How to Protect Your PBX System from Fraud
A private branch exchange (PBX) works by having a piece of hardware that acts as a switchboard, sorting, routing and connecting all the calls that use the system. It’s an enticing option because a corporation owns the PBX system, not a phone company, and can cut the cost of having to get a specific phone line for each user in the organization’s central office. But despite its simple and straightforward approach, PBX hasn’t ignited the public’s attention the way the telephone first did.
PBX Fraud
There are two basic kinds of telecom fraud: PBX fraud (DISA), and voicemail fraud. With the first one, PBX (direct inward system access), fraudsters sell the PBX lines to third-party operators who sell long-distance at a high profit. Because these calls look the same to the service or equipment providers, all an intruder has to do is use a system command to get a dial tone. Once they’ve done that, they make long-distance calls on behalf of those selling them for profit.
A really simple way to help prevent this is to use access codes in your PBX system. As businesses grow and acquire more people, requiring each employee to input an authorization code or smart password can drastically cut down on the amount of long-distance hacks that take place after business hours. You can also block long-distance calls to the Caribbean, one of the biggest hotspots where long-distance calling fraud occurs.
Voicemail Fraud
By far, the most common type of telecom fraud to take place is through a PBX system’s voicemail. But whereas an intruder committing PBX fraud would use a system command to place long-distance calls, here they would do so via voicemail. And once they get the dial tone, they’ve successfully commandeered your PBX system for their own profit and benefit.
Having a complex voicemail password, changing it on a regular basis, and using the maximum number of characters are three of the easiest ways to cut down on voicemail fraud happening to your PBX system. Another is to delete a mailbox when an employee leaves the company because the longer the mailbox is not attended to (and the password left unchanged), the easier it is to hack into it. You can also limit the voicemail to internal calling so third parties have a much more difficult time accessing your PBX system voicemail.
Although there’s no foolproof method of protecting your PBX system against fraud, you can make it just about impossible for third parties to intrude. And remember to always monitor and analyze activity because the more in tune you are with your PBX system, the less chance there is of fraud taking place.
For all of your business PBX and telecommunications needs, contact Integrated Communications today.
How Technology Has Transformed Halloween
Halloween is a time for imagination, fright, social gatherings, and, of course… sugar! Remember Halloween years ago – the frenzied parents looking for costume ideas that may appeal to their “tween”, and the search for a great scary movie with more than a cheap thrill – which can sometimes seem impossible to find; well, just as technology has shaped businesses and made things easier, so has it morphed Halloween!
The Tracking Application
With a simple download of a free application, every parent can now release their child from the ever embarrassing parent-chaperoned trick-or-treating and keep track of their child via Smartphone as they knock down doors for Halloween goodies! By downloading the various apps (i.e. Find my Friends, AirCover Family Locator, etc…) parents can rest-assured their child is safe with older siblings and/or friendly neighbors and allow their child a night of Halloween fun without compromising their child’s safety or their own peace-of-mind.
Social Media
Whether it’s a local haunted house that’s getting rave reviews, or the newest trends in costumes, social media and the Internet has changed Halloween forever! By finding reviews, costume pictures, and your favorite celebrities, technology has made it easier to enjoy Halloween and share it with people from around the globe. So, when you dress-up for the grown-up Halloween party or take a picture of your little pumpkin, you can now share that image with extended family members and those who are miles away.
YouTube
Although YouTube may be considered a social media platform, it deserved a spot on our list all on its own. YouTube has drastically changed Halloween costumes…
Any average Joe/Jane can now expertly apply special effects makeup to create more realistic costumes and make scaring others an even more frightful event! A few YouTube special effects/makeup channel favorites are:
http://www.youtube.com/user/SFXMakeupChannel?feature=watch
http://www.youtube.com/user/Promise21111?feature=watch
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2F18ACA5A9DC97A0
And so many more… (Literally type in “Halloween makeup effects” and you will be overwhelmed by what’s available)
Movie Enjoyment
Sure, as a kid the sound of a chainsaw starting, or a plain white mask may have scared the “bejeebus” out of you. Fortunately for the growing movie fanatic, technology has changed the way scary movies operate and the fear-factor they now ignite! Take the horror thrillers, The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity, for instance; these films changed the way many horror flicks are presented to audiences. By incorporating the technological advances of the handheld video-camera, these movies have now transformed unrealistic monster stories into “it-could-happen-to-you” point of view whodunits! Even more pivotal is the switch from character-scare to special effects chills. Before technological advances, films such as The Shining and The Poltergeist could only rely on characters for a frightful effect. Now, many modern horror films blend scary characters and special effects to create the ultimate in horror adventures.
