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Unified communications solutions help promote usefulness of teleworking

Many of us can recollect the saying, “you should not take things for granted, because you never know when a situation will arise where that certain thing will be of use.” I am sure I have learned this lesson once or twice during my lifetime, however one scenario in particular not only relates to my personal life, but has also carried into my professional life as well. A quick anecdote will help you, the readers, understand how a brilliant telephony technology, known as the Mitel Teleworker Solution, for me, will never be taken for granted.

It was a typical Sunday evening - my fiancé and I were enjoying our quiet house after a weekend of festivities with our close friends. All of a sudden, I could hear a constant dripping noise from the heater vent, and, to our dismay, we noticed a puddle forming. We wondered what could cause this puddle, then it clicked as we walked out to our garage and noticed 30 gallons of water flushed into our garage. Our water heater had completely burst! What where we going to do? It was past operations hours on a Sunday - there would be no way anyone could help us solve our situation before Monday.

After a quick call to our home insurance emergency line, we learned the inevitable: one of us had to take a day off work to get a new water heater. But wait - I had a solution that would give me the best outcome. Due to the Mitel Teleworker Solution, I was able to work from home and get our new water heater installed. Most importantly, I did not have to miss a full day of work.

In part, the “teleworker solution,” for me, was simply being able to solve a household emergency; but the teleworker solution is not new to the telephony industry.

According to Toni Kistner, blogger forNetwork World Fusion, the term “telework” was formed by Jack Nilles, known as “The Father of Telecommuting” in the early 1970s, but teleworking did not become well known for its features and benefits until the late 1990’s, when the telephony industry began to notice the positive impact of the teleworker solution.

The benefits of teleworking, described in Mitel‘s Flexible Telework (Cultural Change Afoot in the Workplace whitepaper, fall into three well-known categories: “employee, company and societal benefits. Employee-related benefits are direct in terms of providing work life flexibility, reduced personal costs (fuel, work, and clothing) and zero commute times.”

On a company benefits level, researchers have found that companies are able to reduce their real estate cost by decreasing their overall office space requirements, productivity of an individual employee increases, and in some cases, teleworking can be used as a disaster/recovery plan in case of emergency or health related concerns.

Lastly, societal benefits of teleworking can be addressed by reducing the carbon dioxide emissions and traffic congestion. Even one of the leading teleworking solution manufacturers, Mitel, reports that nearly 40 percent of [their] North American employees telework, with each mile not traveled between home and work saving, on average, 1.1 pounds of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere has been decreased by their business model of using the telework solution.

Further, according to, Employees Frustrated with Long Commutes, “26 percent considered changing jobs to improve their commutes. Almost a quarter of respondents said they are late to work at least three times a month due to traffic.” With this technology, it is almost impractical to not have the teleworking option available for the people. Hopefully society will begin to see the value of teleworking, and be able to deploy this solution throughout the nation’s workforce.

So, whether you find yourself in an emergency household situation like me, or are fed up with gas prices, the daily commute, or feel like you could be more productive working out of the office, then this blog has made its impact. Encourage change within your office; the solution is out there for your taking. Like I said before, “you never know when a situation will arise where that certain thing will be of use.”

Our lifeblood - Part II

In our last blog post, we mentioned that we would be taking a step back from discussing the technological aspects of the telecommunications industry and take a look at the Maverick Networks interior in a two-part blog series. This is the second part of our series about our “lifeblood.”

Part II – Operations:

So you’ve met our sales representatives and telecommunications consultants and decided that Maverick Networks is a good fit for your company’s telecom solution. You’ve signed the papers, agreed to the payments or leasing option, and then what?

Then, our Operations team steps in to help install and implement your shiny, new hardware, software, cable, etc. at your company facilities.

The term “operations” is a broad term, and we use it for our tech team here at Maverick Networks for that very reason. Our Operations team members never carry out just one type of technical task – they are required to know all the ins and outs of our company, our products, as well as the needs of our customers and clients and the layout of their facilities.

According to Matt Kaufman, a convergence field technician here at Maverick, “from the end of the sales process to the inception of the system, the entire process is in the hands of one or more of the members of our operations teams, from project planning, to parts orders and small changes in the scope of work.”

If a customer or client encounters a technical issue and needs to open a service ticket, our operations team is there to help. If a customer or client has a question about their purchased product and service, the operations team is standing by to answer any question they can. If a customer or client would like to make a change on their system, or are experiencing issues, they can call in to our service line (866-482-3200) or submit an email to our service mailbox.

“We have remote access to most of our customers’ sites, so small programming changes are able to be done remotely from our office, while large moves, new phone installs, or major PBX changes may need to be made on-site, in which case we would dispatch a technician to take care of the issue,” Kaufman said. But carrying out all of these tasks isn’t an easy thing to do.

“With the amount of service calls and new installations on our plate, we have to make sure that we make the most of our time,” he said. “Without proper time management we would never be able to get all the work we need to get done, finished.”

Our Operations team is always busy with new business coming in and maintaining quality service guarantees for existing guarantees, so here at Maverick Networks, we can’t help but think of them as our backbone. From new installations to adds, moves and changes (here referred to as AMCs), Operations tackles it all with efficiency, professionalism, and superb quality and customer service.

Our lifeblood - Part I

For this blog post, we’re going to take a step back from discussing all the technological wonders of the telecom industry, and focus on a couple different aspects of our business. As part of a two-part series, we’d like to delve a little deeper into two aspects of our company that truly make us a complete, successful communications business – our hard-working sales team, and our extremely knowledgeable and attentive operations team, without whom, we’d be useless. But, lucky for us, we have some of the most talented professionals in their field.

