Growing, Growing, Gone?                          

I read an article today in Internet Telephony Magazine (TMC) written by the executive editor that outlined a study done by Cisco that confirmed that video was the fastest growing application on the internet. I find that comes as no surprise as we at Unitel have seen many, many more requests from clients to provide pricing for video solutions. As a VoIP provider we have to be concerned with each different type of application being supported over the internet connection especially those that require real time quality of service.

Some of the numbers from the study:

• 37% of internet traffic is video.
• The AVG broadband connection generates 4.3GB of internet traffic per month in visual networking applications.
• The AVG broadband connection generates 11.4GB of total internet traffic per month.
• The top 10% of global subscribers generate over 60% of the total internet traffic (it’s the 80/20 rule in action!).

Cisco has forecasted that internet traffic will increase five-fold by 2013. This means that internet providers have to plan for a seven-fold increase to accommodate peak traffic spikes.  That sounds incredible doesn’t it?

Another area that will have HUGE impact on bandwidth needs will be wireless 4G. Think about it…all those new applications that will be available on a simple handset. Things that just aren’t available on those units today will be ready to go once 4G is prime time. As people move to 4G handheld devices the load on the internet will naturally increase.

So my question is will we ever reach a saturation point in regard to internet bandwidth? Will we ever reach a point where it feels like dial up again? I think we’ve been staying ahead of the curve so far and will continue to develop new and better ways to provide bandwidth. So keep the YouTube postings going!

I decided to post on the subject of bandwidth ‘cause let’s face it that is THE key to technology today for the small and mid size business computer user. If you don’t have a big enough pipe to handle the amount of traffic you’re pushing out or pulling down it’s a huge issue.

When providing IT Support or doing a Network Audit we spend a lot of our time analyzing network traffic for our customers. We use that data to help them make informed decisions as to how much bandwidth they really need. Sometimes it’s a matter of fixing some network issues or blocking Sally from streaming music to her desktop to restore an acceptable level of performance. More often than not though the problem is related to the fact that business today is done primarily over the web – it’s just a matter of people needing more bandwidth. This is true whether you are supporting a VoIP (voice over IP) Unified Communications System or just web traffic.

So once you know it’s not a network issue you know you need more bandwidth. It’s just a matter of analyzing what technology is best for you and what company you should use to provide it. It’s all about choice. You might think you have a lot of choice but when you peel back the onion there’s a lot of commonality to each option. For land based carriers i.e. XO, One Communications, Broadview, the local circuit is provided by Verizon. Actually Verizon provides ALL local circuits in this area. The other carriers buy them at a steep discount and resell them to the end user. The local circuit connects your site to the carrier’s POP (point of presence – the place where you jump on their network). So sadly enough Verizon is the provider for that “last mile”. Our experience has been that clearly 80% or more of trouble with service points back to the local circuit provided by Verizon. Some clients mistakenly think that if they cut out the middle man (the alternative carriers like XO, Broadview etc.) that Verizon will treat them better because they are a direct customer. Not true, just not true. Verizon operates as they always have by using standard procedures. If the book says they have 4 hours to respond then that’s what it will take…no exceptions. As I sit here writing this our Verizon feed into the building is lying broken next to the telephone pole out front. Verizon’s response – “it’s a holiday you know and none of our techs wanted to work today”.  So that means we would be without service if we didn’t have our Comcast back-up circuit until after 12:00pm tomorrow afternoon. THAT is why we ALWAYS recommend you have two different methods for delivering bandwidth to your organization.

One of the methods we have been recommending often is wireless internet service. These connections are provided by line of sight dish receivers and can provide some pretty substantial connections. The pricing is also very aggressive. Typically the provider will work with building management to survey the site and determine if they can provide service based on location. If they can installation can be performed within 24 hours if need be. We’ve used this when clients couldn’t get regular service installed in time for relocation. One call and the service is installed next day - not that the providers want to operate under the gun like that but they will expedite if you need them to. One thing to be aware of is the possibility that the landlord will want to “rent” you the roof space. Mind you the receivers they use are 8 inch by 8 inch….still they want to charge. We actually had one landlord tell the customer their rent was going up $250 a month for the right to use an 8inch by 8inch space on the roof. Just an FYI…. All in all this is a great option as you take the physical cable out of play. No more relying on Verizon for the circuit into the building. It is definitely a great back-up option if not your primary option.