Let us know what other amazing ways Technology has transformed Halloween!
Three Ways VoIP Systems Can Work for You
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By now, most people are familiar with Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) thanks to software programs like Skype and Google Voice. But how many of us know exactly how VoIP systems work, and what benefit they have for your personal and business needs?
What are VoIP Systems?
Most simply put, VoIP systems take analog signals and turn them into digital ones that can be sent over the Internet. This might not sound so amazing, but when you consider what you can do with it, it becomes pretty impressive. Instead of paying your phone company (analog) a large amount and then having to shell out on top of that for Internet (digital) as well, you can make calls through the Internet, saving yourself a lot of money. Here, we’ll take a look at three different ways you can use VoIP to your benefit.
Analog Telephone Adapter
An Analog Telephone Adapter, or ATA for short, is a device that connects your analog phone to a digital phone system- VoIP. All you do is plug your phone into the ATA with the regular telephone jack, plug the ATA into the wall for poewr, and computer via ethernet or USB, and you’re good to go. The ATA will take the analog signals from your phone, digitize them, and have you connected to VoIP faster than you can say. It’s an easy and basic way to keep the phone you’re familiar with, but get all the benefits of VoIP. This method is usually seen with individuals in their homes.
IP Phones
The next progression in VoIP is using an IP phone where your phone connects directly to VoIP without the need of an intermediary device. Usually, you’ll connect your phone to your router with an ethernet cable. By using an IP phone, you bypass the public switched telephone network (PSTN) directly, making calls over Wifi. One downside is that when your Wifi goes, so, too, does your ability to make calls, but Wifi stability has been increasing to the point where a Wifi outage is rare and usually only happens in power outages, such as those caused by storms or fallen trees.
Computer-to-Computer
This method is the easiest and most inexpensive way of using VoIP, and probably the most familiar, too. If you’ve ever Skyped with someone with both of using laptops, you’re already familiar with computer-to-computer VoIP. Essentially, computer-to-computer just takes a software program (like Skype) and connects you to VoIP either on the Internet or a Local Area Network (LAN). Other than paying your monthly Internet bill, the only other thing you need is a computer with audio input and output so you can hear and be heard. The only thing to watch out for is how much bandwidth you have- how much data can be sent per second. You can still use VoIP with a bandwidth of 50 kbps, but the quality isn’t going to be very great. For better quality, using 100 kbps or more is better. To put this in perspective, streaming a a movie on Netflix with the best audio and video experience calls for about 5 Mbps, so 100 kbps isn’t that much at all.
“Keeping-Up” with Integrated Communications (POST #3)
With Halloween right around the corner, and the last bit of Fall weather slowly fading into the dark Winter abyss (note sure about you, but I saw snowflakes the other day), we wanted to share some of the experiences and joys team Integrated has encountered this Fall season!
AT THE OFFICE…
Our conference room is coming along, don’t you think? We’ve added quite the impressive monitor in our conference area, as well as phone displays! Kip has already hosted a few phone demos in the new presentation area, showing our clients that as a company we strive to provide them with solutions we comprehend first-hand.
FAMILY HALLOWEEN FUN…
It looks as though Thalina and her family have enjoyed the fall season with extra Halloween flare! I love the picture on the right – (Thalina, her daughter, and her son… at least I think that’s them).
SUPER DEAD ANIMALS…
Nate’s joked for the past few months that the only “update” pictures he has are of dead animals. Ha! So, enjoy these very rare, very dead, and very awesome pictures of the hunter himself and his prey!
(nice pants, by the way)!
NURSERY UPDATE…
Nick and Setara have been preparing for the birth of their first son, Lincoln! Less than 2 months to go – the nursery is complete! Here are a few pictures of the jungle-themed nursery the couple has designed for their little monkey to be.
