䘀 刀 䔀 䔀. Drill Down 䈀 刀 䔀 䄀 䬀. 3CX Raises Bar on Mobile Integration with Cloud Ready PBX. 3CX, developer of next generation

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1 Drill Down A Special Report from Telecom Reseller 3CX Raises Bar on Mobile Integration with Cloud Ready PBX 3CX, developer of next generation software PBX, 3CX Phone System for Windows, today announces the launch of Version 14 of its award winning communications solution. The latest release gives resellers the ability to provide both a hosted and on-premises PBX on the same platform; a welcome addition for partners looking to expand their offering to include virtual PBX services. GALEA by Nick Galea, CEO of 3CX NEW IOS, ANDROID & WINDOWS PHONE SMARTPHONE CLIENTS 3CX s completely rewritten smartphone clients for ios and Android take mobility to a new level thanks to the advanced use of PUSH technology and an integrated SIP tunnel. Smartphone users can now use their office extension anywhere with the same ease of use as a normal cell phone call. Thanks to PUSH, 3CX can wake up the phone in the case of an inbound call and fast registration and response allows the user to answer calls easily. 䈀 刀 䔀 䄀 䬀 䘀 刀 䔀 䔀 䘀 刀 伀 䴀 倀 刀 伀 倀 刀 䤀 䔀 吀 䄀 刀 夀 倀 䈀 堀 アハ ート 䌀 堀 倀 䠀 伀 一 䔀 匀 夀 匀 吀 䔀 䴀 䴀 漀 瘀 攀 琀 漀 アハ ート 䌀 堀 倀 栀 漀 渀 攀 匀 礀 猀 琀 攀 洀 ⴀ 愀 渀 漀 瀀 攀 渀 猀 琀 愀 渀 搀 愀 爀 搀 圀 椀 渀 搀 漀 眀 猀 ⴀ 戀 愀 猀 攀 搀 䤀 倀 倀 䈀 堀 瀀 爀 漀 瘀 椀 搀 椀 渀 最 攀 愀 猀 礀 洀 愀 渀 愀 最 攀 洀 攀 渀 琀 愀 渀 搀 唀 渀 椀 ǻ 攀 搀 䌀 漀 洀 洀 甀 渀 椀 挀 愀 琀 椀 漀 渀 猀 愀 琀 氀 漀 眀 攀 爀 挀 漀 猀 琀 匀 漀 昀 琀 眀 愀 爀 攀 戀 愀 猀 攀 搀 㨀 䔀 愀 猀 礀 琀 漀 椀 渀 猀 琀 愀 氀 氀 洀 愀 渀 愀 最 攀 䤀 渀 攀 砀 瀀 攀 渀 猀 椀 瘀 攀 琀 漀 戀 甀 礀 愀 渀 搀 攀 砀 瀀 愀 渀 搀 嘀 椀 爀 琀 甀 愀 氀 椀 稀 攀 眀 椀 琀 栀 䠀 礀 瀀 攀 爀 ⴀ 嘀 嘀 䴀 眀 愀 爀 攀 氀 攀 瘀 攀 爀 愀 最 攀 攀 砀 椀 猀 琀 椀 渀 最 栀 愀 爀 搀 眀 愀 爀 攀 䠀 愀 氀 瘀 攀 礀 漀 甀 爀 瀀 栀 漀 渀 攀 戀 椀 氀 氀 眀 椀 琀 栀 匀 䤀 倀 吀 爀 甀 渀 欀 猀 䴀 漀 戀 椀 氀 攀 䌀 氀 椀 攀 渀 琀 猀 䤀 渀 琀 攀 最 爀 愀 琀 攀 搀 圀 攀 戀 刀 吀 䌀 戀 愀 猀 攀 搀 嘀 椀 搀 攀 漀 䌀 漀 渀 昀 攀 爀 攀 渀 挀 椀 渀 最 圀 圀 圀 アハ ート 䌀 堀 䌀 伀 䴀 㐀 㘀 㤀 㘀 㤀 アハ ート 㔀 Nick Galea, CEO of 3CX said: Version 14 is setting new standards across the board but particularly for smartphone support. Now with integrated PUSH in our softphone clients, which gives 3CX PUSH messages priority over others, 3CX Phone System is offering unbeatable mobility with your office system at your fingertips wherever you are. Combine this with its ease of use and manageability and 3CX Phone System is unique in the market. Galea continues on page 4 3CX Phone System and its VMware Ready status GREEN by Douglas Green, Publisher of Telecom Reseller Doug Green, Publisher of Telecom Reseller, interviews Amy Elliott, Marketing Executive 3CX 3CX offers a choice for enterprises and organizations seeking to have PBX connectivity, but with more up to date features and advantages. 3CX with its VMware Ready status enhances that posture. In this interview, we learn how being VMware Ready helps further slash costs, improves productivity, and even offers a green element as energy use, and costs, are reduced. Readers will also discover that 3CX retains a very robust nature. With VMware Ready, 3CX is a very reliable and powerful choice. Galea continues on page 4 p1-8_3cx_autumn 2015.indd 1 12/10/ :29

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3 October CX Drilldown 3 A Spanish University Solves Phone System Pitfalls With the 3CX Solution ALLERY by Bianca Allery, Marketing Manager, 3CX The Escola Universiària Salesiana de Sarrià (EUSS), based in the scenic and culturally vibrant city of Barcelona, Spain, is a part of a tradition in Spanish education that dates back to the late nineteenth century. It originated from the Salesian vocational schools of Sarrià that were formed in 1884 by professionals in graphic arts and carpentry. More recently, the university started to offer further choices in the areas of mechanics and electronics. Today, EUSS is a high school that trains and educates its students to become engineers. The university aims to train students in this particular industry so that they can meet the future demands for this type of certification and knowledge in their country. EUSS works to provide students with the best possible skill sets while also actively employing them so that they can gain more experience in the field. But César Latorre, the university s IT Coordinator, found that while the students success was increasing so were the university s telecom bills. So Latorre decided it was time to find a more cost efficient, not to mention less archaic, phone system to satisfy the communication needs of EUSS. 3CX TICKS ALL THE BOXES ON THE UNIVERSITY S CHECKLIST The Spanish university consists of 70 employees and 700 students. And, because the university looks as if it s bound for continued growth, Latorre added flexibility and scale to the checklist of phone system