Part I – Sales:

A general practice for salespeople is to “knock” on every door in sight in hopes that they’ll get a response for someone in need of what they have to offer. Most of the time, this just comes off as annoying or impersonal to the person answering these “knocks”, or the decision maker that the sales person may get referred to.

At Maverick Networks, we don’t like to practice our sales process this way. Being a business ourselves, we get plenty of salespeople trying to sell their product(s) to us, and most of the time they won’t get to a decision maker, so we know all too well the importance of a good sales plan.

We like to go against the grain when it comes to sales. Of course, we have multiple products and services we would like to sell, but we’re not selling them simply to make money. We sell them to help other businesses. When our customers and clients succeed, we succeed.

Yes, our Business Development Specialists or Communications Consultants may call or e-mail your company to inquire about your phone system, but our intention is to find out whether or not you are happy with the service you’ve been given by your phone provider and dial tone/network providers. If you’re not happy, we know that we have the right products, services, and purchasing plans to ensure a positive telecommunications experience for you and your company.

We kind of like to think of ourselves as “telecom doctors,” really.  When you invite us to your offices for an initial meeting or product demo, we want to hear from you, first. We want to know the aches and pains that your old system has given you, or what you like about your system and has helped your business’s efficiency that you would like to keep. We listen to your requests regarding budget, and we look at your monthly telecom costs.

Then, we can “diagnose” your problems, and inform you about all of the options we see that would best fit your company, not what would best help our sales. More often than not, we find multiple avenues to save your company money compared to what you’ve spent previous to our meeting. Like doctors, we want to fix your problems, and continue to have regular checkups and open communication for the best possible health of your company’s telecommunications.

As Aaron Lee, our CEO, likes to say, “Diagnosis without prognosis is malpractice,” and we strive to work under this mindset every day.

Want to meet our sales team or discuss how we can improve the health of your company's telecommunications? Contact us! 

Have you heard about our Compass Solution?

Purchasing a new phone package can get pretty pricey, especially if you’re working for a small to medium-sized business. Of course, when shopping for the right phones, service and dial tone providers, you’ll want to consider the overall total cost of ownership (TCO) to ensure that you’re getting the best bang for your buck. But, even if you do walk away with a really great price on the total package, it can be hard to find the financial resources right upfront for all of the services your company needs.

At Maverick Networks, Inc., we understand all too well. In fact, we fall under the SMB category, as well. That’s why we’ve partnered with Great America Leasing to provide our customers and clients with the best services and products they can get without having to empty out their pockets.

The Compass Solution

Purchasing a new phone package can get pretty pricey, especially if you’re working for a small to medium-sized business. Of course, when shopping for the right phones, service and dial tone providers, you’ll want to consider the overall total cost of ownership (TCO) to ensure that you’re getting the best bang for your buck. But, even if you do walk away with a really great price on the total package, it can be hard to find the financial resources right upfront for all of the services your company needs.

At Maverick Networks, Inc., we understand all too well. In fact, we fall under the SMB category, as well. That’s why we’ve partnered with Great America Leasing to provide our customers and clients with the best services and products they can get without having to empty out their pockets.

LBS - it's no B.S.

Do you ever have those paranoid thoughts that our technology is getting so advanced that it may actually take over the world one day (kind of like in that movie, I, Robot with Will Smith...)?

Will Smith talks to robots.

Well, don't worry, you're not paranoid. It's already beginning to happen.

Just kidding. It's not. If you're feeling that paranoid, you might want to consider taking up meditation or yoga. But, we can't blame you for being in awe at how far our society has come with technology in recent years, and how much further we can potentially go.

In the telecommunications world, so much progress has been made in the growth of technology uses that it's hard not to let our jaws drop just a bit (see Geeking out over VoIP-enabled toys and Virtualizing for the future). One such advancement really isn't all that new, but it is something that people might not normally think about because it's been incorporated in their day-to-day lives so much within the last 10 years.

Location-based service (LBS) has played a major role in helping technology help to make our lives easier. Generally, it requires global positioning system (GPS) technology to track where a device is and where it travels to. In fact, if you're an owner of a smart phone or tablet, you encounter LBS daily and probably don't even realize it.

When you update your Facebook status from your DROID RAZR, LBS is registering your exact location, even if you don't "check in" anywhere. When you do a Google search on your brand new iPad for the closest Greek restaurant to your office, LBS is using your GPS location to help narrow your search results.

Mitel, a global provider of business communications and collaboration software services, has a mobility application called Unified Communicator Advanced (UCA). With this application, LBS is used to help determine your availability based on your location via GPS and your Bluetooth or Wi-Fi connection.

For example, Tiffany, one of our communications consultants, uses the Mitel UCA application on her personal cell phone to twin her desk phone number. That way, she can make and receive calls from her cell phone under the guise of her desk phone number while she's out in the field. But, say she goes home instead of heading back to the office after being out on a client site visit all day. While her UCA status is set to mobile over her phone's own internet connection, the moment she comes in to her personal Wi-Fi zone at her house, her UCA status will change to whatever she had previously programmed it to change to (for this purpose, let's say she programmed is to change to "Gone for the Day" when she's at home). So, if she's ready to end her work day and her phone is already set to "Gone for the Day," any calls coming in to her number will be automatically directed to her voicemail.

