TeraGo Networks Attends iTech Summit

This year, TeraGo Networks was pleased to participate as a sponsor as well as an exhibitor in the 2012 iTech Summit, which is Canada’s largest conference dedicated to IT infrastructure technology, services, and education. This was a great opportunity for us to speak with IT Professionals about the concerns, pain points and opportunities they face in their business today.  This type of ongoing dialogue helps us to ensure that the products and services we offer are always meeting the needs of the marketplace.  We were also able to network with other professionals and discuss the latest technological innovations.

Members of our account executive team were present at the show to provide attendees and other show vendors with information specific to TeraGo Networks. Meeting with prospects in person is one of the best ways to assess their current needs and determine which one of our services can best contribute to the success of their business.  Introducing ourselves to fellow vendors is a great way to build partnerships and provide our customers with innovative technologies. Below is a short video of our visit to the Toronto based iTech Summit trade show on May 17, 2012.

In late October, we will also be attending the iTech Summit trade shows being held in Western Canada. Participating in multiple shows across the country also provides us with the opportunity to discuss the specific needs and requirements that are explicit to each individual region. If you missed us in Montreal and Toronto, then be sure to visit us at the Edmonton or Vancouver iTech Summit trade shows.

For event details, please visit the iTech website by clicking here.

To obtain more information about how TeraGo Networks can help your business, please click here. We look forward to meeting you at the next trade show!

VoIP for Business: Common Misconceptions

Several companies are looking to use innovative technologies to advance their business, including Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). Instead of using a traditional phone service, businesses are implementing VoIP for their voice communication requirements. However, even though VoIP is a proven alternative to land line services, some businesses are apprehensive about making the switch based on a few common misconceptions.

Firstly, business owners believe that there is a complicated and long installation process associated with VoIP. Like any other new technology, businesses are hesitant to change their ways and employ innovative services because they fear that it will interfere with their business practices. In actual fact, a VoIP phone system is relatively simple to install, whether it is a basic, hosted, or integrated service.

The existing PBX hardware used to communicate with traditional phone services can also be used for VoIP. By attaching an Integrated Access Device, the older PBX hardware is able to function as a type of hybrid that allows for most VoIP calls. A business may also need to purchase new handsets, but the overall costs of installing VoIP is often three times less than a traditional PBX.

Secondly, many businesses assume that VoIP only offers minimal savings. In reality, VoIP services are relatively cheaper than traditional phone lines. Many VoIP providers offer free calls between users on their network as well as lower rates for calls made to any other landline, mobile, or overseas numbers. Since the calls are made through your internet connection, the rates are much lower than traditional phone calls. Also, several VoIP providers offer additional features without any additional costs, such as caller ID, 911, and directory listing.

The scalability of VoIP also contributes to overall lower costs, since businesses are able to only pay for what they need. As your business grows, adding more lines can be as simple as picking up the phone and contacting your provider. 

Lastly, some companies believe that the quality of VoIP is poor in comparison to traditional phone services. However, the only aspect that impacts the quality of a VoIP call is your internet connection. If you have a reliable internet connection, the voice quality can actually be better than a traditional landline since VoIP uses digital technology instead of analog.

These are three of the most common misconceptions about VoIP technology. To learn more about VoIP technology and the benefits that it is able to offer, download our white paper here.

Top 5 Reasons You Should Be Thinking about VoIP for Your Business

It is now evident that Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) has multiple benefits to offer business users. In a previous article, Get More for Less, the operating methods and functionality of VoIP technology was outlined. Now let us discuss the specific advantages of using VoIP technology for businesses. We have compiled a list of the Top 5 ways that Voice over Internet Protocol benefits businesses.

