Phone System Services -Rolling-Meadows, IL 60008

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:

There are many options available to you when purchasing a professional telephone system.

And there are many companies out there that want you to purchase your professional phone solutions from them.

So – how do you make sure you are getting the best phone system for your business AND make sure that you are working with a company that puts your interests first?

We’ve put together a list of 5 of the top questions you should ask yourself when it comes to a professional telephone system and the telephone service providers that install them for your business.

5 Questions You Want To Ask Yourself  Before Purchasing A Professional Telephone System

1. What are your 5 year total costs for the system?

This is an important question that is often overlooked when purchasing a professional telephone system. There are many factors that impact total cost but typically there are two different types of systems that you are taking into consideration.

• Hosted VoIP Telephone Systems
• On Premises PBX Telephone Systems

Within those two options there are different options and models but the key difference is where the majority of the hardware exists.

In a hosted or cloud based phone system, you don’t have equipment in the office. Instead it is ‘hosted’ in the cloud. You simply have phones that you plug into the network.

With an on premises solution, your professional telephone system and equipment exist in your office. Most of the time this is in a ‘box’ mounted in your IT closet.

The reason the distinction between these two is important is because they have different costs associated with them.

With hosted VoIP you are essentially paying every month for service to the phones and the software that allows inbound and outbound calls to your network.

With an on premises system, you buy the hardware up front and you pay for telephone lines (POTS lines) to give you connectivity.

To look at costs for each type of system you’ll want to consider recurring monthly service charges, hardware costs and service/maintenance costs.

NOTE: when considering a hosted VoIP phone system, make sure that you find out what your taxes will be each month. Many times, these rates are not included in quotes and can add on hundreds of dollars to your monthly costs.

2. Who owns the equipment?

When it comes to any hardware you are using at the office, it is important to figure out who actually owns the equipment.

With an on premises option, you buy the hardware up front and install it. You own it. Simple as that.

If you choose to go with a hosted solution, you want to look into who actually owns the equipment. Many times, you are renting the phones you use from your service provider. Even if you are only paying $25.00 per phone per month, multiply that out over a year and look at how much you’ve paid to rent out phones you don’t own.

On top of that, if you ever want to switch providers or decide you want to purchase an on premises system, you have to give the phones back and start from scratch. All that money spent on renting equipment is out the door with nothing to show for it.

3. Who is going to help you service your telephone equipment?

Things break – unfortunate but true. So when you are having issues with your phone system, who will you call to come out and service it? How long will it take for technicians to get to your issues? Do you have a dedicated team or is it just whoever is available? Do they offer emergency service?

These are all questions you’ll want to ask anyone proposing their phone solution to you. All too often, business owners are sold on phone solutions that have no local service providers for technical issues.

Different technology vendors work with specific types of systems and you want to make sure you are buying a system that you can get serviced professionally and promptly.

4. Will the telephone solution grow with your business?

Each telephone system has its own list of features and compatibilities. But each one also has specific capabilities when it comes to scaling.

There are specific hardware components in phone systems that limit the number of telephones, calls or mailboxes you can set up at any one time.

If you are purchasing a system today but plan to add a call center next year, you want to make sure that you talk to your vendor about that before you purchase. That way, you can make sure that your solution is capable of that type of growth.

Not only that, depending on your business model and needs, you’ll also want to make sure that you choose a telephone system that best suits your day to day practices which brings us to our fifth question.

5. Does this phone system offer all of the features and functions you need?

Every business has its own needs when it comes to phones. Some are very simple and others are more complex. If you use your phones the way many small to midsized business do, all you’re looking for is a connection, some basic functionality (receptionist phone, easily transfer calls, put people on hold, maybe a conference phone for conference calls etc.).

At the same time, you may have a sales team that is constantly on the road which means you’d like the ability to transfer calls to your cell phone, voicemail-email set up, voicemail to text set up. You may want direct extensions or maybe when an inbound sales call comes in you want every sales person’s phone to ring until someone picks up.

The list of features goes on and on. And that doesn’t even include third party applications that integrate security, presence management and more.

Make sure you are working with a vendor that can help guide you and manage the different functions and features on the market.

Request a Consultation

A Professional Telephone System can be complex but it definitely doesn’t have to be.

If you’re in the right hands with a vendor who makes it a priority to get to know your business and your needs, most of these questions can be answered without an issue.

