The Interconnect Insider
*******

May 21, 2009

By: Brian Stutzman


Each spring the major yellow page companies publish their directories. In my area, these are still somewhat effective, but becoming less. I love looking through everyone’s ad because nearly yearly some competitive firm or another is gone. Sometimes it is a mutli-year retreat, sometimes it’s a merger, sometimes they just go out of business. This week’s new yellow pages is no different! We have a firm gone, one retreated to his home, and two merged!

Call it the slow economy. I call it opportunity for those of us who are going strong! One of the benefits of a slow economy is that it really separates the bad business people and hobbyists from the rest of us. Don’t get me wrong, in the wrong market a few good ones fall by the wayside but generally the good business people find a way to survive. Good telephone techs don't always make good business people. (I can tell by some of the questions posted here that a few forget the primary purpose of their business is to make a profit. Actually, the better answer is to make as much profit as you can honestly and ethically make- we make a big deal of that in our seminars I have taught).

And in our business what are good business people doing? Besides the obvious “give good service, charge a fair price, sell good products, and be honest at all times” there are a few more.

1. Sell Maintenance contracts. If done right, it is a good deal for the customer and it ensures you income “month in and month out”. I know small interconnects that bill $15K or more per month. That can keep most firms in business during the bad times.
2. Seek other residual income without loosing your focus. Does your LEC or CLECs offer commissions for signing people up or for switching long distance? Most of the time this work takes but moments and the residuals for years… 100% pure profit. I know some small firms getting $3K-10K each month for work done months ago. Would that keep you going?

What if your firm could stay in business without another new sale for the rest of the year? Mine could. And many could, thanks to the above two items.

What the slow economy also does is put us in a great position to capture market share now, but more importantly when the economy heats up again. There are times to shore up the business, and times when you push profits. Thankfully with streams of residual income coming in, at high profits, many of us can push profits and capture market share in these tough times.

Drop me a note at brian@businessphonespecialists.com for info on my best selling manual on how to sell maintenance contracts. Thanks for reading.

 

 


 

The Interconnect Insider
*******

Service Calls

Feb 19, 2009

By: Brian Stutzman

 

 

 

A few years ago, when economic times were good, I interviewed dozens of Interconnect owners across the country for ideas for a newsletter and to improve my manual “How to Turn your Interconnect into a Cash Cow!”  

 

I had the most interesting conversation with the owner of a large, east coast interconnect on the topic of service.   Although many interconnects would die for a huge backlog of work orders in this market, the lessons are still very applicable.  The key to happy customers is efficient dispatching. This is an excerpt from that interview:

 

Brian:  What makes your firm successful?

Answer:  We have an unbelievable rapid turn around time on service orders.  Years ago we did what many interconnects still do today.  We had a back log of service requests and a big service board.  For simple adds, moves and changes we requested ten days lead time.  This was common in the industry.

 

One day I had a personal experience that changed our company forever.  I needed an oil and lube job on my personal car and was told it would be two weeks until the place could get to it.  I am an instant gratification guy and this delay was unacceptable to me.  Then I realized I was asking my customers to wait that long sometimes.  This car experience turned the “light on” for me.

 

The next day I came into my company and took over dispatching.  We quickly got the backlog worked and reduce lour lead time down to nothing.  And I mean zero.  We offer same day service for most items, except big installations and wire jobs.  If you need a phone moved, it is moved today.  My techs do not go home at night until every job is complete.  We start with an empty board every morning.  Our customers are delighted, and their loyalty to us is unparalleled.

 


 

 

The Interconnect Insider
A Brian Stutzman Production
*******
                                                                                                                                                       

Sept 20, 2008

By: Brian Stutzman


We held a seminar a couple of years ago here in Idaho Falls for telephone interconnects. It focused on doubling and tripling profits by selling maintenance contracts. During one of the luncheons the discussion turned to brands of phone equipment different attendees carried.



One firm proudly announced three brands they currently offer. Another boasted five, and yet another larger firmed carried eight brands. They said this like they were very proud of their large selection.