I’ve been seeing a lot about the advent of HD voice in the business environment. Over the next three to five years we should see the wholesale adoption of HD compatible devices throughout the network. So what’s the big deal? Try it…..that’s all I can say. What a difference. You’ll wonder how you ever understood the person on the other end of the phone without it.

Many of the top VoIP PBX / Phone manufacturers are already adding, or planning on adding, wideband to their IP phones thereby allowing HD transmission. That means that very soon all internal calls within an organization will b e HD. For multi site clients the same rings true (no pun intended) – HD will be used throughout the entire network.

In addition to that, and I think much more exciting, is the increased opportunity to integrate your cell phone / PDA into your internal system via Wi-Fi connectivity. Most PDA manufacturers are installing the Wi-Fi option these days and it is a great way to connect to the internal system as an extension. Once connected they can receive HD calls – as long as the PDA they are using is equipped for it. This is awesome……I’m telling you it won’t be long before the desk telephone disappears and is replaced by the wireless PDA.

The final piece of the puzzle in providing the HD voice call will be the interconnection of all the related players i.e. the carriers playing nice together. You have to be able to deliver the HD call end to end without thinking about it and we’re almost there now.

Just like the switch to HD television this will start to take off as more people hear the difference in call quality.

That’s right, go ahead and just accept the inevitable – anything to do with technology is bound to be difficult to implement. You can plan all you want but there will ALWAYS be something that gets overlooked or changes at the last minute. This not only goes for your hardware/software projects or telecom systems but also for something as simple as activating a Blackberry.

Let me tell you about my latest adventure with Corporate America. We are Verizon Wireless Agents in a brand new B2B (business to business) Channel program. It took us literally a year to get through the various roadblocks to achieve that status – but that’s a story for another time. In any event we had a brand new customer that signed up for our Total Care program. We took care of everything, phones, computer network, carrier services– which was no easy task as they had a go-live date of less than two weeks. As part of the Total Care we were asked to help with securing several new Blackberry’s and moving one user’s account over to the business. Sounds easy right? Remember what I said about difficult to implement? Right. The first CSR we spoke to said they would need a copy of their business certificate and first month’s phone bill. The problem was they hadn’t been in business long enough to have a first phone bill. So they advised us that a copy of the CSR (customer service record) from the line order would do. After gathering that information we submitted it and were told that they didn’t qualify for the B2B program after all. Net result – we had to bring the client to the Verizon Wireless store as we were told this would be absolutely pain free and seamless. Right. After (3) hours and numerous changes in what kind of paperwork needed to be filled out to pass credit we finally got it done. Ultimately, believe it or not, the client had to add the Blackberry’s to his personal Verizon Wireless account. Even though he had been a loyal Verizon Wireless customer for (10) years, had never missed a payment AND had stock in the company they still wouldn’t establish a business account for him without that first month’s landline phone bill. Talk about crazy …he’ll have to move all the units to the new business account after he brings in his first bill.

What’s my point? Exactly what I started with – anticipate that things will not go according to plan and you’ll have a lot less stress. Plan as usual but don’t be thrown off when things blow up…its par for the course in the world of technology.

For any good business to succeed it relies on its technology infrastructure and support today more than ever.  I understand that relationships with technology service providers get very close after many years of working together.  I would also expect that every organization will have some form of support relationship in place, be it internal staff or an outsourced provider.

What many organizations fail to do is periodically review that relationship from an objective standpoint and compare the costs and the benefits.  Technology today has created a shift in the model of traditional IT support and now many of the functions that required a physical consultant to be in house can now be managed remotely for a fraction of the cost.  The new model of IT support leverages technology to reduce support costs and while providing an arguably better level of service.