If you’re thinking about adding to your phone system, switching to a different type of system or you know you need something new but don’t know where to start, our account managers are ready and more than willing to help guide you through the process.

Take the first step and give us a call at the office (815) 836-0030 or fill out the form below and request a phone call with our team.

The post 5 Questions To Ask Before Purchasing A Professional Phone System For Your Business appeared first on Andromeda Technology Solutions.

What is Auto Attendant?

Auto Attendant is one of the most common applications we install with business phone systems.

It is a standard application that can satisfy many different tasks/needs.

In a nutshell, an auto attendant is a programmed add on for your phone system that will help answer calls and can route callers to proper destinations. Think of it as a receptionist program.

You can program the auto attendant to route calls during specific hours and you can also program different messages/directories to operate at different times of the day.

Most prospective customers will turn to the internet to do preliminary research for products and services.

But . . . once they’ve found the company or companies they are interested in, a phone call is still the most popular first step to contact your business and engage your services.

So, that means you’ve got a decision to make. You need to decide whether you want a live person to answer the phone and route your calls, or whether you would rather skip that step and have a program do the heavy lifting for you.

For many small to midsized businesses, the auto attendant is a great way to reduce overhead and make sure calls never goes unanswered.

Auto Attendant Best Practices

Proper auto attendant design and implementation is essential to the overall experience an inbound caller will have every time they pick up the phone and dial your number.

Some key factors to think about when designing your system:

• Make sure your introductory message is clear and concise – you don’t want people to get bored or annoyed with a long message every time they call in.
• Avoid too many options – nobody enjoys sifting through 14 options to find the place they are looking for.
• Keep it simple and keep it logical – prioritize your most popular departments/options towards the beginning of your message to speed up the inbound call process.
• Your directory needs to be up to date – who will be in charge of managing this?

Three Unique Ways You Can Use Auto Attendant

1. Use your auto attendant function to answer FAQs

Do people call your office often with the same questions? You can dedicate a space in your auto attendant directory to frequently requested info like your address, your hours of operation and more. This will save your receptionist and staff valuable time and provide prospects with the info they are calling to acquire.

2. Add a Directory

There are multiple different types of directory options available to you.

• Full list of staff extensions
• Search by first or last name for staff
• Department Directory

The option you choose is based on what you believe will be easiest and most helpful for inbound callers. By implementing a directory you avoid an endless list of options on your primary outgoing message and also add a layer of organization that prospects/customers appreciate.

3. Share Upcoming Event & Company Announcements

Your auto attendant program can actually be used as a great marketing tool for upcoming events and promotions. Have a seasonal promotion coming up? What about an office closing due to a holiday? Maybe there is some big news specific to your industry you want to share? All of these are things pieces of information you can distribute to inbound callers.

**Added Tip** Your Music on Hold (MOH) message can also promote events and promotions for you.

The post Auto Attendant: 3 Unique Ways You Can Use It To Improve Your Business appeared first on Andromeda Technology Solutions.

The Quaverse Remote Access Trojan--affectionately dubbed QRat--has been with us since at least 2015.

It's a good piece of malware because it's notoriously difficult to detect and it provides high value information like passwords, sensitive files, screenshots and more.

In addition to remotely offloading files, hackers can assume complete control over any infected system. In the malware world, it doesn't get much better than that. This year, however, cybersecurity professionals have discovered a new campaign that they're describing as "significantly enhanced."

It's common knowledge that hackers and scammers rely on social engineering techniques to try and entice email recipients to click on links embedded in their messages or files they have attached. These are the most common ways that malware finds its way onto targeted systems.

In this case, the hackers are relying on greed and the realities of the economic hardships caused by the Covid-19 Pandemic. The email offers the recipient a loan with "a good return on investment," with an attachment that claims to be a video message from President Donald Trump.

Anyone foolish enough to click on the "video message" (which actually isn't a video and contains no message from Trump or anyone else), will wind up with the malware installed on their system.

If a recipient stopped to think about the message and the purported attachment, they'd almost certainly not click on the "video file" but part of the magic of social engineering lies in the fact that the message creates a self-contained reality that sucks the reader in. In this case, it goes something like this;

Times have been hard. The pandemic has put me in a financial bind. Here's a loan that promises to be a "good investment" and it's apparently supported by the President. Okay, I want to know more.

Looking at it objectively, there's no good reason why it should work, but it does. Be on the alert for it and make sure your employees are aware of the threat.

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