Today’s higher education students are always seeking the latest technologies available both for personal and school use. Technology can assist them in attaining the knowledge they desire and help make learning more interactive and thus easier.

If the goal of a university is to educate, forward-thinking institutions should feel compelled to make sure their arsenal of technology is kept up to date to facilitate the most accommodating educational processes possible.

These days, more and more universities are integrating unified communications systems into their campus networks, allowing students, faculty and staff to stay connected at all times. This technology, which links together multiple communication platforms into a single interface, encourages a more collaborative environment.

The days of group projects being coordinated through email only accessible via computer are a thing of the past. With unified communications, for example, students can discuss something they’re working on in real time via text messaging and video conferencing.

If a student has a question for his or her professor, he or she can simply note the professor’s presence status on the unified communications interface. If the professor is available, the student can send a quick message and get a quick response. The student doesn’t have to wait until office hours to get the help he or she needs.

This is the world made possible by a modernized communication system. Campuses that adopt these solutions are transformed into fully-connected environments in which learning is a constant.

Unified communications solutions are compatible with an array of devices over a multitude of platforms. Providing instant messaging, email, video conferencing, voicemail and more, the company’s solution is an attractive one for any university looking to modernize its communication capabilities.

Here are a few of the ways unified communications is changing the way students learn:

Solved classroom problems

Unified communications, along with collaboration platforms like video conferencing, is solving the problem of classroom overcrowding by permitting the use of online classes, creating virtual classrooms in which students can work from anyplace, at any time. Short-handed staff can use cloud platforms to eliminate the hassle of paper systems and easily manage resources and improve classroom content.

Increased collaboration

Students are encouraged to collaborate and work on assignments together as a team, which can promote greater discussion-based understanding. On cloud-hosted unified communications systems, faculty can more easily share quality resources to encourage in-depth learning.

Improved access to resources

Yearly budgets can be leveraged by spending less on new software, textbooks, and up-to-date learning materials due to the technology of cloud computing. Students can access valuable resources from anywhere in the world, which can improve the quality of their education.

Opportunity to sample technologies: School systems are able to test a variety of collaboration platforms and mobility apps from different vendors to determine which ones are the best for their faculty and student needs.

Decreased IT Costs

IT departments will no longer need to devote time or energy to making sure software is updated and secure – the service provider will do that for them.

Source

The post Why Colleges are Making the Move to Unified Communications appeared first on OSS Telco.

Some companies might require an internet circuit. Maybe a cable modem. Some might require a larger circuit. It depends on how many employees you have and what your requirements are.

Typically, companies that are just starting, work on whats called a hosted PBX. We just install the phone system from one of the carriers. The good thing about that is that it can scale with you as you grow. If you have a goals in place for one year, two year, three year, you want to work with a carrier that can scale with you. That can be a hosted PBX, a cable modem, a larger internet circuit or SIP trunking.

The post What Kind of Telecom & Internet Services do Start-Ups Need? appeared first on OSS Telco.

Potential economic impact of a new 150,000 SF data center build. (over a 10-year term)

Given the rise of data center appeal to the mass markets and the large direct and ancillary economic impacts they bring to communities, data centers have been a target and often a focus of regions, states, counties, and cities. Some communities have become enlightened, proactively legislating data center incentives to capture the value associated with attracting a data center to an area; while some hesitate, often allowing politics to inhibit their presence thereby inherently restraining growth.

We’ve seen it time and time again where, during the incentive negotiation process within areas of consideration, politicians challenge the net societal benefit that data centers bring to a community. Too often, they hinge upon the fallacy that no benefits can be derived from any facility or project without employment. In many ways, this is economically irrational. To understand why, you must grasp the concept of aggregate value. In this paper, we look to provide some insight into those areas in the United States who are looking to attract data centers. We look to tell you which communities have embraced and succeeded in this endeavor and why.

