Phone System Services -Itasca, IL 60143

Whether you need a legacy phone system maintained, or an entirely new communications system for multiple offices, Andromeda Technology Solutions is the answer you have been looking for. As our expertise also includes complete data network solutions, you can rest assured that we can fully integrate a communications system that will best leverage your existing or future IT infrastructure.

In many cases, your telephone system is the first thing people will experience when dealing with your business.

• Does it show your company in a good light?
• Is it set up so your clients have a good experience?
• Does it help maximize employee productivity?

Let us show you how a phone system should be set up!

Experience the simplicity of having an experienced company to handle all aspects of your communication systems, letting you focus on running your business.

Contact us or fill out the Request form on this page now to ask us to contact you!

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Hybrid PBX and IP-based Phone Systems

We support a host of major phone systems—from Avaya, NEC, Panasonic to Toshiba— and are a certified Panasonic dealer for both a traditional PBX system, as well as a true IP-based VoIP system. The beauty of these systems lies in their very extensive feature set (over 800 features) and their mix-and-match capabilities. Each system can mix analog, digital and IP phone sets to match almost any application. Also, each system has extensive functionality built-in for incorporating branch offices, work-at-home employees and other remote workers.

We spend a great deal of time understanding all your requirements, so we can select the system and functions that are exactly what you need.

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The Phones Become the Network

If you are considering an IP-based telephone system, it is important to understand these systems are more data systems than phone systems. Unlike a traditional PBX system, a VoIP system puts a significant burden on your data network, and requires specific equipment and configuration to ensure everything is running properly.

Many traditional telephone service companies lack the skills to properly install and maintain a VoIP system. Andromeda Technology Solutions excels in all aspects of voice and data, and will ensure you get the system that is right for you.

Whether Cloud-based, Hosted/virtual PBX, or completely on-premises, we have the knowledge AND experience to guide you and implement your voice communication system to perfection.

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Replacement of Legacy Phone Systems

We have many years of experience upgrading/replacing legacy phones systems from: ComDial, Nortel, Toshiba/Mitel, and Samsung just to name a few. If you would like to experience service from a truly customer-focused organization, call us when you are ready to replace and upgrade your existing legacy telephone system.

			KX-TA KX-NCP KX-TDA KS-TDE
			IP Office Definity Magix Legend Partner
			Aspire Elite IPK I-Series DS/DSX

AndroPedia Tech Library

As part of our service, it is important to keep our client-partners well informed on Telephone system developments, news, and best practices. Here is just a sampling of typical items from our AndroPedia^SM library archive:

Since VoIP came on the telecom scene back in the early 2000’s it has grown in popularity and become a commonly used term in the business community. With more and more technology moving to internet/cloud based delivery it makes sense that our phones do the same.

VoIP offers many features that a legacy phone system doesn’t. When it comes to choosing a system that connects your business to the outside world, you have to take many factors into consideration.

That being said, we would like to provide you a brief list of pros and cons to VoIP systems. Remember, each business and each setup interact with VoIP differently. Some of these may or may not apply to your phone company. It is always important to consult a reputable vendor who understands both your telephone and your current IT setup first.

The VoIP Option: Pros & Cons Explained

Pros

Monthly Cost Savings: Perhaps the biggest advantage of choosing VoIP is the opportunity for monthly savings. Traditional systems depend on landlines (POTS lines) to connect your calls. Some VoIP systems allow you to cancel all landlines and connect calls via internet. This cuts out the middle (your phone company). Do not be fooled though. You still pay for service to this system on a per phone basis.

Lower Hardware Costs: VoIP systems are typically less costly up front. This depends on the type of system you are purchasing and the options your vender offers. Sometimes there is no upfront cost at all for these systems. However, we all know nothing in life is REALLY free. Many times when a company offers free hardware, they build that price into your monthly cost. Be sure to look into this before signing on the dotted line.

Versatility and Scalability: VoIP allows you to tailor your phones and features to your business needs. Systems come as basic or feature rich as you want. Do you need CRM features? Call parking? Auto attendant? Twinning? Presence Management? These are all features that VoIP can provide. It should be mentioned that PBX systems offer these functions too.

Portable/Professional: VoIP is great for people on the move.  Switching from an office phone to a mobile phone? VoIP can make a switch between phones seamless.  These features allow clients to transfer quickly between phones. Imagine you are on the phone with a prospect and don’t want to hang up but you’ve got a meeting you have to leave for . . . with enhanced features you can press a button and transfer that call to your cell phone without the prospect even knowing you’ve left your office.

CONS

Sound quality: When transferring calls over the internet instead of a landline, there can be a decrease in the sound quality. VoIP takes up more bandwidth and depends on a strong internet connection for best call quality.  Not only do you need a constant and steady internet connection, you also need to make sure that your bandwidth will support the demands of your office.

