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If VoIP is going to be brought to regular users in their homes, we can’t rely on the traditional phone companies to do it for us. They have a huge stake in maintaining the status quo and would generally like to keep people using the outdated PSTN system. The future is in the hands of innovative phone companies like MagicJack and netTALK which give people an easy way to set up and use VoIP in their own homes. In this article, we look at the major difference between these two providers and which one is recommended.
MagicJack We’ve reviewed MagicJack before and found it to be an extremely usable VoIP phone system for a regular home user. The concept is simple. A small device (presumably the “magic” jack) plugs into the USB port on your computer. This device has another port which acts as a phone jack. So you simply plug in your phone – that’s the extent of the hardware set up.
On the software side, you install a piece of software on your laptop which identifies and sets up all the required data for the system to work. After that, you can just use your phone to make calls to the US and Canada for free! The system works pretty well. The only downside is that you need your computer to be on all the time which is a major irritant for a lot of people and also consumes quite a bit of power.
netTALK netTALK is a service similar to MagicJack with one big difference – you don’t need a running computer. Like MagicJack, netTALK also supplies a nifty little device which your phone plugs into. However, it can get the Internet connection directly from your router (which many people also use to supply their home Wi-Fi.) This router is always on since it hardly uses any power and so it means that whether your computer is switched on or not, you can make and receive free calls to the US and Canada with even less hassle than MagicJack.
Of course, you can also use it with your computer just like you do with MagicJack. The upside is that you can carry the device with you and connect it to any computer or router in the world with an Internet connection and you’re good to go.
On cursory examination, it looks like netTALK trumps MagicJack in this one huge area. And for me, that’s a pretty big advantage!
Bhagwad is an expert consultant on creating an SIP Account. He also specializes in SIP VoIP Phone Reviews.
Author: Bhagwad Park Article Source: EzineArticles.com Retirement plan
In today’s globalized world, the work model of a 9-5 job at the office is breaking down in many fields. Take the software industry for example where people have to attend online meetings with people in several countries at the same time working at separate time zones. It’s simply not feasible to have as sharp a demarcation between work life and home life anymore. At the same time of course, there’s little need for people to come to the office every day at a specific time. That’s a relic of the old way of thinking which by necessity has to go away sooner or later. The interesting thing is that we also have the tools these days for proper collaboration of this sort, but not many people are using it to its full potential. The under reliance on VoIP technology for telecommuting is puzzling since it’s presumably the most tech savvy people who need to use it in the first place. Goes to show that old habits die hard I guess.
However if you’re a small or medium sized business and are looking to save some money and increase productivity at the same time, you can hardly do better than a full fledged hosted VoIP system which will turn your organization into a VoIP stronghold. It can do everything a regular PSTN system can do and has a host of features up its sleeve that leaves legacy systems in the dust. For example, it can replicate the experience of an office phone from any person’s smartphone such as extension dialing and can even give the same number to all of an employee’s phones no matter where they are in the world. You can imagine the efficiency of such a system where there’s no need for clients or employees to keep track of multiple numbers for the same person.
International calling is made dramatically cheaper because the data is carried over the Internet for most of the distance and only drops down to the receiver’s level when it nears its destination. If the receiver happens to be using a VoIP phone as well, then there’s no need for it to incur any costs at all! Your international branches can communicate with your main office for free.
Other features such as conferencing, HD voice, integrated voicemail etc are all icing on the cake. And setting it up is easy once you make the decision to build a VoIP phone system. Be up and running in less than 15 minutes once you decide!
Bhagwad is an expert consultant on Scalable Hosted VoIP Proxy Servers. He also specializes in Affordable Mobile VoIP PBX.
Author: Bhagwad Park Article Source: EzineArticles.com Assisted living
Business VoIP has proved to be a God sent boon for those firms which are fed up with the inconsistent quality and inflated bills of their regular phone services. It has not only reduced the distances to incredible lengths, but has also proved a bane for the existing outdated business phone service. Certainly nothing less than a milestone, this technology has been able to enhance the productivity and efficiency to never before imagined levels.
