Avaya

1. Legacy Expertise: Avaya has a long history in the telecommunications industry and is known for its legacy phone systems and enterprise-level communication solutions.
2. Enterprise Focus: Avaya primarily targets large enterprises and organizations. They offer a wide range of solutions, including hardware-based PBX systems and cloud-based communication platforms.
3. Feature-Rich: Avaya provides a comprehensive set of features for unified communications, contact centers, and collaboration, making it suitable for organizations with diverse communication requirements.
4. Scalability: Avaya solutions are designed to scale and handle the needs of large enterprises with multiple locations and thousands of users.
5. Hybrid Options: Avaya offers both on-premises and cloud-based solutions, allowing organizations to choose the deployment model that best suits their needs.
6. Integration: Avaya provides integration capabilities with various third-party applications and services to enhance productivity and workflow.
7. Customer Support: Avaya has a robust support system, including professional services and maintenance options, to assist with deployment and ongoing management.
8. Price: Avaya is one of the more expensive solutions available with per user per month pricing models.
9. Hardware: Avaya will only work to 100% of its abilities with Avaya hardware.
10. Ease of Use: Unlike 3CX, Avaya is not easy to use and may require additional training.

3CX

1. Self-Managed: 3CX is known for its IP PBX (Private Branch Exchange) software, which allows organizations to set up and manage their own phone systems using standard hardware or virtualized environments.
2. SMB and Mid-Market Focus: 3CX primarily targets small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and mid-sized enterprises. It offers a cost-effective alternative to traditional phone systems.
3. Deployment: 3CX can be installed on Windows or Linux servers, or it can be deployed in the cloud. This flexibility is attractive to organizations looking for an affordable solution.
4. WebRTC Support: 3CX supports WebRTC technology, enabling browser-based video and voice calls without the need for additional plugins or software.
5. Ease of Use: 3CX is often praised for its user-friendly interface and ease of management, making it accessible to organizations without dedicated IT staff.
6. Integration: While 3CX offers integration with various CRM and productivity tools, its ecosystem may not be as extensive as Avaya’s when it comes to third-party integrations.
7. Community Edition: 3CX offers a free community edition for small businesses with limited extensions, making it an attractive option for startups and very small organizations.
8. Features: 3CX offers an extensive feature list which includes website live chat, smartphone apps, call queues, CRM integrations and more.
9. Scalability: 3CX can easily be scaled up or down as adding extensions is done without changing the pricing plans.
10. Pricing: most affordable and competitive pricing based on simultaneous calls.

In summary, the choice between Avaya and 3CX depends on the specific needs and size of your organization. Avaya is more suitable for large enterprises with complex communication requirements and much larger budgets.

3CX on the other hand is geared toward SMBs and mid-sized businesses looking for cost-effective, communications solutions. Consider your organization’s size, budget, scalability requirements, and desired feature set when making your decision and as always feel free to reach out to our team to help you reach a decision suitable for your business.

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3SIP Services: 3SIP Services are renowned for their professionalism, expertise and competitive pricing. They’re one of the very few Australian SIP Trunks who have a local team and are able to offer local support Australian businesses. In addition to SIP Trunks, their offering includes 3CX PBX, cloud or on-premise.

Optus: Optus is a major telecommunications provider in Australia that offers SIP trunking services. They provide scalable solutions for businesses and have a presence in various locations across the country.

Symbio Networks: Symbio Networks, previously known as MNF Group operates multiple brands, including MyNetFone and provides SIP trunking services with a focus on VoIP and cloud communications.

Telstra: Telstra is one of the largest telecommunications companies in Australia and offers SIP trunking services for businesses of all sizes. They have a wide network coverage and a strong reputation for reliability.

TPG Telecom: TPG Telecom offers a range of telecommunications services, including SIP trunking solutions. They have a presence in the Australian market and offer competitive pricing.

Vocus Communications: Vocus is known for its high-quality SIP trunking services and nationwide coverage. They offer a range of customizable solutions to meet the needs of businesses.

Vonage: Vonage provides cloud-based SIP trunking services with global reach. They have a strong presence in Australia and offer various communication APIs in addition to SIP trunking.

