INDEX is dead and efar delivers an heir apparent

01/05/2010

Now that Avaya have consigned its popular INDEX PBX to history and you are a company that uses one, the question is: where do I go from here. The obvious immediate answer is to buy its replacement and you would have thought Avaya would have made that easy.

Sadly not, the Avaya range has expanded has focused into specific market areas. This would be ok but the companies who bought the INDEX did so for is functionality. The new range requires you to purchase additional modules to support those functions, which means you end up buying a system designed by Avaya for a much larger company and at a much greater cost.

The majority of PBX providers come from a telephony background and as such understand voice and the features of the phone systems they are supplying. We believe companies buy a system for is functions not its features and that a system should come with all the functionality out of the box. In this way we can stay true to the efar philosophy of supplying big company functionality to smaller companies that would not normally be able to afford it but, never the less, have the same requirements.

The Splicecom Maximiser is an IP based solution that has all the features of a modern system supporting ISDN, ISDN2e and SIP out of the box. Analogue and VoIP handsets are supported as standard with no requirement for additional cards or licences. More importantly is has all the functionality of a full blown corporate system supporting:

- call centre function including call tracking, wall boards and integration with a contact database,
- distributed workers (road warriors) offering one number calling and home working with all the call information and call diverting as if you were in the office,
- business continuity through the clever use of multiple Maximisers linked to become one seamless entity.

Add to all this the scalability of a system that supports up to 500 users as standard and the ability to link multiple boxes together, offering all the capability of an enterprise class PBX. The Maximiser grows with your company and saves you money by offering the functions your company requires and not forcing you to purchase a load of features you will never use.

efar are in a unique position because SpliceCom are the only British company to design, develop and manufacturer "Pure IP" next-generation communication systems that deliver tangible businesses benefits for all types of company, irrespective of size. Our relationship allows us to have direct access to the manufacturer that means as an end user customers gain value from understanding and influencing the development of the Maximiser product family unifies voice, video, IP TV and web enabled IT applications at the desktop within a single, scalable system.

If you are working with an INDEX system then give us a call at efar and we will be happy to discuss the functions you require, and the replacement cost using the Splicecom Maximiser; I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

Checkout the Splicecom website for full details on what he system can offer. They also have some excellent video on functions of the system. www.splicecom.com


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efar signs deal with Splicecom

04/03/2010

efar has completed its end to end VoIP product set by signing a deal with Splicecom to retail its range of IP PBX solutions. This is the final building block in a two year project to support VoIP traffic across efars’ MPLS network and has involved its major partners Virgin Media Business and Kingston Communications.

efar can now transit traffic directly from the public service telephone network (PSTN) to any end point on the efar network. The Splicecom deal offers efars’ customers a cost effective route to transfer from the analogue technology of the traditional private branch exchange (PBX) opening up the advantages of true integration offered by an IP system.

The simplicity of managing system users from Windows server is worth the change. Integration means that if you add a user to your computer network and exchange server, they are automatically enabled on the phone system, including roaming capability and password access. No requirement to increase the knowledge of your administrators, if you are administering your network the system is fully integrated.

efar is now able to provide a range of telephony services using its own capabilities including, number porting, number redirects, DDI ranges and standard or premium rate call numbers. All this can be accessed from inside the efar network and if you and your customers are using the efar network to transit call to each other these are free of charge.

In line with efars’ philosophy of low cost of entry and shared cost of ownership the Splicecom deal means that efar are able to offer price per seat options with no up front costs and the level of technical expertise that customers have come to expect from them.

www.splicecom.com

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Insurance companies limit payments on business continuity insurance if you don’t have off site backup.

01/03/2010

When was the last time you read the small print on your business continuity insurance? I’m guessing never, that is the sort of thing you leave to your broker to ensure you have the right cover. There is nothing worse than being woken in the middle of the night to be told your business premises have been broken into, washed away or gone up in smoke, but at leased you know that you are insured and will be able to continue to trade.

Over the next couple of weeks you find a new building and purchase new computer equipment, but then you find that the person responsible for the backup of your system was ill that day and the tapes were all left in the office or worse, the tapes you do have are blank and were not checked.

Now the trouble really begins because without that information your stock control is all out or your EPOS system will not allow you to sell something. The software code you have spent the last 3 months writing is gone putting the delivery back by months and threatening the project and your payment. The design work you have completed is lost, the financial or technical information you hold on your customers in order to manage their mortgages, pensions or business compliance is missing. Don’t imagine the loss of income and cost of recovery will be covered by your insurer, it won’t be, not unless you had a business continuity plan approved by the insurer which allowed you not to secure your business data, and how likely is that!!

The crazy thing is that as long as you have a broadband internet connection this is not expensive or complicated to achieve. efars’ PC and Server backup products offer a simple off site fire and forget backup solution that means when the phone call comes you know that what ever has happened and where ever your business ends up you will be able to recover your data.

What ever backup solution you have it must be, off site, secure, encrypted, easy to recover from and to non specific hardware ( not the same device it came from ), and as part of a business continuity plan, will satisfy your insurer that you have made effective provision for data storage and recovery that will mean they will support any claim you make. If you are not sure or would like an efar representative to contact your broker to discuss we have a free and professional advice service to ensure you are covered and if the worst happens someone is there to say its OK we got your data safe.


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efar Powers Through the Recession

01/01/2010

Secure network provider efar has maintained strong growth through 2009-10 thanks to its innovative use of technology to improve how businesses interact with their suppliers and customers.

Technology, when deployed properly, can significantly improve the efficiency of companies within a vertical supply chain but traditionally the guardians of this business elixir have been the large managed service companies who have seen the SME’s market place as of little if any value.

efar is well aware that even the smallest companies in this digital age have to interact with the systems of the larger companies they supply and that this has to be done on the customers terms or not at all.

efar through its Network Operating Centre in Clevedon and Point of Presence, Server Hosting Centre in Bristol, have developed and supplied a range of products and services to these companies delivering to them, enterprise class IT systems at a fraction of the capital expenditure, putting it this quality of digital communications in the hands of smaller companies.

This innovative approach as meant a 25% increase in business over the last 12 months as companies seek ways of engaging more closely with customers in order to ride out the recession and holt the decline in orders.

Martin Thompson, Managing Director of efar said “efar continues to develop its offerings so that we can fit the needs of our customers and those seeking to improve their use of communications technology that enables their business to ride through the storm”.

2010-11 is shaping up to be another bumper year for efar and as more customers join the network each benefitting from efar’s approach


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Technical Director Returns from Middle East conflict

01/01/2010

efar Technical Director Matthew Wring returns after 12 months in the Arabian Gulf as the Operations Officer for a coalition mine hunting force operating from the strait of Hormuz to the Iraqi territorial waters in the Northern Arabian Gulf.

It was an amazing challenge said Matt, operating with US and UK forces showed just how different everyone was even when we shared a common goal. It was definitely worth it and we were able to have a significant effect on the safe operations within the joint area of operation whilst minimising the threat to friendly forces and their supplies transiting the area.

Whilst Matthew primarily worked with the UK and US forces in the area he also controlled a number of assets from Gulf States. “This could be hugely complicated and took a lot of diplomatic skill to ensure that all parties gained what they wanted without losing face”.

Matthew is looking forward to getting back into work with efar and bringing his planning and operational skills to bare developing future products and evangelising about efar and its capability to help companies grow through the use of effective digital communications.

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