TTM's Blog

Cbeyond Serves SMB's with New Technology Blog "SMBspot"

Scott Morris — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 16:19:00 GMT

Cbeyond has recently started a blog to help small and medium sized businesses with technology advice.

I took a look at it and here are my initial thoughts:

It has some really good information.
It feels a bit uptight to me...no one seems to be comfortable in the videos. That's a bit disappointing, because especially for small businesses...they have some tips that will really help.
Ramon Ray's video on disaster preparedness is important for you to watch...just get over the presentation. Our operations department lost one of their computers...and it was rough.
I like that they are TRYING and WORKING towards adding real value to what their clients and target audience need. Kudos on the effort...
I personally wish they'd change their branding for videos...and yet, when it's all said and done...it'd be worth a few minutes if you are a small business to take advantage of what they are doing.

If you want to read my thoughts on their service...check out these posts:

Cbeyond - More than just phone and internet services

Cbeyond BeyondVoice Office Edition

Check out the SMBspot Blog

5 Reasons Hosted VoIP Sucks (And why you might want to try it)

Scott Morris — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 14:55:00 GMT

I recently wrote an article about Business VoIP. In doing a bit of research for it, I noticed that when you do a google search on "business voip," you get a ton of hits for hosted voip. Many of them are 'referral engines.' You put your info in and they send it out as a lead to hosted voip companies that then compete for your business. (Disclosure: Those services exist for PBx vendors as well - and TTM uses them)

Some of those companies are legitimate H-VoIP companies - though again, there are so many of them with crazy names and located all over the country, that is can be a little unsettling.

But when all is said and done, is H-VoIP a good idea...and for who?

Well, let's start with this:

5 Reasons Hosted VoIP Sucks

Quality of Service: QoS is the process of giving your voice priority on your internet/network over your data. If you don't have this dialed in, your call quality will be bad.
Lack of Customization: There will be some level of customization available in terms of the auto attendant, voicemail options, etc...but you've going to have a very basic system - compared to something like a Switchvox which is customizable at every turn and can have custom API's written to do just about anything.
Potentially Inferior Customer Service: I say potentially, because at the end of the day, you're dealing with people at a company that you've never met...and there's only so much you can do over the phone some times. This may never be an issue for you. Just be aware that it may be...and sometimes it's helpful to get to meet a person from the company you're partnering with...and to have them available to stop by if you need it.
Growing can be painful: Every phone call and every intercom call and everything goes over your internet...so you'd better be sure you have enough bandwidth!
Features, features, features: At this point in time, you just can't get all the features with a hosted VoIP system that you can with one that is located in your office. Someday...maybe. But not now. This is not a big deal for many small businesses, but I just want you to be aware of it.

Now, with that being said, here's why you might want to try it:

It can be a less expensive way to get started...equipment and all
- You don't have to invest in a phone system, and for some start ups and small companies, that is a huge benefit
- Sometimes, they give you the phones for FREE! (Don't expect top of the line phones - but some companies will provide entry level Polycom phones, which are really nice)
You can get by with less IT help - sort of.
- The QoS issue above is a big one. Having the right telecom/IT help to make sure your QoS is right can be very important.
- It's not impossible for a H-VoIP provider to help you set up your router, so it is possible to do this yourself.
The industry is growing all the time - so you may be able to find a hosted VoIP solution that I don't know about...and it is awesome. (Way to go!)

Have you come across a hosted VoIP solution that you are especially excited about? Let me know in the comments section!

The Top 6 Best VoIP Service Providers

Scott Morris — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 20:47:00 GMT

In my opinion, the #1 VoIP business phone system on the market today is the Digium Switchvox. Total Cost of ownership is lower than any system out there in its class, features & functionality are better, and innovation and design are superior to any competitor on the market.

But not everyone is going to do business with TTM. For a variety of reasons, some of you will wind up working with another vendor and buying a different phone system... So for those of you who are "them," here's my list of the next 5 best VoIP service providers in the market.

Shoretel: I like the architecture of the Shoretel box...they built it right. It's also got a tremendous user interface. I think their phones look pretty cool too...if that's your thing. One thing I appreciate about Shoretel in general is that they have great marketing and informational material...I have learned a lot from them.
Cisco: They have been the gold standard for a lot of years, and let's just say it - their products are awesome. the prestige that comes with owning a Cisco will far outweigh the exorbitant cost. They are really getting into the video conferencing game as well...for all you high-end pretty business people.
Panasonic: I lost a bid the other day to Panasonic. Here's why - Panasonic has a phone system that is like their "tough" notebooks, designed to thrive in high heat, dust, and other miserable environmental situations. I couldn't find which phone system they were talking about - maybe you know? [Comments]
NEC: I wrestled with whether to put this on the list. TTM does sell this system too, but there are a ton of NEC dealerships in the bay area...so this benefits them too! I love NEC as a simple business phone system. It is a VoIP system - but suppots digital phones as well, and has a all the tools you'd need ( UC, mobility, etc.) it is an easy to use, "we all understand it" phone system.
Talkswitch: This is a small VoIP system with a nice set up features. It is fairly reliable and super inexpensive compared to any other system on the market.