When choosing a SIP trunk provider, consider factors such as call quality, reliability, scalability, customer support, pricing, and any additional features or services you think you may need in the future. Think of your current infrastructure and whether or not you’ll need to make massive changes in order to accommodate a specific SIP Trunk.

It’s also a good idea to read customer reviews and ask for recommendations from businesses in your industry or area to get real-world feedback on the quality of service.

Since the landscape can change constantly it’s good practice to try and find the most up-to-date information regarding Australian SIP Trunks to ensure your business gets the best service for your money.

Let us help you with your SIP Trunking needs.

The post The Best Australian SIP Trunk Providers. Which is Best for You? appeared first on 3SIP Services.

To help you out we’ve put together a list of the leading cloud PBX providers:

3CX: 3CX offers an open-standard, software-based IP phone system for businesses. It can be deployed on-premises or in the cloud. It’s the most value-for-money cloud PBX in the market and is perfect for SMBs.

8×8: 8×8 provides cloud-based phone systems, video conferencing, and team messaging. They are known for their reliability and scalability.

Cisco Webex Calling: Cisco Webex Calling provides cloud-based calling and collaboration solutions. It’s part of the Cisco Webex suite, which includes video conferencing and team messaging.

Dialpad: Dialpad provides a cloud-based business phone system with AI-powered features like voice transcription and analytics.

Microsoft Teams: While primarily known for team collaboration, Microsoft Teams also offers calling features and can function as a cloud PBX solution when integrated with Microsoft 365 Business Voice.

Mitel: Mitel offers cloud-based and on-premises phone systems for businesses. They have a wide range of communication and collaboration tools.

Nextiva: Nextiva is a business VoIP service provider offering cloud-based phone systems, CRM integration, and team collaboration tools.

RingCentral: RingCentral is a popular cloud communications and collaboration platform. They offer a wide range of features, including voice, video, messaging, and conferencing.

Vonage Business: Vonage Business offers cloud-based phone solutions for businesses of all sizes. They provide features like virtual receptionists and mobile apps for on-the-go communication.

Zoom Phone: Zoom Phone is part of the Zoom unified communications platform. It offers cloud-based phone service with video conferencing integration.

When choosing a Cloud PBX provider, it’s essential to research each provider’s current offerings, pricing, and customer reviews to determine which one best suits your organization’s needs. Additionally, consider factors such as scalability, integration capabilities, and customer support when making your decision.

Opt for a provider that offers a Free Trial of their solution. It’s vital to test the cloud PBX before you commit to ensure it ticks all the boxes and meets all your communications needs.

Let us Help!

Let us help you find the perfect solution for your Cloud PBX needs. Simply book a free 30-minute consultation with one of our team members.

Or

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With so many options out there, how can you choose the right VoIP phone system for your small business? Lucky for you, we’ve made a list:

1. Assess Your Needs: Determine the number of employees who need phone lines. Identify the essential features you require, such as call forwarding, call queues, voicemail, video conferencing, and mobile apps. Consider any integration requirements with existing software (e.g., CRM, email, or collaboration tools).
2. Budget Considerations: VoIP systems can vary significantly in cost. Set a budget from the beginning to help narrow down your options.
3. Deployment Options: Decide whether you prefer an on-premises VoIP or hosted/cloud-based VoIP. Small businesses often prefer cloud-based solutions due to their lower upfront costs, scalability and less ongoing maintenance and management.
4. Providers and Plans: Research VoIP phone system providers and compare them to see which solution better meets your needs. Compare pricing, contracts, and terms and make sure to read the fine print. Some providers have hidden costs and extras that are not clearly stated in their initial quotes. They may even tie you in to purchasing phones and other peripherals from them for the system to work.
5. Features and Functionality: Ensure the VoIP phone system offers the features your small business needs. These may include auto-attendants, call recording, call analytics, and virtual fax.
6. Check if the provider supports HD voice quality and video conferencing.
7. Scalability: Ensure that the system can grow with your business. You might need to add more lines or features as your company expands. Or you may need to switch from on-premise to cloud or vice versa.
8. Reliability and Redundancy: Look for a provider with a good uptime track record and redundancy measures to ensure uninterrupted service.
9. Mobile Accessibility: Evaluate whether the VoIP system supports mobile devices and provides mobile apps on various platforms for remote work.
10. Security: Ensure that the provider offers encryption and security measures to protect your calls and data.
11. Customer Support: Read reviews, testimonials and case studies and consider the quality of customer support. Timely support can be critical when issues arise.
12. Integration: If you use other software, such as CRM, email etc. ensure that the VoIP system integrates seamlessly with your existing platforms.
13. Trial Period: Find a VoIP provider that offers a trial period. This allows you to test the system and ensure it meets your needs before committing.
14. Contract Length: Be cautious of long-term contracts, especially if you’re unsure about your long-term needs.
15. Portability: Check if you can port existing phone numbers to the new VoIP phone system.
16. VoIP Phones: Decide whether you’ll use traditional desk phones, softphones (software-based phones), mobile devices or a combination of all three.
17. Quality of Service (QoS): Ensure you have a reliable internet connection with sufficient bandwidth to support VoIP calls.
18. Backup and Disaster Recovery: Have a backup plan in place to ensure business continuity in case of system failures or disasters.

