TNO

IP phone system upgrade

tno — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 21:02:38 +0000

While most phonesystems sold in the last 5 years support IP technology, it is possible to make cheap IP calls from an older legacy system using IP gateways.

The new Eircom Broadlink, Eircom Advantage and Siemens systems all support IP while Samsung and Panasonic phonesystems have had it for years. At TNO we even have IP calls working from old Eircom Netlink Systems.

Put simply IP calls are much cheaper and remove the need for line rental, saving companies a fortune.

Join the IP revolution now – Whether you IP enable your existing system or trade it in for a new one, we will help you

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Which Phone System?

tno — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 13:17:33 +0000

A question I am often asked is Which Phone System should I choose? The answer of course depends on user requirements but the Irish market has always been a bit different because of the dominence of Eircom- supplied systems such as the Lake Netlink or Broadlink and MDS Eircom advantage, where users are effectively locked in as Eircom have exclusive distribution and are the only company that can get parts or service the systems.

The same is largely true of Toshiba and NEC systems although this is slowly changing.

I generally recommend Panasonic, Samsung or Siemens as they are reliable, and easy to get parts and service for. Choice is normally based on whatever phones you like best as they all do pretty much the same job but our recommendation will depend on which provides the best cost option depending on your requirement.

With regard to IP telephony, we generally recommend a hybrid (traditional lines and IP) version of one of the above systems as apart from UPC’s excellent broadband service, internet infrastructure is not sufficiently developed here to rely exclusively on IP (the same is true of cloud computing)

Finally although many of the above system are hard to find an alternative service provider for, we at TNO Ltd can source parts for and service most brands of system.

Phone System Upgrade

tno — Sat, 22 Oct 2011 12:55:52 +0000

If your phone system fails as a result of a power surge or defective card, most manufacturers will encourage you to buy an new system. This usually involves new phones as the old sets are not compatible with the new system.

At TNO, we don’t believe in replacing systems just for the sake of it – we will repair your old system or replace it with a refurbished phone system that is compatible with your existing phones saving you money. In the case of Siemens phone systems, we can even refurbish your existing phones so they come back looking like new or with Panasonic, Samsung or Eircom advantage we can upgrade your software version and trade-in your existing phones for new models so you end up with what looks like a new system for a fraction of the cost.

We can even upgrade many systems to VoIP to eliminate line rental by using SIP trunks and take advantage of cheap VoIP Packages.

We will also provide a full guarantee on the replacement unit as we carry a full range of spares for most system brands.

So next time you have a problem with your phone system – Call TNO for recession-beating replacement or removal service

UPC Business Growth with partner TNO Ltd.

tno — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 17:15:29 +0000

SUBSCRIBER numbers at TV, broadband and telephony provider UPC Ireland jumped 11pc year-on-year to nearly 827,000 during the last quarter as the company aggressively competed with rivals including Eircom.

Figures released by the company yesterday show that at the end of the second quarter in June, UPC had almost 225,000 broadband customers — up 32pc on the corresponding period last year.

The number of subscribers to its telephony service rose 56pc to 121,200, while subscriptions to its digital TV service were 5pc higher at 384,600.

Central to growth in Business services was UPCs offer to connect Business customers phone systems free of charge in conjunction with Phone system partners TNO Ltd.

By next month, 700,000 homes and Bsuinesses will be able to avail of UPC’s 30-megabyte broadband, while 500,000 of them will be able to access 100mb speeds.

These are the kind of speed that makes Cloud services such as Online Storage and Microsoft Online 365 possible and UPC have also partnered with Microsoft to offer bundled services.

For details of UPC services and Phone system offers, or to find out if your system can be connected contact www.tno.ie or dial 01 4609926 or 061 375906.

UPC launches Microsoft 365 Cloud computing

tno — Mon, 04 Jul 2011 13:30:39 +0000

CABLE TV and telecoms provider UPC has agreed a major deal with Microsoft that will allow it to bundle the computer giant’s Office 365 cloud service with its own broadband and voice products for sale to the corporate market, The Irish Times has learned.The deal is part of a pan-European agreement between UPC and Microsoft, which will be announced later today, along with a global launch of Office 365 by the computer giant.

Ireland will be the first of UPC’s 10 markets in Europe to launch the bundles. Microsoft is planning the global launch of its new Office 365 product later today.

Partnering with Microsoft is a significant coup for UPC as it will give the company added firepower when targeting the Irish market for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

UPC already has the fastest broadband speeds in the Irish market and its bundles, with voice and TV, have significantly undercut most of its competitors.

Office 365 brings online versions of Microsoft’s Exchange, SharePoint and Lync products together with Office desktop software as a single cloud service.