Later in the seminar one of these guys had to excuse himself to handle an issue and later that night explained that with a large product offering it was impossible for all of his technicians to know all of the products. In fact, his sales people had a hard time keeping all the systems straight. I asked why do you carry more than one or two? Well, they just kept getting suckered into carrying the “newest latest greatest thing” and every 6 months that was something different. Before long, he confided, they were carrying many brands.



Next, he explained that the number of parts, constant training, and the headaches were killing him. Since no tech could master all of his lines, he had to send binder after binder with each tech out into the field, and also had a scheduling nightmare to make sure the techs that were trained right went to the right jobs.



My summary was that he had created a “rats nest” when it came to efficiency and profitability. Inventory for each system, sales and tech training for each system, and tech scheduling and overlap killed profitability. What I mean by overlap is when you have a tech working 40 miles away and you have an emergency call that comes in nearby But since he only works on brands A,B,C, he can not help here because the down system is a brand D. So you send an “overlapping” tech to cover the call. Expensive.



I explained (and it was more relevant then) how JetBlue and Southwest Airlines were the only profitable airlines. One key was that both flew just one model of plane. South West flies only 737’s. That means all pilots can fly the entire fleet. All mechanics can work on every plane. And they only need to stock parts for one type of plane.



Flying only one type of aircraft does limit what the offer in the marketplace. They do not go to every airport. Different routes are more profitable with different aircraft. But those who try to offer air service for most every airport end up with a large amount of different aircraft. And then they get into the same logistical problems that the telephone interconnects discussed above get into. Only certain pilots can fly certain routes, same for mechanics working on planes, and then multiple inventories of parts need to be bought and stored.



“But we won’t have everything for every customer” was the pushback I got from this guy. I told him to pick a mainstream product that covers 80-90% of any application and he would make significantly more money by specializing in one or two brands maximum.



After all, we are not in business just to make a profit. We are in business to make the largest profit we can ethically and reasonably make. (to paraphrase the opening of “How to Turn your Interconnect into a Cash Cow” manual that I wrote and still offer for sale).


 

The Interconnect Insider
*******

Is Bigger Better?

March 9, 2007

By: Brian Stutzman

 

 

 

Way before I retired from the day to day operations of my telephone interconnect, I had a huge desire to learn from the best in our industry.  Just because I had written “How to Turn your Interconnect into A Cash Cow” I knew I still could learn more.  So I started talking to people, mostly who had bought my book.

 

One notable gentleman ran a large interconnect in the Northeast.  He spent several hours on the phone with me and I asked him a ton of questions.  Believe it or not, it was not about products or phone systems, it was about business operations.  He informed me that for years his firm bought into the notion that “bigger was better” and they had worked hard to invest in a second location and then a third.  He tripled the size of his operation, hired new folks, reached new markets, and increased his sales!  Sounds great, right? 

 

Sad story though, it was not great.  His headaches went up, his employee problems escalated, he found himself working harder than ever managing three locations, and at the end of the year his actual take home bottom line profit was nearly the same!  A great lesson was learned:  bigger is not always better.

 

Too many interconnects focus on their top line, gross sales, instead of their bottom line, take home profit to the owners.  So they spend their time looking at ways to sell more instead of make more.  I call it Earnings to Revenue, or E/R.  E is much more important than R in a normal business model.  I spent an entire chapter in the CASH COW book discussing E/R.   I hope this brief article will cause you to pause and wonder if you are focusing on the E or the R, the bottom line profit or the top line revenue. Growing your E is better, I promise you that.  For questions or comments, email Brian at brians@if.rmci.net

 

 

Brian Stutzman 
Interconnect owner, lecturer, and industry author

 


The Interconnect Insider
A Brian Stutzman Production
*******

“Business advice strictly for the interconnect owner and manager.”

Finally! A FREE newsletter designed specifically for the Interconnect Telephone Industry. If you sell, install, and repair office phone systems, you will benefit from this free newsletter.