Honorable mention: Panterra Networks. Competitor of ours, but they have a really cool looking hosted solution. I've yet to use it or hear anything about it, so be careful. But, from first glance, it looks really strong for people looking into a hosted VoIP solution.

Hope that helps! If you have any thoughts, I'd love to hear them below in the comments section...

5 "Secrets" To Being Confident You Have Enough Bandwidth for VoIP

Scott Morris — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 20:18:00 GMT

Not having enough bandwidth for a VoIP phone system can be devastating - to you, to your business, to the company who sold you the system...and it is very avoidable.

Here are 5 "secrets" to being confident that you have enough bandwidth for implementing a Voice over IP phone system.

Secret #1:Write down your current bandwidth. Don't guess. Don't think. Look it up and write it down. That number is important. If you don't know it, I found an awesome tool you can use: Bandwidth.com's VoIP Test. Really clean, tells you your current download speed and upload speed. They are a 'competitor' of ours (though much bigger) and have a lot of great info on their site as well.
Secret #2: Be clear how much bandwidth 1 phone call takes on your VoIP solution. Most phone calls take between 80 and 100 kbps. Find out and write that number down.
Secret #3: Figure out how many "concurrent" phone calls your company will need. Concurrent basically means "at the same time." (and yes, I had to look it up) So, be aware over the next couple days: How many people do we have on the phones all at once? What is the highest number of people that you think your company will need on the phones all at the same time. Write that number down.
Secret #4: Get an understanding of your data usage. Does your company send and receive a lot of huge files? Do most people just use email and a bit of web surfing? This is hard to put a number too, but you've got to at least have a sense of whether you use a lot of bandwidth or a little bit of bandwidth.
Secret #5: Leave yourself some margin! From experience, I can tell you that figuring out how much bandwidth you need and then trying to cut costs by getting as close to that as possible is just a bad idea. Give your self 1/2M to 1M margin on your internet bandwidth.

Would you like to download our eBook on this (with free "bandwidth equation-calculator fill in the blank form!")?

Cbeyond BeyondVoice Mobile Edition #bitchen

Scott Morris — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 23:03:00 GMT

Cbeyond is a company that I really have a ton of respect for (direct reps aside). They really are a company that understands what it means to be an Information and Communication Technology leader. They bring the IT and the Telecom worlds together in a unique way that is specifically geared towards small businesses. With Cbeyond and a simple NEC SV8100 phone system, an entrepreneur could have a business up and running with no IT people or telecom hassels (Of course, TTM is always here to help)...and you could do it really affordably! (I didn't say cheap...cheap people please do not inquire) If you missed it, I wrote about the Cbeyond BeyondVoice Office Edition and what I like about that.

Another of the cool offerings Cbeyond has is their BeyondVoice Mobile Edition. Here's what I like about that offering:

It comes with everything that the BeyondVoice Office Edition comes with
You seemlessly integrate your mobile services with your voice and data! This is cool because all your billing is in one place - and take it from me, I've seen enough telecom bills to know that Cbeyond's is the cleanest and easiest to read in the business.
It uses the Sprint network. If you hate Sprint, this is where you get off the Mobile Edition Bandwagon...of course. We use Sprint at TTM, and I have found the coverage to be excellent. With the pricing, esepcially the "all you can eat" packages and the expanding cool menu of phones, this is a great opportunity for many of you.

The official page is located right here ---> Cbeyond BeyondVoice Mobile Edition

Why not set up an appointment with me to see if Cbeyond is the best option for your business?

Cbeyond BeyondVoice Office Edition #awesome

Scott Morris — Thu, 16 Sep 2010 22:25:00 GMT

No service is for every business...admitted. And as a disclaimer: TTM Communications is a Cbeyond Value Added Reseller (VAR).

Now that we've got that straight, let me say that I think Cbeyond's BeyondVoice Office Edition is my favorite on the market, and I'll tell you why.

It really is for small businesses and entrepreneurs: Small companies and entrepreneurs could forgo an IT person w/ Cbeyond. It's that good and that complete.
They've built a fully VoIP based network from the ground up on Cisco equipment: the excellence in their gear is notable to me as other telecom co's work to keep up...
Cbeyond offers flexible services and packages that meet your company's needs: They all do, but I've noticed that there is actually more variety in the Cbeyond offerings, and they always have cool promotions.
They are a true ICT company: Information and Communication Technology is the next evolution of IT + Telecom...and Cbeyond is really making it happen.
They are striving for excellence in customer service: There is a fair amount of negative press on the web about Cbeyond, and I won't say the company is perfect. I will say this - they continue to work extremely hard at improving and being an industry leader in service...and I see that happening.
They integrate mobile phone plans as well! Their network uses the Sprint network and the pricing is "Sprint-esque" (i.e. less expensive than AT&T & Verizon and the coverage is pretty good. We use Sprint here at TTM!) Check out this article on Cbeyond BeyondVoice Mobile Edition #bitchen.

What are the core components of the Cbeyond BeyondVoice Office Edition?