requirements. In addition, Latorre felt that if the university expanded in both staff and students it would need a much more advanced phone system to replace its current one, which was becoming obsolete and more of a cost center than a hub for seamless communications. In fact, the legacy Siemens Hicom 150 that the university operated on cost approximately 6,600 per year, which Latorre found to be far too exorbitant for a phone system that didn t cater to his organization s needs. So, checklist in hand, Latorre and his IT staff researched the best possible solutions on the market to replace their current system. For organizations that are moving on from a legacy system to IP- telephony, choosing the right providers can be quite difficult due to the saturation of the IP-telephony market. But once Latorre landed on 3CX Phone System, he knew that the search was over as this solution marked off all of the requirements on his list. César Latorre IT Coordinator at EUSS said: 3CX allows us to have an integrated telephone system with a high level of flexibility and access to new features that, until now, we did not have. In addition, we gained higher redundancy as the telephone center runs on a virtual machine on the 3CX virtualization infrastructure. The cost and maintenance are greatly reduced. A PRESENT LOOK AT THE EUSS PHONE SYSTEM Once Latorre decided on 3CX Phone System, 3CX Partner, Telinformática, completed the new phone system integration. Now, the university uses 70 IP phones and a SIP trunk with 20 connections. This new configuration helped EUSS to greatly reduce its telecom bills as SIP trunking allows for complete IP connection, that is, phone calls are routed through the Internet rather than on-premises copper wires. What s more, the IP foundation of the university s new phone system enables it to adopt the sophisticated features associated with today s modern phone system, such as unified communications (UC). As such, the university is now experiencing significant costs savings while gaining more functionality and features than its previous, and more expensive, phone system. 3CX Phone System configuration at EUSS is also highly redundant, as it is backed-up in more than one location, so Latorre and his staff can rest assured their phone system will never fail unexpectedly. As such, the advanced features; scalability offered by IP phone lines; cost effectiveness; and added redundancy mean that the university s new phone system is one that will withstand the test of time. Today, Latorre and the rest of the staff at EUSS are worry and restriction free now that they can communicate simply and seamlessly. p1-8_3cx_autumn 2015.indd 3 12/10/ :29

4 4 3cx Drilldown October 2015 How-to-Guide for Picking up the Right Hosted PBX Partner ALLERY by Bianca Allery, Marketing Manager, 3CX Hosted PBX is becoming a viable business communications solution for many organizations for many reasons. The most fundamental one being that, since hosted PBX is managed by a third party, companies do not have to expend their own internal resources to install, maintain and update the phone system. There s no need for a company to invest time, money or personnel in setting up the system, or to hire in-house people to maintain it. A virtual phone system also keeps pace with today s business needs. Hosted PBX is simple to learn and use, so employees can enjoy the new phone system immediately, with no training to undergo or learning curve to surmount. Hosted PBX also enables the remote access and longdistance calling needed to provide the mobility and global reach that drives business success today. Since hosted PBX offers so many benefits for businesses, it is in high demand, which has drawn a multitude of service providers to the field. As you investigate hosted PBX partner, be sure to ask them the following questions to ensure that you invest wisely in a system that puts your client s business needs first and foremost: WHAT ARE YOUR SECURITY MEASURES? Since hosted PBX systems use VoIP technology, they can be vulnerable to attacks. This can result in damage to both companies finances and reputations, particularly in those industries with strict compliance standards regarding the handling of personal identifying information. Ensure your hosted PBX partner follows airtight security measures for its mobility and communications features. Endpoint devices that have access to the hosted PBX system should be protected with multiple authentication features and passwords. Investigate how the PBX service provider performs security checks to ensure that unauthorized users aren t accessing the system, and find out what measures the vendor has in place to detect and manage threats should they occur. WILL