This newsletter is the private works of Brian Stutzman, noted industry author of “How To Turn Your Interconnect Into A CASH COW!” and speaker at the North American Telecom Dealers convention. Brian Stutzman, himself a successful owner and manager, who would like to share with you tons of advice that can help you run your business better and at no charge. Call it a labor of love, he wishes he could claim credit for all the ideas, but frankly has gathered great ideas through discussions with over 100 interconnect owners, and is ready to share the best of the best with you. If you have comments or questions, or would like information about ordering his "How to Turn Your Interconnect Into A Cash Cow!" please email  Brian@Businessphonespecialists.com

*******

Jan. 5, 2007
By: Brian Stutzman


INTERCONNECT INSIDER
 
Issue 1

“Advice strictly for the owners and managers of telephone interconnects” 

In the last two years I have asked over 50 telephone interconnect owners two questions:
1. What do they pay their technicians, and
2. What rates do they charge their customers

Naturally, the answers varied by geographic area and local costs of living prices. But here is a general overview of what many interconnects pay their technicians, based upon my research.

Entry level (wire pullers, apprentices) $8-13 per hour
Experienced Key System Technicians $11-17 per hour
Experienced PBX Technicians $15-26 per hour

Employee Benefits varied but almost always included paid vacation and paid holidays. As with most small businesses, interconnects struggle to provide affordable and comprehensive health insurance plans.

There were also some variance to what interconnects charge for labor. Nearly everyone rounded to the nearest quarter hour after a one hour minimum. Most are now charging in 30 minute or hour increments after the first hour. In metropolitan areas or on advanced PBX systems a few charged a two hour minimum, even for a 5 minute call out.

Hourly rates in rural markets seem to be around $65-90 per hour. Metropolitan rates seem to be $90-$140 per hour.

Call Out Fees: About 30% I talked with charge an additional call out fee with the first hour of labor, ranging from $15-$50 per hour.

Travel Fees: Most interconnects have a local zone where no travel is charged. Outside of the local zone travel fees run from 50% to 100% of the regular hourly rate normally charged for billable work.

I hope you have found this edition of Interconnect Insider helpful.

                                                                                                                                                                                                        



Jan. 5, 2007
By: Brian Stutzman



INTERCONNECT INSIDER
Issue 2

“Advice strictly for the owners and managers of telephone interconnects” 

Checks and balances. The United States Government is built around this concept, yet many interconnect owners do not put checks and reviews in to their daily business operations. The lack of review cost one of my competitors his business last year. Imagine having a major, long time competitor go out of business! One of the ex owners told me their secretary had embezzled a large sum of money and they did not know about it until it was too late to save their firm.

I started to rethink my daily business routine and established these practices:
1. Incoming mail- I have one person retrieve and open all mail, and another sort checks and prepare the deposit.
2. Bank matters- I open and review all checking account statements before our bookkeeper gets it and I review our current receivables and bank balances on a daily basis
3. Work Orders and Invoicing- after each work order is completed our dispatcher does the preliminary billing and a second person reviews the accuracy, and a third person does the actual invoicing. Having several eyes look at the invoice reduces errors and questions.
4. Payroll- A few years ago I was having my secretary do my payroll checks via a popular financial software package. At the same time I had a very aggressive salesperson who was enjoying a high level of success. At times, my salespersons paychecks (based upon commissions) were four to five times what the secretary’s hourly paycheck was. It did not take long for jealousy to cause the secretary to demand a pay raise. “I contribute as much to this company as that salesman does, maybe even more!” and “I have the ‘hard skills’ that are required to keep this firm going and I deserve an equal part of the payroll” were eventually thrown at me. It did not take long for this secretary to leave our firm. I am sad to report it was in a huff and was not the way I was hoping the departure would be. But the departure was about money, at least in part. After this experience I decided to (A) do all payroll my self, and (B) ask each employee not to discuss payroll issues with anyone but me. Since that time, I have had no problems over payroll, and I can pick and choose whom I give bonuses and raises to, and when, without anyone else knowing what I am doing, questioning my raises, or demanding equal treatment.





