What is SIP Trunking

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What is SIP Trunking is another question we get all the time.  Organizations of all sizes can save a fortune from this technology.  It is the protocol which makes VoIP work and provides dial tone for IP Phone implementations.   SIP trunking is a huge cost saver because it eliminates the need to buy expensive PRIs, local lines or gateways. It basically increases the effectiveness of VoIP and opens a new scope of establishing more advanced communication applications.

What is SIP Trunking

SIP Trunking is a process of directly connecting your organization with an ITSP (Internet Telephony Service Provider).  SIP Trunking is basically based on Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) which is a signaling communications protocol which rides down an internet connection. In addition to VoIP calls, SIP Trunking also offers other features such as desktop sharing, web conferencing, voice and video streaming applications, whiteboard sharing and much more. As many organizations already have an infrastructure for VoIP which has made the implementation of SIP Trunking easier.

How can I save money with SIP Trunking?

When it comes to SIP Trunking, you can buy SIP Trunks based on the number of concurrent calls across all locations.  For a multi-location customer, this could be a huge amount of savings.  Here is a quick example.  Say you are a retail organization and you have 5 locations with 3 local lines at each location.   So you have 15 lines total in your network.  However, you are really not on the phone that often.   You really only have 7 concurrent calls going on throughout your organization at any one time.  With SIP trunking, you can share and pool your lines to 7 SIP Trunks and cut your phone bill by more than 50% in local line costs!   This is one of the huge advantages of SIP Trunking. Expansion of SIP Trunks is dependent on bandwidth, which can easily be increased by adding additional capacity.

With SIP Trunking, you can get a virtual number almost anywhere in the country.  So if you are looking to expand, this could help ramp up the business in a new city.  Expansion of lines is dependent on bandwidth, which can easily be increased by adding additional lines.  SIP Trunking is used by IP-PBX’s or other SIP applications. Since a SIP Trunk goes directly into an IP Phone System, it can be achieved without using any TDM cards or other gateways. This saves a ton of money on hardware.

SIP Trunking can be a huge productivity gain as well as a huge financial windfall for organizations.  Make sure to safeguard that your setup is correct and with a reputable SIP Trunk provider.

If your goal is to save money and upgrade to SIP trunking, please visit our WheelHouse Solutions website or call us at 314-492-2506 to speak with one of our knowledgeable staff.  We would appreciate the opportunity to become your technology partner and help you find the best solution for you and your company.

Which Kind of Small Business Phone System Works Best For You?

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Finding the proper small business phone system for your own business isn’t necessarily a cut and dry process. If you want to upgrade to new phone technologies, you have to think of your own business structure and what you really need to help yourself grow. No doubt your small business is already on the cusp of growing exponentially, and you need the best telecommunications technology you can find.

 

Sticking with landline phones is frequently a big mistake at a time when even small business competition is intense. How can you expect to link up in real-time with all of your employees and customers if you rely on outdated equipment?

Owning physical phone equipment is already a major expense you don’t need. With the problem of setting it up, maintaining it, and upgrading, you’re wasting exponential time and money every year.

So if you’re convinced getting rid of landline phones and switching to an improved phone system is better, which one should you choose? Here at WheelHouse Solutions, we want to help your small business make a more educated decision on what can work for you.

Let’s look at small business structure examples and which small business phone system could help take your business up several notches in one day.

Helping Your Call Center

Maybe you’ve assembled a call center recently in your small business to accommodate phone orders for products. Yet, if you’re still using landline phones, you’re probably receiving big bills for all those calls, including international orders.

By using a VoIP system, you only have a flat monthly rate per month and can keep all phone data in the cloud for easy retrieval or usage. When dealing with customers, it’s vital and ultimately more job-friendly. Many of your call center employees can work in the field with mobile devices, or even at home thanks to the database being accessible anywhere.

Improving Communication on Business Projects

Having VoIP or even a hosted PBX system can help you immensely in your telecommunication capabilities with fellow employees. When you’re working on a time-sensitive small business project, having real-time communication with your team is vital to stay competitive. Both VoIP or hosted PBX options give you conferencing ability to connect in an instant, no matter where everyone is.

