Category Archives: Unified Communications

BT, Daisy Group, Enterprise IT, News & Analysis, Unified Communications

BT and Daisy announce £70mn partnership

BT Sevenoaks workstyle buildingBT has announced a £70 million partnership with Daisy Group which will offer customers of the latter to BT’s Wholesale Hosted Centrex (WHC) platform, reports Telecoms.com.

Daisy’s customers will be integrated to the platform over the next 18 months, which provides customers with cloud-based unified communications services including cloud call recording, HD voice services, call analytics and web collaboration.

“Many businesses are now hosting their communication services using cloud technology to make them accessible to all, using any fixed or mobile device, at any time, wherever they might be,” said Gerry McQuade, CEO of BT Wholesale and Ventures. “BT and Daisy Group have been pioneers of that trend, so I’m delighted that we’re coming together to bring customers a powerful combination of experience, scale and expertise.

“We believe the rapid pace of change will continue over the coming years, and we’re looking forward to helping both Daisy and BT customers reap the benefits that change will bring.”

The cloud of clouds initiative launched by BT has been one of the cornerstones of its enterprise business strategy for some time. Last month            , Oracle and BT announced a new partnership which allows customers to use features of BT Cloud Connect environment to gain direct connectivity to the Oracle Cloud.

The relationship between the two companies has been in place long-term, however was extended in 2011 when the pair announced a strategic partnership which allowed BT to sell wholesale calls, Ethernet and broadband products to Daisy’s customers. As part of the initial partnership, Daisy became a third party supplier of PBX telephone systems related maintenance and engineering services to BT.

“We are committed to supporting our customers and partners as the business digitisation journey continues to unfold,” said Neil Muller, CEO of Daisy Group. “This collaboration with BT ensures that we are at the forefront of providing the latest in cloud solutions, increasing customers’ levels of capability and confidence as they continue to manage the relentlessness of technological change. I am hugely proud of Daisy’s relationship with BT and this is a perfect opportunity to further enhance our capability and provide our customers and partners with an industry leading cloud solution.”

Unified Communications, VoIP

VoIP Implementation – Why Won’t the Audio Work?

I recently worked on a project that ended up being a success but looked at first like it could end up being a failure. We were doing a Voice over IP implementation and were putting in a new switch network for a client that had 8 sites. When the time came for implementation we ran into some difficulty with getting audio working out of the local branches. At first, we were stumped, but it ended up being an issue with a 3rd party provider. In the video, I discuss what the issue was, how we found it, and how we remedied it. I also provide some tips on how to avoid similar challenges. Hope you enjoy!

 

VoIP Implementation – Why Won’t the Audio Work?

Watch the video on GreenPages’ YouTube Channel.

 

If you have any questions around unified communications, please reach out!

 

 

By Ralph Kindred, Practice Director, Unified Communications

Featured, Unified Communications

Emerging Drivers in the Unified Communications Market

I wanted to give a quick update on the current state of the unified communications industry, some of the drivers that are influencing the market and some new advancements that have taken place. Presence and mobility, the basic concept of anyone connecting at anytime, anywhere on any device, continue to be really big drivers in the industry. Two other things that have jumped out as driving features are contact center and disaster recovery.

 

Emerging Drivers in the Unified Communications Market

 

 

Interested in learning more about the latest trends in unified communications and how it can help your business? Email us at socialmedia@greenpages.com

 

By Ralph Kindred, Practice Director, Unified Communications

Cisco, Featured, Unified Communications

NASCAR & Unified Communications: Get the Most Out of Your Investment

By Bill Kane, Practice Manager

I’m a big NASCAR fan. NASCAR stands for National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. Back in the day, good old boys would take stock cars, add seatbelts and roll cages and go racing. In the early days they even drove convertibles. Today they only look like stock cars from the outside with a bunch of advertisements on them. Everything about these cars is anything but stock. My wife would tell you that it’s a huge waste of time watching 40 guys go in a circle for 500 miles. What she doesn’t see is that there is more to racing than just being the best driver.

The drivers have years of experience, the cars are highly specialized and contain none of the stock parts with engines that have 900 horse power. They are highly tuned, with specialized suspensions and tires. Even the pit crew are athletes that can change a full set of tires and fill the gas tank in seconds. Until you have sat in the driver’s seat and have gone over 100 miles an hour, it’s hard to appreciate the sport. I fulfilled one of my bucket list items by attending Richard Petty’s driving school. Yes, I got to drive one of those 900 horsepower beasts, and yes I got to go over 100 miles per hour. My favorite races start in the afternoon and end after the sun goes down. I like these the best because the way a car performs when the sun is up, when the track is hot and the tires are slick, is completely different than at night when the track cools. To watch these teams make little changes throughout the race and go from back of the pack to first is truly amazing. No one can make it through a full race without making changes. They call it putting in a turn of wedge here or adjusting the air pressure in a tire by as little as a pound can make all the difference. The guy that started the race on the pole (first row inside), isn’t necessarily the one that will cross the finish line in first place.