Jan. 5, 2007
By: Brian Stutzman


INTERCONNECT INSIDER
Issue 3

“Advice strictly for the owners and managers of telephone interconnects” 

I recently had 17 owners of telephone interconnects from all over the country come to a conference I hosted in Idaho Falls, Idaho. We held a roundtable discussion after the daytime training sessions and talked about a few topics we all faced. Hiring of good sales people seemed to be of common interest to all. How do you find good salespeople? And how do you keep them, especially in up and down economic times? One magic source for great salespeople has been teachers from the public education system.

I interviewed one prominent interconnect on the east coast a while back when I was vacationing. Several managers and salespeople were ex teachers. I had lunch with a sales manager who was an ex high school football coach. They explained that the qualities and talents teachers have are ideal for sales representatives. The ability to learn and then teach concepts, relate to people in all walks of life, and the confidence to speak in front of groups are all helpful in the sales game.

The ex football coach explained that his high school experience prepared him to lead, direct, inspire, manage, and motivate a team of sales professionals. As you might expect, each of the ex-school district employees left the public life for private business to increase their incomes and subsequently provide better for their families.

Keeping good salespeople is an art in and of itself. We concluded there is no magic formula or someone would have written a book about it (oops, maybe there is a book out there). Good pay, recognition, opportunity, stock options or ownership opportunities… they may help. But, by and large, salespeople, really good professional salespeople, seem to march to their own drum and there is no iron cast rules to keep them long term and happy. Submit your best ideas on this subject to me at brian@Businessphonespecialists.com



source 
FCC.gov

How VoIP / Internet Voice Works

VoIP converts the voice signal from your telephone into a digital signal that travels over the Internet. If you are calling a regular phone number, the signal is then converted back at the other end. VoIP can allow you to make a call directly from a computer, a special VoIP phone, or a traditional phone using an adapter. In addition, new wireless "hot spots" in public locations such as airports, parks, and cafes, allow you to connect to the Internet, and may enable you to use VoIP service wirelessly. If you make a call using a phone with an adapter, you'll be able to dial just as you always have, and the service provider may also provide a dial tone. If your service assigns you a regular phone number, then a person can call you from his or her regular phone without using special equipment.

What Kind of Equipment Do I Need?
A broadband (high speed Internet) connection is required. 

This can be through a cable modem, or high speed services such as DSL or a local area network. You can hook up an inexpensive microphone to your computer and send your voice through a cable modem or connect a phone directly to a telephone adaptor.

Is there a difference between making a Local Call and a Long Distance Call?

Some VoIP providers offer their services for free, normally only for calls to other subscribers to the service. Your VoIP provider may permit you to select an area code different from the area in which you live. It also means that people who call you may incur long distance charges depending on their area code and service.

Some VoIP providers charge for a long distance call to a number outside your calling area, similar to existing, traditional wireline telephone service. Other VoIP providers permit you to call anywhere at a flat rate for a fixed number of minutes.

If I have VoIP service, who can I call?
Depending upon your service, you might be limited only to other subscribers to the service, or you may be able to call any phone number, anywhere in the world. The call can be made to a local number, a mobile phone, to a long distance number, or an international number. You may even utilize the service to speak with more than one person at a time. The person you are calling does not need any special equipment, just a phone.

What Are Some Advantages of VoIP?
Because VoIP is digital, it may offer features and services that are not available with a traditional phone. If you have a broadband internet connection, you need not maintain and pay the additional cost for a line just to make telephone calls.

With many VoIP plans you can talk for as long as you want with any person in the world (the requirement is that the other person has an Internet connection). You can also talk with many people at the same time without any additional cost.

What Are Some disadvantages of VoIP?
If you're considering replacing your traditional telephone service with VoIP, there are some possible differences:

Can I use my Computer While I talk on the Phone?
Yes

Can I Take My Phone Adapter with me When I Travel?
You may be able to use your VoIP service wherever you travel as long as you have a high speed Internet connection available. In that case it would work the same as from your home or business.

