Hosted PBX vs TalkSwitch for Small Business
Jacob from
Digitech Solutions put together a great scenario for TalkSwitch, and demystifies some of the differences between hosted and PBX systems. We think it's a great read and hope you do, too.
Posted by Jacob
I recently had the opportunity to propose a phone system for a growing small business. The competition was a local Hosted PBX company. We will call them “HOSTED” for this blog post. I want to avoid the legal fees etc.
Read the full post.
About Digitech
Since 2002,
Digitech Solutions, LLC. has been providing cost effective Computer Repair, Networking, Desktop Support and I.T. Consulting to Hawaii. The company was founded with the mind set of customer first and service with ALOHA! It's a locally owned family business based out of Waipahu, Hawaii and are proud to serve all of Oahu.
Category: Reseller Features
Posted by: Kim Dixon on Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Comments: 0
Avaloch Insurance Services wins big using babyTEL VoIP and Talkswitch
Challenge:
Avaloch Insurance Services, based in Richmond Hill, ON, Canada, is a full-service commercial insurance brokerage. From fleet policies to liability to “slip and fall”, they do it all. But Avaloch needed a phone system that would allow growth and flexibility. Avaloch president Chris Holman didn’t want a full-time receptionist when he started the company in 2008, but wanted to be available to callers.
Solution:
Holman talked to TalkSwitch reseller Ken McPherson, owner of kmTelecom. McPherson told him about TalkSwitch phone systems, with auto-attendants, ring groups, remote extensions, call cascade, voicemail to e-mail and more. McPherson also advised him that VoIP would be the way of the future. Holman selected a VoIP-enabled Talkswitch 488vs system with TS-600 phones.
Less than six months later, he hired a new sales rep who could work from home with an IP phone and the system’s VoIP trunks. Now, two years later, Holman is moving his office. His phone company told him that since he was moving outside of their central office range for his phone number, he would have to change it. In a service industry like insurance, that can cost you customers. Holman called kmTelecom. McPherson advised him to sign up for babyTEL VoIP service, using the available VoIP capacity on his TalkSwitch system and porting his existing phone number so he could keep it.
“I told him that he was talking to me on babyTEL’s service,” McPherson says. “Their services work great with TalkSwitch phone systems. I set up a two-month demo for free and programmed his phone system to use VoIP for his long-distance calls, saving him money.”
Results:
Avaloch now has a full prepaid, non-contracted yearly service from babyTEL. Because Holman prepaid, he got a third free month and the set-up fees were waived by babyTEL as part of a Talkswitch/babyTEL promotion
Holman's total savings will be:
He won’t need the phone company to move the lines: $ 234.00
Free services and promotional savings from babyTEL: $ 309.00
$ 534.00 in savings by the time he moves
Plus, he’ll realize other savings throughout the year on long distance, and he’s not saddled with a contract.
“Trust is a big part of every relationship. Without trust, you don’t have a viable relationship. This is the foundation of all of our dealings at kmTelecom,” says McPherson. “I like it when a customers call us for advice, even when it’s not related to our sales. It shows value and commitment on both sides.”
“Ken McPherson has been absolutely fantastic to work with!” Holman says. “Our phone system has been designed to grow with us. Ken is very customer-focused and his strong commitment to his clients is exemplary. We couldn’t be more satisfied.”
About babyTEL Inc.
babyTEL is a leading provider of quality VoIP telephony services, which leverage subscribers’ high-speed Internet connections. babyTEL, headquartered in Montreal, is a leading-edge developer of VoIP and unified communications solutions, with many years’ experience providing carrier-class products and managed services globally to large enterprises and service providers.