Local and long distance calling
High speed Internet
Voicemail
Email
PC backup
Security software and Website hosting.
And a ton more

Here's a link to the product page - Cbeyond BeyondVoice Office Edition. Once you check it out, let TTM get you set up...I guarantee you'll feel loved.

6 Q's to ask when researching business VoIP phone systems (Part 2)

Scott Morris — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 17:35:00 GMT

Today is the 2nd of 3 articles detailing what I think are the 6 most important questions you must answer when researching business VoIP phone systems. The first article is here: 6 Q's to ask when researching business VoIP phone systems (Part 1).

Here are the 6 Questions:

What do I need my phone system to do?
Do I need VoIP to acheive my communication goals?
Do I have enough bandwidth to implement VoIP?
Is my network ready for a VoIP system?
Will I need any analogue lines?
What is Unified Communications...and do I need it?

Yesterday, I covered the first two questions. Today, we look at the 2nd - way less sexy - two questions.

Question 3: Do I have enough bandwidth to implement VoIP?

I wrote an article on this - It's almost never enough bandwidth. (It's an article I really like for a number of reasons)

In summary, you've got to be aware that VoIP is sending your voice over the internet, and if you don't have a big enough internet pipe to send your phone calls and your data 'stuff' all at the same time, there is going to be trouble.

How much bandwidth do you need? Well, there are several factors:

How much data do you send over your internet connection? I know it sounds like that should be a given, but how often do we really think about how much information we send over our internet connection?
How much does the phone system compress the voice packets? (This refers to the type of 'codec' the system uses. codec = compression/decompression) What this means is that when you talk into your phone, it "compresses" your voice into a little data packet to send it over the internet (think UPS for phone calls). There are a range of compression rates, and therefore there are a range of 'sizes' for voice packets depending on which system you are going to use.
How heavy is our call volume? Again, I know it may seem obvious, but you need to ask yourself: What is the greatest number of people our company will have on the phone at one time at any given time?
Will you be doing any video calling? (The Digium Switchvox comes with video calling...and it takes more bandwidth.

Once you have a sense of the compression rate of the VoIP system you're looking at and you know about how many "concurrent" phone calls you will make at your busiest times, you can just multiply the two together to figure out how much "voice bandwidth" you'll need. (e.g 42kbps/call x 10 calls = 420kbps, or approx. .5mgs)

Question 4: Is my network ready for a VoIP system?

Let me be brief on this for now. When you implement VoIP, you will be running all of your voice traffic over your internet connection. That means:

Your phone calls will be sharing space with your data
Your phone calls will most likely be sharing routers with your data
Your phone system will require a different level of security than it did when it was just using plain old copper lines

You'll need someone with IT knowledge and knowledge of your network to make sure that - based on your developing list of company needs, goals, and objectives - your network will not only handle VoIP traffic, but that it will be optimized for it. (For basic information on optimizing a network (i.e. QoS), see my article here: It's almost never enough bandwidth. The article is not a "how to," it's a "what is it?")

That's probably enough on this for now. If you have any questions or information you'd like more help with, obviously feel free to comment...

Tomorrow we'll look at Unified Commuications primarily, and I'll round out the list of 6 by looking at whether or not you'll also want to keep a couple of analogue lines hooked up to your system or not.

Again, any feedback or further interest on this series would be way helpful...and until next time, have a great one!

6 Q's to ask when researching business VoIP phone systems (Part 1)

Scott Morris — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 17:50:00 GMT

A phone system is ultimately a tool for communicating. Depending on what you need to say, hear, and know... there are a ton of different options when buying one.

The days of spending lots of money just because you can are (thankfully) behind us. That is relevant to our discussion because it doesn't make sense buy an expensive phone system if you don't need to...and believe me, not all of you need to.

The other side of that coin is that for some businesses, a business VoIP system will be a critical component to your growth and development as a company. If you think that may be you, then here are 6 questions you must take the time to think through and answer.

What do I need my phone system to do?
Do I need VoIP to acheive my communication goals?
Do I have enough bandwidth to implement VoIP?
Is my network ready for a VoIP system?
Will I need any analogue lines?
What is Unified Communications...and do I need it?

Question 1: What do I need my phone system to do?

This question seems straight forward, but depending on the size of your company, focus of business, and stragtegic goals for your employees, it can have some nuances that affect what phone system(s) you consider. Here are a couple things to think through when answering this: (in no particular order)

Are my phones important to sales?
Is it important to know where people are...immediately?
Who do I call? (and how often do I call them?)
Will I have a call center?
Do I need my receptionist to have a high level of control over calls?
Is there benefit to having my phone system integrate with my CRM?
Do I want to be able to record calls?
Do I want a record of my calls?
Do I need conference calling capability?

Question 2: Do I need VoIP to accomplish my communication goals/needs?

Most business phone systems have a range of features today that are similar...at least as far as the basics go (Auto-attendant, call transfering, voicemail features, etc...). Which phone system has the features you want/need is certainly a relevant issue - but do you need a business VoIP system? Not necessarily. Here's how you know if you need VoIP:

Do you have mulitple locations?
Do you have remote workers?