  1. Lower Costs: By utilizing the internet to carry voice, you eliminate the need for a dedicated phone line. Accessing your voice communication services through your internet provider also allows for a greater range of scalability, which means that you only pay for what you use. Additionally, the cost of installation can be lowered by utilizing your existing PBX hardware. Attaching an Integrated Access Device enables the older PBX to function as a type of hybrid that allows for most VoIP calls.
  2. Scalability: Voice over Internet Protocol services can be easily upgraded as your businesses grows and requires additional phone lines. In some instances, increasing or decreasing the number of lines that your company is using is as simple as picking up the phone and calling your provider. There is no need for intrusive and costly installation procedures.
  3. Multiple Features: Features that are provided by traditional phone services are also available through VoIP. This includes caller ID, 911, directory listing, and long distance plans. Users are also able to access their phone system from their desktop computer when they are not near their handset. VoIP also allows for free on-network calling, so that you can call anyone on your network without incurring a charge.
  4. Unified Communications: VoIP enables the user to receive all their business communication, such as phone, voicemail, email, text messaging, fax, and more in a single inbox. VoIP also offers portability, which means that you can take your VoIP number anywhere. Users only need access to an internet connection to communicate. This means that relocating your business is easy since you only need to plug in your equipment and connect to the internet after you have moved to your desired location. Traditional phone companies may not be able to relocate all your lines to a new site, and there is the possibility that your phone service could be interrupted during the transition to your new location. These concerns can be eliminated by obtaining your business phone service through VoIP technology.
  5. Consolidated Bills: Accessing all your communication needs from one source means that there is only one bill to account for. Many voice and internet services are sold in bundles as well, making it easier to set up all your business communication needs at once.

Voice over Internet Protocol is the future of business communications and will soon become a necessity. Implementing a VoIP system is the first step to adopting unified communications, so your business can boost its efficiency and productivity. To learn more about how your business can benefit from VoIP, download our free white paper here.

Image provided by thaikrit.

Get More for Less

Innovative technologies are helping small and medium businesses become more productive at a relatively low cost. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology meets this criteria by providing a valuable service at a lower cost. VoIP is the use of IP-based networks to transmit voice signals instead of using a traditional telephone network. From the user’s point of view, VoIP works just like a conventional phone system. 

VoIP has only recently started to grow in popularity because the service is dependent on an Internet connection. Businesses that share an Internet network connection with residential customers are subjected to peak period slow downs, which means that call quality could vary throughout the day. Aaron McIntosh, Product Marketing Manager at TeraGo Networks Inc., has observed that “the rise of broadband internet, as well as internet networks that are designated for business use only, has made VoIP an attractive alternative to land line phone services.”

Since your internet connection can be used to carry both data and voice, the need for a dedicated phone line is eliminated. This also allows for users to bundle their services instead of managing multiple bills with different service providers. Businesses can also customize their telecommunication packages to meet their needs. This can include modified internet services, to ensure that companies are only paying for what they need, as well as a variety of features.

In order to utilize the benefits of VoIP, you will need a provider with connectivity to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) in order to make any type of phone call. Two methods used to connect a VoIP network to the PSTN are Session Initiated Protocol (SIP trunking) and the traditional Primary Rate Interface (PRI). There is no difference in call quality between the two, but there is a difference in cost. SIP trunking is less expensive than PRI because additional channels, or lines, can be purchased incrementally. On the other hand, PRI channels are only available for purchase in groups of 23. As a result, SIP trunking can be better tailored to the customer’s needs since they only purchase what they require.

VoIP services are growing in popularity as more and more businesses recognize its benefits. Many providers, such as TeraGo Networks, are presenting customers with all the same features that can be found on a traditional phone line service, such as caller ID, 911, long distance plans, directory listing, and more. Additionally, customers have the option of using either SIP trunking or PRI to connect to the PSTN. Regardless of which option you choose, the end result is transparency.

Businesses have the opportunity to take advantage of the cost and technological benefits that VoIP has to offer, while still being able to just pick up the phone and make a call to anyone. TeraGo Networks is providing customers with state-of-the-art broadband internet and voice services, allowing businesses across Canada to utilize VoIP technology while lowering their expenses. To learn more about this great service, please download our white paper by clicking here.

Image provided by photostock.

Are You Sure Your Data is Protected?

As more Canadian companies adopt new internet technology services, such as cloud computing, cyber security is becoming even more important. Sadly, Canadian police are not able to provide businesses with the protection that they need against cyber crimes due to a lack of funding and man power. There are so many different types of cyber crime that it can be difficult for officials to decide where to set their focus. It is now in the best interest of businesses to do everything in their power to protect themselves against a cyber attack.