I CAN’T GET NO, ZOMBIE-FACTION…
So, while most were being productive with their Saturday night, Nick was in full Zombie garb for the 2013 MPLS Zombie Pub Crawl – just kidding, it was a fun time! Unfortunately, the awesome bald-cap he’s wearing (no, he’s not really bald) left quite the “impression” on his face the next day. Ouch!
Have a great rest of your Fall, and be sure to check back for the next “Keeping-Up” with Integrated Communications post!
“Keeping-up” with Integrated Communications (POST#2)
INTEGRATED TEAM IN CHICAGO
September 11, 2013, a few employees of Integrated Communications trekked to Chicago for the Cloud Partners Event! Many things were learned, and the keynote speaker really portrayed the importance and relevance of “the cloud”, but, of course, we also had quite the Chicago adventure.
Check out pictures from our Chicago outing and the great experiences we endured – including the engagement of two Integrated employees!
“THE L-TRAIN EXPERIENCE”
We all bought train and bus basses for Chicago, and I’m sure we all HIGHLY recommend going this route if you’re ever in the area. It was a convenient and affordable way to travel around the great city.
“THE CLOUD PARTNERS CONVENTION”
They keynote speaker for the event was excellent. She had some interesting statistics and bits of insight – definitely a great choice!
“THE CHICAGO ART”
Who knew pants could be art? Chicago did!
“THE LEGEND”
Buddy Guy came out on stage while Setara and Nick had FRONT-ROW seats at Buddy Guy’s Legends! It was an awesome experience, the music was great and the gumbo was fantastic!
“THE SCENERY”
Dialogue Conferencing was spectacular and invited all four of us to attend the lake and river boat tour with them! We captured some beautiful scenery shots while on the boat. Enjoy!
“THE LINCOLN PARK ZOO”
This place was amazing! The FREE zoo captured out hearts with Lions, Tigers, and Bears, OH MY!
“THE WILLIS TOWER”
Yes, we went UP, WAY UP (about 110 floors) to the top of the tallest tower – once named the Sears tower, this tower comes equip with a sky deck, and one heck-of-a-view!
“THE PROPOSAL”
While in Chicago (on the last day and last stop), Nick proposed to his girlfriend and Integrated employee, Setara. Right next to Lincoln Park at the butterfly conservatory, this couple got engaged – It was SPECTACULAR. I love you Nick – I DO 🙂
How We Handled a Business Emergency: Disaster Recovery
The usual even-flow of office dynamics at Integrated Communications was no different yesterday, September 4th, than every other day at the small business in Golden Valley, MN. Kip and Thalina headed-out around 9:30 am to meet a client, Sandy shuffled through the morning mail, Mary was hard at work in the front of the office, and Nate, Nick, and Setara were wrapped-up in some calls in the three back offices within close proximity to our D-Mark. All was silent, all was still for a brief moment in telecom history, when a POP emanated from our electrical room, followed by heavy drilling noises. “What was that”, Nick yelled. “I’m not sure; is someone drilling”, Setara questioned. Thankfully Sandy made her way to the back of the office building to give Nick some mail, and that’s when she noticed the fire.
Our morning was filled with chaos, fire-fighters, a local news crew and a disaster recovery plan as our office encountered a small disaster; an electrical fire broke-out in our back electrical room.
How did we handle the disaster at our office?
Besides a crazed pregnant lady running panicked out of the building, the employees at Integrated were ready to contain the disaster, and start implementing a solution.
Our Steps:
- Get everyone out of the building and to safety – We evacuated the building and stood a good distance away from the perimeter of our office
- Call 9-11 – The police were informed of the fire and the location of our building ASAP (further on this topic will be discussed)
- Extinguish Fire? – It was possible for our two shining heroes at Integrated (Nick and Nate) to locate a fire extinguisher and put the fire out, and then exit the building to get to safety while public safety officials arrived
- Notify Boss – Although Kip was on his way to meet with a client, we called him immediately to inform him of the situation ensuing at Integrated
- Speak with Public Safety Officials – After a few fire trucks arrived and the men and women of the Golden Valley Fire Department did their diligence in assessing the disaster, we spoke with the fire-Chief and received information on what may have occurred, and the proper steps to take now that the fire has been terminated.