As best I can tell, for now, those are the two best reasons to use VoIP. Almost every other phone system need, feature set, etc... can be found on digital business phone systems. In fact, most - if not all - new phone systems today are built on a VoIP platform that will allow you to use VoIP or to use regular digital business phone service. In many cases, the issues of bandwidth and network allocation are significant enough that it would make more sense to just use a digital phone service - and frankly with prices continuing to plummet, you may be able to get a screaming deal on a voice PRI or even dynamic T1.

Tomorrow we'll look at questions 3 & 4 for what should prove to be a slightly more technical discussion...

Any thing you want to add to this? Please do! Use the comments below...

Business VoIP killed the radio star...and we can't rewind.

Scott Morris — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:19:00 GMT

Voice over IP is a very hot topic in the telecommunications world, and there is a proliferation of business VoIP phone systems on the market. Having heard it hailed as the great "free calling" savior, many are getting into VoIP without really understanding what it is and what it takes to succesfully implement & use. There are certainly many good things about VoIP (aka Voice over IP), but it takes planning and preparation as well as some know-how to set up and get running. This is the first of a series of posts that are meant to be a resource to help you be informed about VoIP so that you can make the best decision for your business.

The series looks like this:

What is business VoIP
6 Questions to ask when researching business VoIP phone systems
Why Hosted VoIP sucks (and how fonality is screwing that all up)
5 Thoughts about SIP and other phone service non-sense

Today, we start with this: What is Business VoIP?

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is simply a fancy way of saying that somehow, someone figured out how to send your voice over the internet, instead of doing it the 'easy' way - over a billion miles of copper wire. (Now, you may be a brainiac and you may want to know all about this uber-four-letter-word (acronym, whatever). Check out VoIP on wikipedia and then SIP on wikipedia with special attention to the Internet Protocol Suite.) VoIP is the evolution of phone service in that you get far better quality sound with potentially reduced cost.

(Long aside: I know that when I say, "better quality sound," some of you throw up in your mouth. You've been "voip'ed" and will never let it happen again. The reality, however, is that it most likely wasn't voip's fault...it was your internet. You see, when it comes to sending your voice over the internet, you must always keep three things of absolute priority: bandwidth, bandwidth, bandwidth. If any ONE of these is not sufficient, you're in trouble. I talk about bandwidth in my article, It's almost never enough bandwidth.)

So, since VoIP is the ability to send your voice over the internet, then business VoIP is the ability to send business phone calls over the internet. Now, this may seem a trivial distinction to note, but it isn't. Having MagicJack at home and running a business phone system over your network are very, very different.

There are key benefits:

Link multiple locations - for free (well...you'll have to pay for bandwidth)
Work from anywhere in the world (w/ internet connection)
Potential savings over your outdated, over-priced analogue lines
Tremendous applications and features. (with Switchvox, we have a programmer that can write a custom app for companies to do almost anything...how sweet is that!)
The phones are #waycooljr

There are some concerns:

A power failure cripples your phone system if you don't have an emergence procedure / plan
If you don't have a enough bandwidth, you are begging for a visit from the three bastard children of the VoIP family: latency, jitter, and delay.
It's not necessarily less expensive, leaving numerous business owners smashed up against the rocks of shattered expectations...brave soles who set out to capture the the white whale of free phone calling, only to find that a business VoIP system can be expensive.

Tomorrow we'll look at 6 Questions you'll need to ask when researching business VoIP phone systems.

Disclaimer: This series is a living work. Do you have something to contribute? Is there a topic you would like to see addressed? Feel free to add, correct challenge, question, and engage via the comments!

5 Things You Need To Know About VoIP

Scott Morris — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 22:21:00 GMT

Back in April (April 13th, 2010 to be exact) I posted a video I came across by Tristan Barnum, product marketing director for Digium Switchvox. The post was 5 Things You Didn't Know about VoIP...but Probably Should! The video Tristan did was great, the way I framed it was ok...the response to my post was truly underwhelming.

In my research of VoIP and business phone systems I came across ITBusinessEdge. They did a 6 slide slideshow summarizing Tristan's video...and I think they did a great job! Going through the slides reminded me of how good the information contained there in is. As I am reading more and more on the web about Voice over IP serivces and information, I am coming to the conclusion that there are a lot of blogs out there writing really lame articles and whitepapers about VoIP so they can sell advertising space...and they don't actually know much about VoIP or SIP or other four-letter words I'll refrain from posting.

If you need help with VoIP, IP PBx Phones and Phone Systems, SIP or Unified Communications, please check out this slideshow. It doesn't cover everything, but what it does cover is excellent.

Watch the "5 Things You Need To Know About VoIP" slideshow!

And please, be sure to say thank you to the people at ITBusinessEdge and let Tristan know what a stud she is!

TTM Communications' Customer (ID Tech Camps) is #1!

Scott Morris — Tue, 10 Aug 2010 02:49:00 GMT

I just came across an article on Mashable, and had to let everyone know...one of our clients - ID Tech Camps - was identified as the #1 tech camp for kids in the country! THAT IS AWESOME! Congratulations ID Tech!