Many businesses in spite of putting their best efforts do not enjoy the same levels of success as others. Both the organization have the same amount of resources, but the difference lies in the way those resources are put to use. The firm, which uses more cost effective and technologically updated methods like business VoIP, will certainly gain an edge over its competitors, which are still stuck with the regular business phone services. To implement this advanced communication protocol, one has to get the basics right, which are selecting the right service provider, appropriate equipment and skilled manpower. Selecting these correctly ensures that the mission is half accomplished. Its highly imperative to have the right kind of VoIP hardware, which plays a crucial role in ensuring the quality of business VoIP phone system. Furthermore, a VoIP capable router is the basic necessity to support consistence and clear voice of over the communication channel. Equally important is choosing the right headset and last but not the least, a highly functional IP phone.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that the organizations, which have availed the benefits of these business VoIP services are today scaling the heights of success with a distinctive panache. However, there are firms, which are still oblivious of this phenomenon and are using the more traditional business phone service. Be sure that you are not one of them by choosing the best and most affordable VoIP plan. The parameters that one should take care of before transferring its operations to VoIP, includes affordability, a support structure, which effectively translates into presence of an uninterrupted power supply and compatibility with respect to the existing structure. The now well established success of business VoIP has prompted many small as well as big organizations to be a part of this communication revolution and help turn business into a lightning fast and infinitely more effective process.
Even if your clients are separated by continents, using services like video conferencing, which is a by- product of business VoIP, you can make them feel like sitting in the same room. Furthermore, it also facilitates desk-to-desk calling, which means that you can connect your offices in San Francisco and Sydney, New York and Bangalore. Incorporating all the benefits of traditional business phone service, these VoIP solutions are nothing less than a magical potion for a beleaguered business.
For detailed information regarding: business phone service and business VoIP. please visit: www.whichbusinessvoip.com
Author: Ron K Poul Article Source: EzineArticles.com Pension
Your business intends to make extensive use of video conferencing and multi-media applications. How do you determine what bandwidth solution (T1, DS3, OCx/Sonet, etc.) would best meet your needs and incorporate that decision into your network cover these applications?
I’d say that it depends on what kind of service and QoS you are looking at. For example, when you say “video” you mean video conferencing and not something like VoD. The Bandwidth requirements will vary according to your service requirements.
For example: For IPTV services, the image quality depends on the encoding deployed: MPEG-2 consumes approx. 3.75 Mbps, whereas MPEG-4 needs approx. 2 Mbps for the same high-quality image production. Also broadcast TV is delivered using IP Multicast which makes the bandwidth required dependent on the number of channels offered and the encoding rate. 200 channels of MPEG-2 in standard definition will take approx. 750 Mbps of bandwidth. VoD, on the other hand, is a unicast per-viewer channel. 1000 standard definition VoD users will need appro. 3.75 Mbps.
The QoS requirements for video conferencing using H.323 (SIP could be different again) can be planned on the “Rule of 75″ as follows: Calculate the minimum bandwidth required by each of your applications ( e.g., video, voice, data). The total of this bandwidth is the minimum requirement for any given link and it should consume NO MORE than 75% of the total available bandwidth on the link. The 75% rule makes allowances for bandwidth required for over head traffic, such as routing, Layer 2 keepalives and other applications, such as, email, HTTP etc.
So, Capacity planning for H.323, should look like something as follows:
Video data + 20% = bandwidth required.
Example:
Video data rate: Bandwidth Required:
512 kbps = 614 kbps 1.5Mbps = 1.8 Mbps …
For issues such as number of concurent users and more stuff on video conferencing you can perhaps consider looking into Cisco’s solutions offered and also TANDBERG boxes.
Cisco considers anything 766Kb to be a “slow link” for VOIP. Also you need to consider the criticality of the sites so you may need two separate connections. All multi-media applications run on top of your other applications so QoS only allows a preference of who goes first.
You need a good baseline of non-multi-media applications (VOIP). So bandwidth needs to be able to handle all necessary applications in the network.
Also, you’ll need to remember that the bandwidth aggregation at the Data Center needs to meet or exceed all inbound remote site traffic. In other words, if I have three remote sites all with T1s. I’ll need more than one T1 at the Data Center to manage the traffic. Remember unless this is a greenfield then baseline, baseline, baseline!
When it comes to streaming video, bi-directional – you are going to have to consider the quality of the compression you are planning to use. If you are planning on using high definition video 1 direction it is recommended to have at least 2MB in the direction of the video being accessed.