Does my Computer Have to be Turned on?
Not if you are making calls with a phone and adaptor or special VoIP phone, but your broadband Internet connection needs to be active. You can also use your computer while talking on the phone.

How Do I Know If I have a VoIP phone Call?
It will ring like any other call.

Does the FCC Regulate VoIP?
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has worked to create an environment promoting competition and innovation to benefit consumers. Historically, the FCC has not regulated the Internet or the services provided over it. On February 12, 2004, the FCC found that an entirely Internet-based VoIP service was an unregulated information service. On the same day, the FCC began a broader proceeding to examine what its' role should be in this new environment of increased consumer choice and what it can best do to meet its role of safeguarding the public interest.

Aspects of these considerations may change with new developments in internet technology.  You should always check with the VoIP service provider you choose to confirm any advantages and limitations to their service.

 



Tech Talk: Aug 9 2006

You get what you pay for?

A common cliché. It’s usually right. Sometimes not for the reason we think.
I’m careful about talking down the price of goods or services. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t like to pay retail. Always looking for ways to buy things at the “best” price. However, if the (reasonable) person you're buying from or selling to does not feel like they are getting a good trade, there will be resentment. Ok, you twisted the buyers arm a bunch and bought the phones at a great price, but the seller isn’t happy. Next time he sees you comin he’ll remember the last experience. May not be inclined to go the extra mile to help you. Many times you are not just buying the product but the also the service/support that can accompany it. I had a customer once who always paid me more that what I invoiced him for. Know what happened when he needed me to do a MAC? I was there asap. Both parties need to feel like they get a good deal in any trade.

By Richard Morris of  http://aa.peavey.com/
Source



News: October 2005

Empowering Telecommunication Customers with a Powerful Resource Center

LAS VEGAS - Sundance Communications solves problems for thousands of website visitors everyday that aren't even customers of their services. Through its online message boards, forums and directories, users are helped by professional telephone technicians and installers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

*******

October 6, 2005 -- Sundance Communications has been online nearly from the inaugural opening of the information superhighway. To put the longevity of their presence in perspective, they registered their first website http://www.telbroker.com just days after Google first register their first domain name.

Sundance Communications opened in 1994, and quickly realized the power of the Internet. Launching the telecommunication website in 1997 makes them one of the oldest online telephone suppliers. It didn't take long for owner Tom Brandes to establish the strongest online presence for telecommunications equipment, ranking at the top of all major search engines for almost anything surrounding telephone equipment, telephone installers, telephone suppliers and more. In the past year alone, their website traffic has more than doubled.

Being one of the oldest and highest ranked telecommunication equipment suppliers online had its disadvantages too. It brought in a flood of inquiries and questions into Sundance Communications that was quite simply out of their purview and areas of expertise. Rather than ignore the requests, or turn away people that were seeking assistance and answers, Sundance Communications launched an entirely new website, http://www.sundance-communications.com , a business phone systems resource center to assist all consumers.

The additional website was launched in 2000, with the mission to help consumers get telecommunications equipment answers, telephone programming and phone system features help or locating a reliable, professional telephone installer in their area. It continued to evolve to provide online business telephone equipment manuals for download, directories for telephone equipment, telephone installers, telephone equipment auctions, telephone technician’s network, and a community forum for installers and users.

The Telephone Installer’s Directory, http://www.sundance-communications.com/installers/Telephone_Installers, is a regional database that allows installers from around the globe to be listed, making it easy for consumers to find the business telephone system installation help they need, while allowing professional installers to be found by consumers looking for services - this is a free service offered by Sundance.

"We were getting swamped with phone calls by consumers looking for programming help, how to activate a phone feature, or 'Who can I get to install an additional phone or relocate the entire system,'" says Brandes. "We wanted to help, but didn't have all of the information they were seeking, nor did we simply have the resources to handle of all the requests."