This will allow customers to work with e-mail accounts, documents, contacts and calendars from any location using a desktop PC, laptop and mobile equipment.

Data is stored remotely (or in the “cloud”) rather than on employees’ computers and it can be recovered if deleted or lost.

The servers are managed by Microsoft. The entry level product, called Professional 365, will offer a 20Mb broadband, four voice line and five licences for the Microsoft cloud software for €89. The Premium Plus 365 will offer broadband speeds of 100Mb, six phone lines and five Office 365 licences for €154.

These prices should prove popular with SME customers. UPC will be the first to launch this service into the Irish market although it is understood that mobile phone group O2 has agreed a similar deal with Microsoft.

UPC will pitch its bundled service to customers as a cost saving product, offering the fastest broadband speeds in the marketplace.

The company claims to have increased its business with SMEs by 124 per cent in the past year largely due to its offer of free phone system connection to the UPC network implemented by connection partner TNO Ltd.It has about 6,500 SMEs as customers.

UPC says it is one of only a small number of players chosen by Microsoft as a partner for the Office 365 product so if you want to join the cloud revolution and get free phone lines, call TNO now.

Samsung 7030 Hybrid IP phone system

tno — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 21:32:14 +0000

The user-friendly Samsung 7030 Phone System is simple to install and ready to use right away. As it is a relatively simple telephone system to operate, it should be easy to find and solve problems should they turn up out of the blue. The phone package is very desirable due to the system’s flexibility and efficiency. The unit has the capability of handling eight calls simultaneously along with 20 extensions to ensure that it’s ideal for any small business. Wireless applications can be used with the device along with add-ons such as VoIP (Voice over IP).

Research shows that many companies have recently decided to use Caller ID. This is when the caller’s name and telephone number show up on certain Samsung Phones, making it possible to efficiently route calls to the appropriate extension. This feature makes it easy to avoid certain calls, as you can choose to not pick up the phone without the worry of missing an important call. This is a real time saver, which can potentially translate into savings. The call routing operation works together with Caller ID, guaranteeing that a caller gets routed to the correct department.

Smaller businesses are relying more heavily on features such as voicemail. The system is a great investment since it reduces the need for a receptionist to answer all of the calls coming into the company. It would cost more to pay a receptionist than it would to buy the whole system. When customers or clients reach the voicemail, it gives the company a larger, more professional impression to the caller. If someone calls several times and keeps getting the same receptionist, it might give them the illusion that your company is small. With the Samsung 7030 phone system, the caller reaches the individual they are calling without having to go through a number of other people. Using such a system will increase customer satisfaction to prevent them from becoming agitated while waiting for the correct person to pick up the phone.

The Samsung 7030 Phone System allows for a variety of handsets to be installed. Some Samsung IP phones only work when they have system software that is V4.40 or higher installed. Samsung offer alternatives with their Digital and Analogue phone selections. Most phones are available with programmable keys to suit the needs of each individual user. It must be understood that some Samsung IP phones require licences to work with the systems but remot user licences are currently free.

TNO Ltd have invaluable experience within the telecommunication field and can offer support for any queries regarding telephones. Call us on 01 4609926

Talk can be cheap

tno — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 22:13:34 +0000

For financial controllers, it’s back to the trenches. With up to one fifth of all Irish companies expected to face collapse next year, there has never been a greater urgency for cost cutting in business.

The good news is that your telecoms bill can be easily reduced, without compromising your firm’s ability to do business. Here are three specific ways in which it can be done.

1. Mobile phone ‘gateways’

Vodafone, O2, Meteor and 3 all offer free calls to numbers on the same network. Yet landline calls to mobile numbers are still very expensive. Wouldn’t it be marvellous if there was some contraption that could make the network think that your landline call was a mobile call, therefore eliminating the charge?

There is, and it is the telephone operators’ worst kept secret. It is called a GSM ’gateway’. It is a simple telecoms box – for as little as €300 – that switches outgoing landline calls into mobile calls. You can have one for calls to each mobile operator: your only ongoing cost is the mobile operator tariff (as little as €20 per month).

A basic single-Sim gateway costs from €300 including connecting it into the company’s telephone exchange (PBX) and it can be fitted in under an hour without any disruption according to John TNO Ltd.

2 . Making proper use of IP telephony

Internet protocol (IP) telephone systems are the flavour of the month, and there is good reason for this. Of all the cost-cutting measures that are possible, IP offers the greatest potential savings.

Imagine if 90 per cent of all your company’s telephone calls – local, mobile and international – were free. How much would your company save?