THIS TRANSITION NEGATIVELY IMPACT BUSINESS CONTINUITY? Find out how your potential hosted PBX provider will implement the system and what assurances it can provide that the transition to a fully hosted solution will proceed at a comfortable pace for your client s company. The transition to hosted PBX should not affect business continuity if the service provider follows a gradual transition plan. This will enable you to choose which applications and features you d like to remain on-premises or in the cloud until you re ready to make the leap to a fully hosted solution. When your company first comes on board with a hosted solution, it should be easy to learn and manage through a Web-based interface that is intuitive and user-friendly. That way, employees don t have to take time out of their regular work schedules to learn the system. CAN I SCALE THE PHONE SYSTEM EASILY IF I NEED TO? As business grows and changes, the phone system needs to keep pace without any break in continuity of service. Ideally, you will be able to simply let the hosted PBX provider know when more features are needed or when you need to add more phone lines. Then, the provider should make those changes seamlessly, while maintaining call quality and the other features on which you depend. A Hosted PBX holds many benefits for businesses, but not all providers are created equal. Ask smart questions to ensure that you invest in the right hosted solution. 3CX Phone System and its VMware Ready status Doug Green, Publisher of Telecom Reseller, interviews Amy Elliott, Marketing Executive 3CX the lack of hardware needed, by leveraging VMware vsphere, this further reduces initial investment as it allows for the phone system to be ran in a virtual environment and therefore eliminates the need for physical servers. TR In terms of administration costs? Continued from page 1 TR Why is being VMware Ready important to the dealer community? 3CX By achieving VMware Ready status, it opens up a much wider market to the dealer and offers yet another selling point for them to work with. Being VMware Ready is a great advantage for IT administrators who already work with and run their systems using the virtualization platform. TR Why is that important to the end user? 3CX For the end-user, having a VMware ready phone system allows them to consolidate their infrastructure onto a single platform. This of course will be accompanied by attractive cost benefits by allowing them to save on server and admin costs. With the flexibility to thrive on a virtualized infrastructure, 3CX Phone System goes hand in hand with VMware which, in turn, accentuates the many benefits. By virtualizing 3CX Phone System, business efficiency is improved and costs are reduced. TR What are the advantages to using 3CX Phone System for Windows with VMware vsphere 5.X and 6.X verse traditional PBX hardware? TR In terms of cost of ownership? 3CX 3CX Phone System is purely software-based. Although, this in itself allows for incredible cost savings due to 3CX VMware vsphere allows all communications infrastructure to be consolidated onto its one, virtual environment. This, of course, brings down the amount of time needed to keep up with admin and management tasks and the amount of staff needed to keep up with it. TR Other savings? 3CX Since using a virtualization platform such as VMware eliminates the need for physical servers, businesses are also going to see significant cost savings in hardware and energy bills. TR Productivity of the IT department (freeing up of staff time) 3CX Since the phone system is ran on the virtual environment of VMware vsphere, admin tasks, and therefore the amount of time spent managing and maintaining the software PBX, is greatly reduced. Not only does this free up significant amounts of the existing IT budget, but also staff time. This means that both can be allocated to other projects so that valuable staff time can be used for the development and progression of the company rather than tedious admin tasks. TR 3CX Phone System on a VMware virtualized server further supports actively the idea of Green IT. How? 3CX The environment and development in Green IT is something that we are very passionate about at 3CX, which is yet another reason that it was important for us to make 3CX Phone System compatible with VMware. By running 3CX Phone System on a virtual server, the need for a physical server is removed. Since physical servers are seriously power hungry pieces of hardware, removing them from the equation will save a considerable amount of energy on powering and cooling. Of course, this is not only great for the environment, but for business owners wallets, too. Additionally, the less servers needed, the less space needed to house them. Data center sizes can be reduced, allowing for more efficient use of space, or in the case that you don t own your own data center, there can be significant cost savings. TR Does this improve an organization s business continuity posture? Does it harden our system to ride out or snap back from a major crisis? 