Power outages: VoIP requires power and an internet connection, so if power goes out you can expect service disruptions for your phones.  Having one emergency landline or call forwarding takes care of this problem, in case an emergency ever arises.

Hidden Costs & Hardware Ownership: While we mentioned cost savings as a plus for VoIP phones, those same savings can bite you in the end. Be wary of a provider offering free equipment. This typically means they are charging you EVERY month for hardware. On top of that, many VoIP providers entice customers with great deals on hardware but aren’t clear about who owns what. If you aren’t clear about those finer details you may find yourself paying every month for years on hardware you don’t even own only to have it taken away when you switch providers.

If you’ve made it this far into this article, I’m sure you’ve noticed that each characteristic has positive and negative elements to it. Phones are a very tricky topic for many business owners.

The one absolute positive you have is that by collaborating with Andromeda, you’ve chosen a technology partner that puts your interests above all else. We help our clients install all varieties of phone systems including PBX Systems, Hybrid IP Office systems, Cloud VoIP systems and more. The most important piece of the VoIP puzzle is choosing a vendor you trust.

If you are considering a new phone system for your business, give us a call today and let us guide you through your options.

The post The VoIP Phone Option: Pros & Cons Explained appeared first on Andromeda Technology Solutions.

Have you ever spoken with a telecom salesman? If you have, you probably noticed they speak in what appears to be code. PRI . . . POTS lines . . . PBX . .  .VOIP? What does any of this even mean?

Lucky for you, we decoded some of the most common telecom acronyms so that even you can speak phone system.

 Most Popular Telecom Acronyms

• VoIP – (Voice over Internet Protocol) is an alternative way of making phone calls. VoIP transmits the sounds you make over the Internet. There are different styles of VoIP systems but the two most common are cloud based and on premise.
• SIP – (Session Initiation Protocol) is an industry standard method of achieving VoIP.  Telephone Systems and many communications devices now have the ability to perform SIP protocol by way of trunk access (dial tone), video, etc.
• PRI – (Primary Rate Interface) a multi-channel digital circuit that brings 24 lines of telephone system communication for incoming/outgoing dial tone. Essentially, it allows multiple inbound and outbound calls at one time. This is often a less expensive approach for a company that has more than 10 analog (POTS) lines.
• PBX (Private Branch Exchange) This is typically a physical box on location at your business that holds all the programming required to make calls, transfer calls, host Voicemail and many other key functions.
• POTS – (Plain Old Telephone Service) also known as analog telephone lines.
• IP-PBX – (Internet Protocol-Private Branch Exchange) is a telephone system that integrates with Internet functionality such as VoIP and SIP services.
• PSTN – (Public Switched Telephone Network) is known as traditional telephone lines.
• ISDN – (Integrated Services Digital Network) is a set of communication standards for simultaneous digital transmission of voice, video, data, and other network services over the traditional circuits of the PSTN.

More questions? No worries, check out our Telecom Phone Systems page and let us help answer some of your additional questions! Or reach out to us for a conversation about your needs.

The post Phone Systems Decoded – 8 Commonly Used Telecom Acronyms & What They Actually Mean appeared first on Andromeda Technology Solutions.

Do you own a MacBook Pro, purchased between 2016 and 2017? Has the battery been acting up and refusing to hold a charge beyond 1 percent? If you've ruled out issues with the charger, you should know that Apple recently published a new support document outlining this very issue. While it only affects a tiny percentage of MacBook Pro users, if you're one of them, you may be able to get it fixed free of charge.

Based on the support document, the following are impacted:

• MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2016, two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
• MacBook Pro (13-inch, 2017, two Thunderbolt 3 ports)
• MacBook Pro (13�-inch, 2016, four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
• MacBook Pro (13-�inch, 2017, four Thunderbolt 3 ports)
• MacBook Pro (15-�inch, 2016)
• MacBook Pro (15�-inch, 2017)

If you're using macOS Big Sur, you can check your battery via the Apple menu, located in the top left-hand corner of the screen. Go to System Preferences, click 'Battery,' and then click on 'Battery Health.'

On the other hand, if you're using macOS Catalina or earlier, press and hold the 'Option' key and click the battery icon in the menu bar to show the battery status menu.

Either way, if you see the words "Service Recommended" then you know what to do. Get your machine to the nearest Apple service center and you're almost certainly on track for a free battery replacement.

If your battery is currently okay, then make sure you update to macOS Big Sur 11.2.1 or macOS Catalina 10.15.7. Both of those contain software upgrades that will keep the issue from happening in the first place.

Kudos to Apple to moving swiftly and correcting an issue like this. There are a number of big tech companies that would have handled the issue differently. After all, it only impacts a tiny slice of the company's massive user base, so there wasn't much incentive for them to make it a big priority. They chose to anyway, and that says good things about the company and the brand.

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