Tip of the Month Archives
Archived Tips:
Daylight Savings Time and Phone Systems by Andrew Gambini
Tips for Telecommuters #3 by Johnny Crosskey
Tips for Telecommuters #2 by Johnny Crosskey
Tips for Telecommuters #1 by Johnny Crosskey
Security Issues with your VoIP system by Rob Michael
Cell Phone Safety Tips by Randy Berlin
Daylight Savings Time and Phone Systems by Andrew Gambini :
DiscountCall feels that ensuring your Samsung phone system’s time is correct is important. In business, our voice mail system acts as a valuable tool. That is why twice a year, in most parts of the U.S., it is critical to ensure that the time is set appropriately. If the time on your Samsung phone system is not correct you won’t gain the benefit of knowing what time you received a call; in some industries this is a great handicap.
For better or worse, most of the United States participates in Daylights Savings, or Daylight Time. The rules recently changed. Luckily, the business impact on technology was minimal.The recent changes are accounted for in newer systems but older systems must be changed manually. We have listed the current rules below according to http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/daylight_time.php. We hope you find this helpful.
“Starting in 2007, daylight time begins in the United States on the second Sunday in March and ends on the first Sunday in November. On the second Sunday in March, clocks are set ahead one hour at 2:00 a.m. local standard time, which becomes 3:00 a.m. local daylight time. On the first Sunday in November, clocks are set back one hour at 2:00 a.m. local daylight time, which becomes 1:00 a.m. local standard time. These dates were established by Congress in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Pub. L. no. 109-58, 119 Stat 594 (2005).
Not all places in the U.S. observe daylight time. In particular, Hawaii and most of Arizona do not use it. Indiana adopted its use beginning in 2006.
- In 2006, daylight time begins on April 2 and ends on October 29.
- In 2007, daylight time begins on March 11 and ends on November 4.[New law goes into effect.]
- In 2008, daylight time begins on March 9 and ends on November 2.
- In 2009, daylight time begins on March 8 and ends on November 1.
Information retrieved from:
http://aa.usno.navy.mil/faq/docs/daylight_time.php
The most important thing to remember is that technology and, in our case, phone systems are only as good as the professionals who support it. At DiscountCall, we are here to meet that need and we believe that technology must serve business not vice versa.
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Tips for Telecommuters #3 by Johnny Crosskey:
With gas supplies limited, people need options. Among those options are telecommuting, if it is available to you. How can you telecommute successfully? Of course, DiscountCall has the tools, including VoIP to make communications between main offices and telecommuters seamless. Here are a few more tips for telecommuters:
Keep track of your time: Trust is important when you are telecommuting. Part of building that trust is accounting for the time you have worked on various projects. Keep track of all accomplishments and how long it takes. It may seem like extra work, but it helps you if you ever need to reference that information.
Phone calls kill, keep them short: Phone calls, while important, can be tremendous time eaters. And when you’re a telecommuter, you are getting a mix of business and personal calls. Schedule time blocks each day for phone calls. When making calls, keep them short and stay on topic.
Try not to answer personal emails: Kind of goes for in-office employees as well. Schedule time for email, and while you’re working, only do work emails. Do the personal emails later, when you’re done for the day.
Set limits for a task. If you’re going to work on a task, set a time limit for it. The time limit could be 30 minutes or two hours. This way, you don’t get bogged down with a task. If you don’t finish within that time limit, try scheduling more time for it later.
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Tips for Telecommuters #2 by Johnny Crosskey:
In our continuing series on telecommuting, we will offer several more tips to help people transition from cubicle life to the home office. Of course, DiscountCall has the tools, including VoIP to make communications between main offices and telecommuters seamless:
Pick a quiet place. This is especially true for those of you that have families or live with people. Turn off the TV; get someone to take care of that baby. Your office should never be in the living room.
You need an office. What’s great about telecommuting is that you are in control of the size and amenities of your space. Your working area should not only be quiet, but also spacious enough for you to have room to work, with a place to put your files, your supplies, etc.
When do you work best? There are times during the day when you are more productive than others. Make sure that you schedule your most critical tasks for that time of day.
Communicate. As a telecommuter, communication with co-workers is critical. This includes communicating about projects, the progress you’re making, deliverables, issues, and anything that needs to be followed up on. Communicate as often as possible so that it doesn’t look like your loafing on the company dime.
Get ready for work each day. Working from home is not about sitting in bed with your laptop and phone. To be productive, you have to get into a productive mindset. That means getting up at a proper hour, taking a shower, and getting dressed. It doesn’t have to be a suit and tie, but a jeans and collar shirt is a good start.
