With technology moving fast and the cost of entry coming down every day, if you’re not onboard with the latest trends your business is not running efficiently as it could – that’s the advice from Xero (http://www.xero.com) online software co-founder and UK MD Hamish Edwards.  Here are some of his views:

VoIP - Telecommunications costs used to be significant for small business. Now that’s a thing of the past, thanks to the prevalence of Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP). Providers like Skype have made it possible to talk, teleconference, and even videolink with people around the world for nothing! If you’re not using VoIP everyday, you’re missing out.

Online services - With an increasingly mobile workforce and a proliferation of remote workers, the software industry is changing rapidly. Online software, like Google docs and Xero online accounting software for small business, enable people in different locations to collaborate on documents and share information, all accessing the latest version in real time. As well as making life easier, many of these services are very affordable or even free.  In comparison to old-style software that you install on your desktop, you don’t need to worry about updates as that happens automatically. And because the services are run by big companies your data is securely stored and automatically backed up – arguably it is safer than it would be on your premises.

Mobility - The days when being “mobile” meant lugging along your laptop are gone. Today there are a plethora of small devices that enable you to really stay connected at all times. Blackberries and iPhones have the capability to offer easy to use email, view documents and access the internet. Online software providers are all getting on board with versions of their software suitable for mobile devices. For example we’ve optimised Xero for the iPhone , so you can even access your accounts information, anywhere, anytime. That’s a real advantage.  Xero provides small businesses and their advisers with one, up to date, easy to use, instantly accessible set of accounts and business information.

Christian Zibreg wites an interesting article on the future of the iPhone:

The upcoming iPhone 2.0 software is just around the corner and we all may be surprised how Apple’s unified communication solution could merge mobile communication with VoIP, PCs, Macs, iPhones and even Apple TVs. We took a hard, long look at the information that is available right now from reports as well as patent filings to give you an outlook what Apple might be up to, why we are quite certain that VoIP and videoconferencing will be the iPhone’s new killer applications.

Although the 3G iPhone has yet to be confirmed by Apple, we are receiving more information about iPhone 2.0 software update on an everyday basis. When Apple CEO Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone software road map on March 6, he also announced that, by the end of June, all existing iPhone users will get a major software update that will greatly enhance the iPhone’s capabilities.

What everyone seems to hope for at this time is some kind of VoIP solution, such as Skype, that will enable iPhone users to place free phone calls over Wi-Fi network. The prospects for a VoIP iPhone app looked grim when we learned that the iPhone SDK doesn’t allow third party applications to run in the background: The SDK also specifically prohibits developers from accessing the iPod portion of an iPhone, leading many to believe that Apple created the same barrier for VoIP capabilities.

Read the rest of the article at TG Daily

Most of us have been plagued by astronomically large telephone bills one time or another. This is all the more true for people having relatives in other areas of the globe. The need to talk to them could sometimes become so overbearing that the practical considerations of the amount of money that would be required for the exercise does not come in. However, the practicality of the situation often strikes later. And even the most emotional among us are motivated to rethink the way we are making our calls. Our thoughts inadvertently go towards Voice over IP and the benefits that it entails.

It can be said that the long distance phone calls are no more a cause for concern for many people. It has become possible to connect with friends and family members– who could be located in distant areas of the globe in a cost efficient manner– using the latest innovation called Voice over IP or VoIP. The routing of calls over broadband networks has made long distance communique very much affordable and easy. The role of VoIP devices can be understood in this context.

The VoIP devices are simple, cost effective and innovative and are required for the effective culmination of the process of data transfer over internet connections. First and foremost, the analog audio systems are converted into digital data which is then routed over the internet. One can use the latest applications in VoIP technology to make free calls to a distant place. One could also use the devices for making calls from personal computers– albeit with the services of a provider of repute. This way, the users are able to talk for extended hours with people who matter without worrying about exorbitant phone bills.

The Analog Telephone Adaptor is one such device. The phone that a person is currently using could also be used for making VoIP calls and the ATA makes this possible. It forms a modem between the traditional calling devices and the network connections to the user’s homes or workstations, as the case may be. The audio signal in analog format is converted into digital data packets and transferred over the internet. And the best part is that the users need not be very tech-savvy for using the ATA– it is quite simple and straightforward to use.

Another device that is gaining in popularity in the VoIP market is the Internet Protocol phone. These phones resemble the traditional phones that are in vogue today. There are separate buttons for the purpose of dialing. There is also a handset into which one can speak. An Ethernet connection is used for making calls that are routed through the internet.

Last but not the least; such calls can also be made from personal computers. When the calls are between two computers, then the users could go for the services of a reputed provider. The provider would ensure the availability of special software, microphone, and sound card – all necessary for the making of long distance phone calls. The monthly fee that the potential users would have to pay is quite affordable. As a matter of fact, it would more than make up for the astronomical phone charges that they would otherwise have to pay.

By: iCallGlobe Ltd.

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