Contact Information:
Avaloch Insurance Services
75 West Beaver Creek Rd. Unit #5
Richmond Hill, ON L4B 1K6
(905) 763-8885 or (416) 848-1832
Chris Holman
christopher.holman@avaloch.com
http://www.avaloch.com
kmTelecom
301-2350 Finch Ave W
Toronto, ON M9M 2C7
(416) 848-7689
Ken McPherson
info@kmtelecom.ca
http://www.kmtelecom.ca
babyTEL
1425 René-Lévesque O.
Suite 700
Montreal, QC Canada H3G 1T7
(514) 201-6515
Nicolas Rossignol, Vice President Ventes/Sales, babyTEL
NRossignol@babytel.net
http://www.babytel.net
For more information about Talkswitch phone systems, call toll free 1-888-332-9322 x301, or email
sales@talkswitch.com.
Reseller Features
Posted by: Kim Dixon on Thursday, May 13, 2010
Comments: 0
Cavu Networks, TalkSwitch and H1N1
It was a pleasure to receive an email from our reseller partner,
Cavu Networks, with a link to a TalkSwitch success story. It always feels good to know that your product's features and performance have a positive impact on the businesses you serve.
Click here to read how Cavu and TalkSwitch plus VoIP helped a pediatrics clinic effectively manage the high-demand for H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines.
Be well!
Category: Reseller Features
Posted by: Kim Dixon on Monday, November 16, 2009
Comments: 0
Dakota Retail Technologies Wins TalkSwitch Phone System
We’re pleased to announce that Dakota Retail Technologies is the winner of a
TalkSwitch 244vs phone system and two TS-9133i phones (MSRP$1353). Kory Lindersmith of DRT participated in Business Solutions Best Channel Vendors survey and won our draw for the free system. Congratulations Kory and team!
Dakota Retail Technologies specializes in delivering software and technology
solutions to the restaurant and retail industries. At Dakota, it’s all about the customer. The company provides full service and support that keeps its
customers’ businesses running smoothly with all the latest and greatest products and services.
For more information call 1-866-841-3855 or
click here to see what they have to offer, and who they’re serving up success for.
Category: Reseller Features
Posted by: Kim Dixon on Monday, October 19, 2009
Comments: 0
Calling all TalkSwitch Resellers – Make the Most of Your Word of Mouth
As a VAR, you’re a trusted advisor to small business customers who count on your expertise, service and support to help make their businesses run better. Your customers are the ones most likely to tell their friends and associates how great you are, and also listen to their friends and associates about the partners, products and services they champion. And, when advertising and marketing budgets are under the microscope, your customers can lend a helping had and really enjoy doing so. Harness the power of referrals today. Get the TalkSwitch Referral Bonus Kit. In it you’ll find suggestions, web banners, email campaign elements and more to build your own program. It’s free for TalkSwitch resellers and available for download in your Reseller Zone. Already an authorized partner? Login now. Think you should be selling TalkSwitch? Call us at 1-888-332-9322 or email sales@talkswitch.com.
Category: Reseller Features
Posted by: Kim Dixon on Thursday, March 26, 2009
Comments: 0
Reseller Feature: Concerto Networks of Washington D.C.
1. Where are you located?
We are a business technology solutions provider located in downtown Washington D.C. and serving businesses throughout the Metropolitan D.C. Area.
2. How/where did you first hear about TalkSwitch?
We are a Concerto Networks franchise, and we first heard about TalkSwitch year in San Diego at Concerto Networks University, which provides training for new Concerto Networks franchisees. We started off by purchasing a 240vs for our own business a few months later, and were completely sold on TalkSwitch from that point forward.
3. What attracted you to TalkSwitch?
Two things: cost and features. We are always looking for products that can benefit our clients. And what business couldn't benefit from all of the features that TalkSwitch offers? And all at an unbeatable price! TalkSwitch is one of our favorite products to offer customers because we know that they will be getting a quality product that will, without a doubt, have a positive impact on their business. Plus, it's so easy to sell. Once you start talking features, TalkSwitch practically sells itself.
4. What makes TalkSwitch an attractive product for your customers?
For most small and medium-sized businesses in the market for a phone system solution, TalkSwitch is a no-brainer. It does everything a business could want and more, at a fraction of the cost of other systems. Not only does it help to manage calls effectively, it also provides voicemail, hold music and a host of other features that businesses with other systems either find themselves paying extra for, or going without. Best of all, it's easy to set up and configure, so they don't experience lots of down time or need to spend a fortune on installation. The bottom line is, using TalkSwitch saves our clients time and money, and in the end you can't argue with that.