Cisco unified communications is a lot like NASCAR racing. Sure the guys that installed your system did a great job but, are you getting the most out of your investment so that you can win the race? What you need is a skilled pit crew. You need to check in and make sure you’re running the optimum version. In addition, you need to ensure your settings are correct so that your users are getting the full benefit of what’s available. Are you taking advantage of features such as Singlewire, Mobility & Meet-Me? Do you have the proper licensing in place to be able to able to install them? My point here is that you made a serious investment so you need to ensure that you are getting all that you can out of that investment.

I had dinner with a friend a couple of months ago who was not getting the most out of his investment. I asked him how he liked his Cisco VoIP phone system. He said that it was ok, and, when I dug a little deeper, I found out that they weren’t using all the functionality. When it was initially installed they made the decision to forgo some of the functionality for a speedy install. He was amazed when I stared to explain things like Mobility. We were able to spend a few hours on his system and, once complete, he couldn’t believe the difference.

Is there a connection between NASCAR racing and unified communications? I would say yes. You bought the best, now you need to ensure its performing up to your expectations. GreenPages can be that pit crew to ensure that you are maximizing your unified communications investment and taking full advantage of the business benefits that are available today. Reach out to socialmedia@greenpages.com if you’d like to talk about unified communications strategies and trends in more detail.

 

 

BYOD, End-User Computing, Featured, Unified Communications, VDI

Breaking Down a BYOD Initiative

An Interview with Matt Mock, IT Director at GreenPages Technology Solutions

Ben: What encouraged GreenPages to adopt a BYOD policy?

Matt: The biggest reason we implemented a BYOD policy was that it offered the ability to give users the flexibility to use the technology that they are most comfortable with. Our IT department was getting frequent requests for non-standard equipment. This forced us to do one-offs all the time and made support very difficult.

Ben: How was the policy made? Who was involved in creating it?

Matt: The policy was created after many months of research. We looked into what other companies were doing, researched the costs for hardware and internal support, and interviewed different departments to see what was needed. We involved people from the top down, getting buy in from senior management to start. In addition, we also worked closely with the accounting department to make sure BYOD wouldn’t cost more than traditional hardware refreshes would. Our department did a proof of concept, then a pilot group, and then a gradual rollout. This allowed us to tweak the policy as needed.

Ben: Who has access to the BYOD program?

Matt: Not all departments. The program is for those where it makes the most sense from both a financial and support perspective. We didn’t want to grant BYOD to someone who couldn’t handle the issues on their own that would in turn create more technical support. We rolled it out to groups with specific requirements that weren’t going to cause us to spend more time on internal support.

Ben: Can you describe some of the highlights of the policy?

Matt: Within the policy we specify eligibility for the program, provide exact cost and reimbursement methods, and outline user responsibilities and requirements such as how to get hardware support. We also provide more specifics around what is and isn’t covered in the policy.

Ben: How do employees go about getting hardware support?

Matt: The user assumes responsibility of hardware support and is required to get a warranty. IT will help facilitate support but will not be responsible for the device. This goes back to making sure IT doesn’t spend more time supporting BYOD than they would have previously.

Ben: Makes sense.

Matt: I should also mention that GreenPages’ VDI environment allows us to offer the flexibility of BYOD with multiple devices because everyone can get the same experience regardless of the device used. Utilizing VDI also alleviates concerns around corporate data loss. If a device is lost or stolen, a person doesn’t have access to corporate resources just because they have the corporate device.

Ben: What have some of the main benefits been of the program?

Matt: The main benefits have been employee satisfaction and a decrease in hardware support for internal IT.

Ben: Some people think there are immediate cost savings from BYOD, but Chris Reily (GreenPages’ Director of Solutions Architecture) recently wrote a blog post cautioning people not to expect ROI in the first couple of years. Is this true?

Matt: Correct. You end up spending the same amount on hardware but support costs go down and employee satisfaction goes up. Direct ROI is difficult to measure when offering reimbursements. A company can avoid offering reimbursements but then you are greatly effecting employee satisfaction. If you give reimbursements, you probably end up spending the same over all amount.

Ben: What is your overall opinion of BYOD?

Matt: BYOD is not for every company nor is it necessarily for every employee within a company. A key thing to remember is that your infrastructure has to be ready for BYOD. If it is, then it’s a great perk and a great way to reduce time spent on internal support. It’s also a great way to allow new technologies into the organization and not have to give strict guidelines on what is and is not allowed.  Our BYOD initiative has also helped save my team time so that we can focus on more strategic projects that will help the business.