The most important factor is to ensure that the solution you choose aligns with your small business’ needs, budget and potential future requirements. In addition to this, it’s important to ensure that you choose a VoIP provider that is reliable, responsive and implements new technologies.

Start your assessment today with 3SIP’s free VoIP Phone System trial, ideal for small businesses.

Check out our Small Business VoIP Phone System Pricing.

The post What Should you Look for in Your Small Business VoIP Phone System? appeared first on 3SIP Services.

At the end of the day, you know you’re limiting yourself by not tapping into new markets. I mean you’re ready and your product is ready, it’s just a matter of taking that risk and investing the money to globalise your business.

What if there was a way to globalise without actually making a huge investment? Sounds interesting, yeah? Well, there is. With the right technology you can give your business the global presence it deserves without breaking the bank.

Robust Call Centre Software + Reliable SIP Trunking

The solution is pretty easy and straightforward. You need to adopt an easy-to-use call centre solution that will offer you the flexibility and scalability you need for your expansion. In addition to this you need to integrate that solution with a reliable and affordable SIP Trunk provider that will supply your business with global DIDs to enable your customers to call you on a local number!

At 3SIP Services we have partnered with 3CX to offer a best-of-breed solution that will guarantee globalisation at minimum cost. Some of the benefits you’ll experience are:

1. Cost-Effective Communication. By default, SIP trunking is more cost-effective than traditional telephony. And as you continue to expand your contact centre globally, saving on communication costs can be crucial. The 3CX and 3SIP combo is the most cost-effective solution for your business. 3CX Call Centre is priced based on simultaneous calls and not per user and our SIP Trunking offers the most competitive pricing in the market.
2. Global Reach with Local Presence. Have virtual phone numbers in multiple countries without the need for physical phone lines and establish a local presence in international markets.
3. Scalability & Flexibility. As a growing business you’re unsure how many DIDs, lines and users you’ll be needing. 3CX Call Centre and 3SIP Services allow you to add and remove lines/users as you need and at any time.
4. Enhanced Customer Service. Respond to customer queries faster and in their time zone. SIP trunking allows for seamless communication between agents and customers, regardless of geographical barriers.
5. Reliability and Redundancy. A reliable call centre system is crucial. We ensure your contact centre remains operational even during unexpected outages.
6. Complete Integration. 3CX call centre and 3SIP integrate seamlessly to ensure you have access to all communications features chat, Facebook & WhatsApp integration, video conferencing and more. This enables global team members to communicate more effectively with their colleagues in various locations.

Still thinking about globalising your business? Then get in touch and we’ll be happy to explain things in more detail for you.

The post Call Centre + SIP Trunk. The Perfect Combo for Business Globalisation appeared first on 3SIP Services.

Streamline your Web Meetings

This feature enables 3CX Android users to easily mirror their devices on a larger external display. The feature is available during a meeting! Simply tap on the screen and access the embedded Chromecast shortcut. Enhance content sharing and improve the visual experience during your video conferences.

Professional Setup Anywhere

Transform your Android device into a complete and professional online meeting portal! Simply connect an external Bluetooth microphone to your device, Chromecast the screen to a large display and off you go! Not only will you see clearer you’ll also be heard more clearly.

And that’s not all!