5. What kind of feedback have you received from your customers about TalkSwitch?
They love it! The features, the phones, the ease of use, cost - everything. And they give TalkSwitch the highest compliment of all - they tell their friends and colleagues about it.
This feature is also available on our
Facebook group.
Category: Reseller Features
Posted by: Michael Doyon on Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Comments: 0
Reseller Feature: TruConnections
1. Where are you located? Our main office is located in Southern New Hampshire in a town called Windham.
2. Where did you first hear about us? We visited the TalkSwitch booth in the Fall Voice on the Net (VON) show held in Boston, Massachusetts in September 2005. The TalkSwitch system was a hit at the show.
3. What attracted you to TalkSwitch? The company founders have worked at large international telecommunications companies. The features of the TalkSwitch system were outstanding in Release 2.41 and they are now exceptional with the most current release. The system is a perfect blend of the converged voice and data communications. When TruConnections has pre-sales or post-sales questions, TalkSwitch is there with the answers. The sales and support teams at TalkSwitch are professional, friendly and they know the system. As an authorized TalkSwitch reseller, we appreciate the quick responses to our questions. The rapid and accurate answers keep our sales proposal costs and support costs down, which allows us to lower the cost to the customer and improve our margins. The ability to remotely manage TalkSwitch systems allows TruConnections to have a larger coverage area for our TalkSwitch service. The ability to quickly make changes is an appreciated benefit for our TalkSwitch customers.
Based on our TalkSwitch experience, we have found the TalkSwitch system, phones, software and firmware to be very robust and very reliable. Because TruConnections provides business technical services, a new TalkSwitch sale often leads to increased long term sales as the new account takes advantage of our other services (such as Windows server support, networking, application support, etc.).
4. What makes TalkSwitch an attractive product for your customers?
Each of our TalkSwitch customers use the Voicemail and Auto Attendant features. TalkSwitch sites that need to stay in touch with their customers after hours (i.e. lawyers, doctors, dentists, CPAs, etc.) use remote extensions to have TalkSwitch call their home office or cell phone. The ability of TalkSwitch to support multiple businesses in one box is a great feature for our customers who run multiple businesses (i.e. a CPA + dog breeding + Food for Pets stores). The TalkSwitch infrastructure is put in place and can professionally manage all phone communications for disparate businesses without the expense of a dedicated system for each business. Our TalkSwitch customers take advantage of our service to create a Message-on-Hold with music. This TalkSwitch capability allows customers to customize and personalize their TalkSwitch phone system to highlight current sales promotions or benefits. The TalkSwitch voicemail to e-mail feature is widely used by TruConnections sites – the ability to get your voice messages on a Blackberry, smart PDA or a laptop when out of the office helps our TalkSwitch users stay in touch with their customers.
5. What kind of feedback have you received from your customers about TalkSwitch? Each of TruConnections TalkSwitch sites really enjoys the benefits of their TalkSwitch phone system. Our new TalkSwitch accounts have done a competitive analysis on business phone systems - they have selected TalkSwitch for its features, outstanding quality with the price/performance they are looking for in a business phone system. Our TalkSwitch customers like the enhanced and new features that are part of every TalkSwitch software release.
TruConnections
Mark Truhlar
(603) 434-5548
mark.truhlar@TruConnections.comwww.TruConnections.com This feature is also available on our
Facebook group.
Category: Reseller Features
Posted by: Michael Doyon on Tuesday, October 07, 2008
Comments: 0
Reseller Feature: SimpleComm Solutions
1. Where are you located?
We are located in Chicago, Illinois.
2
. How/where did you first hear about TalkSwitch?We were using the Linksys and Cisco Call Manager solutions, and they simply weren’t working for us. So, we looked for a solution that was designed for our small business clientele and found TalkSwitch.