With a plan and a bit of investment, it’s more than possible. It’s done by setting up phones, computers, software and telephone exchanges to route all outgoing calls through a company’s broadband connection.

To get the most out IP, you’ll need an IP telephony contract. Companies such as Dublin-based Telephone Networks set up IP telephone systems and softphones for small firms.

“I’m on Blueface at home,” said John Lyons of TNO, a Dublin-based IT consultancy.” I can take my laptop anywhere and use my Blueface account. It’s €150 per year for unlimited calls to Irish and British landlines. I used to run up bills of up to €400 every two months.” While Blueface is often cited, any IT consultancy or service firm can perform this task.

“The focus of a business is both the cost of telephone lines and the per-minute charges,” said John Lyons of TNO Ltd, the Dublin based technology firm.

“Reducing the number of lines is a huge saving. A lot of our clients would have four or five telephone lines, whereas when they move to IP over broadband, they move to one line. To have an individual number is very expensive with a PBX and an Eircom connection.

You’re looking at a minimum of €1,000 for a fairly basic PBX.” Set up correctly using ‘gateways’, an IP system can produce huge savings in a very short time.

3. Axeing little-used phone lines

For companies of a certain age, there may be multiple phone, ISDN and fax lines that are not in use but are still being paid for.

“Redundant phone lines are amazingly common,” said Lyons.” I was recently working for one medium-sized business in the west of Ireland and found 16 assorted analogue and ISDN lines that they were paying rent for but hadn’t used in over a year. That amounted to €3,200 a year just going down the drain.”

In fairness to Irish IT and financial executives, redundant lines are not always obvious. Many disused lines are hidden in parts of the business that are not thoroughly re viewed, such as alarm monitoring services or emergency lines in lifts.

“Look at invoices for lines on which there is no activity,” said Lyons.” But always check carefully before disconnecting.”

Small firms hearing the IP call

tno — Tue, 31 May 2011 19:07:03 +0000

SBpost 03 April 2011 By Ian Campbell

Blueface claims that its voice-over IP telephony service can cut monthly phone bills in half, a pitch that is grabbing a great deal of attention in the recession.

“There used to be inertia when people looked at their phone bills, but that completely dissipated with the change in the economic climate,” said Alan Foy, chief executive of Blueface. “Now companies want the best cost advantages and the best solution to deploy to their business.”

Blueface aims its service squarely at Ireland’s small and medium-sized enterprise community. “On one hand you’re saving them money; on the other you are democratising big business telephone services and making them affordable to smaller firms,” said Foy.

While some ICT vendors portray the sector as somewhat cautious when it comes to technology, Blueface claims to have found an enthusiastic customer base. IP is an acronym that holds no fear for them, according to Foy, and they want to explore benefits that are about more than cheaper phone bills.

The Blueface proposition facilitates self-service – you can go into your account and set up new call routing – as well as the fast provisioning of new numbers. It all sits well with cash-strapped companies desperate to expand into new markets.

“In the last couple of months we have had quite a few Irish companies that have set up virtual offices in Britain. We are able to give them London numbers that ring in their office in Dublin,” said Foy.

“The fact that we’re allocating UK and US numbers probably says something about how companies are looking harder at the export market.”

If Skype highlighted how voice-over IP could use the web to bypass traditional telephony and line rental charges, Blueface made it a viable option for Irish businesses. Improvements in broadband meant that a level of quality could be assured, the big obstacle that has to be addressed if a business is going to forsake traditional telco suppliers.

“In some ways Skype helped us,” said Foy. “It gave people an understanding of how the experience may work, but customers are pleasantly surprised when they find out how good Blueface is.”

Key to the quality is the broadband connection.

When Blueface first launched in 2004, Ireland’s infrastructure was still in the dark ages.

“Speed and penetration are now at a sufficient level that it’s not so much of an issue.

The majority of businesses are in towns and cities that are much better covered than they used to be and the advent of operators like UPC has made true broadband accessabe to many customers.

If you want to join the IP revolution call TNO Ltd today as we specialise in Blueface business connections

Eircom customers in line for upgrade boost for IP telephony

tno — Thu, 12 May 2011 20:12:06 +0000

Eircom has said it will upgrade 20,000 customers using its 8MB next generation advanced broadband to 24MB and cut the cost of the service by 17pc to just under €40 a month. An additional 110,000 Eircom customers using the regular 8MB service will have their usage allowance increased which will finally make IP telephony a real possibility for customers nationwide.

TNO Ltd specialise in connecting customers to next generation network services offered by carriers such as UPC, Blueface and Magnet and can connect the customers existing telephone systems as well as a range of cloud telephony or hosted telephony solutions