So if you are streaming video to your computer then you need to make sure that you get 2MB download capacity. Also, another thing to keep in mind is latency and loss of packets. I would recommend staying away from wireless for this type of application as it will add latency and cause issues later. DS3 bandwidth and anything higher may be over kill, but would easily be able to handle your demands.
Without knowing specifics, it is hard to provide a precise answer, but, one can still specify a systematic method for calculating required bandwidth. Once you know the bandwidth requirement, then it is all about negotiating the most economical way to order that bandwidth from a network provider in the area.
Here is what I would suggest:
1. Calculate the peak external link bandwidth requirements (inter-office data transfer, video conferencing, email transfers. With attachments running in tens of megabytes, email traffic can’t be ignored these days.).
2. Real time applications being mostly jitter and delay sensitive – so you have to make sure that you will have enough bandwidth when they need it. The bandwidth of video depends on the mpeg profiles used (without going into specific, generally 1.5 Mbps can give you very good video on a PC (equal to VCD quality). HDTV images can take about 20 Mbps – but that is domain more reserved for IP TV service providers). Most current users of interactive video communications will be happy with the images coded and transmitted @ 512 Kbps. This includes audio and video as well as control signaling. So, one should provision at least 512 Kbps per video stream, and more the better (I would say 1.5 Mbps is the good if you are a big organization and use a large TV for video conferences)). So, multiply bandwidth for a single stream by the number of parallel streams required. Now that determines the total peak real time usage.
3. There is no specific rule – but wise men with experience advise to keep the peak real time within 60 to 75% of network bandwidth available leaving the remaining capacity for background traffic. In a small organization of 5 people – it is easy to tell people not to download gigabyte attachments when video conferencing is going on , but in larger organizations it is hard to enforce such things except with router policies (assuming they have QoS support), and you can deal with occasional unhappy users.
4. Now, once you know your bandwidth requirements, it is time to talk to the network operator how they can provide that bandwidth in the most cost effective way.
For help in finding just the right bandwidth solution for your video conferencing and multi-media applications …. take advantage of the no cost help provided at DS3-Bandwidth.
Michael is the owner of FreedomFire Communications….including DS3-Bandwidth.com. Michael also authors Broadband Nation where you’re always welcome to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news, tips, insights, and ramblings for the masses.
Author: Michael Lemm Article Source: EzineArticles.com iPhone iPad apps
Nobody wants to have a skin that resembles a tree trunk. But leathery skin is a real problem that many people have to deal with. If you are one of those people, you should find out how you can fix this problem right now.
Here are some effective treatments that can solve leathery skin:
1. Blend one medium-sized carrot and add two tablespoons of honey. Apply the mixture on your skin. Leave it there for about an hour before washing it off. Carrot contains beta carotene. With the help of this nutrient, you can enhance the healing properties of your dermis.
Honey can deeply nourish and hydrate the dermis. It has the ability to make the skin softer and smoother.
2. Try using lemon juice. This can actually help make skin tissues softer. It also improves the structure of your dermis. Apply raw lemon juice on your dermis. Leave it there for 30 minutes before washing it off.
Lemon juice can also be sipped daily. This contains Vitamin C that can encourage the re-growth of collagen fibers. It can help improve the vibrancy of your dermis.
3. Try applying almond oil to the affected parts of your dermis. This oil is a good source of bleaching agents. But in addition to that, it can also nourish your dermis ad make it feel softer and smoother. It has the ability to ward of excessive dermis roughness and dryness.
4. Try using aloe vera pulp. This contains moisturizing and anti aging properties. It can instantly solve the aging problems of your skin. It also works well in moisturizing the skin. Massage aloe vera pulp gently on your dermis. Let it sit there for about an hour before washing it off with lukewarm water.
Aside from these remedies, I highly recommend the use of a natural anti aging moisturizer. You need moisturizers to properly hydrate the skin and bring back the youthful functions of the dermis. Look for a product that contains CynergyTK, Phytessence Wakame and Manuka Honey.
CynergyTK is an ingredient that contains a hefty amount of keratin. Keratin plays a major role in the regeneration of collagen fibers. It can make the skin look younger and suppler.
Phytessence Wakame is a type of Japanese sea kelp that can prevent the sudden loss of hyaluronic acid. This acid is vital for the lubrication of collagen fibers. It can hydrate the inner layers of the skin.