- Contact proper channels – Insurance, Electrician, Clean-up Crew, and our folk at A Couple of Gurus (IT Company in MN) were called within minutes of the incident to be informed and to gear-up in an effort to help us solve any problems that may have occurred. (Thankfully, A Couple of Gurus accommodated our server worries and backed-up our entire system within a few hours of the fire).
- Go to lunch to debrief and come-up with a company game plan – After the event took place, and the proper people were notified, we ventured out to Doolittle’s for a quick lunch and company chat about what our next steps will be. While the office was to be cleaned and fumigated that night and the following day, we decided it was safer for the employees’ health to work from home until Friday (or further notice of safety has been recommended).
A HUGE piece of our disaster recovery plan was knowing who to call in case of an emergency. All of our bases were covered, and the proper people were informed of our situation within a moment’s notice. Great partnerships and equipment also hold value at a time when disaster strikes: Dave Johnson with Velocity Telephone graciously offered office space if necessary until our office and system were cleared for work…
And, on that note, the use of our VOIP phone system through Velocity Telephone came in handy in several ways on the day we needed it most. When the fire started, our phone lines were in flames as well – fortunately, with our VOIP phone system we were able to dial out to 9-11 without operating phone lines. Furthermore, our plug-and-play VOIP phone system made the capability of our employees working from home extremely feasible! Anywhere there is Internet, we are able to plug in our office phones and work – what a great feeling.
**Make sure your company is prepared for a disaster, no matter how big or small the event may be
And now for some pictures…
Homegrown Telecom: Business Internet MN
Near and far our toys and our cars are shipped and sold to us from out-of-State and out-of-Country. While this has been great for the consumer wishing to lower their overall spend, it isn’t great for the consumer who incurs problems and needs to get a hold of the manufacturer or have their issues solved in a timely fashion. Telecom, IT, and other technology facets, these days, seem to be no different; businesses big and small are working with carriers and vendors who are “housed” in another area.
Is this a problem?
Well, as these carriers grow and expand into uncharted territories, their appreciation and attentiveness for their clients depletes significantly. Calls being made by a client to their provider are being handled outside of the local sector and businesses are starting to experience extreme down-times as they wait for their connectivity issues and/or business needs to be handled – oftentimes incurring endless “on-hold” hours.
How can this be avoided?
Stay homegrown! Many businesses are beginning to turn back to their local providers and/or agents (such as business internet MN master-agent Integrated Communications) to handle their business’ services and voice and data needs. IT companies such as Velocity Tech Solutions are seeing the change and it’s becoming a huge factor for many local and multi-site businesses. Anne Tarantino of Velocity Tech Solutions (2013) notes, “Big businesses are competitive and are taking many local vendors out of the market; but, things are starting to shift back towards the use of local vendors as people realize the satisfaction, customer service, and timeliness with big businesses just isn’t there”.
If you are a business looking to ensure your needs are met and issues are being handled instantly, then you need to go homegrown. Integrated Communications has partnered with many local voice and data carriers, as well as phone and IT vendors to ensure your business has the proper resources just around the block. Call us at 763-443-7009 for questions regarding our homegrown style of business and the partners we love.
*Velocity Tech Solutions is a partner IT vendor of Integrated Communications – located out of Spring Lake Park, MN
“Keeping-up” with Integrated Communications (POST#1)
It looks as though summer is coming to an end soon enough. How do we Minnesotan’s measure this? Easy, the MN STATE FAIR! That’s right folks, the great Minnesota get-together commences this weekend, and so, in spite of our beloved summer winding down, we would like to reminisce about our summertime adventures…
This summer at the office:
– We switched over to a new web-hosting group and are THRILLED to be receiving less spam in our inbox – hallelujah.
– Our new plasma television arrived for our conference room, and we are excited to make our company meetings, carrier lunch and learns, etc… much more visually appealing and technologically advanced.
– Integrated Communications got our website off and running, and are working diligently on all things social media.