ShoreTel, another leading provider of unified communications solutions and IP business phone systems, has a similar product that allows for its users with mobility enabled on their mobile devices. With the ShoreWare Mobile Call Manager, LBS is enabled by a waypoint, or:

"a data point that associates an action with a specific location. When your device receives a GPS signal in the location specified by the waypoint, while Mobile Call Manager is in the foreground application, the action defined by the waypoint is performed." 

DrVoIP, a VoIP blog, highlights these capabilities:

"With the ShoreTel Version 9 the GPS in my phone can use my current location to set my call handling mode and effectively change my external assignment. So when I am in the office, all the calls to my extension ring in at my desk. If I go out for lunch the GPS notes my location as 'not in the office' [and] changes my external assignment and my calls start ringing in on my cell. When I finally get home from a long day at the beach, the GPS notes that I am home and assigns my extension to my home phone."

So while our technology might not be taking over the world any time soon, with the ability for a tablet or phone to detect its owner's location and adjust their mobility statuses for their work phone, perhaps we should start calling smart phones intelligent phones, instead. We think it has a bit of a ring to it!

Is your jaw dropping (even just a little bit) at this LBS business? Talk to us! We partner with both Mitel and ShoreTel, and can tell you which phone system will best fit your company's needs. Visit our website - www.mavericknetworks.net - or send us an e-mail to info@mavericknetworks.net!

Customer Profile: Fast moving company needed a solution... Fast!

Zettaset, provider of a Hadoop-based data platform for storing and analyzing large data sets, had a lot going on.

They were moving to a new office, hiring people at a quickening pace, and about to launch their first public marketing campaign.

“We realized that the phone was going to start ringing, but we didn’t have a plan for dealing with that,” said Tim Reilly, Zettaset Controller.

“I was familiar with Maverick Networks, and knew they had done a great job for some colleagues of mine. We didn’t have time or the ‘bandwidth’ to go through a lengthy process and review a lot of options, so I just called on Maverick to step in and take care of it,” he said.

Enter Maverick Networks.

“Zettaset needed us to move fast, but we also knew it was critical to do a thorough evaluation of their needs,” explained Aaron Lee, Maverick Networks CEO. The Maverick team has done this numerous times, so they quickly sized up Zettaset’s situation and recommended a solution that would make both fiscal and operational sense.

“Given their plans to tie a couple of U.S. offices together, expected growth in the European market, and desired features, the Small Enterprise Package from ShoreTel was a good fit,” Lee said.

In addition to the Small Enterprise Package, Maverick Networks offered Zettaset the Compass Solution payment program, greatly impressing Reilly.

“As the VP of Finance and Operations, I am especially impressed by the Compass Solution Maverick put together. Instead of buying the system as a capital expensive, we pay a single, low monthly payment to cover use, upgrades and maintenance of the system. This was the right move for our young company,” Reilly said.

Within a matter of two weeks, Maverick Networks coordinated installation of cabling, provisioning of Internet connectivity, installation and configuration of the equipment, and use training.

“It was miraculous,” Reilly said. “I couldn’t believe that in the midst of everything going on, we were up and running on our new system with time to spare before our public launch at a big trade show. Maverick Networks made it smooth, and the ShoreTel system was so easy to use, our team was immediately comfortable and productive. Managing the system is just as easy – because as a company that’s investing in engineering and our product, we are keeping administrative costs as lean as possible. In other words, I have to manage our infrastructure myself.”

Article: SIX Card Solutions Selects Mitel for Virtualized Voice

Check out the original release here...

"The supplier of a range of products and services supporting card-based electronic payment transactions selected Mitel's Freedom architecture to address the growing demand for mobility and the need to reduce internal costs. Mitel's solution offer additional functionality that will help SIX Card Solutions optimize internal communications and collaboration."

Ok, so SIX Card Solutions is a Swiss company based in Lexembourg, but this release is an excellent example of how a major technology company, anywhere in the world, can increase their functionality and efficiency while decreasing internal telecom costs. Besides, the release does mention that the Mitel solution will be extended to their Chicago office later this spring. By doing this...

"...SIX Card Solutions anticipates overall call costs between branches will be down 25 percent, with significant saving from transatlantic calls between Sweden and the United States. 'The call costs between Sweden and the US will be reduced to zero. Overall we think the return on investment will be in three years..."

If your company is looking to trim some fat around internal costs, or is just in the market for a new phone system, Mitel is definitely an excellent solution to any company, large or small, domestic or international.

If you're in Northern California and want to learn more about how Mitel can help you and your company, visit our website at www.mavericknetworks.net or e-mail us at info@mavericknetworks.net.


SIX Card Solutions Selects Mitel for Virtualized Voice
25 Percent Call Cost Reduction Calls and ROI in Three Years
Press Release: Mitel Networks Corporation - Fri Feb 17, 2012 8:00 AM EST

MECHELEN, Belgium, Feb. 17, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mitel(R) (Nasdaq:MITL - News), a leading provider of unified communications and collaboration (UCC) software solutions, today announced that SIX Card Solutions will replace their legacy communications infrastructure with Mitel's virtualized voice solutions. The supplier of a range of products and services supporting card-based electronic payment transactions selected Mitel's Freedom architecture to address the growing demand for mobility and the need to reduce internal call costs. Mitel's solutions offer additional functionality that will help SIX Card Solutions optimize internal communications and collaboration. Mitel partner CTTL is responsible for the implementation of the new communications environment.