If it has been a while since you have reviewed your existing support relationship, I encourage you to do so.  I would also be happy to have an informal sit down with you to give you another perspective from a different service provider.  Once I understand your business and technology needs, I can give you a ball park on how our services would compare on price and service level.  From that meeting one of two things will happen.  We could validate that your current service provider is taking great care of you, which is good for you and bad for me.  Or we can find out that there are services and methods that you were unaware of that would improve your business, increase employee efficiency and save the organization money.  That would be a win for both of us.

Unitel, is a technology solutions provider with over 20 years of experience in IT and telecommunications.  We help organizations integrate their phone, desktop computer and mobile devices to create unified communications between the organization and its clients.  We also provides strategy, service and support for phone systems and IT infrastructure and we leverage technology to offer remote monitoring of your critical systems and have help desk services for immediate troubleshooting.  We also utilize senior and mid-level consultants for strategic work and hands on maintenance when required.

Be smart in 2010!  Set up a brief meeting with Unitel today to learn more and help determine if you are currently receiving the right level of support or if you could get more for less.  You have nothing to lose but money.

Advancements in technology coupled with the entrepreneurial spirit has resulted in a growing number of outsourced service providers.  This boom has enabled businesses to outsource in an ever increasing capacity.  The recession and the effect of it on the economy have created a business environment where services that were once managed by (internal) full time employees (FTE’s) have been shifted to outsourced service providers in order to increase efficiency and save money.  In order to stay competitive and in some cases, just survive, most in the business world have been forced to do more with less. 

Today, established businesses and startups alike are now turning towards outsourced service providers (IT, HR, Marketing, etc…) to provide their organizations with the tools and services that allow them to meet their business goals and objectives.  The question of, “Should our business outsource?” has been replaced by, “Which provider should we outsource this function to?” 

A typical in-house IT FTE can cost a company in excess of $75,000 per year, not including benefits.  One resource with limited bandwidth and knowledge is now replaceable.  In exchange for the FTE model, you can substitute an organization of professionals that has the ability to meet the IT and Telecommunications needs of a business.  For a fraction of the cost a business can now find a partner that will guarantee them IT support services, virtual help desk and phone systems that work through the leveraging of technology and the appropriate mix of onsite consulting.  It is no wonder that outsourcing is here to stay.

Well, last week Microsoft launched Windows 7 to the public and the next wave of marketing battles has begun.  The MAC vs. PC war continues and it appears there is no end in sight.  Regardless of which side you choose, the upgrade question is inevitable.   With each MAC OS X and Windows version upgrade the discussion must be had and a decision will be made; to upgrade or not?

It’s not always as simple as we would like it to be.  Proceeding with an upgrade, should mean that things (process, systems, procedures, etc…) get better, right?   Not always.  The learning curve, possible adverse affect on other technologies, or just the time that it takes to make the conversion, can at times be so painful that the expected improvement is never worth the effort required to implement the upgrade.  How then does one determine if and when to proceed with the change and is there a simple answer?

In order to answer this question for our clients we must familiarize ourselves with and understand the client’s business, their processes, culture and goals.  We then leverage our experience and expertise to determine how a change to their technology, (IT or Telecommunications) will affect them.  We recognize that while something may be new, it may not always be better and at the same time we have discovered that just because something has worked perfectly for you in the past, it does not mean that there is not a better way.  Our answer to the upgrade question is this; Upgrade, as long as it enables you to meet your business goals in a more efficient and cost effective manner.  Appreciate the marketing campaigns and laugh at the commercials, but try not to look to them for answers to your business technology questions.  Look to us, that's our job.

This morning I attended a panel discussion about healthcare and the cloud.  The five member panel was represented by Microsoft, a major Boston hospital, a healthcare researcher, and 2 healthcare technology entrepreneurs.  The panel had excellent knowledge and opened my eyes to the enormous changes and issues happening in the healthcare field and how it will integrate with the cloud.