5 Innovative Tech Camps for Kids and Teens

ID Tech has the most innovative and hands on tech camps anywhere. Their staff is highly trained, they love the youth, and the instructors for the course are, needless to say, world class.

I'm not going to say that ID Tech's tremendous success was due to TTM's business phone system and services support - because there's no evidence it is. They earned the recognition on their own.

None the less, we're really proud of them...you know - that feeling when someone succeeds and you are really excited because you went to elementary school in the same city that they did??? (In fact, one time I got Barry Bond's autograph while sitting in a Stack's retaurant in San Carlos after opening 36 packs of baseball cards...and had him sign two of his cards from the packs! nice...)

And,of course, for those of you with little geniuses waiting to blossom, we think you should check 'em out! Their website is here: ID Tech Camps

Congratulations again, ID Tech...you rock!

Business VoIP

Scott Morris — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 05:21:00 GMT

Let me just make something very clear: magicJack is not a viable business VoIP solution. I know that will be hard on many of you. Now, the case where that may not be true is if you are like the business owner I spoke to a week ago: 1 phone with call waiting and a voicemail, sole proprietor w/ zero employees. For that guy...magicJack will kill it.

If you, however, own a business that actually has employees and multiple locations and phone bills that are well over $1,000/mo (or even $10,000/mo), this article may be helpful. (If you have a business that does not have multiple locations but is paying over a $1,000/mo - I have some thoughts on buying a business phone system here...coming soon)

I did a quick google search on 'business voip.' What I got was a myriad of hosted voip services.** It's good business SEO for them, but not good business VoIP for you. (I will write an article on who would be best served by a hosted VoIP system.**) The bottom line seems to be this: Hosted VoIP is good for small business that need basic phone capability with auto-attendant, and voicemail. It can be as expensive in the long run as a digital system, so be careful. It all depends on how you implement a telecom solution.

For businesses looking to get into a Buiness VoIP phone system, here's what I think you need to be looking at:

BASICS

Do you have mulitple locations or remote workers? Both?
Do you have the bandwidth for VoIP?
How much telecom expertise do you have in your organization?
Do you want a proprietary system or open source? Do you care?
Are your voice and data services separate? Do they need to be?
How many calls does your company take/make at one time (think: max number of calls in/out at any given point in time during a day)?

GOALS

Are you trying to lower your expenses?
Are you going to expand the business...and therefor the phone system?
Are you sales driven or working to maximize your customer service incoming calls? or both?

FEATURES

Do you want to know where people are all day? (aka 'presence')
Do you have a call center that needs a high level of function and administration tools?
Do you want to have your phone system integrate with your Outlook and/or other CRM?
Do you use/need conference calling?
Do you have unique communication demands that will require special applications or functions?
Will you want your voicemails to be delivered to you as a .wav file in an email?

INFORMATION YOU'LL NEED TO KNOW

Monthly expenses for phone services and data (i.e. internet) services
IT involvement - how involved will your IT person/people be? It matters...big time.
How do you currently handle faxes?

Many people want a quick fix when it comes to a new phone system...and believe me, there are plenty of companies that would love to help you. At TTM, we believe that the best way to purchase and implement a business VoIP solution is through meticulous preparation and execution. The reason so many of us have or know of phone system nightmares is due to poor planning and execution. Take your time and do it right.

I would love to hear your thoughts or comments...

Read It For Me

Scott Morris — Fri, 14 May 2010 17:36:00 GMT

The purpose of this blog is to begin - and to continue - to bring value, information, and joy to people. ;) I typically focus on something to do with Business Phone Systems or VoIP, but today, I want to step back and give you a resource that has broader implications for business - and yet is incredibly important. It's a resource for business people and entrepreneur's that I came across that is absolutely fantastic! It's called: Read it for me.

I have written about this extensively, with links, at my personal blog, so instead of pasting that info here, i'll just link to it.

imscottmorris

It will be worth your time and then some...! - and let me know if you agree with me in the comments below as well.

It's Burger Time, Morgan Hill!

Scott Morris — Fri, 07 May 2010 20:46:00 GMT

As a local business, I have a heart for local businesses. I'm not saying I'm perfect in supporting them, but I do make a concerted effort to eat locally, shop locally, and drink locally.

So, let me tell you about the experience I had yesterday at a hamburger joint here in Morgan Hill, CA. (You may know it as "the hill" or Mo-town...) In any case...burgers.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bradleyb/tags/itsburgertime/I went to "It's Burger Time!" with a friend of mine, Daniel - who's a pastor at a local church (Harvest Church Morgan Hill). It was the second time I've been there (and now I am the mayor on Foursquare).

The ambiance is cool, but not overwhelming (a la Scrambl'z). It's a 50's diner theme - which works with burgers (but you knew that already, right?).

The first time I went to "It's Burger Time!" I had a milkshake. Unreal good! I had a basic vanilla, but it was fantastic... in fact at times I think about it when I get hungry. As a milkshake aficionado, I am telling you that you can feel good about heading to IBT - just for the shake.