Implementation of Mitel's IP communications solution, based on VMware, has been completed at SIX Card Solutions' head office and contact centre in Luxemburg, and at its branch offices in Sweden. Deployment of the Mitel solution will extend to SIX Card Solutions new office locations in the United Kingdom and Chicago later this spring.

By moving to Mitel's virtual voice solution, SIX Card Solutions anticipates overall call costs between branches will be down 25 percent, with significant saving from transatlantic calls between Sweden and the United States."The call costs between Sweden and the US will be reduced to zero. Overall we think the return on investment will be in three years," says Benoit Collet, IT manager at SIX Card Solutions Group Luxembourg. "In addition, the flexibility of the new system is critical to support additional communications requirements to meet growing business needs."

Mitel's Freedom Architecture, including vMAS and vUCA, supports centralized management of the communications infrastructure. It also offers enhanced functionality including unified messaging, voicemail, mobility solutions, teleworking, collaboration and audio and web conferencing.

"We are specialized in processing card-based electronic payment transactions for several leading hotel and restaurant chains. Being able to respond quickly to those customers is critical. With SIX Card Solutions offices in multiple countries, we were not able to achieve the type of dynamic working environment with the centralized management required with our old system," says Collet. "After comparative market research we selected a virtualized voice in combination with UC. Flexibility, ease of use and integration with other systems were key selection criteria. Mitel was the only supplier that met all our needs."

"The project at SIX Card Solutions is a great example of why and how organizations with branches worldwide can benefit from IP telephony," said Jozef Van Royen, channel director for Mitel Belgium and Luxemburg. "Our communications portfolio supports the growing need of organisations for more effective communications and call cost reductions."

About Mitel
Mitel (Nasdaq:MITL - News) is a global provider of business communications and collaboration software and services. Mitel's Freedom architecture provides the flexibility and simplicity organizations need to support today's dynamic work environment. Through a single cloud-ready software stream, Mitel delivers a powerful suite of advanced communications and collaboration capabilities that provides freedom from walled garden architectures and enables organizations to implement best-of-breed solutions on any network; extends the "in-office" experience anywhere, on any device; and offers choice of commercial options to fit business needs. For more information, visit: http://www.mitel.com

The Mitel Networks Corporation logo is available athttp://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=8599

About SIX Card Solutions

SIX Card Solutions, with offices in Luxembourg, Sweden, UK, Germany and Germany, has been at the forefront of credit card processing since 1986. Today SIX Card Solutions leads the market in integrated card payment processing, providing Bespoke Solutions to hospitality, parking, retail and Internet merchants. SIX Card Solutions delivers secure, efficient, Integrated Card Solutions, enabling merchants on four continents to focus on their core business. SIX Card Solutions simplifies global card processing, everywhere.

About CTTL
Present on the Luxembourgish market since 1990, CTTL is already known in the telecommunications and security world. Today, the company is active as integrator in the three following sectors: Telecommunications, security and networking. CTTL is currently running with about fifty employees and serving about 1000 customers from both the finances, industry, healthcare, publics and services sector.

We are offering these customers a solution fitting with their existing needs. Based on their objectives and their constrains, we offer them innovative and pragmatic solutions. www.cttl.lu

Mitel and the Mitel logo are registered trademarks of Mitel Networks Corporation.

All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

Contact:

Mitel, Marieke Adama, Tel: +31 (0)30 8500 030, 
Email: marieke_adama@mitel.com 
Whizpr, Elke De Ridder, Tel: 052 55 33 26, 
Email: elke@whizpr.be 
CONTACTS (US):
Scott Smith (media), 408-884-5157, 
ssmith@sterlingpr.com
Amy MacLeod (media and industry analysts), 613-592-2122,
amy_macleod@mitel.com
Cynthia Hiponia (investor relations), 
613-592-2122 x71992, investorrelations@mitel.com

Mobile security - it doesn't have to be a Wild West standoff

Last month, we posted a blog about the “bring your own device” (BYOD) practice that more and more businesses are welcoming as a part of their internal communications. 

While we could speak all day on the plethora of benefits this provides for organizations, there’s another trend running parallel to this that IT directors should be wary of, and it’s not a good one.

"This network ain't big enough for the two of us!"

Think of the recurring use of personal devices for work purposes like the old, Wild West. There are many landscapes still being discovered while more and more people join the trend. But, like the Wild West, there’s still a lack of governance for these new landscapes. Therefore, there are more possibilities for some “bad apples” to take over the territories for themselves, putting peoples’ smart phones and tablets in jeopardy.

Nope. He's not living among the Kiwis.

Confused by the Wild West reference? We’re talking about hackers here, people. 

Hackers, like the people that have enough technical experience that they can take control of others' computers from their own device, no matter the distance between the two operating systems, or can sneak in to PBS’s network and tell the world that former rap star Tupac Shakur was still alive and living in New Zealand (*cough* LulzSec *cough*).

In February 2011, PC World reported than cybercrime had doubled in growth "year after year," and according to Noa Bar-Yosef, senior security strategist for Imperva, "In the last half of (2010) there were 2,383 mobility-related keywords in hacker forum threads compared to only 264 on the previous half - almost a tenfold increase" (Keeping Data Safe When it Leaves the Corporate Nest).

These hackers are using the same tactics with mobile devices as they have for years with computers - installing malware, phishing, etc. The difference now, however, is that companies, particularly those with sensitive data, that allow their employees to use their own devices for out-of-office communication, are at a much higher risk of a security breach on their data and information than they were before.