3CX With regard to business continuity and disaster recovery, leveraging a virtual environment for 3CX Phone System really brings out the best of its fault tolerance features. 3CX Phone System by itself offers some impressive disaster recovery & failure prevention features. Couple this with the measures that VMware virtualization offers up, it makes for an incredibly stable and reliable solution. High Availability with failover protection ensures downtime, in the unlikely event of server failure, is kept to an absolute minimum. Fault Tolerance enables applications to be available during server failure by creating and activating a live copy of an instance of a virtual machine which is kept up-to-date with the primary virtual machine. If the circumstances call for it, it s also very easy to move a virtual machine from one server to another, even if the migration is long-distance. There s also no vendor lock-in which makes the set-up very versatile. Should there be any kind of hardware failure, it is not necessary to have identical hardware on site to replace it which means cheaper or existing hardware can be used. TR Does it offer scalability and what is the scale range for this solution 3CX 3CX Phone System is a very easily scaled solution as it is completely software based. This makes it a great match for VMware production environments. New extensions can be added at the click of a button without any cumbersome hardware installation or wiring. Alternately, should a business need to downsize for any reason, it s also possible to easily scale down without being left with a lot of unused appliances and a useless infrastructure. The scale range is actually almost limitless as the licensing is based on the number of simultaneous calls and not the number of extensions or users. This means that any edition of 3CX Phone System can be configured to create any desired amount of extensions. p1-8_3cx_autumn 2015.indd 4 15/10/ :55

5 October CX Drilldown 5 Mobility Taken To the Next Level - The New Smartphone Clients Is anyone truly tied down to their work desks anymore? It seems that organizations are constantly finding new ways to keep their employees on-themove whether that s traveling to conferences with partners and stakeholders or simply on-the-go during sales calls. Mobility is the name of the game in today s bustling work environment. And this dependence on mobility and the desire to incorporate more accommodating technologies in the workforce is for good reason. Mobile business tools enable workers to feel liberated and therefore become more productive as they can access important applications and information from their personal devices, on their own time. Whether it s a desire for more remote working capabilities or easier ways to stay connected to calls and messages coming in to their desk phones while they re away, employees want more mobile access to office tools. Thankfully, today s telecommunications providers are responding to this demand for mobile and providing more robust, comprehensive tools, like softphones. In fact, according to recent research STOITSI by Maria Stoitsi Marketing Communication Coordinator, 3CX the telecom application programming interface (API) market is expected to reach $ billion globally by 2022, representing a 23.6 CAGR from this year. API services enable telecom service providers to create game changing business communication applications that workers can use to stay in touch on-the-go. This growth in the telecom API market suggests a rise in mobile and remote working as time moves forward. So it would seem that in order for businesses to maintain a cutting-edge communications system, mobile technology must be a key element in creating a forward-thinking strategy. Implementing a mobilefriendly communication strategy is easier than one might imagine. In fact, technologies such as the aforementioned clients for smartphones or softphones are quite simple to implement and operate given you choose the right vendor. Your mobile communication strategy should enable you to: Increase productivity and mobility Reduce employee turnover Reduce telecom expenses 3CX Phone System users have the option not only to choose between a softphone client on their desktop or to use of an IP Phone, but can take their extension number and comprehensive set of unified communications features, such as web conferencing and instant