The burgers are huge. No, seriously...huge! "Bigger than the bun" huge, capice? And they are good. You can get them anyway you want, but you'll probably want to try one of their specialty burgers. Here's a couple to whet your appitite:

Guac Around the Clock - 1/2lb burger w/ fresh guacamole, cheddar cheese and special sauce. (Editor's note: I don't like anyone's sauce, and never order it. You're on your own to decide if it's any good...)
Fly-in Hawaiian - 1/2lb Hawaiian burger with grilled pineapple, bacon, cheddar and sweet teriyaki sauce. (should fee a small family of 7)
Becca's Bun less Burger - big patty on a ed of lettuce, special sauce. (So, I asked a couple questions about this one - Becca is just some lady who ordered her burger with no bun. The lettuce does not wrap around - it's more of a 'bed' - but you can get a couple big leaves to wrap if you want. Fork and knife provided)

I think it's fun that the Sr. & kids' meal is the same - so grandma is going to have to order a kid's burger. (deal with it)

They have a bunch of different kinds of fries - curly, wedged, etc... I thought they were really tasty...but that's a matter of taste. ;)

All in all, the food is great! It's not cheap, to be sure. But in this case, I think you get what you pay for...

Now, I also had a chance to meet the people. I met Crystal and Paula. Paula owns the place, makes executive decisions about naming the food, and manages a vigorous Facebook life. She hysterical in a "was she just kidding?" kind of way. If you can lighten up a bit, you'll love Paula.

Crystal is an engaging 19 year old that works the counter and knows the entire menu by memory. She's pretty patient, but take it from me - don't get lippy...she's got some fire to her. She's also got a great head on her shoulders and is really thoughtful and engaging.

I had a great time at "It's Burger Time," really appreciated getting to know "Bubbles" (aka Crystal, aka "Little C") and Grandma P (Paula), and liked the food. This is a great place that I hope is around for a long time.

As for me... It's Burger Time, Morgan Hill!

Check out the It's Burger Time Menu.

Business Phone Systems aside, It's your Voice that matters

Scott Morris — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:29:00 GMT

We sell business phone systems. We run cables. We set up networks. We sign up carrier services. why?

So you can communicate. Talk. With others. Do business. Make money. Live.

Talk requires a voice. If you don't have your voice...then what?

I once worked with a guy who was a professional communicator. One day, he was in a serious car accident - in a geo metro...that rolled. Miraculously, he not only lived but was basically unhurt, except for one thing: he couldn't speak. What do you do when you are a communicator and you don't have a voice...your voice?

Your voice. It's your ideas. It's your passions. It's your dreams. It's your insights and thoughts. It's you. It's You.

Sometimes, in the wax and wane of life, we need to stop a moment to ask our self: how am I? where am I - in life, in my soul, in my relationships?

It's not always an accident that causes us to lose our voice. Sometimes, it's simply a matter of being too busy, too burdened, too burned out. And we forget. We forget who we are, we forget the sound of our voice.

For those of us who are forgetting who we are...those of us who have lost our voice, this video matters.

You matter. May this video help you find the real voice in you. The you that matters.

I would love to hear what your thoughts and feelings are after you watch this video...

7 Questions to Answer Before Buying Business Telephone Systems

Scott Morris — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 05:49:00 GMT

Regardless the size of your business, researching business telephone systems is difficult for most people. The more I learn about the many systems available to businesses today, the more I believe that the top tier of business telephone systems are all excellent choices. (I know, this is no way to sell 'our system.') What I mean by this is that each one has generally the same features that come standard with busines-grade phone systems (e.g. Auto-Attendant, Call Transfer, Call Routing, Voicemail, Hold, Park, etc...), and each one in some way stands out as superior to the others.

That means that in choosing which system you'll go with, it is important to be clear on what you need, what you want, and what type of vendor relationship will serve you best. With that in mind, here are...

7 Questions You MUST Answer Before Buying Business Telephone Systems

How Important Are Phone Calls To Your Business?
Is It Important For People To Get Their Voicemail Right Away?
Will You Need Call Center Capabilities?
Will Calls Be Answered By A Receptionist or By An Aut-Attendant?
Do You Want To Integrate Your Phone System and Your Computer/CRM?
Should You Consider Voice Over IP?
What Does Your Monthly Phone Bill Tell You About Your Calling Patterns and Expenses?

Clear answers to these questions will serve you very well in purchasing your new system.

If you would like a copy of these questions with a more indepth look at each question with some real life examples, you can download that here>>

Have questions you think should be on this list? Feel free to add them in the comments!

5 Things You Didn't Know about VoIP...but Probably Should!

Scott Morris — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 18:08:00 GMT

This is a really cool video I came across from Digium. Learn key foundational principles about VoIP, its costs, implementation, and what is perhaps one of the most shocking statements about VoIP that anyone who has done any research into the issue will ever hear! (well, maybe not that extreme..but it is a little mind-bending)

Click her for the video! --->

After you watch the video, let us know what you think!

What would you add to that list?
What else do people need to be aware of?

If you want to know what I think about it, get my white paper here.

Win A FREE Digium Switchvox!