This led to Sundance Communications community forum, message board web site, http://www.sundance-communications.com/cgi-bin/Ultimate.cgi The Tech Talk forum is moderated by nearly fifty professional telephone technicians, and over 200 installers, whose answering questions and offering to help to consumers from around the World Wide Web to get quick, easy to understand and free advice 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. With over 6900 registered users and nearly 75,000 posts, the forum has become a huge hit with consumers and technicians alike.

Brandes sounds like a proud parent when asked about Sundance Communications' Tech Talk forum, "There isn’t a question that can’t be answered or a customer that goes unassisted. Just a year ago, we were receiving 1500 visitors a day to the website looking for help; today, we get approximately 4,000 visits a day."

About Sundance Communications: A leading supplier of telecommunications equipment since 1984. Sundance Communications is committed to selling high-quality, low-priced, new and refurbished telephone systems and equipment, with packages that suit both business and personal needs.

Contact:
Tom Brandes, Owner
Sundance Communications
866-451-4545
http://www.telbroker.com


Tech Talk: March 2005

Tech Tid-Bits on Digital ~v~ Analog

Original question:
Posted by: kraneworldchamp
Can any one tell me what the difference between digital telephone systems and analog and what are the advantages and disadvantages of both?

Tech answers:

Hal-at Comsystec Telecommunications

Ha, you sound like some of my customers. I tell them that they are all digital but some manufacturers think that by using "digital" in the product name and printing it on everything they make will give them a sales advantage.

As far as real advantages, all I can think of is that most so called "digital" systems use one pair for each station as opposed to the much inferior "non-digital" which uses two. A single pair can be used because the audio signal is not analog however the disadvantage is that you cannot use standard T/R devices but there are ways around this with some systems.

So this is really just a design issue with no real advantage from one to the other.

RedTail-Communications Tech. SBC

There are two kinds of switching, Space Division (analog), and Time Division (digital). Voice communication is an analog signal. Analog switches do not modify the input signals. Each connection is like having your own road to drive on. Digital switches move numbers from one port to another using common connection just like all the cars sharing the same road. Voice (analog) must be converted to numbers (digital) to go thru a digital switch then converted to voice (analog) again. Just as paint by numbers (digital) images can never match photographs; there is a small distortion in the voice signal thru a digital switch. The ear does not notice this change. 56k modems cannot transmit from one analog port to another analog port of a digital switch. Analog switches can pick up electrical interference as noise. Digital switches are more resistant to noise. Just as you can still read a news paper if it has some dirt (noise) on it; digital switches will send a clear signal as long as the numbers get thru.

gkar

I think the industry stopped producing analog switches in 1975. If a salesman makes a comparison of their product as its digital compared to the competitors analog. I would run away very fast. Saying a phone system is digital is like saying water is wet.
As a technology, analog is the process of taking an audio or video signal (in most cases, the human voice) and translating it into electronic pulses. Digital on the other hand is breaking the signal into a binary format where the audio or video data is represented by a series of "1"s and "0"s. Simple enough when it's the device—analog or digital phone, fax, modem, or likewise—that does all the converting for you.
Is one technology better than the other? Analog technology has been around for decades. It's not that complicated a concept and it's fairly inexpensive to use. That's why we can buy a $20 telephone or watch a few TV stations with the use of a well-placed antenna. The trouble is, analog signals have size limitations as to how much data they can carry. So with our $20 phones and inexpensive TVs, we only get so much.
Enter digital
The newer of the two, digital technology breaks your voice (or television) signal into binary code—a series of 1s and 0s—transfers it to the other end where another device (phone, modem or TV) takes all the numbers and reassembles them into the original signal. The beauty of digital is that it knows what it should be when it reaches the end of the transmission. That way, it can correct any errors that may have occurred in the data transfer. What does all that mean to you? Clarity. In most cases, you'll get distortion-free conversations and clearer TV pictures.
You'll get more, too. The nature of digital technology allows it to cram lots of those 1s and 0s together into the same space an analog signal uses. Like your button-rich phone at work or your 200-plus digital cable service, that means more features can be crammed into the digital signal.
Compare your simple home phone with the one you may have at the office. At home you have mute, redial, and maybe a few speed-dial buttons. Your phone at work is loaded with function keys, call transfer buttons, and even voice mail. Now, before audiophiles start yelling at me through their PC screens, yes, analog can deliver better sound quality than digital…for now. Digital offers better clarity, but analog gives you richer quality.
But like any new technology, digital has a few shortcomings. Since devices are constantly translating, coding, and reassembling your voice, you won't get the same rich sound quality as you do with analog. And for now, digital is still relatively expensive. But slowly, digital—like the VCR or the CD—is coming down in cost and coming out in everything from cell phones to satellite dishes.
When you're shopping in the telecom world, you often see products touted as "all digital." Or warnings such as "analog lines only." What does it mean? The basic analog and digital technologies vary a bit in definition depending on how they're implemented. Read on.