3. What attracted you to TalkSwitch? We were attracted to TalkSwitch because of its low cost and flexibility. It’s a very attractive phone system because it offers analog and IP, as well as a host of other capabilities like remote extensions and external IP extensions. It gives small businesses some comfort knowing they can try VoIP for the first time without switching over to it completely, or losing the use of their analog lines.
4. What makes TalkSwitch an attractive product for your customers?TalkSwitch is an affordable solution for smaller offices, and it’s easy to configure. This is a major concern for many of our smaller clients. They want an inexpensive solution that can be easily managed, and TalkSwitch fits that profile.
5. What kind of feedback have you received from your customers about TalkSwitch?
Here’s some feedback we received about TalkSwitch from one of our customers, Breakaway Technologies: “We’d replaced our 10-year-old phone system with a system from a well-known telecommunications manufacturer, and within one week realized it was a mess—the system didn't work, and our business was suffering. SimpleComm suggested TalkSwitch as an option. Within a day, the features and simplicity of using and managing the system convinced me. I wish we had installed the TalkSwitch system from day one!”
SimpleComm Solutions
Steve Levine
(312) 715-1600 ext.111
http://www.simplecomm.netsales@simplecomm.netCategory: Reseller Features
Posted by: Michael Doyon on Monday, September 22, 2008
Comments: 0
Reseller Feature: Technology Unlimited, Inc.
1. Where are you located?
Technology Unlimited, Inc. is located in Washington, Michigan.
2. How/where did you first hear about TalkSwitch?
Technology Unlimited, Inc. was looking for a solution to provide to our small busineses and home-based businesses to give them an excellent opportunity to afford a 'virtual' receptionist. When we found TalkSwitch, we knew it would compliment our current product offering very nicely.
3. What attracted you to TalkSwitch?
The capability of the TalkSwitch systems and the opportunity to never miss a call. Technology Unlimited, Inc. and TalkSwitch both know that missing a call is like missing a sale. And we both know that cannot happen.
4. What makes TalkSwitch an attractive product for your customers?
TalkSwitch is so attractive to our customers because it's an affordable and user-friendly system.
5. What kind of feedback have you received from your customers about TalkSwitch?
Each customer that we have serviced with TalkSwitch loves being able to sound professional to their callers. They also enjoy the overall feature-set and capabilities that the system offers their company.
Technology Unlimited, Inc.
Robert Rudolph, Jr.
(586) 337-3377
rrudolphjr@technologyunlimitedinc.comhttp://www.technologyunlimitedinc.comCategory: Reseller Features
Posted by: Michael Doyon on Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Comments: 0
Reseller Feature: CLM Computer Services
1. Where are you located?
We are based in Ellington, CT, which is closed to Hartford. We provide computer and telecom support services to businesses and homes in the surrounding area as well as remote support for clients in other states.
2. How/where did you first hear about TalkSwitch?
We first learned of TalkSwitch about 5 years ago when we were looking for a phone system for an office that we were (and still are) doing technical support for.
3. What attracted you to TalkSwitch?
Low cost and simple setup. Having been the phone administrator for several large companies with phone switches that cost over $100,000, it was refreshing to program a system with an easy-to-navigate interface and the same type of features that the larger systems have.
4. What makes TalkSwitch an attractive product for your customers?
Again, the low cost of equipment and the abundance of available features. Since my first TalkSwitch customer was a non-profit, cost was a big factor in deciding on a phone system. TalkSwitch was the perfect fit for their office with every feature that they were looking for, and the perfect price.
5. What kind of feedback have you received from your customers about TalkSwitch?
My customers love their TalkSwitch systems. They always tell me about how much time they save and how it helps them to sound more professional to their callers and customers.
CLM Computer Services
Chris Moyer
online@CLMComputerServices.com(860) 481-4499
http://CLMComputerServices.comClick here to check out the spotlight on our Facebook group page.
Category: Reseller Features
Posted by: Michael Doyon on Tuesday, September 09, 2008
Comments: 0
Reseller Feature: MicroNet Technical Services
1. Where are you located?
We are located in Scottsdale, AZ and Chandler, AZ and provide service to the entire Phoenix Metro area.
