Mart Gnosis

Technology, some people fear it, some resist it, and others embrace it. As a small business owner, it could be the best thing that ever happened to your company. With the technology available today, small businesses are increasingly leveling the playing field between themselves and big companies. With toll free virtual PBX (Private Branch Exchange) telephone systems, small businesses are combining today’s technology with traditional customer service to take their business to the next level.

It used to be that only Fortune 500 companies with thousands of employees and 10- story office buildings could afford and maintain a traditional PBX telephone system. Now, with toll free virtual PBX services, anyone with a telephone can reap the benefits of this powerful communications tool. A virtual PBX has all the advantages of a traditional PBX and more without the hassle, hardware, and expense.

A virtual PBX allows small businesses to:

• Project a professional, more established company image
• Have one unified number for office phone, cell phone, fax, and pager
• Make information available to their customers 24/7
• Automate order taking and pre-qualifying processes
• Have web-based, real time access to their system

Small and home-based businesses are using all of these features of their toll free virtual PBX systems to sound and operate like a Fortune 500 company everyday.

Project a Professional, More Established Company Image
Right or wrong, consumers assume a company with a toll free number is a more established and secure company. When a toll free number is attached to a virtual PBX with an automated attendant, that powerful image is perpetuated. An automated attendant will answer all incoming calls with the same professional and courteous message every time, day or night. Professional greetings can be recorded by the business owner themselves, or even by a voice talent, and customized for the needs of the business. It doesn’t matter if the business is operated out of a home office or the Oval Office. The caller hears a professional greeting each and every time they call.

Unified Voice and Messaging System
With a toll free virtual PBX system, small businesses only need one telephone number. This number can be an office phone, cell phone, fax, and pager all in one. Gone are the days of having to put 3 or 4 different numbers on business cards. Now the virtual PBX toll free number replaces them all. When a call comes in to the toll free number, it can be routed to any local number. It can even be programmed to route to different numbers at different times of the day or even different days of the week. A call never has to be missed again. That kind of flexibility is unheard of with a traditional toll free number or a hardwired PBX. If the call is not answered, or is sent to voicemail, the virtual PBX system can even send out a page to let the user know that there is a message waiting for them. The toll free number also acts as the fax number. When a fax is sent, the system recognizes it as a fax and can store it in the fax mailbox for later retrieval, forward the faxed document to a local fax machine, or even send the fax to an email address as an attachment. The unified messaging feature unchains small business owners from the home or small office and allows them the flexibility to get out and build their business while still being available to their customers.

Powerful Automation
No matter how efficient a small or home-based business is, they simply cannot be available to their customers all the time - unless they have a toll free virtual PBX system. If a caller has questions they want the answers now. If they don’t get those answers when they call, chances are they’ll look some place else. Making sure information is available, even when a live person isn’t, can be the difference between someone becoming a customer or moving on to the competition. A toll free virtual PBX allows the storage of an unlimited amount of information for callers to retrieve 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Menus broken down into what kinds of information a caller might need, make it easy for them to navigate the system and get what they are looking for. Faxes can even be attached so the caller can request an automated fax back. For a business that needs to pre-qualify their callers, or would just like to get some information about them, can take advantage of question and answer voice mailboxes. A set of pre-recorded questions can be asked of the caller and the voice responses then saved in the system and emailed as a sound file. These automated processes not only save time, but they also make sure callers can get the information they need when no one is available.

Web Based System Access
A toll free virtual PBX is just that, virtual. What that means for a small business owner is that one, there is no hardware to maintain or software to buy, and two, that they can access their system from anywhere they can get online. Online system access is one of the most popular features of a virtual PBX system. Web-based system access allows users to check their voice and fax messages over the internet or have the messages delivered directly to an email address. Of course, messages can still be checked from any touch-tone phone, anywhere.

A small business owner has administrative access to check the call logs of all incoming calls to their toll free number and use the call capture feature to not only capture the phone number of the person calling, but also their name and address. It also allows a user to run reports based on different criteria chosen. For example, reports could be run to show when the busiest time of the week is for customer service or if the call volume increased after a specific ad campaign was released. The applications are endless.