Why is this the case? Because there is still limited IT control over these devices. A personal device is thought to be just that, personal. But when an employee makes the decision to bring it to work and use it for business-related transactions and communication, their phone is no longer just their own device.

"Organizations need to respond to this trend by developing policies to address new mobile work styles that can drive productivity through more flexible working, while safeguarding the use of data and sensitive information," wrote Stephen Withers in an article for iTwire last November.

Business Computing World lists some policies that can be developed and implemented by IT directors:

• Remote wipe and lock: IT managers can required employees to install remote wiping software on their device before using it for work. This allows IT to lock down and erase data if the device is stolen or lost.
• GPS tracking: "Some Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions allow IT to send an alarm to the device to help identify the location for a user, and if truly lost, IT can then leverage the wipe and lock technology mentioned above."
• Network authentication, authorization, account: IT can adopt a solutions that tie devices connected with the organization's network with each user's identity and role, then apply proper policies (depending on the role) to grant certain access privledges. "This enables IT to differentiate access for different levels of employees or guests, or even by device type. It also lets IT take a proactive stance on tracking and monitoring how mobile devices are being used within their network."
• Secure remote support: Many users of BYOD use person mobile devices for work when out of the office - having a secure way to support and fix these devices from a remote location is necessary. It allows help desks to "configure devices, chat, transfer files, and even remotely see and control the device."
• Acceptable use policy: As a company would expect its employees to use their computers only for work-appropriate purposes, so should it expect its employees to use their personal devices if they choose to use them for work. Having employees sign an Acceptable Use Agreement to allow them access to the company network with their person device allows IT to have a better grasp on the conditions under which the employee is allowed to use their phone. The agreement may include conditions, such as installing a device certificate or the remote wipe software, or state that devices can be seized if necessary for legal matters.
  
   While some may see IT taking such measures as a bit controlling, at the end of the day, it will ensure security, not just for the company's data, but also for the person to whom the device belongs and their personal data (i.e. banking information, personal account logins, contact information, etc.). And, just like in the old, Wild West, when a new sheriff comes in to town (or, in this case, a new IT policy regarding personal devices), keeping order is a shared responsibility between both parties. The "sheriff" lays down "laws" to ensure everyone's safety, and if people follow these laws, they're less likely to be harmed by malicious, external forces.

Virtualizing for the future

No. Not this kind of virtualization.

This week, Maverick Networks CEO, Aaron Lee (@MaverickVoIP) is at the VMware Partner Exchange 2012 in Las Vegas. VMware is a global leader in virtualization, partnering with companies like DELL, MITEL, Intel, ShoreTel, etc. to “improve the efficiency and availability of IT resources and applications.” 

“Virtualization?” you ask?

Yes. Virtualization.

You’ve probably heard the word buzzing around the IT industry for a few years now, but only recently has virtualization made such a large impact in the way companies conduct their business. While to some it may sound like a video game that allows you to live in an alternate reality from your own (which would be really cool to have as part of company protocol and procedures), to others, virtualization is something even cooler (at least in terms of IT efficiency) than a virtual reality video game.

According to Storage Virtualization for Dummies, virtualization is, 

“the act of abstracting, hiding, or isolating the internal functions of a storage (sub)system or service from applications, computer servers, or general network resources for the purpose of enabling application and network independent management of storage or data…” or, more simply aggregating “storage components, such as disks, controllers, and storage networks, in a coordinated way to share them more efficiently among the applications it serves.”

Here’s how VMware virtualization works: a thin layer of software is inserted directly on to the computer hardware or on a host operating system. This makes the machine a virtual monitor, or “hypervisor” that allocates hardware resources dynamically and transparently.

“Multiple operating systems run concurrently on a single physical computer and share hardware resources with each other. By encapsulating an entire machine, including CPU, memory, operating system, and network devices, a virtual machine is completely compatible with all standard x86 operating systems, applications, and device drivers. You can safely run several operating systems and applications at the same time on a single computer, with each having access to the resources it needs when it needs them.”

In summary, storage virtualization allows for multiple operating systems to run on a single computer (including Windows, Linux, and more), with each virtual “machine” sharing the resources of that one, physical computer across multiple environments. This frees up all of the space originally taken by each and every server.

But saving storage space isn’t the only perk about virtualization.

Earlier this month, we posted a blog about shopping for the best total cost of ownership (TCO) in addition to shopping for a new phone system. We pointed out that when you purchase a new phone system and new handsets, you aren’t purchasing just the hardware – you’re also purchasing the type of upkeep the products will need, as well as the training that IT managers and employees will need to become accustomed to the new system. Another aspect to think about is what the return on investment will be with upgrading the phone system.

When adding a storage virtualization solution to a system upgrade, the ROI increases even more, faster.

In addition to condensing servers, virtualization solutions:

• Increases energy efficiency - the less servers running, the less energy your business is consuming, meaning a smaller energy-consuming footprint for your organization, and energy costs reduced by 80 percent.
• Improved disaster recovery solutions - using VMware, organizations can effectively and rapidly recover data with automation; recovery includes non-disruptive testing automation and simplified testing of recovery plans; affordable recovery that doesn’t require a duplicate, idle datacenter, and hardware infrastructure can be consolidated at both the production and failover sites to reduce costs.
•  Reduced datacenter costs – by reducing your physical infrastructure and improving your server to admin ratio, fewer servers and related IT hardware means reduced real estate and better management tools allows for reduced personnel requirements.