2. How/where did you hear about TalkSwitch?
TalkSwitch came to my attention while we were searching for a business-class phone system for our business.
3. What attracted you to TalkSwitch?
We needed a phone system that was capable of making remote users appear to be working from a single location. It also needed to work with out cell phones as though we were in the office.
4. What makes TalkSwitch an attractive product for your customers?
TalkSwitch does an outstanding job of making small businesses appear to be much larger.
5. What kind of feedback have you received from your customes about TalkSwitch?
They can't believe the features and low cost, relative to competitor's products.
MicroNet Techical Services
Tom Hartsock
tomh@micronetservices.com(480) 657-6900 x 111
http://www.MicroNetServices.comClick here to check out the spotlight on our Facebook group page.
Category: Reseller Features
Posted by: Michael Doyon on Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Comments: 0
Reseller Feature: eNable Business Solutions
1. Where are you located?
Cumming, Georgia (a northern suburb of Atlanta)
2. How/where did you first hear about TalkSwitch?
I was looking for a new phone system on behalf of one of my customers. In the process, I found TalkSwitch via a web search.
3. What attracted you to TalkSwitch?
Low price and ease of use. My typical customer is a small organization without a great deal of money to spend, and they want something that will allow them to be self-sufficient. One of TalkSwitch's competitors proudly advertises that their product is not customer-installable. I would not sell a product to a customer that was too difficult for them to install themselves.
4. What makes TalkSwitch an attractive product for your customers?
As I mentioned, it is affordable, easy to use and feature-rich at the same time. One particular feature that was attractive to my customers was the ability to have DID service via a VoIP line. My first customer only had 4 employees, but wanted DID for each user. To achieve this with a traditional PBX would require a T-1 and expensive hardware, but not with TalkSwitch.
5. What kind of feedback have you received from your customers about TalkSwitch?
They are impressed by how comprehensive the solution is for the price. One customer spent $15,000 a few years ago on his last PC-based system with similar capabilities. With TalkSwitch, he spent less than $2,000. My customers are also excited about using services like Business Office from NexVortex, which allows for unlimited simultaneous inbound calls. This service, when combined with TalkSwitch will prevent their customers from ever getting a busy signal.
eNable Business Solutions
Robert Covington
(678) 341-3630
rcovington@enablebusol.comhttp://www.enablebusol.comClick here to check out the spotlight on our Facebook group page.
Category: Reseller Features
Posted by: Michael Doyon on Monday, August 18, 2008
Comments: 0
Reseller Feature: InfinIT Services
1. Where are you located?Ste-Thérèse, Québec (North shore of Montréal).
2. How/where did you first hear about TalkSwitch?I heard about TalkSwitch before I left Imeco Telecom (TalkSwitch distributor) where I worked as major account representative for the province of Québec.
3. What attracted you to TalkSwitch?
I have worked for manufacturer reps, distributors and manufacturers for several years and have seen many VoIP telephone systems that promised a lot, but delivered very little. If it did deliver, it was done in a poor manner. TalkSwitch is the first VoIP (hybrid) solution I have seen that not only promises great features, but delivers on those promises. It is all done in a very elegant way and is priced very well. I also like the fact that TalkSwitch is a Canadian company that treats the small guy like a large account, pre/post sales and technical support is second to none.
4. What makes TalkSwitch an attractive product for your customers?There is nothing else in the market that fits the targeted space with the features TalkSwitch offers and at a price that makes sense. Clients only had a choice of 2-line phones at $200, or a $7,000 beast that does not fit the budget; with Talkswitch they get everything they need (and more) for the right price. Another major feature is French language support; many of my customers are French and it is great to be able to tell them TalkSwitch is 100% bilingual.
5. What kind of feedback have you received from your customers about TalkSwitch?
Many customers are pleased with the ease of use and the familiarity of controls for many features. Several of my clients love the cell phone as remote extension feature; being able to transfer calls back to the office from their cell phone is fantastic.