chat, wherever they go, be it on a business trip or after office hours. With the release of 3CX Phone System v14, were included new and completely re-written smartphone clients for Android, ios and Windows Phone 10.Fully packed with exciting new features and an easy to use interface they are bound to increase your staff productivity. IOS USER The new ios client for 3CX Phone System v14 that has been completely rewritten, is now ready for download in the Apple App Store. It basically works like a regular GSM call and is using Apple s new VoIP Push technology (requires at least ios 8.1) that makes the phone & 3CX Phone wake up when a call is coming in, so calls can be answered immediately, right from the lock screen with just one swipe. Furthermore, there is no need to set out of the office or in the office configuration as the client auto detects the location. Improved reliability and sound quality, along with reduced battery usage makes this smartphone client a real power tool for increased employee mobility and productivity. ANDROID USER The 3CXPhone client for Android is hugely popular with 3CX end users and has undergone many improvements that will increase its functionality substantially. The v14 Android client allows users to get started much easier, with faster registration and auto sensing. The new client also includes an improved user interface, reduced battery usage and better voice quality. With the tunnel integration the 3CXPhone client for Android takes care of the user s communication needs everywhere. Notifications for chat messages and calls will be embedded in the Android Interface very soon too. WINDOWS PHONE USER 3CX resellers and end users alike asked for it and 3CX, once more was able to deliver. The 3CXPhone client for Windows Phone 10 BETA is now available (works only with Windows 10 devices). This move strengthens the position of channel partners to be able to meet any client s preferences even for the smaller crowd that opt for the Windows mobile operating system. according to recent research operate given you choose the least ios 8.1) that makes the mobile operating system. 3CX Raises Bar on Mobile Integration with Cloud Ready PBX Continued from page 1 INTEGRATED VIRTUAL PBX HOSTING CAPABILITIES Additionally, users will now be offered an additional deployment option, allowing 3CX Partners to easily offer 3CX as a hosted PBX. 3CX Phone System v14 can be installed as a Virtual PBX server for up to 25 instances on a single Windows Server, greatly easing ongoing management and lowering per instance deployment cost. 3CX offers a true Virtual PBX, different from traditional multi-account systems in that the 3CX PBX services and data stores are entirely separate for each customer. The addition comes at a time when vendors are seeing an increasing demand for cloudbased business solutions. It is predicted that by 2018 the Hosted PBX/UC sector will have driven over $18 billion in revenue and now, with 3CX Phone System Hosted PBX, 3CX partners will also be able to offer 3CX as a hosted solution along with the on-premises version. EASIER MANAGEMENT WITH NEW ADMIN FEATURES AND MORE SUPPORTED SIP TRUNKS On an administrative level, 3CX adds improved management features such as scheduled backup & restore, more alerts and a streamlined interface. 3CX also integrates virtually out of the box fault tolerance. With the PRO edition it is now easy to maintain a virtual copy of 3CX Phone System as a hot standby and failover in the unlikely event of a server failure. Furthermore, administrators can enjoy a range of additional new features including scheduled reports by , voic and recordings quota management, and many new SIP trunk providers to choose from including Broadvoice, AMcom, Deutsche Telekom and Time Warner Cable to name just a few. INTEGRATED VIDEO CONFERENCING IMPROVED The company s integrated video conferencing solution, 3CX WebMeeting, has also undergone major improvements, namely better video delivery due to improved WebRTC support. The software now has new features which are ideal for webinars and online classrooms such as integrated remote control, recording of webinars ready for uploading on YouTube and feedback polling. Additionally, it also offers the ability to hand over meeting control and to pre-upload a PowerPoint presentation in HTML for less bandwidth consumption. Moreover, 3CX WebMeeting is free for the whole company for up to 10 participants and in order to ensure the user experience is a hassle free one, 3CX has expanded their global network of servers to improve local video delivery. More at p1-8_3cx_autumn 2015.indd 5 15/10/ :55