The additional benefits of virtualization are, well, virtually endless. As businesses’ capacities expand and cloud computing becomes increasingly relied on for data storage, there is no doubt that there will be a need for the same businesses to go completely virtual with the telephony and IT needs.

At Maverick Networks, Inc. we are continuously working to offer the best IT solutions for our customers and clients. With the advancements in the IT industry even in the last year, we truly believe that virtualization will be the next business necessity when it comes to upgrading, updating or expanding telephone systems.


Stay tuned for more information about virtualization when Aaron returns from VMwarePEX 2012 and shares his insights with the Maverick crew later this week.

For more information on how Maverick Networks can help your organization become virtualized, visit our website or contact us at info@mavericknetworks.net.

AVST releases new product line to increase small-to-midsize business productivity

Last week, Applied Voice and Speech Technologies, Inc. (AVST), announced its unveiling of a new product line of enterprise-class unified communications (UC) solutions for small-to-midsized businesses (SMBs). The new product line, AVST CX-S, includes AVST Mobile for iPhone^® and Android^™, speech0enabled automated attendant and person assistant, unified messaging, single number reach and voicemail.

“By integrating with all major IP-PBX brands, premise-based and cloud e-mail solutions, CX-S enables SMBs to unlock the full potential of their existing communications infrastructure and achieve measureable business productivity improvements with new mobile and speech-drive UC solutions from AVST.”

To learn more about AVST CX-S and its features, click here.

Total Cost of Ownership - What are you REALLY paying for?

Purchasing a new phone system is like buying a new car. If you’re in the market for a new automobile, you’re not going to fork over money for the first piece of metal on wheels that you see. Chances are, you’ve researched the kind of car you want – the year, the make, the model, the engine power, etc. Then, when thinking about how much you’re going to spend on the car, you don’t think of how much just the car itself will cost. Other factors come in to play financially – the interior of the car (do you want leather or cloth?), the built-in amenities (do you want a car that’s OnStar-ready, or one with hands-free, Bluetooth capabilities?), the type of tires the car needs, the oil that goes in it, the type of gas it needs (regular, premium, or diesel?), and, most importantly, how much car insurance will cost with your new purchase.

If you’re an IT director at a company in need of a new phone system, you’re probably shopping for handsets and network providers in the same way. You’re going to look at different vendors and providers that match your company’s needs to the products available from these suppliers. You’ll look at the pricing of the products and services and compare them to what your company’s budget can afford. But one of the main things you should be wary of when shopping for a new phone system is the total cost of ownership (TCO), especially with an economy that’s seen brighter days.

Considering the financial landscape of the last four years, IT spending may not be at the forefront of many CIOs’ agendas. However, according to an article on CIO.com, a survey conducted by CDW IT Monitor revealed that there is an uptick in economic confidence with increasing IT budgets.

“CIOs are looking at every IT investment in terms of how it makes sense for the business and our data shows they are still spending on key investments including software and hardware – particularly mobile devices, virtualization and security... The investments that are being planned by CIOs for late this year reflect a decided shift to software installations – at a level that CDW calls the greatest on record, and covering a significant part of their organizations.”

With the shift of budget focus to software installations that allow for mobility, virtualization and security, analyzing the overall TCO of a purchase from a vendor is incredibly important.

Last month, ShoreTel revealed results from a comprehensive industry study from Aberdeen Group that showed ShoreTel Unified Communications solution as having the lowest TCO in the telecommunications industry.

"The survey of 236 different businesses validates that ShoreTel’s unified communications solution is the easiest to use, deploy and manage when compared to other solutions in the market today…

ShoreTel’s UC solution was designed from the ground up to take advantage of IP technology – making it better suited to the realities of business than other ‘IP-enabled’ legacy technology or bolted-together systems, which are inherently complex… Enterprises can scale with ease by simply plugging in an addition switch – without the need to rip and replace infrastructure. Moves, adds and changes (MACs) can easily be performed in-house because of the ability to manage users instead of devices, reducing the time, complexity and cost of system administration. These fundamental differences are what enable ShoreTel to provide the lowest total cost of ownership in the industry.”

When considering a phone system, measuring the TCO requires planning for the future. Important things to consider outside of the hardware itself are installation and implementation (ensuring proper cabling and a service provider that is compatible with your phone system), maintenance costs (in a perfect world, the only time an organization would need a new phone system would be for an upgrade to keep “with the times”… but it’s not a perfect world, and things break, wear out, and stop working), additional application add-ons and their compatibility with the phone system (like we’ve mentioned before, mobility and BYOD are increasingly being adopted by businesses to expand their efficiency and cut costs), training (let’s face it – new technology, especially conference-capable technology, can be confusing and hard to learn on your own), and licensing.

Upfront training cost for new Deployments from Aberdeen study.

The survey also revealed that ShoreTel IP phone deployment took only 53 minutes to complete as compared to Avaya Aura, which took more than 2.5 hours for each phone, and the cost for recurring training for a ShoreTel system was 85 percent less than the recurring training cost for an Avaya IP Office system.

At Maverick Networks, Inc., we partner with companies like ShoreTel to ensure that our customers and clients are getting the most for their money. We offer the best products at competitive prices because we know that it’s the quality of the products and services that matter the most in the long-term when it comes to IT spending.

For more information on what we offer, or to get a quote for your company’s UC needs, visit our website or contact us at info@mavericknetworks.net

BYO...D??