3CX Meet is not a new feature in 3CX’s communications solution. It was first introduced around 10 years ago and already has many features to amplify your online meeting experience:

• Apps for iOS & Android
• Live YouTube streaming
• Screen sharing & online classrooms
• Whiteboard
• Answer intercom calls (Android BETA)
• Document sharing, polls & chat
• Remote screen control
• Leverages Google’s WebRTC technology
• Your attendees can join from browser. No download required.

The post Screencast your Meetings from your 3CX Android App appeared first on 3SIP Services.

• A business is attacked every 11 seconds
• 80% of businesses have experienced an attack in recent years
• 25% of all attacks involve ransomware
• 94% of cyber-attacks use email

With that said, it’s a no-brainer that businesses and especially SMBs need to beef up their security and realise that they are facing a major challenge trying to protect their systems against these types of attacks.

Below is a list of tips on how you can increase the level of security in your organisation:

1. Stop using inadequate legacy approaches

If you’re still using traditional antivirus and malware protection software, then chances are you’ll be hacked soon. Older solutions are unable to detect and protect against modern threats. They rely on signature matching — which cannot identify previously unknown zero-day threats — to detect known malware threats during the initial intrusion. In addition, they are unable to block ransomware in time to prevent corruption and as a result recovery from an attack is nearly impossible.

2. Implement the NIST Cyber Security Framework

The NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology) Cyber Security Framework is a set of guidelines and best practices designed to help organizations manage and reduce cybersecurity risks. NIST is based in the US, however, their framework is implemented all around the world. The framework provides a flexible and comprehensive approach to managing cybersecurity risks by organising information, identifying vulnerabilities, and implementing controls to mitigate those risks. The NIST framework is widely recognized and adopted by organizations of all sizes and industries as a valuable tool to strengthen their cybersecurity and protect against threats.

The steps:

1. Identify:
   1. Software & hardware inventory.
   2. Data classification – identify and categorise data based on its level of security.
   3. Unprotected endpoint discovery – involves identifying all endpoints that are connected to your network and ensuring they’re secure.
2.  Protect:
   1. Vulnerability assessment – identify potential weaknesses in your network.
   2. Patch management – ensure all apps and programmes are up to date.
   3. Exploit prevention – intrusion detection and prevention systems and anti-malware software — to prevent potential vulnerabilities.
   4. Backup integration – regularly backing up all data and applications.
   5. Data loss prevention – prevent data leakage and strengthen regulatory compliance.
   6. Security configuration management – ensure all devices are configured according to latest security best practices.
3.  Detect:
   1. Subscribe to an emerging threats feed
   2. Search for indicators of compromise of emerging threats so that you’re aware of the signs you should look out for.
   3. Install the latest anti-malware and anti-ransomware software.
   4. URL filtering – block access to suspicious, dangerous or unknown URLs
   5. Email security – implement robust email security measures such as filtering and encryption.
4.  Respond:
   1. Rapid incident analysis – quickly analyse the incident to determine the severity.
   2. Workload remediation – isolate any affected systems or apps.
   3. Investigate – use forensic backups to investigate and analyse the cause.
   4. Remote connections – to access affected systems and applications to further investigate the cause.
5.  Recover:
   1. Ensure disaster recovery is pre-integrated to quickly restore data and systems to their pre-incident state.
   2. Rapid rollback – quickly reverse any changes made by the attacker.
   3. One-click mass recovery by end users – enables end users to quickly recover their systems and minimise downtime.

And there you have it. The basic steps to ensure your business is protected from malware and ransomware threats. The only remaining question is whether you have the internal resources to implement these security measures. Get in touch with our team and we’ll be happy to help secure your business, its data and customers.

The post Level up your Security and Protect your Business Against Ransomware appeared first on 3SIP Services.

1. Communication & Collaboration Tools

Collaboration tools play a crucial role in today’s workplace, and they will continue to do so in the future. As businesses continue to grow globally the need for reliable digital communication and collaboration tools increases.

Collaboration tools are expected to be used for project management, customer engagement, and content creation. They can be implemented in a variety of different ways, including through a virtual environment where team members are in different parts of the world and can collaborate through online tools in real time.

2. Virtual & Augmented Reality

Virtual reality (VR) is usually associated with gaming and entertainment, and Augmented Reality (AR) with fun applications that are played on mobile devices. In recent years, both of these technologies have taken a huge step towards their integration into the workplace.