Phone lines
Analog lines, also referred to as POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service), support standard phones, fax machines, and modems. These are the lines typically found in your home or small office. Digital lines are found in large, corporate phone systems.
How do you tell if the phone line is analog or digital? Look at the back of the telephone connected to it. If you see "complies with part 68, FCC Rules" and a Ringer Equivalence Number (REN), then the phone and the line are analog. Also, look at the phone's dial pad. Are there multiple function keys? Do you need to dial "9" for an outside line? These are indicators that the phone and the line are digital.
A word of caution. Though digital lines carry lower voltages than analog lines, they still pose a threat to your analog equipment. If you're thinking of connecting your phone, modem, or fax machine to your office's digital phone system, DON'T! At the very least, your equipment may not function properly. In the worst case, you could zap your communications tools into oblivion.
How? Let's say you connect your home analog phone to your office's digital line. When you lift the receiver, the phone tries to draw an electrical current to operate. Typically this is regulated by the phone company's central office. Since the typical proprietary digital phone system has no facilities to regulate the current being drawn through it, your analog phone can draw too much current—so much that it either fries itself or in rare cases, damages the phone system's line card.
Perhaps the most effective use of the digital versus analog technology is in the booming cellular market. With new phone activations increasing exponentially, the limits of analog are quickly being realized. Digital cellular lets significantly more people use their phones within a single coverage area. More data can be sent and received simultaneously by each phone user. Plus, transmissions are more resistant to static and signal fading. And with the all-in-one phones out now—phone, pager, voice mail, internet access—digital phones offer more features than their analog predecessors.
Analog's sound quality is still superior—as some users with dual-transmission phones will manually switch to analog for better sound when they're not concerned with a crowded coverage area—but digital is quickly becoming the norm in the cellular market.
You may have an analog phone at home and call your next door neighbor with the same type of phone but you are still connecting thru a digital switch. You can buy LP's but the amplifier is digital.

Hal- at Comsystec Telecommunications

If a salesman makes a comparison of their product as its digital compared to the competitors analog I would run away very fast.

That's exactly what I get sometimes from a prospective customer. We mainly sell Avaya and they will compare it to Panasonic. They'll say Panasonic is digital, it says so right on it. It HAS to be better. How come Avaya isn't digital? I then tell them what I said above and they look at me like I'm crazy.

RedTail-Communications Tech. SBC

Do not confuse electro mechanical with analog. Production of electro mechanical switching stopped in the seventies. Solid State analog switching was produced using varactors. All switching today may not be digital but all switching today is controlled by micro processors.

 

Paul144- from Priority One Business Communications

The difference is in the method of transmission. An "analog" transmission is in wave form while a digital signal is in 0s and 1s. Digital signals tend to be clearer and use much less hardware (fewer circuit paths) to transmit the signal. The EKT systems from the late seventies through the early 90s are analog as signal is still being transmitted in wave form.
That said, I do not know of any phone system manufactured today that is using wave form signaling. Even the Panasonic KXTA system is using digital signaling inside the switch. Why they decided to call it analog is beyond me.
The Partner is Digital, not analog.