When it comes to patient information, healthcare systems have what was described as a “roach motel” problem.  The data comes in, but it doesn’t get out.  The creation of an electronic medical record (EMR) and the ability to attach patient information, medical images and other information is the logical wave of the future.  As we all share information on Facebook, Twitter and through online banking, we understand the value of that instant information.  We know how easy it is to get that information out.

In a healthcare system in drastic need of reform, it would seem that technology will be the key to the solution.  But how will that work, how safe is the EMR, who can manage it and what are the rules for sharing it?  How does patient information get across the street?  How is efficiency improved to create a greater level of patient care?  Rest assured, the big boys like Microsoft and Google are hard at work building these platforms in the cloud to make sure that that flow of information can be done safely, efficiently and quickly.

The healthcare reform stimulus is throwing a lot of money at the problem, but according to the experts, that is not  a simple solution.  The healthcare industry is reluctant to change.  They hide within their fortress to avoid innovation.  Forcing innovation is a risky plan.  There also needs to be a set of guidelines so that companies looking to provide solutions to the healthcare challenges create products that can have a standard form of integration and an ability to interface with the mountains of legacy data that already exists.  Hopefully that can all be addressed, but it will take time. 

The cloud is eventually going to emerge as the platform that will give healthcare reform its best chance to succeed.  The road will be long and the benefits will be tremendous.  There are great challenges and opportunities for companies like Unitel that provide the IT infrastructure and support and entrepreneurs who are designing solutions for today’s problems.  I only hope that someday it will be easy enough for my doctor to know more about my health and lifestyle than it already is for CVS today.

At Unitel, we have found that embracing the sticker shock factor can help jump start the right kinds of conversations with our clients.  Since we work in the world of technical solutions, it is vital that we tailor our services to meet the diverse business needs of our clients.  We strive to eliminate the unexpected and bring order to what many clients perceive as a chaotic necessary evil.  After all, our clients business is their business and not the technology that supports it.  Many times they do not have the skill set, time or desire to give technology the attention that it requires, which is why we are there to support them.

When the focus is solution rather than price, you are better able to match the most appropriate long term service, technology or solution to the problem that is affecting your customer’s ability to achieve their business goals (whatever those might be).  At times this approach will elicit a sense of shock and surprise from you customer, the moment the final price tag is revealed.  After all it is not their area of expertise, so for them to assume that the effort or cost necessary to fix their issue is less than what it actually is should be expected.

Open the lines of communication and tackle the concern head on.  Educate the client on what the solution is going to do for their business and how it is going to help improve their bottom line.  This approach may not be the only way to deal with this, but it is the approach we find to be most effective.  If you have taken the time to understand your client’s business and their concerns, then you should be able to assist your customer in shifting their line of thought.  Rather than thinking, “How can I afford this?”  Your client needs to ask themselves, “Can I afford to not do this?”  After all, numbers are just additional pieces of information; they don’t have to be scary.  Business voice and data lines not working, help desk calls going unanswered and critical business servers crashing, now that's scary.

I’m not joking, it really is. That Blackberry or PDA that you’re using is the future of mobile technology. I figured it out the other day – my Blackberry has 8 times the amount of storage than my first PC and talk about performance…..not even close. Imagine that, I can walk anywhere I want with a powerful computing device that connects me to limitless information and applications. With the advent of social networking sites like Facebook and Linked- In the ability to stay connected becomes more important.

The Unified Communications systems we provide for our clients integrate tightly with handheld devices, so much so that you’ll see the business desk telephone fade away in the next few years. It just makes sense. If you’re already carrying a communication device that is fully integrated with your unified communications system why would you need to have another terminal (phone) on your desk?

Another exciting item is the recent release of Android by Google. This operating system for PDA’s and cell phones promises to allow programmers to write all sorts of neat applications that will enhance your experience. Android is an “open source” product which means anyone can write code to work with it. Many cell phone manufacturers have started building phones that use this operating system. Another example of its industry adoption is the recent announcement of a Verizon / Google partnership that will further expand the Android operating systems use.

This is exactly why we added Verizon Wireless to our portfolio. Add in the VoIP Unified Communication Platform, IT Service and Support and it creates an unbeatable combination for maximizing technology.