InfinIT Services
André Laurence
(450) 508-4880 x 111
http://www.infinITservices.ca/
alaurence@infinITservices.caClick here to check out the spotlight on our Facebook group page.
Category: Reseller Features
Posted by: Michael Doyon on Tuesday, August 05, 2008
Comments: 0
Reseller Feature: centrexIT
1. Where are you located?
We are located in San Diego, California.
2. How/where did you first hear about TalkSwitch?
We first heard about TalkSwitch from an Avaya reseller in Florida.
3. What attracted you to TalkSwitch?
We currently resell, support and install Inter-Tel and ShoreTel phone systems. TalkSwitch was so attractive because it comes built-in with most of the same features that Inter-Tel and ShoreTel systems have, but at a fraction of the cost. I knew that we had to review the TalkSwitch product right away. Now that we are a TalkSwitch reseller, it's turned into a win-win for my company and our clients. We are able to resell and support another quality product (TalkSwitch), and our clients add lots of advanced features to their phone system without increasing their budget.
4. What makes TalkSwitch an attractive product for your customers?
Unlike the other phone systems that we sell, TalkSwitch was designed for small companies, and can be scaled up for larger companies. We used to take a phone system that is designed for a large company, and scale it down for smaller companies. The problem with that is that they are still paying more for the core of the larger system. With TalkSwitch, we are able to offer the same large system features, as well as the benefits of VoIP to small business who couldn't otherwise afford them.
5. What kind of feedback have you received from your customers about TalkSwitch?
Nothing except for positive feedback. After all of our installs, we provide a free training session for the users, which usually answers most of their questions. The users are typically upgrading from some sort of Avaya or NEC system that only has basic voicemail. At first, some users are very excited by all of the new features (voicemail to e-mail, Attendant Console software, call forwarding and bridging, etc) and some users don't think that they will ever use them. Within a few months, all of the users are happily using the new features, and can't remember how their business ever functioned without them. The best way for us to close a new TalkSwitch deal is to a) give them an on-site, in-person demo of the system and b) have them talk to one of our many satisfied TalkSwitch clients.
centrexIT
(619) 651-8700
www.centrexIT.comerockwell@centrexIT.comClick here to check out the spotlight on our Facebook group page.
Category: Reseller Features
Posted by: Michael Doyon on Monday, July 21, 2008
Comments: 0
Reseller Feature: Selkowitz Technology
1. Where are you located?
Bellevue, Washington (a Seattle suburb, also in the backyard of a certain Redmond technology company with their own phone system).
2. How/where did you first hear about TalkSwitch?
I first read about TalkSwitch about three years ago, when I started looking at phone systems options for my company. It took me at least a year to finally circle back around and purchase one. I thought hosted VoIP and computer-based telephony was the future and would be less expensive. What I found was hosted VoIP didn't work reliably and cost quite a lot. Computed-based telephony was difficult to install and manage - and had a higher cost of entry. So I circled back and picked up a 244vs for my company, loved it, then starting selling them to my customers.
3. What attracted you to TalkSwitch?
The feature set and total cost of ownership were very compelling. It has the best aspects of modern telecommunications systems (voicemail to e-mail, easy management interface, IP extensions, etc) while keeping the lowest TCO of any solution I reviewed.
4. What makes TalkSwitch an attractive product for your customers?
Value is something customers really appreciate. When a customer can save thousands and still get what they need from a well established and respected product, they really appreciate it. Also external IP extensions are becoming increasingly popular with high gas prices as it makes telecommuting practical for even small businesses.
5. What kind of feedback have you received from your customers about TalkSwitch?
What surprises anyone who's dealt with phone systems over the years is how easy the system is to manage. TalkSwitch's point and click interface is a far cry from the old days of punching numbers into the admin phone usually tucked away in a closet. Customers feel empowered by knowing how to handle small things themselves so we don't need to get involved for every change.
Selkowitz Technology
(425) 890-3421
www.selkowitz.comkevin@selkowitz.comClick here to check out the spotlight on our Facebook group page.
Category: Reseller Features
Posted by: Michael Doyon on Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Comments: 0