With all these powerful features, and most times more, it’s amazing that toll free virtual PBX systems can be found at a reasonable price. Most systems offered are between $9.95 and $29.95 depending on the capabilities and size of the system. Many will offer a varying number of voice mail boxes, features, and minute plans. A good toll free virtual PBX service provider can also customize systems if needed.

Technology is ever changing in today’s fast paced world. Small business owners will either have to embrace it or risk being left behind.

Brandi Cummings is the Director of Marketing for Telecentrex, a leading provider of toll free virtual pbx services. To see how a virtual pbx service applies to your business click here or visit http://www.freedom800.com.

You may see shopping for a laptop as a confusing process. Well, it doesn’t have to be as confusing as you think. Organizing your approach can make your search easier and more effective. That means you will actually get a laptop that you want and you won’t waste your hard earned money on features that you may never even use.

It is very tempting to have the newest technology in anything that we buy. Why wouldn’t we want our new computer to have all the bells and whistles? There are some very good reasons to stay away from new options that can save you hundreds of dollars. The most important reason to stray from the newest technology is the fact that it is new. Whatever it might be, new options have not proven their reliability in the real world. You must asses your old computer and think about what you really need in a new one. If your computer is just old, consider a new one with very few options. You must think of extra options as though they are just another thing that can break or cause complications. If it is something that you need like wireless capability, then by all means you should shop for it. Many complications arise with new combinations of hardware. A common problem in computers, especially laptops, is the introduction of new media drives. An optical drive that can read a write more different types of media than previous models runs the risk of compatibility problems.

The most important things to look for when you are shopping for a laptop are the speed and quality of the processor. If you are planning on being mobile, go with a slower processor that is built for mobility. These processors will still perform fine for most applications, but they will burn less energy off of your battery. Size is also a very important factor. A laptop is for people of the go. Buying a laptop with a large screen will make it heavier, bulkier and will burn the battery faster. A 12″ screen is a good way to go because they can weigh almost half as much as a 17″ screen laptop.

Lastly, make sure that you do have a wireless network card built in to your laptop. There are many areas that offer you an internet connection, so you can get email and information while you are in the airport or a coffee shop. Other than those options, you should not look for many options. Every option you choose will add weight, reliability issues and money to the price tag. Spend less on your laptop and you will be able to buy a new one more frequently. A $2000 laptop is much better than a $1000 one. That means you could replace it in 2-3 years easily instead of trying to hang onto a bulky expensive one for 4-6 years.

Get more of the information that you need at http://www.find-laptops-now.info

The original idea behind scanning an image is in many cases reproducing it. This requires a plotter or a printer in addition to the scanner. Scanner/plotters, which have plotting facilities in addition to scanning, are growing in popularity today. Their main advantage is in the uninterrupted workflow from image acquisition to reproduction. They also result in saving workspace. Total self-sufficiency of the unit is another remarkable feature. They are available in color as well as black and white, with good accuracy and high image quality. Copiers are also available with optional scanning and plotting facilities. The main field of application of scanner-plotters is in reproducing engineering drawings, graphs, charts, figures and other documents. Cartographers and city planners have great use for scanner/plotter with good optical resolution. The resolution of both the scanner and the plotter are usually chosen to be the same except in cases where enlargement is required.

Though flatbed scanners are more popular, drum-type scanner/plotters are also in great demand due to the virtually unlimited length of medium they can handle. The plotter is usually of ink-jet type. They have an excellent resolution and can reproduce a very wide range of colors on paper.

The chief drawback of a scanner/plotter is, however, the reduced flexibility of operations. For example, if any one of the scanner and the plotter develops a complaint, then both will have to go out of use. Again, since the weight of the combined unit will be about twice that of the individual units, transportation for repair and maintenance also costs more.

HP DesignJet 815MFP large format scanner and plotter is one versatile scanner/plotter commercially available. It has a resolution of 2400×1200 dpi, handles paper up to 42 inches wide, and prints at a speed of thirty-six square feet per hour. KYOCERA Mita’s KM- 4840W is a large format copier with optional plotting and scanning facilities. Screen and Contex are among other leading manufacturers.

Large Format Scanners provides detailed information on Large Format Scanners, Large Format Color Scanners, Large Format Flatbed Scanners, Used Large Format Scanners and more. Large Format Scanners is affiliated with Home Theater Projector Screens.