Manuka honey has humectant properties that can lock moisture in skin tissues and duplicate the moisture-producing functions of the dermis. This also works in preventing the rapid aging process.
And now I would like to invite you to visit http://www.goodhealthyskin.com to find out which are the anti aging products you should use in order to achieve clearer and radiant looking skin.
Author: Elizabeth Simpson Article Source: EzineArticles.com iPhone/iPad accessory
Optical Fibers are thin transparent fibers that transmit data using the principle of light refraction. Single mode, multimode and plastic optical fiber are the different types available. They differ in terms of speed and distance, and find uses in various applications depending on the speed and distance requirements.
Optical fiber refers to a thin, transparent, thread like fiber that is used to transmit light from one end of a cable to the other. These fibers are present in cables used for fiber optic communications to transmit data at higher bandwidths, faster speeds and longer distances using the principle of refraction of light. They also find application in fiber optic sensors and as light guides in medical equipment. As these fibers are more flexible compared to metal fibers, they can be bundled together easily to form cables. Optical fibers are more efficient than a metal fiber due to the reduced transmission loss, high tolerance to electromagnetic interference and low cost of maintenance.
There are three different types of Optical fiber – single mode, multimode and plastic or polymer optical fiber. A single mode fiber is relatively narrow with a diameter of approximately 8.3 to 10 microns. It has only one mode of transmission and a higher bandwidth but can work only with a light source that has a narrow spectrum width. It also offers about 50 times more distance than using a multimode fiber, but this comes at a higher cost. It is used in applications that require transmission of multi frequency data using a single cable such as telephony or cable TV.
A multimode optical fiber has a slightly larger diameter than a single mode fiber – between 50 to 100 microns. They are usually used over medium distances and have a bandwidth between 10 and 100 MBS for distances up to 2km. Common uses of the multimode fiber due to the lower costs are in backbone infrastructure in buildings or campuses.
The plastic or polymer optical fiber was traditionally made from acrylic, but nowadays is made using polymers. They are similar to the glass fibers used in single and multi mode fibers but the core size is around 100 times larger. These cables, due to their low speed and suitability for short distances of up to 100 meters, are most commonly used in networking for homes, cars, digital home appliances as well as industrial networks. They are also used for high speed wiring requirements for data centers and building LAN. Other applications include video surveillance and Ethernet.
While determining which type of Optical Fibre to use, it is essential to take into consideration factors such as transmission speed, distance, costs and usage in order to decide whether to use single mode, multi mode or plastic fiber.
Author: Tom Billmore Article Source: EzineArticles.com Credit card currency-exchange fees
Moving your business into new office space sounds exciting but there are a number of pitfalls that many businesses have found which has proved expensive and resource-intensive to rectify. Here are a few key areas that you need to think long and hard about before you may the big move.
Office Size If you’re unsure about the size of the office space you require then don’t rent somewhere based on looks and facilities alone. If find an office that is too small you will have to move again in the near future if your business begins to grow. If you office space is tool large you will end up paying for space that you are not using which is inefficient and could prove a costly mistake. A basic rule of thumb is to use 7 square metres for each employee. If you have a call centre then you may be able to get away with less. Don’t take more space than you need to unless you are planning to expand or the space is offered at a fantastic rate. If you are a small business you could try renting serviced offices until you find the right location and set up for your requirements. Serviced offices are slightly more expensive but tend to have shorter leasing agreements which means you have the flexibility to move should you need to. There are plenty of serviced office locations around so finding a lease to suit you should be fairly easy.
Cost of Premises Make sure you never rent offices that you do not think you can afford. Business can fluctuate rapidly throughout the year so don’t use your current trading as an indication of the future. Changes out of your control, such as the increase in VAT, can have a considerable impact on your business so be wary and only rent what you can afford. It is better to know you can afford to relocate to larger offices further down the line than having to see out an expensive leasing contract that you can’t afford. Don’t get carried away by the glamour of some offices. There are plenty of opportunities to negotiate down on price.
Location of Premises When moving into your new office space you need to think carefully about the location. Ask yourself if this is a good location for your business, its future growth, customers and your employees. If you rent office space in a cheap location with limited transport links, below par facilities and with a poor crime record you will struggle to find staff who will want to work there. Finding the right location is very much a balancing act. Try to weigh up costs against what you need and what your employees expect. If your new office space is outside a main city you may struggle to find a high calibre of staff and you may also lose your existing staff. Cities do act as a magnet for talent and the more central you are, the easier it is to find them. Obviously, this comes at a cost.