We’ve all seen the acronym BYOB (if you’ve ever gone to a party, chances are you know what it means), but there is a new kind of Bring Your Own expectation being practiced more and more by businesses when it comes to telecommunications needs – bring your own device, or BYOD.

As companies are incorporating unified communications technologies in to their workplace, there is becoming less of a need for employers to supply their employees with company mobile devices for times that they are away from their desk handset. With mobility-enabled UC services, employers can now have their employees use their own smart phone or tablet.

With products like the Mitel Unified Communicator Mobile, users are provided with a single phone number and voice mailbox for both their handset and their mobile device. The process of linking the two devices under one phone number is called “twinning.” Here’s how it works:

“An incoming call will simultaneously ring both your extension and the twinned device. The device that you use to answer the call establishes a voice path and the other device will cease to ring… Even though you are not at your desk but on the road, you can call and communicate as if you were in the office.”

For employers, the BYOD phenomenon (which, today, is really more of a common practice than it is a unique trend like it was from 2008 to 2010) is incredibly helpful. According to Galen Gruman, blogger for InfoWorld, adopters of BYOD are seeing real ROI and an increase in employee productivity, particularly in customer service and client relationships. Companies that ditch the practice of purchasing mobile devices for each employee and turn to mobile-enabled UC services save 30-40 percent on their monthly communications costs on average.

What’s even better for employers utilizing BYOD practices is that their employees are using app-savvy devices that they actually want and will pay for out of their own pocket for personal use, anyway. According to Gruman, other employers are even paying for some of the mobile usage costs “to encourage more employees to adopt iPhones, iPads, and Androids than otherwise would – to grow the pool of highly connected, highly effective information workers.” Even so, the subsidies these employers provide cost much less than the purchase and upkeep of addition mobile phones for each employee.

At Maverick Networks, we’re seeing a steep increase in mobility application purchases from our customers and clients. Some are even converting to mobile usage only, ridding their desks of the traditional handset equipment. Recently, we had a ShoreTel Mobility Router installed, allowing our own employees to utilize mobility applications over the company’s Wi-Fi network (instead of their own service providers that might not have the best service indoors). So, not only do we now have the option to go completely wireless in-office, personal cellular charges are considerably decreased as we use our phone at work.

Our shiny, new ShoreTel Mobility Router!

Still don’t quite get it? Imagine your work phone – you can send and receive phone calls, listen to voicemail, transfer a call to another person, call multiple people at once for a conference call, set numbers to a speed dial system so that you only have to push one button to reach them on the line they’re currently using, and probably a lot of other useful and (we think) awesome things to help make your phone interactions swifter and less complicated. Well, imagine being able to do all of that, but from your smart phone. That, friends, is the beauty of mobility, and the reason so many businesses are turning to BYOD protocol.

So if your company is in the market to upgrade your phone system, maybe it’s time you think about chucking out some of those bulky black boxes with the curly chords and letting your employees’ personal devices do the same job. Visit our website to talk with a sales rep about how we can help you get to where you want to be with your telecommunications system: http://www.mavericknetworks.net/.

For some helpful tips on how to manage BYOD phone usage within your company, click here.

Geeking out over VoIP-enabled toys

If you work in the telcommunications industry, you’re probably a tech geek of some sort. You might not consider yourself one if you’ve just joined the industry, but if you stick around long enough to learn about the technology available and can successfully sell telecom products simply based on the passion you exude for what you’re selling (call recording and mobility applications, anyone?), chances are somebody, somewhere, will think of you as a geek.

At Maverick Networks, we definitely have our geeky moments. For instance, our marketing and PR specialist, Jennifer Leslie (@JennMariePR), shed a few tears this week because she wasn’t at the 2012 International CES tradeshow. Fortunately for her, her obsession with social media allowed her to get constant updates via Twitter from accounts such as Pete Cashmore of Mashable,

CNET  and TechCrunch.

So, when she stumbled upon an article by Adam Bunker of Electricpig about some of the weirdest gadgets at CES 2012, we couldn’t contain our geeky excitement over the VoIP LEGO, a version of the LEGO Mindstorms NXT line. According to the article, the vehicle/robot can be controlled via Skype, enabling users to “call” it and control it from anywhere in the world.

What we can’t decide is what’s more intriguing about this production – the fact that VoIP technology can be used to control a LEGO robot, or the fact that the creator of the project is only 14-years-old! For the sake of our blog’s content, we’ll speak on the technology rather than his age (but really… 14-years-old and making headlines at CES with his knowledge of web code, screen sharing, and Bluetooth connectivity. We sure are impressed!)

Leon, the pre-teen mastermind behind this creation, explains how the robot works on his blog, World of MindStorms:

“The webpage is fairly simple – it’s got three arrows (one forward, two to the sides) and a start and a stop button. Clicking the start arrow will begin a Skype conversation with my computer, after which the user should share their screen; the NXT standing in front of my computer (called 'Jeeves') can then “see” the webpage the user is viewing.

That’s where the cool part kicks in – when the user clicks any one of the arrows or the stop button, the page will change to a different shade of gray. This shade of gray is then picked up by Jeeves, who turns it into a Bluetooth message for the other NXT (called 'Alfred'). The car then drives in the direction the user tells it to, while remaining within a fenced off area where the webcam can see it.

So, the user can drive a LEGO Mindstorms NXT car, from the comfort of his or her home, without having to install any kind of software (provided that they have Skype).”

You can also watch the robot in action on his blog, as well.

