International

Ever since Alexander Graham Bell magically transmitted his voice into the back room of his science lab, home landlines have been an immovable fixture in the American home. But more and more, some people are cancelling their landlines and letting their cell phones do double duty. Recently, Ivan Seidenberg, the chief executive of Verizon Communications, told a group of investors that the home landline is a thing of the past. He told the group that his company is already making plans to reorganize itself to address this growing defection from the home landline. But as Mark Twain once commented on the premature publication of his own obituary, “The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated.” So before you cut the cord to the trusty home phone, consider the following: Many families have eliminated their landlines only to return to reconnect a few months later. There are lots of reasons why this trial separation simply isn’t working out. Reasons people are coming back to their landline Some people who made the switch back complained of not being able to get to their cell phone in time. It just became annoying. Take the 2 A.M. emergency call. Those calls wake us in the middle of our sleep and are more easily heard and answered if the phone is where it always is next to our bed, not tucked away in a yesterday’s hand bag or in the pocket of your jacket hanging in the closet. Landlines are like light switches, they don’t move on you. Something like that, for many people, is a big deal. Many people returned to their landline because they felt the signal was cleaner and clearer. Too many cell phone conversations lost the signal in mid-conversation. Too many chats were hard to decipher. It was just too embarrassing to hear people saying things like “My cousin just had a heart attack” and respond, “That’s so wonderful!” because you thought they had said “My cousin just got a Cadillac.” That’s a surefire way to end a friendship. Other people who had discontinued landline service found themselves back because of a home fax machine that, as it turns out, is utterly unusable without a phone line. There are others who return to the landline for an Internet connection for their home computer. And then there are those with home security systems who discovered after they discontinued their home phone service that their security system contractually requires a home landline. Which of course, makes total sense. But most of the folks who returned to landline service did it for far less specific reasons. There was simply a general sense of comfort that the home landline provided them. Their cell phone had its advantages when they were on the go, but it made an unsatisfactory substitute for the landline. One returning landline rejector put it this way, “I carry moist towelettes in my purse to freshen up, but I wouldn’t think of using them at home to replace my morning shower.” Visit us at www.dpiteleconnect.comTired of waiting for your teenager to get off the phone? Want to add a second line for a computer? It’s an easy enough task for the ambitious do-it-yourselfer. All it takes is a few basic tools and a box of Band-Aids®. Seriously, it is not that hard. Here’s what you need to get started: a drill, a pair of pliers, a couple of screwdrivers, a wire stripper and a wire coat hanger. Getting Started. 1) Take the phone off the hook. This will help you avoid a mild electrical shock. Unless, of course, you like that sort of thing. 2) Pop the cover off the wall jack. Inside you will discover four colorful connections. At this point, say aloud to yourself “Christmas trees and bumble bees.” At this point, your family will think you are slowly losing your mind. They will be wrong. You see, there are red and green jacks (The Christmas ones). Red and green wires go to your current phone line. There are also yellow and black wires. (Bumble bees, get it?) These are the wires that you can use for an additional home phone line. 3) Call your dPi Teleconnect agent and tell them you are adding a second phone number. They will give you their best deal. Next, tell them you are going to install the new line yourself. They will laugh at you. Don’t be discouraged. 4) A technician will come to your home and check for service at the Network Interface Device (NID) on the side of your house. Once he makes any necessary connections or repairs, the second line will be ready to go. Pick a room. Add a line. Okay. The phone wire currently running through your home can handle two lines. Remember? The Christmas trees and bumble bees? The yellow and black wires will now be carrying the second line. If you have a certain room where you want the second line, the switch-over can be simple. Follow these easy steps: 1) In the specified room, find the desired jack for the second line. 2) Unscrew the faceplate from the wall. 3) On the back side of the jack, unscrew the red and green wires and make sure the black and yellow wires are connected. 4) If you need to connect the black and yellow wires, simply strip about 3/4″ of insulation off with wire strippers, and connect them to the screw that already has the same colored “jumper” wire on it. 5) Once that is finished, don’t screw the plate back on yet. You need to check for a dial tone. 6) Plug in your land line (one that doesn’t need to be plugged into an outlet) and listen for a dial tone. If you get one, dial your primary number. If the other line in the home rings, then you’re set. 7) Wrap the red and green wires back down the phone cable and tape the ends with black electrical tape. Re-install the faceplate to the wall. And you’re done. Visit us at www.dpiteleconnect.comInternational roaming charges using Dynamic Mobile Least Cost Routing A recent Ofcom report identified that International roaming charges were reduced on average by 13.6% in the year 2008/2009. This is indeed encouraging news on the face of it but when you consider that international roaming charges start from a very high level then perhaps it less encouraging. Most notably international roaming data charges are the most expensive. International roaming charges have always been a bone of contention for business and personal users of mobile handsets. No network is immune from what can only be described as legalised extortion. There is a technology now available that can reduce these charges by up to 90% (100% if you are simply dialling back to the office). This technology is undoubtedly used by the network operators themselves to transit calls and this is now available to small and large companies alike. This cost saving feature is Dynamic Mobile Least Cost Routing (Dynamic Mobile LCR). If you are a business traveler, it will save you money by choosing the least costly route according to tariffs and roaming charges. The LCR feature minimizes mobile roaming expenses by having call setups routed through the least costly path. The LCR logic is based on current call tariffs managed in the server. Using call tariffs, the server determines the most cost-efficient break-out for each call. The server also generates dial plans, which are distributed to mobile devices running the mobile client. The LCR feature is transparent for end-users and works from any mobile network. There is also support for WiFi and Dual Mode terminals. This technology is great for global manufacturers, international law firms, shipping brokers, etc. Key Benefits Mobilizing your workforce increases business visibility and capabilities. Ensure that everyone is connected wherever your business takes them with the following benefits: • Mobility without los
s of functionality • Over the Air Configuration (OTA) provisioning for easy deployment and administration • Easy-to-use GUI • Makes business-class telephony features visible to users • WiFi and GSM handover (bidirectional) • Least cost routing of calls • Corporate directory search • Presence setting and viewing • Shared call logs between devices • Shared contact lists between devices GUI The interface is streamlined for mobile use with a search and dial field and a large area for your contact list/buddy list. When a directory search is performed, this area is updated with the results. When a call is made, the display area is divided into two sections. The left side displays a name or phone number and the call duration, and the right side is for call buttons for business-class telephony features, such as hold, retrieve, transfer, conference, record call, etc.