On the flip side, there are also benefits to being situated just out of town. Many young people cannot afford to live in the centre of a city so basing your business on the outskirts can also be advantageous. Any further than 10 miles from the centre of town, however, can limit your appeal.
Poor Transport Links Nobody likes spending 2-3 hours getting home from work each day. Therefore, make sure that you new offices suit you and your employees. If you already have people working for you, try to be as accommodating as possible to their needs and their family’s needs. You will never please everybody but if you can base your decision around your most valued employees then you give yourself the best chance of keeping them.
Regardless of common belief, cities have very good transport links but due to the sheer number of people, some days feel like a complete ‘rat race’ and journeys can take far longer than expected. Think about transport back in the event of bad weather or disruption. Can your employees get into work via train, bus, tram, bike, car share, etc?
Also think about your customers. How often do they visit your business premises? Does a location with poor transport links hinder the perception of your business?
Poor I.T Infrastructure So you have now found the office that you think is perfect for your business but have you investigated the I.T and telephony infrastructure? Before you move into your new office space you need to make sure you have the systems to support your business. If you have no or limited broadband access, limited phone connections or connection points, you business may suffer as a result. Installing new systems and terminals is not a 5 minute job so make sure your new offices have, at the very least, the same set up as your current location. If you overlook this factor you could frustrated your employees and lose your customers. Do not underestimate the potential damage caused by a poor I.T infrastructure. Try to negotiate this before moving in if the current systems are of a poor standard.
Limited Parking If you are based in a city it is highly probable that some of your employees will travel to work by car, unless you are in the congestion zone that is. Parking is a serious considering for those who live away from easy accessible transport links or for those who live further out of town. Make sure you ask your existing employees how they plan to travel to work and see if you can negotiate parking spaces into the price. If you have forecasted to grow your workforce then remember to do the same with your parking allocation. Expecting employees to pay to park on a daily basis is not viable. How your workforce travel into work is not necessarily down to you but making sure they are happy when they reach work is. Try to research other local parking facilities available and maybe try to share parking spaces with a neighbouring business.
Poor Natural Light This sounds like an obvious one but nobody can function effectively in a poorly lit office with no windows or limited light. Basement offices can seem like a good idea but lack of natural light, especially in the winter months, can depress your workforce. Light is important if you are to maintain a good mood in the office and a positive environment. Make sure your new office space has plenty of natural light and also invest in artificial lighting to brighten up the place. Plants will also help to maintain a positive atmosphere.
Lack of Security Your staff should be like your family and your belongings valued like your essentials at home. Therefore, high level security should not be underestimated. Make sure you back up everything all your systems information in another location and invest in an alarm system that will trigger an alert to the police within seconds should there be a break-in or fire.
Make sure your doors are reinforced; your fire doors are locked at night and your windows are securely fastened and can withstand a potential break-in. You should also check for rotten frames or corrosion that could lead to windows or doors being easily removed by burglars. Security cameras are also recommended so you can record evidence in the event of a break in.
A break-in can seriously damage or even ruin your business. Make sure you take the correct steps to protect it, especially on the day you move in. Some burglars will watch you move in and then strike before you are settled. Don’t be a victim!
Poor Disabled Access Every business premises should have easy disabled access in and out of the building. Without these access points you may limit yourself with regards to attracting new talent so make sure you have ramps, toilets and lift access if applicable. The Disability Discrimination Act states that you must make sure you have facilities of the same standard for people with disabilities as you have for those without. If these facilities do not already exist then try to negotiate the installation with your prospective landlord.
Unsafe Location If you want to attract strong talented staff then you need to make sure your office location is a safe environment for them to travel to and from. Therefore, research your preferred choice to ensure your staff will be safe when they leave at night. Remember, winter months can be dark, especially if people leave the office late so easy access to local transport with strong street lighting should be sufficient.
The London Commercial Property Register
The London Commercial Property Register is a leading UK business property publication from Martin Austen Publishing. The aim of the publication is to offer a simple and effective means of finding Offices Space in London, Serviced Offices in London and commercial property in London.
Author: M Thorpe Article Source: EzineArticles.com Duty on LCD/Plasma TV
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