Although the idea is fairly simple and there is only one robot able to be controlled, this kid’s ease with such a common video conferencing source likeSkype shows that advances in telecom technology is moving faster than ever, and reaching younger and younger audiences.

We’d like to think of Leon as a maverick, as well. By thinking outside the [LEGO] box, he's found a way to use such a common tool and turn it in to something that may actually be of use one day for many businesses. Sure, the U.S. government has far more advanced technologies to control devices like a drone, but who knows what use companies will find for VoIP-controlled devices modeled after Leon’s LEGO Mindstorms NXT car?

All we can say is geek on, little man, and keep up the hard work so that we may be able to sell your technology one day.

"Resolving" business communications

It’s the beginning of a new year, which means it’s time to work on those New Years resolutions. Maverick Networks might be able to help.

While we can’t promise to help you to lose weight or trim off bad habits, we can help your business become more efficient, save money, retain employees (even those at a distance) and decrease its carbon footprint by employing unified communications within your company.

Need a better understanding of what unified communications means? We can help with that, too.

Unified communications (UC) is the convergence of real-time communications services (such as instant messaging, video conferencing, data sharing, etc.) with non-real-time communication services (such as e-mail, SMS and fax). It allows users to send a message from one medium and receive the same message through another medium over Internet protocol (IP), often at a much faster speed than through the public switched telephone networks traditionally used.

For example, Jack leaves a voicemail for Jill. Jill, however, is in an important business meeting and cannot pick up her phone to listen to the voicemail. Instead, Jill can open her e-mail from her smartphone or tablet and be able to read the message that Jack has left. If Jill wants to respond, she can write her response via e-mail to Jack, who can receive the message through his e-mail inbox, or listen to it from his voicemail.

Sounds pretty cool and technological, right? We think so, which is why we’re so passionate about what we sell.

We know that when a company employs UC within their workplace, their work efficiency increases. People no longer have to wait around for important responses, which can delay progress, and employees can all be better connected around the clock.

While our country is slowly but surely climbing out of a recession, cutting costs is still crucial to keep a company afloat. But, instead of having to decrease workforce because of lack of space or lack of resources, businesses can use converged communication technology to keep employees even more in touch than ever, even if they’re working from home or out of other, more distant offices.

Another perk of utilizing UC? Travel time and commuting expenses are cut, which not only helps businesses to save time and money, it also contributes to keeping their CO2 emissions down. Services like video conferencing over IP can allow Jack, who is located in Portland, to meet with Jill, who is located in Los Angeles, without having to leave the office.

Through mobility-enabled UC services, users can have phone calls seamlessly rerouted from their office phone to their own mobile device, for any important calls that may come in while that person is in the field or in transit. Users can even make calls from their mobile device under their office number (known as single number reachability), so their personal number doesn’t have to be revealed (or, even cooler, the person on the other end of the line doesn’t have to know that the user isn’t at his or her desk).

So, even if you end up dropping your personal New Years resolutions by Valentine’s Day, through unified communications, you can ensure that your business’s “resolutions” can remain fulfilled for years to come.

Product Demonstration: VMWare vMotion

Ever wondered how VMWare technology can move running virtual machines from one physical server to another with no impact to end users? Phil Ouellette of MITEL shows you how:

Product Demonstration: VMWare vMotion

Fixed Price is a Lie

Here is a great blog post from Richard Sheridan of Menlo Innovations, a fellow Inc. Magazine's 5,000 Fastest Growing Private Companies Award winner:

Fixed Price is a Lie

As a company focused on customer satisfaction in converged communication sales, we believe it's important for customers and clients to understand where the numbers come from when shopping for the best price in telecommunications and VoIP services. Sheridan hits the nail on the head when he says: "Herein lies the power of agile: fixed budget projects that focus on scope management in order to achieve the highest possible business value within a budget and time frame. What does it take for this to work? A real and authentic relationship between the technical team and the business team."

A little about Maverick Networks...

A little about Maverick Networks, Inc. for our first blog:

As you probably have guessed, we are not Tom Cruise, nor are we in any way affiliated with him or the blockbuster classic, "Top Gun." However, our company shares something in common with the 1986 film, which is that we are all mavericks.

The story goes like this: Maverick Networks CEO, Aaron Lee, was considered a “Top Gun” (i.e. – a successful sales rep) at his previous telecommunications employer, but left the company in October of 2003 to start his own telecom company from the ground up. Lee decided to use the name Maverick because it gave a sense and persona of what our company truly is in its industry – one that stands out from the crowd. It’s a cultural symbol and name that we stand behind and believe in every day.

We have always taken the stance of being different than what our competitors do for their prospects and customers. It's what has allowed us to achieve the awards we have received over the last few years (Fastest Growth in SF Bay Area List, INC 5000 in 2009, to name a few). Our beginning was like many startups, working out of the home office. Shortly after launching, we moved into a small warehouse space at a friend’s office in Hayward, Calif., and finally into a real corporate office space in our current location in Pleasanton, Calif.

It’s been a fun ride along the way as our customer base has grown with Pure VoIP Telephony solutions, and as we have established our distinct flair for being trusted advisors for voice solutions.

Our logo was created by combining a maverick mentality (horns) and networks (rings) circling a sphere (our home, Planet Earth).

Our goal began, and continues to be, extreme customer focus and satisfaction. We do this by providing innovative ideas and solutions to companies looking for voice convergence solutions. So, if your company is looking for a VoIP Converged Solution and have a need for a Top Gun or Maverick look no further and contact us for a free consultation.