VR will definitely be used more in the workplace in the future. VR can be an effective solution for training, marketing, product development and design, as well as many other business applications. AR is expected to be used in the workplace for marketing, sales, service, and design.

3. Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence (AI) is ideal for customer service, sales, marketing, HR, and operations. We’ve already become accustomed to AI with the use of chatbots and ChatGPT. Businesses can use AI in a variety of different applications that include virtual assistants, chatbots, and other computer-based tools.

Before implementing an AI solution, businesses should consider the specific use cases for which AI could add the most value and choose accordingly.

4. Automated Services

The use of robots and artificial intelligence will increase substantially in the years to come, especially for repetitive tasks, such as data entry, accounting, and customer service. AI and Robots can be utilised for automated services for financial calculations, tax calculations, data entry, bookkeeping, answering repetitive queries and other repetitive tasks that take up a significant amount of time and can be optimised through automation.

What are your thoughts on the future of these tools in the workplace? And will they help increase productivity or create more work for IT admins?

The post Technology in the Workplace. Where’s it heading? appeared first on 3SIP Services.

Video Intercom Calls with H264 Codec Support

With the support of the H264 codec you can now make video calls to H264 capable SIP Phones from your 3CX Android App and answer incoming video calls from your door phone.

Visitors simply need to input the speed-dial button assigned to your extension. Your app will wake up and notify you of an incoming call, with the option to elevate the call to a video call. Open the door by entering the code which you’ve pre-configured in the door phone’s WebUI via the keypad.

Faster CRM Contact Search

Open the contact page on your Android app and start searching for any contact. CRM, extension, or phonebook… no matter where the contact is stored, they will appear on the search results. Contacts no longer need to be synchronized to your extension, making the search much faster.

The CRM search results are available when:

• Searching in the Contacts screen
• Sending an SMS
• Adding participants to a scheduled meeting
• Transferring an ongoing call

Note: This feature requires Update 8

Further Improvements

The 3CX Android App has also completely moved to the HTTP2 protocol. This enables a more secure and seamless experience with reduced loading time.

The post Answer Video Intercom Calls from your Android Device with the 3CX App (Beta) appeared first on 3SIP Services.

The Outcome of Phone Porting Scams

As mentioned in our recent mobile security article, our entire lives are on our phones. We use our phones to make and receive payments, subscribe to services such as Amazon, Netflix etc., login to social media and messaging apps, to work and so much more.

As a result, if your phone were to be ported the scammer would be able to access all these services using your mobile number. Think of the number of times that you were sent an SMS to verify your identity, to enable two-factor authentication or to receive an OTP from your bank to make a payment. All that is now in their hands!

It’s scary, I know. And I bet you’re already contemplating deleting all your banking apps from your phone and removing all your credit cards from your wallet. At least that was my first thought. Without wanting to add to the stress levels there’s not much you can do about it either. Phone porting is legal and, therefore, telcos have put effort into making the process as easy as possible to allow someone to change telco providers while retaining the same phone number.

In some cases, you might get a text from your telco saying you’ve requested for your number to be ported to a different network. If you ever get one of those texts unexpectedly, it’s crucial that you contact your provider immediately.

Ways to Prevent Phone Porting Scams

We already said there’s not a whole lot you can do to prevent phone porting scams. However, we’ve put together a few tips to prevent it happening to you as much as possible:

• Beware of phishing scams – information such as your phone number can be collected via a phishing scam. Never click on any links you don’t recognise or on newsletters you never subscribed to. And if you do, never input any personal information.
• Increase the privacy on your social media – information such as name, email and phone number can be extracted from social media platforms. Increase your profile’s privacy settings and make sure that your personal information is not viewable to all.
• Use an authenticator app – start using something other than your mobile number as a two-factor authentication method – such as an authenticator app – so that someone won’t be able to access your account even if they receive your text messages
• Request a PIN from your telco – requesting your telco to put a PIN on your account can help prevent unauthorised porting and using a variety of strong passwords on different accounts can make it more difficult for scammers to get in.

If you would like more advice on how to make your devices, network and overall infrastructure more secure reach out to our team for a free consultation.

The post SOS! The Sign of Illegal Phone Porting Scams appeared first on 3SIP Services.