Scott Morris — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 06:25:00 GMT

Yes, it is a shameless marketing ploy by one of our partners. And yes, I feel really good about taking advantage of it...I mean, seriously...you could win a free phone system! It's worth up to 10 grand and it really is an awesome business phone system.

So, here's how it works, per the Digium site:

Is your phone system driving you crazy? Do you wish you had a more effective communications solution for your business? We're looking for companies that have had it up to here with their key systems and PBXs! Tell us your story and you could win an EXTREME PHONE MAKEOVER!

There you have it - tell your story, get a free business phone system (hopefully)

And don't keep this to yourself. Who do you know that...

Has a phone system that sucks so much you hate it!?
Runs a non-profit that is in dire need of a phone system?
Has a call-center that is about to go under because of their technology?
Is a social- entrepreneurial start up/business and needs to upgrade/get a business phone system?
Is a great business, but is bleeding money because of poor productivity, lack of employee accountability, and a need for a robust computer interfacing communications system?

Let them know about this chance too! (It never hurts to share)

Best of luck!

Win A Free Phone System worth $10,000!

Scott Morris — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 18:34:00 GMT

This just in...one of our partners, Digium, is giving away a business phone system worth 10-large. I'll have more info up here soon, but for now, if anyone wants to get going on it...

iPad is a game changer... 5 Things To Help You Prepare.

Scott Morris — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 21:45:00 GMT

Unless you've been "off the grid" and on vacation deep in the jungle, you know that Apple released the iPad on Saturday (4/3/10). I've read a significant number of reviews now, and clearly opinion is divided. What cannot be denied is this: the iPad changes the game...for all of us.

What grabbed my attention for this blog is an article I read at the VoIP Monitor, Truphone Gives Apple iPad Owners a Voice. In summary, the iPad will begin to work as a VoIP phone. Now, currently, the iPad can't multi-task, so if you're on the phone, you won't be blogging and checking facebook at the same time. However, that capability is not far away. I asked myself, "will this impact the business phone system industry?"

Additionally, this morning, Marc Benioff announced Cloud 2.0. It's a shift from software as a solution to the "facebook age" of business. Total transparency. Real time support and service. Complete company integration.

That means that we are quickly moving to a time and space where bandwidth will dominate, all of our life will be coordinated on a simple, easy to carry tablet (rumors that Google has one on the way are growing), and business foundations, including their communication systems, will change - forever.

Now, as I talk with people daily, I am finding more and more people who have no idea how to fully use the business phone systems they currently have. How in the world are they supposed to keep up with the brainiacs that keep changing technology on them? And what does that mean for so many business who are faced with the impending technology shift, but stil haven't embraced their current technology?

Here are 5 things a company can do to prepare for what's ahead.

Admit you have a problem keeping up and understanding. That's half the battle right there.
Get help. There are a number of great movemens springing up that help people think through their business strategy with regards to developing technology. At TTM, we are working through that too. Guiding our clients through the Information and Communication Technology landscape is something we take seriously.
Find someone inside your company that is a total tech geek - who really loves all this iPod, iPad, iPhone, Google, Chrome, yada, yada, yada stuff and begin to give them some encouragement to think through how that technology could effect and improve your current business
Sign up for the TTM blog! It will cover these kinds of issues and help you wrestle through these issues for your company. (Form is just to your left!)
Take time every so often to unplug everything, have a glass of wine and listen to the soundtrack from The Shawshank Redemption or Miles Davis (any album). Technology can destroy your soul, and no business is worth that.

Admittedly, these 5 steps are just a starting point.

What do you think will help companies adjust to the quickly shifting technology landscape?

Are you concerned?

What help do you wish you had?

Comment below and let us know...

Is a Hosted PBx Really The Way to Go?

Scott Morris — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 19:53:00 GMT

Let's talk about relationships for just a minute: yesterday I spoke with a guy who I had tried to do business with - unsuccessfully. The reason was that another vendor came in cheaper than I did. Fastforward several weeks. I stopped by this business: their phone system was messed up. Vociemails were getting lost (i.e. lost business), certain phones didn't ring, transfers were hard, making changes to voice mail box options was impossible - and the employees were really frustrated.

(Seriously...this is what a Hosted PBx does for you? This image is wrong on so many levels)

Let's review:

Lost business (serice business for an auto dealership)
Frustrated employees (in the service department)
Most likely irritated customers (e.g. when is my car going to be done!)
SAVED: $350

On what planet does that make sense?!

POINT: you get what you pay for, and often times you wind up paying for what you got. Business owners are constantly trying to cut costs - and that is understandable. But at some point, you've got to become aware of the money you are losing as a result of your meagor savings!

How does this connect to a Hosted PBx phone system? Here's how:

Most companies don't have the right bandwidth
The phone company is not telling the whole truth - it's harder than it looks
When you "save" that money and lay yourself at the mercy of Ma Bell...do you really think service will be timely and personal?

Not every company has the working capital to do it, but please, if you do - don't scrimp on your communications. They are the life-line of your business. Find someone who will be there when you need them. VoIP is far from perfect, you will have issues - the key is who will walk with you through that valley.

