If a small business owner uses VoIP to keep in touch with a daughter in college or talk to relatives abroad, then the technology has proven itself, and that person is much more likely to trust it. We have crossed an important educational barrier with many customers. They understand VoIP is voice — now they want to know “what can it do for my business?”
No longer can we meet the needs of a small business customer with a consumer-grade offering — no matter how much is spent on advertising. Nor can we sell a too-complex solution to very small business owner who barely has the resources to manage the technology he already has. Just within the SMB space there are diversified product offerings targeting everything a five-person shop with no IT department to 100-person businesses with people located in different states.
The key is using the incredible flexibility of the IT platform to build products that truly fit the needs of your target market segment. It takes time and money, but it’s an absolute necessity.
Presented by:
| Eric Weiss
Chief Marketing Officer
Covad Communications |
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Business Benefits of VoIP for the SMB
(SMB-02)
Tuesday - 01/23/07, 1:15-2:00pm
Businesses are using IP Communications to enhance employee productivity, collaborate remotely and better service their customers. Understanding the basics of IP Communications is essential for today’s business executive. The speaker will discuss the business benefits of IP Communications. Most recognizable of these being the ability to support a mobile workforce as if these employees were located in the office. The presentation will outline the differences between using VoIP over the public Internet versus a managed private network and the myriad implementation options available for the smaller business — from IP-enabled phone systems to hosted solutions and the benefits and drawbacks of each. This discussion will also range to include content related to cost-justifying the transition to VoIP, touching upon site assessment tools and methods, infrastructure, equipment deployment and maintenance, business continuity, and technical expertise cost factors, among others.
Presented by:
| Steve Davis
Director of Product Marketing
Cypress Communications | | Geoff Drayton
VP of Sales and New Business Development
DecisionOne |
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The Business Case for SMBs to Migrate to Hosted VoIP
(SMB-03)
Tuesday - 01/23/07, 2:15-3:00pm
Problematic premise-based PBX phone systems are often a leading cause of SMB owner headaches. With high up-front costs, limited features and ongoing maintenance and support, traditional phone systems keep businesses from reaching their maximum potential. Fortunately, next-generation hosted VoIP technology is helping SMB owners focus on their primary commercial activities.
Drawing upon real-word case examples the presenter will help attendees understand how hosted VoIP solution providers can help SMBs alleviate the frustrations brought on by premise-based systems. Attendees will learn the benefits of VoIP technology and how it promotes a flexible, but solid, telecommunications infrastructure. The speaker will outline how hosted VoIP turns the associated maintenance, upgrades and ongoing technical support over to a trusted vendor, allowing companies to focus on what they do best.
Presented by:
| Bill Dermody
Director of Sales
M5 Networks, Inc. |
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Small Businesses Need Mobility Too
(SMB-04)
Tuesday - 01/23/07, 3:15-4:00pm
When considering a telephony solution, small SMBs must take into account their mobile workers. With a converged wireline, wireless voice and data solution, SMBs and their mobile employees can reap the benefits of all three. It just makes sense: Convergence enables mobile workers to be more productive. Wireless takes convergence up a notch. It allows employees to answer a phone call from anywhere they can connect to the company network, keeping customers off of hold and out of the voice mailbox. Providing this kind of unlimited accessibility to clients, employees and the corporate network ensures that mobile workers remain connected and productive wherever they are — even if they are halfway across the globe.
This session will introduce the latest technologies for SMB communication systems — specifically IP telephony and wireless convergence strategies. It will discuss the various developmental considerations providers must take into account when approaching this market as well as best practices and strategies for implementation for small businesses.
Presented by:
| Shidan Gouran
Co-Founder
Intelligent Communications Partners |
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Reaching the SMB Market: Best Practices
(SMB-05)
Tuesday - 01/23/07, 4:15-5:00pm
SMBs are looking to update and upgrade their network and telephony systems to take advantage of converged voice, video, and data, but they are finding they don’t have the expertise or the resources to manage this increasingly complex environment. They are moving these tasks to Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and Enterprise VoIP Service Providers (EVSP), who proactively manage and support their clients’ IT, IP, and VoIP telephony infrastructure for a fixed monthly fee.
For the SMB, outsourcing can shed major headaches and areas of responsibility for which they really lack a core competency. For the service provider, there are the advantages of higher operating margins, recurring revenue streams, and long-term customer relationships. Along with these terrific opportunities come increased pressures, new liabilities, and fresh operational challenges for the MSP and EVSP. This seminar will deal with the challenges facing this community and the technologies available to help them manage this paradigm shift in their business model.
Presented by:
| Jeff Szczepanski
CTO
Allworx | | Thom O’Connor
Director of Product Architecture
CommuniGate Systems |
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