The best aspect is that with a hosted PBX system, you have continual monitoring to take care of issues. If you encounter a problem in the middle of a business conversation, you have quick support ready to help you.

Upgrades also don’t need doing because it’s taken care of automatically and remotely so you have the best security during calls. Your mobile employees in the field can additionally have some peace of mind when conducting business.

Integrating Landlines with New Technology

Technology like digital business phone systems can upgrade your existing landline phones when you want to keep equipment you have. This “one foot in the past and the future” mentality can work great for your small business when you expect to stick within a certain framework for the long-term.

When you start using cloud-based small business phone systems, however, scalability is quick and easy. You present a more professional edge as well that customers appreciate forming a new level of trust.

Visit us here at WheelHouse Solutions or call us at 314-492-2506.  WheelHouse provides reliable and cost-effective business telephone systems sales and service. We’ll work with you to design a business telephone system that will meet your needs now, and provide for future growth and flexibility.  We can help your small business make the right small business phone system decision for the coming year.

 

WheelHouse Solutions Announces Acquisition of KB Data

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WheelHouse Solutions, an IT services provider in the St. Louis metropolitan area, has announced its acquisition of KB Data, a leader in the design, installation, and service of SIP‐based business telephone systems and IP telephone service. Since opening their doors in 2000, WheelHouse Solutions has provided exceptional information technology services to medium‐sized enterprises to Fortune 100 Companies. Understanding day‐to‐day business functions allows the WheelHouse Solutions team to structure IT solutions that mirror their customers’ business vision and avoid untimely surprises lurking around the corner.

KB Data is a leading national IP phone installer and a specialist in implementing multi‐site voice networks. With a unique approach to centralized project management and local implementation resources through a network of technicians, KB Data is a trusted partner for customers in helping them make the best possible technology decisions.

“Telecommunications and technology are becoming more and more intertwined,” said Scott Schaffer, general manager. “With the addition of KB Data’s telephony expertise to our organization, we can be a one‐stop shop for customers for all their business technology needs.”

The merger of the two companies is the result of a shared business vision to provide companies with a trusted advisor to assist in not only making the best possible business technology decisions, but also ensure the implementation of that solution meets business requirements and will not disrupt normal business operations. With a full‐circle approach to business technology, WheelHouse Solutions will also assist in ensuring that the maximum value from the system is delivered.

“It’s easy to recommend a technology solution; it’s a commitment to provide unique solutions as unique business demands change,” said Greg Stiff, principle. “We have grown into a full‐service IT services company that will continue to be part of our customers’ long‐term success.”

About WheelHouse Solutions
WheelHouse Solutions provides consulting, managed IT services and phone services. With local technicians, an NOC team, a help desk team and support staff, WheelHouse Solutions can structure IT, support employees and protect valuable data, all at a lower cost than hiring a full‐time IT staff. The WheelHouse Solutions team stays up‐to‐date on the latest technologies, the management of security around the latest technologies, and industry compliance requirements.

Contact:
Jennifer Kennedy
WheelHouse Solutions
(314) 513‐1704

Business Storage Solutions and Data Integrity and Restoration

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There are increasing risks daily due to ever-growing exposure of data integrity to new technologies and devices. Recognizing this, IT professionals are devoting more and more resources, time, and effort to detecting, preventing and restoring from hackers who, maliciously or otherwise, seek to gain access to management systems and disrupt the programming. In fact, Gartner estimates that spending alone on security threats will reach $77 billion globally in 2015. That is a lot of money by any standards for storage business solutions; where are the threats coming from?

A recent article by Shelly Cramer on Dell Power More on 7/31/2015 about 4 Steps To Protect Utility Management System from Hackers, shed some light on this problem. The Global State of Information Security for 2015 reported 42.8 million security incidents for the year, an increase of 48% since 2013.  So, what is the danger for utilities? Consumers typically take for granted their access to water, electricity, the Internet, oil and gas pipelines and associated utilities. But, the failure of any one of these has a cascading effect, similar to a row of dominos that starts with the first one being knocked over. Hurricane Katrina demonstrated this in New Orleans and years later, the infrastructure is still having problems. Ms. Cramer postulated that the four key areas to evaluate to help protect against utility management failures are human failures, known weakness spots and insecurities, disaster recovery and prevention drills, and data backup and restoration.