6 6 3cx Drilldown October 2015 SMART CHOICE FOR 3CX tek is a professional designer and Manufacturer of IP based terminals.since founded in 2005, Htek offered millions of IP terminals to the large telecom operators, ISPs and corporations. As only certificated VoIP Third Partner of Texas Instruments, Htek dedicated to develop and manufacturing innovative, high-performance IP terminals to the worldwide market sales@hanlongtek.com p1-8_3cx_autumn 2015.indd 6 12/10/ :29

7 October CX Drilldown 7 How Video Conferencing Can Help Boost Team Morale With the rise in remote working, many team members aren t participating in meetings sitting around a conference room table. Instead, they are connecting remotely to communicate. The effectiveness of this communication can greatly affect morale and either boost or undermine the entire team s efficiency when it comes to working productively as a group. Some communication methods have proved more effective than others when it comes to internal collaboration. According to a recent study, 87 percent of remote users feel more connected to their team and process when ELLIOTT by Amy Elliot, Marketing Executive at 3CX ( using video conferencing. Furthermore, the same research revealed that 65 percent of communication is nonverbal, meaning that important parts of people s messages and conversations are transmitted through gestures, facial expressions and body language. Unfortunately, those are exactly the types of communications that team members miss out on when using non-visual platforms, such as phone calls and texting. Omitting these critical nonverbal cues can create awkward situations and misunderstandings. They also can diminish the camaraderie that comes along with eye contact and visual connection, which can hinder team bonding and close working relationships that further the group s success. Conversations around complex or sensitive topics such as scheduling, decision making, assigning work, project management, responsibilities or reaching consensus, depend heavily on nonverbal cues to ensure that all parties feel included, understood, and heard. Conversations around complex or sensitive topics such as scheduling, decision making, assigning work, project management, responsibilities or reaching consensus, depend heavily on nonverbal cues to ensure that all parties feel included, understood, and heard. When those criteria are met, team members feel better about the people they work with, their role on the team and their job satisfaction. That leads to higher morale, which can translate to a whole host of benefits, including better worklife balance, higher productivity, and a more effective and efficient team overall. When it comes to team communication, Web conferencing offers real advantages. Just take a look at some of the benefits this method of collaboration has to offer in terms of teamwork and morale. CLOSES GAP BETWEEN ONSITE AND REMOTE COLLEAGUES Video conferencing provides visual contact between off-site and on-site team members, and therefore diminishes any geographical disconnect between colleagues. Everyone can put a face to the name during a web conferencing session, and their gestures and facial expressions can be seen and interpreted. With web conferencing, all team members can feel like equal participants. MAKES FOR MORE IMPACTFUL MEETINGS We ve all been on conference calls where people have to constantly identify themselves or everyone talks over everyone else, making the meeting go over time and leads to a slew of misunderstandings and miscommunications. Web conferencing enables everyone to connect with team members visually as they talk and listen. This leads to much more natural communication and fewer missteps. FACILITATES INCREASED TEAM MORALE Team members may feel discouraged or even devalued when they leave a conference call feeling confused, misunderstood and as though they were neglected during the conversation. Web conferencing ensures that team members connect on the all-important nonverbal level, turning their meetings and conversations into ways to bond and strengthen their relationships with each other, as well as ways to convey information. This keeps morale high and communication flowing smoothly. n p1-8_3cx_autumn 2015.indd 7 12/10/ :29

8 8 3cx Drilldown October 2015 Hardware Fulfillment for VoIP Resellers and Service Providers Attention VoIP Resellers Valued 888VoIP Channel Partners enjoy: Wholesale Pricing Exclusive Specials Lead Generation Inventory Management Automated Ordering Blind Shipping Technical Support Device Provisioning RMA Services Partnering for Success 3CX Phone System expands your service offerings and opens new markets, maximizing your profit on each installation while increasing customer satisfaction by addressing more user demands. p1-8_3cx_autumn 2015.indd 8 12/10/ :29