If you have questions for Matt around his experience implementing a BYOD policy, leave a comment or email us at socialmedia@greenpages.com

 

applications, BYOD, End-User Computing, Featured, Miscellaneous IT, Network Infrastructure, Unified Communications

Top Ten Considerations When Investing in BYOD

By Chris Reily, Director of Solutions Architecture

Every year has its own special IT acronym and 2013 has been no different. During client meetings, in the pages of IT trade publications and on the minds of vendor partners – the term BYOD pops up more frequently than Psy’s “Gangham Style” does on pop radio. For the record, Psy is the smartly dressed Korean pop music sensation sporting Risky Business-style Ray Bans as opposed to the (also trending) bearded Uncle Si of Duck Dynasty (reality-TV) fame. If this is all meaningless to you, you’ve been working too hard. Ask your family, they miss you.

Consumerization of IT is finding its way into the enterprise rapidly. Choice, personalization and mobility are no longer simply appreciated but are ultimately demanded. BYOD in theory sounds like a terrific plan and if executed properly can be an outstanding component of an end user computing (EUC) solution in many environments. Success however goes far beyond an employee stipend and flexibility in choice. BYOD is not for every organization and even in those organizations where it makes sense, it’s not for every employee. Here is a list of the top ten considerations when investigating a BYOD solution for your organization:

  1. What are the core applications you need to deliver to end users? Are these applications supported by recommended or allowed devices? What are the corporate use cases?
  2. Will your infrastructure support connectivity and desktop/application delivery to new devices on your network? Storage, compute and network – it all matters.
  3. Do you have the budget to support this initiative? Hint: it will be more than you expect. Hint #2: don’t expect to “save money” (at least in the first year). The ROI (return on investment) may come but expectations inside 36 months are unrealistic.
  4. Who needs what? Organizations are diverse and dynamic. Not every employee will need to be part of a BYOD initiative. Different categories of associates will have varying device needs. The road warrior sales guy, administrative assistant and mechanical engineer will all have different needs.
  5. A well-executed plan will drive employee job satisfaction. Figure out how your team will deal with happy IT-using employees; it may be a new experience for all involved.
  6. Are you ready to set policy and stick to it? There will be challenges that make you question what you were thinking in the first place. Get managerial support and be confident.
  7. Be flexible. Sure, this may seem somewhat contrary to comment #6. Of course you’ll encounter situations where the intelligent response is to modify and improve.
  8. Get “buy in” from the board room and the corner office(s). The support of senior management and investors is critical; don’t even go there without serious majority support.
  9. Seek advice and approval from legal, accounting and human resources. Ask the art department and maintenance team too if you think it can help.
  10. Talk to others. I know this is hard for many of us who have spent careers in IT, but give it a shot and see what happens. Speak to partners who have delivered BYOD solutions. Reach out to similar organizations who have implemented their strategy. Heck, speak with companies who tried it and failed. Arm yourself with information, do your research.

This is a lot to digest. A poorly executed implementation has the surety of employees abandoning the program. Small steps and a detailed approach work best – don’t be afraid of running test groups and proof of concept (POC) trials. The risk of not exploring your options may leave your IT environment seeming as outdated as last decade’s pop dance craze. Is your organization considering BYOD? Have you already implemented a policy? If so, how has your experience been?

 

Cisco, Cloud Corner, Featured, Unified Communications

Cloud Corner Series – Making Sense of New Cisco Product Announcements

In this segment of Cloud Corner, Lou Rossi, VP, Technical Services, at GreenPages-LogicsOne provides some clarity around new product offerings from Cisco.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0qWff1IUT4

 

If you have questions around any of the products mentioned in the video send us an email at socialmedia@greenpages.com

 

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Cloud computing, Collaboration, Featured, IT Management, Unified Communications

Cloud Corner Series – Unified Communications in the New IT Paradigm

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHp6Q5RMMR8

 

In this segment of Cloud Corner, former CEO of Qoncert, and new GreenPages-LogicsOne employee, Lou Rossi answers questions around how unified communications fits into the new IT paradigm moving forward.

We’ll be hosting a free webinar on 8/22: How to Securely Enable BYOD with VMware’s Next Gen EUC Platform. Register Now!

Cisco, Featured, Network Infrastructure, Networking, Software Defined Networking, Unified Communications

Days 5 at Cisco Live – Video Recap

By Nick Phelps, Consulting Architect, LogicsOne

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=we5PRDAH_p0

Here’s the recap of the final day of Cisco Live. All in all, a great event with a ton of useful information. I got to sit in on some great sessions and get a lot of hands-on experience with a lot of cutting edge technologies. You can watch the recaps of days 1-4 here if you missed them:

Day 1

Day 2

Day 3 & 4

 

 

 

 

 

Collaboration, Featured, Unified Communications, Video

The Impact of Unified Communication & Collaboration

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLYCeloSXMk

“>http://youtu.be/MLYCeloSXMk

 

In this video, GreenPages Solutions Architect Ralph Kindred talks about the latest industry trends around unified communications and video collaboration and the positive impact it has on businesses today.

 

To learn more about how GreenPages can help your organization with unified communications & collaboration, fill out this form