The most common form of cyber attack is espionage, which is commonly performed by attackers who are working on behalf of a competing company. In an online article written by Brian Bloom on February 24, 2012, he highlights the different types of espionage taking place. One of the examples that he provides is about a construction company that had gained remote access to their competitor’s computer. This allowed for them to see what prices they were quoting to customers so that they could under-bid them and obtain more customers.

Brian Bloom also breaks down the costs associated with training officers on cyber crime, which can range from $5,000 to $10,000 for just one course. However, this price does not include the price of the computers that they would need in order to perform cyber investigations, which cost $8,000 to $10,000 each. Once you learn the costs associated with training officers to investigate cyber crime, you can understand why there isn’t more support. With so many other crimes occurring, there isn’t much funding left to aid the fight against cyber attacks.

Having an understanding of the cyber security climate is very important for businesses because it builds their awareness. The unfortunate reality is that they are not fully protected by police officials if they are attacked. As a result, it is imperative that they invest in secure technology in order to protect themselves. Although many companies are aware of the different types of software that is available on the market, they may not be familiar with the protective services that are engineered and supplied by Internet Providers.

The point to point and point to multi-point radios used by TeraGo Networks are able to provide additional security against cyber crime because the signal is direct, unlike broadcast or WiFi. In order to intercept the signal, a person would need to be directly in front of the radio. Even then, proprietary encryption has been employed to all the data being transferred, which makes it difficult to decipher. Additionally, a Link ID, which is a unique serial number, is hard coded into each radio before they leave the warehouse. As a result, the radio can only be relocated by a TeraGo staff member.

 With so many companies using the internet to operate their business, it is vital that they have access to a secure connection. Cyber crime now comes in many forms and is continuing to grow. Since Canadian police departments do not have access to the requirements needed to effectively combat this rising issue, it is up to businesses to protect themselves. By investing in the right protective technology and transferring their sensitive data across a secure network, companies can avoid the possibility of a cyber attack.

To learn more about TeraGo Networks, and to view our current promotions, just click here.

To read Brian Bloom’s article, Cops: ‘Bad Guys’ have edge in Canada Cyber War, click here.

Images provided by Stuart Miles and David Castillo Dominici.

Invest in the Best

The adoption of new technologies by small and medium businesses is so important for their success, that even the Canadian government is supporting their implementation. On December 23, 2011, the Canadian government issued a press release outlining investment in their new Digital Economy Strategy.

The Digital Economy Strategy will be operating until March 31, 2014 as a means of increasing the productivity levels of small and medium sized businesses. By devoting financial support to the small and medium businesses of Canada, the government is contributing to the growth of the Canadian economy.

Not only are technical innovations important for businesses, but the government has also acknowledged the significance of technology by allocating funds to its adoption and use. If you are a business owner or operator, it is imperative that you take note of this trend. The use of technology by businesses is nothing new, but small and medium businesses don’t always have the funding to implement technological services. However, companies may not always account for the fact that their productivity levels may be hindered by the use of inferior technology.

The utilization of innovative technology ensures that small and medium companies are able to operate seamlessly by limiting slowdowns and interruptions. Having an internet connection provided by a network that is only available to businesses eliminates the slowdowns cause by sharing a connection with residential customers. The implementation of a redundant internet connection provides companies with peace of mind by ensuring that they always have internet access. If their primary connection is compromised, a redundant connection is able to take over and provide internet service until the primary link is restored.

These types of services are able to support business operations and provide them with the capability to maintain a consistent productivity level. This is important because a predictable productivity level allows for businesses to set standards and expectations. One of the goals of the Digital Economy Strategy is to improve the understanding of the link between digital technologies and productivity. TeraGo has previously acknowledged the importance of technological advances in 2010 by writing a paper in response to The Consultation Paper on a Digital Economy Strategy for Canada, which was presented by the Government of Canada. To review the document submitted by TeraGo, click here.