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Tips for Telecommuters #1 by Johnny Crosskey:
With gas prices well beyond 4.00 per gallon, ever growing commutes, and smog alerts, consistently at code orange levels, people are considering their options when it comes conserving energy, protecting the environment, and, of course, saving money. Over the next four months, we will be examining how individuals can become effective telecommuters. Telecommuting is at the heart of many companies’ efforts to save energy at work and put less of a financial burden on its employees. Of course, DiscountCall has the tools, including VoIP to make communications between main offices and telecommuters seamless. Here are a few more tips for becoming an effective telecommuter.
Create a consistent routine. One of the main problems with working from home is that, over time, we lose the distinction between work and home. It’s an easy way to become ineffective. So start your work day with a pre-work ritual; a set of procedures that is as consistent as your old commute. You might take a shower, dress for work, eat breakfast, and plan your day, for example. But the main thing is to give yourself a signal that you’re beginning work and leaving home behind.
Prioritize. Work can become complicated if we let it, leaving our days filled with a million tasks, stretching to infinity. Simplify your work day by focusing only on those tasks that really matter. Try to eliminate distractions, the little things that can eat time away from your day. Or select one point in your day or week when these bugaboos can be knocked out.
Plan out your day. Plan out what you want to do each day- picking out a few important tasks or projects and structuring your day accordingly. It is helpful to break days out into two-hour increments.
Set a beginning and end to the work day. It’s very important for you to have a set time period within your day, especially an ending point to the day. Just like there isn’t anyone telling you to start work or to work hard every minute of the day, there’s also no one telling you to go home. You could easily work way longer than you would at the office. When it’s quitting time, wrap everything up, shut down, and go spend some time with your family or friends.
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Security Issues with your VoIP system by Rob Michael:
Remember that your VoIP system is riding on your data network, which leaves it open to some of the same types of issues that you face with your network. This includes some VoIP versions of spam, phishing and denial of service attacks. There is a chance that calls could be intercepted, divulging client or company information.
While some threats to a VoIP system are the same as the ones that would affect any IP network, other threats are unique to voice communications including:
- A virus or worm that can be introduced to the network and crash the VoIP servers or gateways.
- A denial of service attack that can overwhelm the network, making it impossible to make or receive calls.
- Hackers who can access the call server to listen in to, record, or disrupt calls.
- Hackers can also access the trunk gateway to the PSTN and make unauthorized toll calls.
- A hacker who accesses the call server can register “rogue” IP phones, which can then use the company’s VoIP services.
- A related problem is VoIP spam or VoIP Phishing. Replicated voice messages can be created to obtain personal information. People trust the telephone more than their computer and email and are more likely to offer important information on the phone.
Does this mean you shouldn’t consider VoIP or move to it? There are cases where money can be saved by using VoIP technology. However, VoIP security flaws can cause a major problem within your business. Make sure that you discuss security when considering a VoIP system
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Cell Phone Safety Tips by Randy Berlin:
I use my cell phone on a regular basis and I haven’t had an accident yet, but I do follow some basic precautions. Below are some tips I put together with the help of Progressive Insurance:
- Get to know your cell phone and its features, such as speed dial and redial.
Carefully read your instruction manual and learn to take advantage of valuable features that most cell phones offer, including automatic redial and memory. Also, work to memorize the phone keypad so you can use the speed dial function without taking your attention off the road. I usually dial before I start my drive so I don’t have to dial or scroll while driving.
- When available, use a hands-free device.
A number of hands-free cell phone accessories are currently available. Whether you choose an installed mounted device for your cell phone or a speaker phone accessory, take advantage of these devices if they are available to you. I use a blue tooth, which works perfectly with my blackberry.
- Position your cell phone within easy reach.
Put your cell phone in a place where you can grab it without taking your eyes off of the road. If you receive a call at an inconvenient time, if possible, let your voice mail answer it.
- Suspend conversations during hazardous driving conditions or situations.
Let the person you are speaking with know you are driving. If necessary, suspend the call in heavy traffic or hazardous weather conditions. Rain, sleet, snow and ice can be hazardous, but heavy traffic can be just as dangerous. As a driver, your first responsibility is to pay attention to the road.
- Do not take notes or look up phone numbers while driving.
If you are reading an address book or business card, or writing a "to do" list while driving a car, you are not watching where you are going. It's common sense. Don't get caught in a dangerous situation because you're reading or writing and not paying attention to the road or nearby vehicles. If I do need to take notes, I’ll pull over and let the other person know, which is always appreciated, or I ask them to email me the information.
- Do not engage in stressful or emotional conversations that may be distracting.
Stressful or emotional conversations and driving do not mix — they are distracting and even dangerous when you're behind the wheel of a car. Make people you are talking with aware you are driving and, if necessary, suspend conversations that have the potential to divert your attention from the road.
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