Coral Tech- at Pantel Business Systems

Are you sure? I am pretty sure the Partner uses regular anaglog signaling on the center pair ala EKT (electronic keyset) as opposed to digital voice transmission. The Panasonic KXTD actually has a true seperate analog port onb the center pins AND the digital phone work off pair 2.

 

Hal- at Comsystec Telecommunications

See what I mean? Even WE can't decide what's "digital" and what is supposedly not.
But forget all that, other than what I mentioned above in my first post what difference does it make???

Originating thread: Digital ~v~ Analog

 


Feb 2005
By Tom Brandes

Yellow Pages are so 90's

In years past, the Yellow Pages was the best way to advertise and be found within a community for business.
 
Today, however, savvy people are looking online for products and services.  The internet search engines (such as Google, Yahoo, MSN, etc.) are the tools they utilize to find these online products and/or services.  
 
Those three top search engines are responsible for handling 75 to 80 percent of online searches.   When a customer types in a keyword or keyword phrase, the search engine gathers websites that include those keywords or phrases.  They are displayed in two different areas on the resulting page of websites:  there's a list of websites which meet the "search keyword" criteria that comes up "naturally" as a result of the search and there are "sponsored" websites which come up as a result of the search and which usually appear on top or to the right of the natural listings.  These "sponsored" results (or links to websites) are pay-per-click websites, which means the website is paying anywhere from $.05 to $5.00 per click to the search engine.  The "natural" websites that come up are not paying these additional fees to the search engines and merely appear because their website meets the search criteria:  keywords/phrases. 
 
If your website is one of those participating in the "pay-per-click" business, your competitors will generate much of your costs by being frequent visitors to your site -- and you will pay your per-click fee every time they choose to click on that sponsored link. 
 
If your website is listed at the top of the "natural listings," a lot of your traffic will still be your competitors (because they want to examine your site to determine how you got to the top of the listings), but you aren't going to pay on any per-click basis. 
 
After participating in the pay-per-click mode of operation for quite a while, our company decided to scrap the pay-per--clicks and have discovered that the natural listings actually generate more business anyway
 
Working on creating a good "web presence" for your online company will generate much more business than Yellow Pages advertising.

 


June 2004
By Tom Brandes

What Sundance Communications can do for your Business.

 

Here at Sundance we pride ourselves on helping the end user help them selves and save tons on money and at the same time learn more about their Telecommunications Equipment. Business Telephone Systems is and will be one of the cleanest services as far as voice quality goes for the next 10 years or so, maybe even longer. The IP phone is a hot item for those who have to travel and need the ability to be hooked up with their system, but that can be accomplished with call fdw. You won’t have the system features (speed dialing, intercom, and other features) but it will be a lot more cost effective. So what were saying is Business Telephone Systems of today will be around for a while.

 

What Sundance Communications can do for you is supply your firm with telephone equipment at reasonable prices, through our on-line store along with same day shipping. We carry mostly refurbished telephone equipment (In like New condition) with a 6- month warranty (Advance Replacement)

Along with Specials on Lucent/Avaya, Comdial, Executone, Inter-tel, Telrad, Toshiba and more. Check out the prices and ease of our web site.

Telephone Equipment Catalog with Prices

 Check out the Specials

If it’s Service you need. We have resources for most every need. We have a data base of Telephone Installers around the Country: Find an Installer By clicking on the Company’s name your able to email the Installer and the description give information as to what equipment and area they service.

 Find an Installer

Ok…you want to be in more control of your Phone System, you want to learn how to do some of the minor programming or you just need to understand how to accomplish something with your system. Well...we have you covered, by using a Bulletin Board your able to post questions and have Telephone Installers/ Technicians answer your inquires, They can also program your system remotely or talk you through the steps on the phone for a fee.  What you get away from: By maintaining your equipment with help from the Tech Talk Bulletin Board is a local Installer who may go in and sells you a new card when you didn’t need one or a phone when you only needed a new cord. With the economy the way it is. …Beware there out there and they are only trying to survive. Check out the Tec Talk Bulletin Board