the on-demand delivery of computer power, database storage, apps, and other IT resources through the cloud is here to stay, and will continue shaping and transforming the future of work for years to come: 83% of workload will be in the cloud by 2020. (Source: LogicMonitor) 85% of enterprises keep sensitive data in the cloud. (Source: Vormetric) 74% of Tech CFO’s say that cloud computing had the most measurable impact on their business in 2017. (Source: Forbes) Spending on

Nicky Smith January 30, 2019

Thinking of Upgrading to a Cloud Phone System? Here’s Your Game Plan

If your organization is planning an upgrade to a cloud phone system, then you’re definitely on the right path. Across the country and around the world, organizations of all sizes — from small dynamic start-ups to large established enterprises — have said goodbye to their costly, inflexible and restrictive landline phone system, and hello to a cost-effective, agile, scalable and future-proofed cloud phone system. However, before you rise to the cloud and reap the benefits, you need a plan that dots all of the i’s and crosses all of the t’s — otherwise, instead of enjoying a successful implementation, you’ll

Nicky Smith January 25, 2019

steps for hosted voip phone system implementation

7 Best Practices for Implementing a Hosted Cloud Phone System

If your business has decided to switch from a conventional PBX phone system to a hosted cloud phone system, then you’re definitely on the right track! That’s because: Hosted cloud is now the #1 phone system choice among U.S. businesses. Hosted cloud is the fastest-growing industry in the world. The total number of hosted (mobile) cloud users worldwide has topped 1 billion. Conventional phone companies are losing a whopping 700,000 landline customers per month. Here are 7 best practices to ensure that your implementation experience is smooth, streamlined and successful: 1. Analyze and optimize network bandwidth. One of the

Nicky Smith January 15, 2019

5 Business-Related New Year’s Resolutions for 2019

2019 has arrived, and we are looking forward to many positive developments and continued growth here at Carolina Digital Phone. It’s also that time of year where many of us celebrate an annual tradition: making New Year’s Resolutions. Now, the bad news with New Year’s Resolutions is that, according to research, about 92% of us don’t follow through on our promises. That’s a pretty grizzly statistic (unlike these statistics about the hosted cloud industry, which are inspiring). However, there is some good news, too! That’s because here at Carolina Digital Phone, we can help you make and keep 5 business-related

Nicky Smith January 3, 2019

5 Business-Related New Year’s Resolutions for 2020

2020 has arrived, and we are looking forward to many positive developments and continued growth here at Carolina Digital Phone. It’s also that time of year where many of us celebrate an annual tradition: making New Year’s Resolutions. Now, the bad news with New Year’s Resolutions is that, according to research, about 92% of us don’t follow through on our promises. That’s a pretty grizzly statistic (unlike these statistics about the hosted cloud industry, which are inspiring). However, there is some good news, too! That’s because here at Carolina Digital Phone, we can help you make and keep 5 business-related

Nicky Smith January 1, 2019

By the Numbers: 10 Statistics that Show Hosted Cloud is Booming

The legendary journalist Harry Reasoner once said that “statistics are to baseball what flaky crust is to Mom’s apple pie.” While this is certainly true (and a slice of Mom’s flaky apple pie would be delightful right about now), there is another discussion where statistics are also a major part of the story: the one that shows, beyond any doubt, that hosted cloud is flat-out booming. And so, we invite you to grab some pie, pour some coffee, and allow us to present 10 hosted cloud statistics that every business owner and executive should know: Cloud is now the number

Nicky Smith December 31, 2018

5 Truths Your Landline Phone Company Won’t Tell You About Hosted Cloud

There are basically two ways to tell a lie. The first way, obviously, is not telling the truth. But the second way — which is less obvious yet just as deceitful — is to withhold the truth from someone who needs and is entitled to the full story. No, we’re not talking about how spouses eventually learn that it’s sometimes the better part of wisdom (and self-preservation) to keep their mouths shut. For example, answering the question “does this make me look fat?” with anything but a fast and firm “heavens no!” is asking for trouble. But we are talking

Nicky Smith November 27, 2018

Message from the CEO: What I’m Thankful For

Dear Friends: When I was a kid, Thanksgiving was about eating lots of food, watching plenty of TV, and of course the most glorious thing of all: a day off school! But now that I’m older (or “of a certain vintage” as they say), I understand that Thanksgiving is truly about being grateful, and appreciating all that has been given. Well, in that spirit, this Thanksgiving I would like to take a moment and share some of the wonderful things that my family and I are grateful for: Our Customers I have said this before, and I will say it

Nicky Smith November 21, 2018

How a Cloud Telephone System Avoids the High Cost of Phone System Downtime

What’s the most terrifying word in the business vocabulary? For most organizations, it’s not churn or recession. It’s downtime. Indeed, “going off the grid” and having no phone system access for any length of time — even a few minutes — isn’t just an inconvenience. It’s a major threat that triggers high costs across four areas: Productivity Loss: Employees cannot collaborate with each other or serve customers, which not only reduces productivity — sometimes grinding it to a virtual halt — but it creates a massive backlog of work that must be tackled when power is restored and the phone system

Nicky Smith November 14, 2018

3 Reasons Why Voicemail-to-Email Often Ranks as the Most Loved Hosted Cloud Feature

For business owners, there are plenty of reasons to love a hosted cloud phone system — and not surprisingly, the most important and compelling have to do with dramatic annual cost savings. As we have highlighted previously, businesses that deploy a hosted cloud phone system typically save anywhere from 25-50% (and sometimes more) compared to a conventional landline phone system. Heck, it’s enough to make even the most stoic and hard-nosed CFO crack a smile — which is pretty hard to do. However, if you ask employees what they love most about a hosted cloud phone system, you probably won’t

Nicky Smith November 9, 2018

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