Data Center Incentives Defined

An increasing number of states are offering economic incentives targeted at data centers and mission critical facilities. Increasing acceptance of using incentives as leverage to attract these facilities includes:

• Data centers require high capital investment to build or improve and high operating expenses to run and operate.
• Data centers create key benefits for developing infrastructure (roads, power, fiber, water, etc.) in a community without affecting labor flow traffic creating positive externalities for incoming companies.
• Constructing data centers can provide +$100MM over a typical useful life, and includes additional revenue generated for auxiliary functions such as construction, equipment, power consumption, et al.
• Ancillary businesses are created to support data centers that are not directly included in the companies’ expected employment numbers. These jobs include:
  • Skilled trade and construction jobs
  • Vendor service and support jobs
• With more and more communities transitioning into the digital era, data centers help to assist the advancement of new industry initiatives, position them to compete with top-tiered metro areas providing otherwise rural areas with robust infrastructure in a secure, minimally invasive environment.
• Data centers can be pivotal in helping a community transition into the digital mainstream.

Incentive Negotiations: Activity & Examples

Figure 3: States with legislated or known data center incentives

States with formally adopted data center incentive legislation are in the minority (see the red states in Figure 3); however, there is an increase in the number of U.S. communities taking an interest in the direct and indirect benefits a new data center project can potentially bring to an area. Specifically, there has been a significant rise in the number of states and localities devoting specific personnel, tools, and resources designed to attract data centers to their respective geographies.

Over the past couple of years, several states such as Alabama, Arkansas, Kansas, and Nebraska have learned that directly marketing to the data center community can be positive for the state’s bottom line. Mississippi recently added data center specific incentives by providing a state sales tax exemption for computing equipment and software. Additionally, Missouri House Bill 564 was introduced in early 2011 that would further strengthen their existing incentive offerings by adding a sales and use tax exemption for machinery, equipment, and computers. At the local level, cities such as Kansas City, Oklahoma City, and Omaha, are offering infrastructure grants, property tax abatements or exemptions, and have partnerships in place with electric utility providers to offer reduced rates directly aimed at data centers and related targeted businesses. Many states not highlighted in the map operate existing incentive programs not necessarily targeted to data centers but may offer potential financial savings to data centers. Texas, for example enables cities to “share” in local sales and use tax revenues generated by businesses — including data centers. This scenario is attractive to Texas cities due to the potentially large local sales tax liability originating from routine data center operational costs. These costs may include sales tax on electricity, computer replacement equipment, and building upgrades.

Conclusion

Within the past couple of years, we have seen first-hand that more and more communities are requesting consultative services on “how to attract the data center to their community.” For all the reasons above, data centers add value providing both qualitative and quantitative benefit to communities. Large data center requirements typically possess a national and sometimes global scope and can provide hundreds of millions of dollars in direct investment, promoting additional mission critical attention in a given market. Furthermore, other quality initiatives and high valued projects that require a robust infrastructure and a technologically sophisticated community have followed the locational tendencies of data centers, and capitalized on the vast due diligence conducted in order to qualify a data center site (land or office / industrial conversion).

Source: Jones Lang LaSalle – White Paper

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In most cases, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is considered a means of connecting various locations using a public or private IP network. Increasingly, businesses require a fully meshed network permitting “any to any” connectivity. It is important to determine the need for a meshed network, as the resources and costs associated with creating and maintaining a meshed network are directly impacted by the specific VPN technology deployed. This white paper discusses the most common VPN technologies and highlights hidden costs, which should be considered when deploying a VPN.

Network meshing and the addition of subsequent nodes are automatic functions of “connection-less” technology, including MPLS and IPSec. However, Frame Relay, a “connection- oriented” technology, requires separate “permanent” virtual circuits to be manually programmed, in order for each node to be meshed. Network expansions are time consuming and necessitate the need for accurate record keeping and skilled IT resources. The amount of resources required increases exponentially as the number of sites in the network increase.

Throughput Speed

Throughput speed results from a combination of the connecting network circuits’ bandwidth and the effects of any congestion that may exist within the network. It is therefore important to understand the manner in which bandwidth is managed within different network types. In regards to Frame Relay, Permanent Virtual Circuits (PVCs) are established and maintained between sites. End-users subscribe to a minimum bandwidth, Committed Information Rates (CIRs), which is contained within the PVC. For example, over a Frame Relay network, you could have a PVC with 768K of bandwidth, but a CIR with 128K of bandwidth. (CIR must always be equal to or less than the port bandwidth.) It is the CIR rate that will fundamentally affect the price being charged for the Frame Relay circuit.