Small and medium businesses have been given a great opportunity to utilize innovative technologies through this government funded program. The fact that the Canadian government has an invested interest in the use of technology by small and medium business is an indicator of its importance. With the support of the government, and competitive pressure, it is more important than ever for small and medium businesses to take the necessary steps towards success.

To learn more about TeraGo Networks, and to view our current promotions, just click here.

To read more about the Digital Technology Adoption Pilot Program, click here.

What Goes Down Now Comes Up

The demand for greater bandwidth has traditionally been in one direction; down. Users would access the internet to download content, and wouldn’t typically contribute or upload any new materials. However, the need for higher upload speeds has been growing steadily as users begin to create their own content, such as videos, high-resolution photos, CAD drawings, etc, and upload it to the World Wide Web. Additionally, many companies are using the internet to run high bandwidth applications or access cloud technologies to develop more productive business practices.

Access to symmetrical bandwidth is imperative for business success since they consume, generate and transfer a substantial amount of content. New and updated content, such as videos or white papers, are great tools for nurturing leads and providing customers with information about your service or product. However, uploading substantial amounts of content to the internet can take up a great deal of time and cause frustration and loss of productivity. Additionally, many companies are using the internet to run high bandwidth applications, requiring the transfer of vast amounts of data. Without the adequate bandwidth required to operate these applications, businesses are not able to utilize the full potential of these applications. If the upload speed is lagging, overall business productivity can suffer.

Most IP companies are just starting to address the rapidly growing demand for symmetrical bandwidth. TeraGo Networks has been providing its business customers with symmetrical bandwidth for years, and has long been prepared to meet the demand. A high speed internet connection is also required to optimize the benefits of cloud computing, which is one of the many internet based applications utilized by businesses.

An online article written by Piyush Sevalia, Director of Product Marketing at Ikanos Communications, reiterates the importance of bandwidth for businesses. Sevalia notes that “accompanying the trend in content creation and storage are changes in network utilization and new applications that are now demanding greater bandwidths upstream “.  In his article, he also points out that it’s also important that the bandwidth is symmetrical in order to support the constant uploading and downloading of content.

In order to be a successful company, it is important to keep up with the latest technological innovations. Symmetrical bandwidth is the latest tool that businesses are utilizing to be more productive by upload and downloading their content as well as running high bandwidth applications at higher speeds. If your company can’t afford to waste time, then it would be highly beneficial to adopt a symmetrical bandwidth.

To learn more about TeraGo Networks, and to view our current promotions, just click here.

If you would like to read the online article written by Piyush Sevalia, Director of Product Marketing at Ikanos Communications, just click here.

Sharing is Bad

TeraGo Networks Inc. is providing businesses with a facilities-based network that is completely independent from all other providers. This high capacity bandwidth connection gives businesses a predictable internet connection, which allows for businesses to remain productive throughout the day without experiencing slowdowns.

With most internet providers, peak period internet slowdowns can hinder the productivity of their business customers. This slowdown occurs when residential customers connect to the internet and engage in activities requiring high bandwidth, such as online gaming, music, and video downloading.  Consequently, important and time sensitive files that a business needs to upload or download through the internet take much longer to transfer at certain times throughout the day.

This is a direct result of a practice that other Internet Service Providers (ISPs) instigated called “Overbooking”. Overbooking occurs when an ISP has sold more bandwidth than what it makes available to its customers. The practice of sharing an internet connection with more and more customers seriously impacts business productivity and performance.

This issue has had such a huge effect on Canadian businesses that the Canadian Radio-Television Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) has stepped in to assist with the regulation of traffic management policies. Specifically, the CRTC has been investigating how Internet Providers assign priority to certain file types at any given point during the day.

Other ISP companies service millions of users at one time on a single network. However, TeraGo only makes its network available to businesses, so there are no residential customers slowing down the connection. Creating a network that is exclusive to businesses means that business users are not sharing the network with potentially millions of residential customers. TeraGo is driven to provide quality service to businesses instead of trying to meet the needs of a large spectrum of customers, unlike the other ISPs. Since TeraGo does not offer its service to residential customers, the type of congestion experienced by many other ISPs has been prevented.