This summer outside the office:
– Thalina has appreciated a summer filled with twins, dog-sitting, Wisconsin dells and all things fun with her two awesome children! Thalina’s doggy-daycare endured a busy August, so far, with a total of 7 dogs at one time!!
– Sandy relished the company of her lovely granddaughter Zuzu who visited her and her husband, Bill from San Diego – this was the first time she’s come here all on her own! Sandy and Bill were thrilled (we even got to see Zuzu @ work a few times) and took her to see a Twins game.
– Setara and Nick adored the summer while preparing for the arrival of their very first addition to the twosome. That’s right – a baby! After an awesome trip to Las Vegas in June, they were able to find out they are having a little baby boy, and couldn’t be more ecstatic!
– Kip, Nate, and Greg enjoyed some whiffle ball, golf, and carrier magic @ the On-Track convention in Madison, WI!
**Be sure to check-in soon for the next post of “Keeping-up” with Integrated**
A Business Phone System Memoir – Music on Hold
Hi, I’m your new business phone system. I’ve done my due-diligence by answering calls, recording important messages, forwarding my direct calls to your cell phone, and have even taken the time to show you who’s on another call! But, what about when you put me on hold; why is it so silent?
Studies have shown that 50% of callers hang up after 20 seconds of silence, and 90% of callers hang up after 40 seconds of silence. Most callers will assume silence for disconnection. Music on hold can help to reiterate your companies’ impeccable customer service, intrigue your clientele to stay and wait for you, as well as ensure no miscommunication has occurred in the process. Can you afford to lose a sale due to complete and utter silence?
According to Maratona Communications (a dedicated partner company), U.S. laws currently in tact protect copyright owners from unlawful use of their music; using music on hold requires permission from the owner of the copyrighted music. Amy Johnson (2013) states, “If you want to use copyrighted music, you must obtain permission from the owner. This includes playing CDs, MP3s and the radio. Currently, performance rights societies such as ASCAP, BMI and SESAC will sell blanket permission to use music titles in their catalog for MOH purpose, for an annual fee that is calculated by size of your business and the frequency of usage” (Maratona Communications). However, “side-stepping” these incredulous music licenses and fees is made easy with the customizable music oh hold Maratona Communications purchases directly from the composer – they are able to convert the music into any digital format to be integrated seamlessly with your current business phone system. Johnson (2013) continues, “Our writers can also record custom messages using our in-house voiceover talent, using your existing script or one we write for you. Many companies offer canned royalty free songs for you to choose from. At Maratona, we do have our standard music options, but we will also customize a song to meet your individual needs, making your on-hold music unique to your company” (Maratona Communications).
Call Integrated Communications today @ 763-201-8028 to set-up a live demo of Maratona Communications’ music on hold and the many customizable options offered for your business phone system!
Understanding Business Phone Systems #Training
Selecting a business phone system can be hard work – but, is that the hardest part? For many of our customers, ongoing training and/or initial comprehension of the product purchased seems to be an evaporating offering by business phone systems vendors and telecom carriers. The big WOW factor comes into play during the phone demo you and your executives sit through, but, once you’ve inked their papers it’s all very “thank you, come again”; it doesn’t have to be that way! In fact, at Integrated we partner with business phone systems providers who will ensure your company’s employees are well versed with the product purchased, as well as training a system administrator who may be put in charge of handling small changes with your new phone system.
If you are apprehensive about understanding your new business phone system, be sure to speak with your provider or telecom agent prior to purchase to guarantee they will offer you and your staff proper training. Check out our recommended business phone system provider if you are looking for a company that will be with you 100% of the way, guiding you through your new technology purchase.
Recommended for Excellent Phone System Training:
Company Name: Cutting Edge Communications
Established: 1998
Business Phone Systems: AVAYA
Training Offered: SMB Market, Corporate Training – for end users and system administrators
Services Offered: Phone Systems, Structured Wiring, Programming, Training, Video Surveillance, Staging Preparation, Legacy Equipment Maintenance and Repair, Maintenance Plans, Firewall Security and VPN…
Website: http://www.cuttingedgecommunications.com/
*A great provider should always offer your company a review of their product, a demo of their product, and training after implementation of their product – never settle for less.