Under normal circumstances, the full 768K of bandwidth may be available for use. However, when congestion occurs within the carrier’s network, data that exceeds the CIR would be deemed ‘discard eligible,’ because the throughput of VPN circuits under congestion is limited to the CIR bandwidth. Under these conditions, data marked as discard eligible would need to be retransmitted, which is unacceptable for time sensitive or real-time applications. Applications such as VoIP, which are latency sensitive, will experience static, crackling, or will drop altogether. Since MPLS does not require PVCs with CIR, congestion is handled more efficiently. The following diagram demonstrates how full port speed would be available to overcome the congested conditions under MPLS or IPSec. With Frame Relay, only the bandwidth of the associated CIR would be available; therefore, congestion recovery would typically occur faster in a MPLS or IPSec VPN.

It is important to consider how end-user business could be affected by congestion. Customers should select the type of VPN that best matches the applications being deployed. For example, if real-time transactions are being processed (i.e. point of sale transactions), congestion between nodes may be deemed unacceptable. Any costs associated with provisioning a higher capacity network may be offset by the additional business gained as a result.

While an equivalent Frame Relay PVC may cost less than or equal to that of MPLS, an equivalent CIR will generally result in increased Frame Relay circuit costs.

Data Prioritization

The type of network being adopted needs to match the application being deployed. While Voice over IP (VoIP) exemplifies the classic need for real-time data prioritization, to avoid dropped calls and transmission distortion, there are many scenarios in which data needs to be prioritized in order for businesses to function efficiently. Internet surfing or e-mail should take lower priority in comparison to point of sale transactions, to ensure that a business is capable of generating maximum revenues.

Although Frame Relay allows for data prioritization, ‘Priority PVCs,’ which are available from some vendors, add substantial IT resources and associated costs. Implementing ‘Priority PVCs’ is not automatic; manual intervention is required in many cases at both the customer level and at the carrier level. In an MPLS environment, data prioritization is fundamental. Quality of Service (QoS) facilitates packet prioritization, and with its relatively simple implementation, is invariably a cheaper solution.

Security

MPLS and Frame Relay are equally secure. Frame Relay utilizes Data Link Circuit Identifiers (DLCIs) to address traversing data packets, whereas MPLS uses tags or labels. IPSec is often adopted by organizations that are required to comply with HIPAA, since IPSec relies on encrypted data transfers. However, IPSec tends to carry a price premium over MPLS and requires specific hardware configurations. After studying various MPLS white papers written by technology manufacturers and IT managers, many healthcare organizations are becoming comfortable claiming HIPPA compliance when utilizing MPLS VPNs.

Remote Access

IPSec allows access to the customer’s corporate VPN from remote locations. This encryption method is seen within the industry as the preferred method of connection, ensuring data is not compromised prior to entering the VPN. However, IPSec does not provide data prioritization, because traversing packets are encrypted, and as such, is not generally suitable for real-time applications.

Disaster Recovery & Reassignment

MPLS resides on an IP over SONET network and can automatically route around points of failure to a disaster recovery location within the meshed network. However, with a Frame Relay network, connection paths are pre-determined; PVCs need to be manually reassigned to the recovery site by the network provider and IT resources at the end-user level. While providers may offer a ‘PVC Redirection Service,’ it is essentially a manual reassignment. The time to complete reassignment increases exponentially as the number of nodes in the network increases or the need to mesh nodes increases.

An intermittent failure within a Frame Relay network can leave a business in an undesirable predicament. If a circuit fails, the customer is faced with the following question: should he invoke circuit reassignment and incur the cost associated with it, or should he wait to see if the failure could be quickly rectified? Acting too soon could incur unnecessary costs, but acting too late could negatively affect business. In addition, once the problem is resolved, it is likely that the network would have to be reassigned back to its original configuration, incurring additional costs. Under an MPLS configuration, the situation would have been automatically resolved, since PVCs do not exist. Network resilience is therefore greater with MPLS than Frame Relay.

Strategic Planning

All market reports show that Frame Relay is an aging and declining technology, unable to match the rich feature set that MPLS offers. MPLS is the de-facto standard for future services and for applications requiring packet prioritization. Packet prioritization is essential in the VoIP domain, preventing clipping and distortion and ensuring prioritization of data transfers. Regardless of VoIP’s presence, good business practice dictates that priority business applications, such as point of sale transactions, reservations, etc, take priority over such items as Internet browsing.