Unfortunately, the human area is becoming more and more an insider risk from disgruntled employees or consultants or former employees who still have access and use their knowledge to bring down the systems. Recurring training and continuing evaluations can reduce this risk. Known weaknesses obviously are studied carefully and many areas can present a risk. Bring Your Own Device, online bill pay, social networks and a mobile workforce are all key places to focus. Fire drills to evaluate reactions to systems degradation or losses can really help to not only train your IT security forces to react imaginatively but also to think deeply about the processes involved. How about data recovery and backup?

The keys on data recovery involve multiple areas such as location and type of storage, methods and time of restoration, the integrity of communication networks, and the resistance of restored networks to further attacks, among others. There are so many facets to data that many organizations turn to outside experts to assist them

Storage business solutions are one of the many ways that WheelHouse Solutions can help.  WheelHouse Solutions began in 2000 and is dedicated to the premise that companies need a trusted technology partner. Over the years, we added expertise in many different technology areas. A partial list of the value-added areas we offer includes cloud storage access and technology, telecom solutions and cost reduction, training for employees, managed IT services, and much more.

We start with an evaluation of your company and organization and give to you an accurate and detailed picture of where we can help you and the savings you will accrue as a result. Our mission is to become one of your trusted partners. We continually upgrade our own technology so we can offer you the best solution for your needs.  Call us today at 314-492-2506 for more information.

Five Ways Cloud Storage Solutions Can Improve Your Business

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Technology advances so quickly that you may become bewildered at all the options available to you. One of the choices you may find yourself making is the choice between traditionally stored data and cloud storage. You’re probably more familiar with traditional methods, but there are a few things you ought to know about cloud storage before making up your mind. One of them is how you can use cloud storage to improve your business practices and efficiency. Here are five ways cloud storage can help you do business more intelligently.

Safeguard Your Data

If a natural disaster hits your business, you won’t have to worry about losing all your projects if you’ve stored everything in the cloud. The physical components of cloud hosting are kept in several different locations and heavily protected for security. Similarly, you won’t have to worry about theft of valuable data. Security is easy; all you have to do is use strong passwords to prevent unauthorized access, and all your information will be untouchable.

Take Pressure Off Technical Staff

When you use cloud storage, your IT staff can stop worrying about taking care of data storage and focus on the other aspects of helping your business run smoothly. If you’re just starting up your business, also consider that the lessened data storage work may mean you can hire fewer technical people, reducing your overall operating costs.

Improve Public Image

Although it may soon become the norm and displace on-site servers almost entirely, cloud hosting today is a newer technology and therefore taking advantage of it can make your business look especially tech-savvy. This can give you a cutting edge which you can then use as a business advantage over your competition.

Reduce Hassle for All Employees

Because cloud storage solutions are so user-friendly, your employees will find it easier to accomplish their projects. You and your employees can access your data from any mobile device, which translates into the constant availability of work projects wherever your employees are. As you can imagine, this feature greatly increases the potential for productivity.

Improve Versatility and Flexibility

In addition to versatile access, cloud storage offers versatility in several other areas as well. For example, because cloud hosting is virtual, it doesn’t take up any space in your office. This allows you to make more efficient use of your space than ever before. In addition, it’s easier when you’re starting up a business because you don’t have to add acquiring the infrastructure for data storage to your start-up costs. Another way cloud storage offers flexibility is by allowing you to increase your storage without taking up more physical space or expending more money on enlarging your infrastructure.

These are just five of the many ways cloud storage can help your business thrive. As you can see, the many benefits it provides outweigh any possible downsides. If your dream is crafting an up-to-date business that stays ahead of the competition, cloud storage is one of the tools you can use to realize that goal.

WheelHouse Solutions provides fully managed IT infrastructure and applications, in cloud-enabled environments. By utilizing our managed cloud services, businesses can enjoy best of class service, rapidly provisioned hardware, middleware and outstanding support to meet their IT demands.

WheelHouse solutions also offer cloud hosting services, as well as a team of cloud service specialists to help our customers effectively manage their IT infrastructure.  Call us at 314-492-2506 to speak with one of our knowledgeable staff.