A recent Ofcom report identified that International roaming charges were reduced on average by 13.6% in the year 2008/2009. This is indeed encouraging news on the face of it but when you consider that international roaming charges start from a very high level then perhaps it less encouraging. Most notably international roaming data charges are the most expensive.

International roaming charges have always been a bone of contention for business and personal users of mobile handsets. No network is immune from what can only be described as legalised extortion.

There is a technology now available that can reduce these charges by up to 90% (100% if you are simply dialling back to the office). This technology is undoubtedly used by the network operators themselves to transit calls and this is now available to small and large companies alike.

This cost saving feature is Dynamic Mobile Least Cost Routing (Dynamic Mobile LCR). If you are a business traveler, it will save you money by choosing the least costly route according to tariffs and roaming charges.

The LCR feature minimizes mobile roaming expenses by having call setups routed through the least costly path. The LCR logic is based on current call tariffs managed in the server. Using call tariffs, the server determines the most cost-efficient break-out for each call. The server also generates dial plans, which are distributed to mobile devices running the mobile client.

The LCR feature is transparent for end-users and works from any mobile network. There is also support for WiFi and Dual Mode terminals.

This technology is great for global manufacturers, international law firms, shipping brokers, etc.

Key Benefits

Mobilizing your workforce increases business visibility and capabilities. Ensure that everyone is connected wherever your business takes them with the following benefits:

1. • Mobility without loss of functionality
2. • Over the Air Configuration (OTA) provisioning for easy deployment and administration
3. • Easy-to-use GUI
4. • Makes business-class telephony features visible to users
5. • WiFi and GSM handover (bidirectional)
6. • Least cost routing of calls
7. • Corporate directory search
8. • Presence setting and viewing
9. • Shared call logs between devices
10. • Shared contact lists between devices

GUI

The interface is streamlined for mobile use with a search and dial field and a large area for your contact list/buddy list. When a directory search is performed, this area is updated with the results. When a call is made, the display area is divided into two sections. The left side displays a name or phone number and the call duration, and the right side is for call buttons for business-class telephony features, such as hold, retrieve, transfer, conference, record call, etc.

Noel Liverton is Marketing Director for www.intelesis.co.uk