MPLS also permits consolidation of Voice and Data services, thereby reducing communications overhead. Frame Relay is purely a data network, which was not designed for convergence.

Conclusion

There are hard and soft costs associated with a VPN deployment. While hard costs, such as circuits and CPE, are easy to measure, soft costs, such as IT resources and throughput, are equally important.

As technology progresses and businesses look towards technology to keep them at the leading edge of their field, the deployment of networks with embedded intelligence to enable the highest level of efficiency and business continuity with minimal human intervention become an increasingly desirable proposition. While other forms of VPN have desirable characteristics, only MPLS provides the network intelligence businesses demand with the reassurance of future capabilities. With its ability to reduce in-house IT resources, coupled with its inherent resilience, MPLS provides the most cost- effective and beneficial VPN solution.

Source: Windstream formerly Paetec – White Paper

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Cloud Migration Savings greater than Investment Costs

The biggest benefit of cloud migration is maneuvering long-term cost savings while maintaining the privacy or security of company data & systems.

Get Rid of Software Licenses & Upgrades with Cloud Providers

Moving to the cloud maximizes productivity and collaborative capabilities by offering email, word processing, and spreadsheets amongst others. You can also rent processor cycles and storage capacity to run your own applications. In essence it scales with your business; As your business grows you can continue to add resources externally.

Cloud Migration Services by OssTelco:

• Cloud Hosting (scalability, cost efficiency, pay per use)
• Cloud Applications (the move from traditional to low-cost on-demand apps)
• Backup & Recovery (remote mirroring, on premise storage, colocation migration)

Read More on Cloud Migration with OSS Telco.

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Telecom Bandwidth is critical to expanding your business.

You may already know that Business Broadband allows users to connect with more than one computer, download large files quickly, and allows you to use VoIP phone service. But did you know we offer six different types of Broadband programs tailored to your telecom needs? Bandwidth costs start at $55 for minimal activity and speed, and can reach up to $3,500 for the best connection.

We couldn’t be more excited about our variety of broadband programs. That’s because we don’t believe one plan fits all.

Plans range from simple broadband to a more complex system like OC12 that possesses the best speed.

If you called one of our reps today, the first thing they will do is offer you a Telecom Bandwidth Provider plan based on your business size. This ensures you won’t get unnecessary services, or less than your business needs. So here they are:

#1 –DSL – Most Affordable – $55

As long as you don’t need dedicated access, DSL is a perfect combination of low cost and high speed. DSL has 99% uptime guaranteed.  ADSL and SDSL both have bandwidths upstream and downstream. Asynchronous tends to be more residential, Synchronous tends to be more robust. Speed = up to 6MBs

#2 – Ethernet – Best Value – $229

The most common form of transport is Ethernet over fiber. Some have trouble understanding Ethernet when there’s no single or standard way to provide wide area or metro. When you call us we’ll figure out what method fits you. Speed = up to 20MBs

#3 –T1 – Mission Critical Performance – $299

Small to medium sized businesses love this service. It can handle 20-50 users and our circuit can replace up to 23 phone lines. Nice. It’s one of the most reliable connections. The price of this service depends on your distance from the nearest Central Office, ranging from $299-$1,200/mo.

#4 –T1 BONDED (NXT1) – Ideal for Business Class- $598

NXT1 is class all the way. Huge corporations running large operations rely on T1 Bonded when they’ve outgrown their T1 and cannot yet afford the DS-3. It gets 100% nationwide coverage with speeds of 3 Mbps to 12 Mbs. It has the ability to “bond” 2 to 8 Internet T1s and can tie into MPLS / IP VPN networks. It also includes multiple carrier options such as AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and Qwest. There are optional Cisco and Tasman routers.

Telecom Bandwidth is critical to expanding your business.

Educate yourself on the benefits of each level of service, so by the time you speak with us our recommendations will make more sense.

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All the power is in your hands to reap the benefits of your investment, but you’ve got a business to run and need some help growing those assets?

OSS TELCO wants to TAKE CONTROL

If We Can:

• Simplify the complicated telecom interface for you
• Fix your overcharges
• Negotiate pending contracts
• Correspond with all your carriers so you don’t have to waste business hours
• Sift through superfluous and outdated requirements to your data network
• Beat the cost and services of other telecommunications companies

Then could OSS TELCO earn your respect? 