 TeraGo Networks offers both a traditional burstable Internet as well as “dedicated” bandwidth. Having a dedicated bandwidth service means that the speed you sign up for is the speed that’s always available to you. With the dedicated service, your business is guaranteed to have a consistent Internet speed which allows for uninterrupted productivity.

Overall, a slow and ineffective internet connection can directly impact the revenue of a business. A sluggish internet connection prevents your company from competing with larger businesses and can limit growth opportunities. Since TeraGo Networks is specialized in serving businesses, and only businesses, they are best suited to meet the growing internet demands of Canada’s commercial market.

To find out more about how the TeraGo business-only high capacity bandwidth connection can improve your business productivity, click here.

TeraGo Networks

Broadband. Only for Business.

Get Up in the Cloud

Businesses are progressively demanding more from their broadband service providers as their companies grow and develop. In association with this evolution is the utilization of cloud computing, which allows businesses to offload the tasks of upgrading, running, and maintaining their IT services to a web-based service. By employing cloud technology, businesses are able to avoid costly and time consuming hardware installations. However, before a business can take advantage of cloud computing, they will need to have access to broadband services that can handle the high demands of this technology.

TeraGo Networks provides its customers with the internet technology required to take advantage of all that the cloud has to offer. By employing true symmetrical bandwidth, TeraGo customers are able to download and upload data at the same speed. This allows for businesses to move files around the internet without experiencing any significant differences in speed. Consistently high capacity data transferring allows for businesses to anticipate productivity levels and plan accordingly.

If a business is using a traditional copper or cable connection, they are likely to suffer from intermittent slowdowns in speed throughout the day as a result of increased internet traffic. In most cases, the reduction in internet speed is a result of residential customers coming online in the late afternoons. Consequently, business productivity takes a nosedive because they are sharing the same bandwidth.

Because TeraGo owns and operates its facilities-based network and only offers its high capacity broadband network to businesses, residential internet use does not interfere with business productivity. Additionally, the ability to manage a cloud-enabled system requires a robust and symmetrical internet connection that not all Internet Service Providers can offer.

The reality for many small and medium sized businesses is that they don’t have the internal resources to fund the installation of the IT hardware and software required to compete with big businesses. However, outsourced IT services do not need to be installed and are up-gradable on an as-needed basis. This allows for businesses to customize their internet connection to better serve their needs.

As the business environment rapidly becomes more dependent upon reliable and consistent internet access, it is imperative that Internet Service Providers are able to meet their needs. However, not all Internet Service Providers are prepared for the increasing internet demands put forth by their customers. TeraGo Networks is supplying their business customers with reliable, high speed, secure, and symmetrical bandwidth internet services. Cloud technology requires that a provider has a symmetrical and robust internet connection, and TeraGo Networks is able to meet and exceed these requirements.

To find out more about how you can take advantage of the TeraGo business-only internet connection, click here.

TeraGo Networks

Broadband. Only for Business.

The 2012 National Sales Kick-Off

Every year at TeraGo Networks, we bring our sales and sales support teams together from around the country for a National Sales Kick-Off. Our sales force is one of the best in the business and we are excited to hype them up for a fresh start each year. What better way to bring together a large trans-national team than a Sales Kick-Off?

The Kick-Off always starts the New Year off with a bang and our team loves it! It brings the whole company’s national sale force together for three days of brainstorming, idea sharing and, personal and team growth. This time gives us the opportunity to build our culture, communicate and appreciate our amazing sales force! We believe if you start the year off right, you’re setting the standard for the rest of it!

For the second year in a row we held our Sales Kick-Off at White Oaks Conference Resort and Spa in Niagara Falls, Ontario, chosen by “Canada Select” as Ontario’s first Five Star Hotel Resort.  The resort is close to all of the major Niagara-area tourist attractions, Ontario’s award winning wine-country and, of course, the magnificent Niagara Falls!! Members of our sales and sales support teams were whisked away to this fabulous destination for three days of learning, development, and exciting activities which occurred from Wednesday, January 11th until Friday January 13th, 2012.  Relaxed and rested employees are better able to learn and contribute, and we were sure to go the extra mile to provide that for them. Trust us, it pays off!

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The theme for this year’s sales kick-off was ‘In It to Win It in 2012’, which is a TeraGonian twist on the game show Minute to Win It.  This theme was picked to help make learning fun and to bring focus to our goals and priorities for 2012.

On the first day, the sales team was taken by bus from our offices in Thornhill, Ontario to the resort. The trip is a couple hours, but it is really enjoyable. We encouraged them to travel as a group so they have an opportunity to build a team dynamic and create relationships. Think of when you were a kid and got to go on a fieldtrip; the bus ride was half the fun! We’re doing just that but with grown-ups and it’s great. It encourages the group to stay together during the whole of the conference, too!

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Upon arriving at the resort, there were welcomes made and an introductory session, which was then followed by a delicious lunch! With full stomachs the sales team was ready to take on the next three days which were filled with workshops, games, fabulous and insightful presentations, and lots of fun. Some of the great topics covered included the evolving partnership between our sales and marketing departments (these two teams are like peanut butter and jelly – they just go together!), a round table with the TeraGo Vice President’s team and a strategic overview of 2012 from our CEO, Bryan Boyd.  Our sales team loves to engage with our CEO and Vice Presidents who are all approachable and enjoy answering questions.  Newer employees get to learn more about the culture of the company, its visions and values, and operations through direct and fun engagement.

One of the most well received sessions was a Sales Success roundtable where attendees were given the chance to ask the most successful and most experienced sales staff for their tricks of the trade.  Attendees saw how others have found solutions to problems and how they can follow the same route. Many sales force members have said that what they learned during the panel was extremely valuable to how they will engage with their customers during the New Year. We think that’s a fabulous approach to unify our strategy and build company-wide understanding on ways to achieve our goals. It’s always great to learn from your friends, and at TeraGo we love to help one another out whenever we can!

The Minute to Win It theme was incorporated in the form of six challenges that attendees competed in as teams throughout the three day event.  From trying to balance three golf balls on top of each other (not as easy as it sounds!) to lifting penne pasta…using nothing but spaghetti…held in your mouth, each challenge brought energy, teamwork and friendly competition. Even our Vice President team was challenged to compete in ‘A Bit Dicey’ where they had to balance six dice…on a popsicle stick…which they held in their mouths.  They are always up for a challenge!

At the end of Kick-Off, the team with the most amount of ‘In It to Win It’ points were rewarded for their hard work and whisked away in a limo to Niagara Free Fall where they spent an hour trying their hand at indoor skydiving!  A once in a life time opportunity, but not for the faint of heart!

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Each day, after a full schedule of learning and development, our team enjoyed downtime and some great evening activities.  On the first night, the team traveled into Niagara Falls for a night out on the town, courtesy of TeraGo, to enjoy one of the Canada’s natural wonders!  The team got to go to a restaurant of their choice (the Keg overlooking the falls was a big hit) and had a great time taking in the attractions at the falls with their colleagues.

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On night two, our team dressed to impress in their evening finest and enjoyed dinner and a wine tour at the beautiful Hillebrand Winery.  This is one of Niagara’s award winning wineries that excel in the art of creating incredible wines paired with delectable local cuisine.  The team got to taste many of the region’s best wines and engage with one another before settling down for the annual President’s Club gala dinner event!

President’s Club is an annual event recognizing the top sales representatives at TeraGo. This year the winners and their spouses are invited to join CEO Bryan Boyd on a trip to Turks and Caicos in April! We are proud to award our employees for a job well done, but even more so for a job amazingly well done! Previous years’ winners have gone to Palm Beach, the Bahamas, Napa Valley and Arizona courtesy of TeraGo! Trips always make for memorable and appreciated prizes!

The gala dinner, where both the President’s Club winners and the Turks and Caicos location was announced, was a fantastic end to the second day of the 2012 Sales Kick-Off!   More on this year’s President’s Club trip in the months to come!

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As with all good things, the Sales Kick-Off eventually ended with a bang (and a bloopers reel!). The sales and sales support teams then traveled back to their various home offices across Canada, energized and ready to “Win It” in 2012.  The eventwas a huge success and we looking forward to an incredible year in sales for TeraGo Networks.

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