I believe the ROI will far exceed your expectations...

What do you think? I would love for you to share your thoughts...COMMENT AWAY!

Cbeyond - More than just phone and internet services

Scott Morris — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 17:54:00 GMT

TTM Communications works with a variety of companies that offer a wide range of services. Our ultimate goal is to help our customers succeed by getting them the best services, systems, and support for their information and communication technology possible.I think alot about which phone/internet service providers are the best - and for whom.

Lately, I've been thinking about...

Cbeyond is a different kind of phone and internet service provider - because they really provide a complete solution for small, entrepreneurial businesses. AT&T, Telepacific, Speakeasy, and the others are working to get into the "get everything from us" game...but they are layering their offerings - adding stuff on top. What impresses me about Cbeyond is they built their offering from the ground up...designed with a full business solution in mind from the beginning.

This may be a partial list, but think about this for the start-up entrepreneur:

High speed internet (T1 - 1.5M)
Dynamic bandwidth allocation for phone using analogue, digital or SIP (check out their SIPConnect)
Tremendous breadth of call features (incl. three way calling, call hunting, call blocking, call transfer, accounting codes, caller ID with names, Remote call forwarding..and more)
Their basic package comes with 8 lines and 3 free toll free numbers.
Mobile Services

Get your cell phones (minutes can share with business lines)
Smartphones (Blackberry, etc...)
(They run on the Sprint network - so that's either good or bad, depending on your feeligns about Sprint)

Web Hosting and Marketing services
Messaging and Collaborationg Services
IT Services and Apps

Secure backup
Secure desktop
Additional IP addresses

That is a crazy offering in terms of its scope. AT&T is working to do this as well, but again, they are trying to jack up their phone/data services, jam in mobility and some other cool stuff...and hoping the whole thing stands. (Disclaimer: we sell AT&T also, and of course they definitely can bring a dial tone to your business.)

THIS IS NOT FOR EVERYONE. Don't get Cbeyond if you:

Have someone who can research web hosting options, online backup, mobility solutions, and generally the above services. They can be found cheaper.
Have a small business that is not doing much with their phone system except making calls - a couple copper lines from AT&T may be the best and cheapest option.
Are a growing company that uses large amounts of data bandwidth and make a ton of calls - and especially if you're paying a Brink's truck worth of cash to AT&T for "local" calls. We are finding that if this is your situation, a PRI with a cable internet connection could be the best way to go.

I think what Cbeyond is doing is really cool. I am not a fan of their direct marketing team/reps. None the less, for a certain business - maybe yours - it's a fantastic offering that can really make a huge difference in your ROI.

In fact, why don't we do this: I'll evaluate your current needs/expenses for FREE, and then you can see if this is a good way for you to go. I won't try to sell you anything...and I will let you buy from me if you want to Fair?

VoIP = RuBE (even if you don't care about phones, you gotta see this...)

Scott Morris — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 19:17:00 GMT

Voice over IP and VoIP phone systems can feel like trying to understand the workings of a Rube Goldberg contraption. Somehow, many things affect many other things and if everything does its one thing then something happens that is pretty cool...

With VoIP phones, there's bandwidth, network, system design (analogue, digital, all VoIP, hybrid), local or hosted, applications, servers, every computer in the office, OS's, and whether or not your phone service goes down every time it rains.

TTM is developing resources to help you with considering and implementing VoIP...but today, I wanted to just encourage you: If you're looking into VoIP, you're not alone if you feel overwhelmed.

Now, sit back for a couple minutes...and enjoy.

IMAX Hubble 3D - Almost Here!

Scott Morris — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 18:51:00 GMT

The seventh in a series of amazing movies shot by the IMAX space team, IMAX Hubble 3D is almost here! I say 'almost' because it is only in LA and San Diego for now. I am waiting anxiously for it to get to Northern California.

The Hubble Space Telescope has nothing to do with business phone systems, I do understand. However, there is an intrinsic value in the telescope that i believe is crucial for all of us: PERSPECTIVE.

When you see the views from Hubble & journey along with the men and women whose lives are literally out of this world, it moves something inside of you. Something that longs for greatness. Something that cries out to be a part of something bigger than just yourself, just your business... It stirs something in you that wants to matter in this life, that wants to leave a legacy - to make impact beyond the years you spend here on the launching pad (earth) of that telescope.

I want to encourage you today to take a couple minutes, check out the site, some of the videos...and allow yourself to embrace that still small voice inside of you that longs for something greater than yourself. It just may very well be the best thing you do for your business (and for your life) today.

Check out the site...and dream.

What Do You Hate About Your Business Phone System?

Scott Morris — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 22:26:00 GMT

A phone system that sucks can bury a company that lies on them for their business. The frustration of a business phone system that only 'sort of ' works can be significant to any business...as strange as that may see.

I am really curious to find out:

Does anyone actually care about their business phone/servcie?
What do you hate about your business phone system?
Are there things you wish your business phone system could do?
What are your thoughts about people who sell business phone systems?

I would love to hear what you think, so please leave a comment and let me know.