OSSTELCO’S services make delegating authority an easy, worry-free decision. We have no problem taking control and doing it well by shopping, negotiating, and supporting your telecom process from beginning to end.

Telecommunications companies say they provide the best services, but can they fulfill your budget requirements, save you money and build your earnings? Fill out the free quote form and we’ll show you how telecom management and consulting is done!

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Telecom ROI means having a good plan. Our ROI plan will boost your company’s profit and savings. We’ve got 5 money saving reasons you should take advantage of our ROI PLAN objectives.

We maximize your ROI by defining your assets, and creating a baseline inventory of it’s capacities/expenses. Sounds pretty standard you say? I’m sure you’re looking for more. Well here it is: the process.

#1: Proper Documentation

Provide us with carrier invoices, on-line portal access, inventories, records, and contracts. We want anything available to you that helps us initiate a comprehensive baseline of voice wire-line and wireless, as well as data services and capabilities.

#2: Streamline

These baseline records will pin-point extraneous services over time. We’ll eliminate them and automatically save you money.

#3: Clean Slate

We note all discrepancies between contracts, invoices, and inventories. Clearing discrepancies are well known for defining cost savings opportunities. It also causes an evaluation of the need for alternative services (critical services that can help meet future voice and data requirements).

#4 Migrations

OSS TELCO will manage data service migrations. To monitor the success of your migration, we track all capacity gains associated with the overall savings achievement.

#5 Effective Plan 

We won’t leave you hanging with just your current plan. we’re going to define a plan to control the future of your ongoing expenses.

Want to learn more about our plan for a successful telecom ROI? Go ahead and fill out our form to the right!

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…”Not Everything” is the operative phrase here. 

Our services Count and can be Counted!

Optimizing Telecommunications Services that are draining your pocket, or guiding your business through migrations are only some of our specialties. 

OSSTelco offers Telecommunication Services that Count AND can be Counted!

Optimization: If you don’t need ‘em, we trash ‘em.

Most often services and capacities that are not being utilized must be categorized as excessive, and thus eliminated from future wireless and data requirements. Just another way to save money and time.

With Optimization out of the way, What else can we do you for?

Assessing hassles, enhancements, and future management of those enhancements is a breeze for our reps.

Transitions can be scary. Hiring OSS TELCO is like holding a really warm hand all the way through it.

We’ll get to the bottom of your need for migrations, technology enhancements, and cost savings so there is no negative impact to your business during your transition.

With our extensive knowledge in telecommunications services and our classy negotiating skills, we’ll expose a 360 benefit for your company, the carrier, and OSS TELCO. Happy = more profit, more profit = Happy.

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#1 Gathering Information

This information includes:

• A definition of our clients goals
• Objectives
• Available information
• Time frames
• Project scope
• Anticipated depth of analysis
• Deliverable s
• Individual (unique) project information

#2 Statement of Work

The Statement of Work is presented to you for agreement. We gather some more info, depending on your documentation requirements and internal procedures, then add it to a formal Project Book (along with the Statement of Work and any other additional info).The Project Book contains full project documentation.

#3 Project Scope

The scope outlines the work to be done. It defines results to be achieved, what’s to be analyzed, and parameters in which the work is conducted.

#4 Project Source Data

Source Data is comprised of the telecommunications baseline and non-inventory information.  This variety of data, mostly obtained from the Client, can include invoices, active contracts, Network diagrams, billing disputes, etc.

#5 Project Profile

All of the previous information (Project Source Data) is entered into a database that defines the telecommunications service included in the project. This new Service Profile outlines all changes and measured savings.

#6 Profile Analysis

The Profile Analysis determines data completeness. It also details additional opportunities, and any increases in service levels or flexibility.

#7 Recommendations

Results from the analysis phase are presented to the client as quantified recommendations. At the client’s request, this presentation format can take the form of a summary with attachments, a full report summarizing data, or a full scope of the analysis and their recommended alternatives.

#8 Project Deliverables

With Client specifications respected, this package contains final opportunities, cast and saving analyses, full ISO 9000 compliant Project Books, physical site inspection findings, TEM recommendation, and proposed action/migration/management plans. Our OSS Team will complete the paper work process by conducting presentations and discussions of the project. At this juncture of Telecom Expenses Management, whatever additional details the Client wants to include they are final.

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