Through March 31, 2012, phone and Internet business customers can take advantage of low promotional rates on Integra Telecom's flagship 10M Ethernet or popular T1 combinations, as well as dedicated data T1s.

As additional incentive for customers, you can offer a signing bonus, applied as an upfront service credit, for signing a 3-year term before March 15.

New Customer Promotions include:

Great news for northwest small and midsize businesses in need of phone and Internet services. Business phone and Internet provider, Integra Telecom just announced that it will offer its Business Connect Bundle promotion through February. Call us to jump on this.

Bundle includes:

• 4 - 8 voice channels
• T1 or Ethernet Solutions access bandwidth (contact us for pricing)
• Up to 50 DIDs
• Feature Package Plus
• ISP Package
• 250 voice conferencing minutes
• Up to 3 Toll Free numbers

How to deploy VoIP correctly

1. Choose a managed network. Integra Telecom has one of the best VoIP solutions in the Seattle area because they provide the phones, the Internet connection and the hosted PBX. They own all three of the components in the solution. With this control, they manage their network very well and trouble shoot quickly. Their solution is not cheap, however, and not catered to people with less than six lines and ten phones. Call me for more details: (206) 420-0140

2. Use VoIP as backup. Businesses decide to buy Integra's VoIP solution because they want a redundant (secondary) solution. Some choose it because they don't want to buy, manage and maintain a phone system. In both cases, the decision to purchase VoIP is based on operations, not cost.

In summary, businesses should not buy VoIP solutions or hosted PBX solutions that are delivered across unmanaged networks. It will be a frustrating experience. Instead, aim for products and services that help you sound bigger than you are, safeguard your professional image and boost productivity. Therein lies the power of telecom for business.

If you would like advice on the right solution for you, give us a call: (206) 420-0140. Or visit our Contact page.

Taxes. They're the bane of telecom pricing. Often an unexpected cost, they vary depending on your area. Here's how to lessen your tax exposure and direct more of your telecom dollars to your actual service.

Pipe voice services across the Internet

In telecom, voice services are taxed. Internet services are not. So, if you design your solution to deliver voice services across an adequate Internet connection, such as T1 lines or Ethernet Over Copper (EoC) you can lower your taxes by 50 - 70%.

Frank Catalano in his Geek Wire column this week, implies the importance of telecom to the acceleration of children's education in the U.S.

He explains that "digital technologies are changing K-12," and "in some cases education has leapfrogged consumer and business" [in this arena]. He writes that web-based education programs are among the list of technologies in this trend. And goes on to say that "existing limits of bandwidth" are a concern.

I asked Frank if by existing bandwidth limits he meant funding limits (i.e. schools with not enough money to get the bandwidth they need). His response was revealing: