Author: Steve Norris.

The most reliable of all VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) solutions will always perform in accordance with the quality of the data connection involved. In determining just how well your proposed VOIP solution will work for you, look no further than your weakest data connection.

Whether you are looking for a hosted VOIP PBX solution, implementing remote IP telephones or Softphones connected to the office via VPN, connecting multiple offices via T-1 or fiber, or just using VOIP telephone service, the common denominator that dictates your quality of voice service is your data connection. Since Voice Over IP is a data protocol, it only makes sense that the quality of your service will be dictated by the strength of your data connection. Your voice conversations require uninterrupted bandwidth of up to 90k each in order to perform with the same quality that has come to be expected from traditional analog or digital phone service. Not having the available bandwidth or uninterrupted bandwidth needed will cause poor results.

The most common methods of commercial VOIP applications seen are connecting offices together via data connections and connecting remote users to the on premise telephone system. Both applications have tremendous financial and efficiency benefits, but only if they can be implemented with quality of service. The ability to share resources such as a common receptionist, the ability to bypass toll charges by using IP, the ability to connect remote workers, track results, and to attract top talent with flexibility and state of the art technology all have tremendous monetary benefits to the implementing company. However, special care must be used in selecting the data connections used in order to implement the solution successfully.

We take a look at the various types of data connections available for these applications, and look at the weakest link in the solution.

ADSL
SDSL
Cable
Wireless
Fractional T-1, T-1, Bonded T-1, DS3, OC
Point to Point T-1
Frame Relay
Fiber Optic

We will take a look at the asymmetrical connections first, as they tend to be the most unreliable. Asymmetrical data connections include standard residential quality DSL, some business DSL, Cable internet, Satellite internet, and Microwave internet. In most of these cases, the download speed will often greatly exceed the upload speed. For instance, it is not unusual to see a DSL package listed at up to 1.5 M download, and up to 384k upload. “Up to” being the key. You never get full speed, and it can often be quite a bit less. A speed test will be in order during several parts of the day to test for speed and network variations. DSL typically offers no guarantees of service levels or uptime, and as a shared network, speeds will fluctuate throughout the day. Web traffic must be carefully monitored if you are using your data connection for voice applications, as it is common for voice conversations to be interrupted with data traffic if QoS routers are not in place.
ADSL circuits also tend to suffer from more jitter and latency than other types of high quality data circuits, so if this solution is used to connect remote users of offices, it is imperative to have a VPN router on both sides of the connection to ensure the best possible quality. Some downtime is to be expected on an annual basis, but it can be a tremendously cost effective connection option. Wireless options such as satellite or microwave are never suggested, as there is typically too much latency involved to maintain call integrity. ADSL is not typically recommended for a location with more than 1-2 users. ADSL is never recommended for a hosted solution.

SDSL, or symmetrical DSL, is a preferable option over ADSL. This type of connection offers users the same upload and download speeds, and it is typically a business class circuit that comes with some quality guarantees. Often speeds are seen such as 1.5M down/1.5M up. 768k down/768k up. Preferable over ADSL options, but also much more costly. For some companies, this would be a minimum acceptable solution for a location with multiple users.

Fractional T-1, T-1, Bonded T-1, DS3, OC: All of the T-1 varieties of service and greater are tremendous options for VOIP solutions. All Fraction T-1 circuits and above have been thoroughly tested over time, and they provide end users with a tremendously reliable solution. With symmetrical data solutions typically starting at 384k and up, T-1’s have a guaranteed uptime unmatched by other available data circuits besides fiber. Voice Prioritization is still required at either the network level via MPLS or at the end user level when connecting offices. Voice conversations must always have priority over bursts of data traffic in order to maintain optimum call quality.

Point to Point T-1’s: As one of the most preferred methods of connecting offices, Point to Point T-1’s offer superior reliability and keep your voice traffic from competing with unpredictable internet or carrier network traffic. Point to Point T-1’s require routers with QoS, CSU/DSU, and can be quite an investment up front, but they provide tremendous quality and uptime. By bypassing the carrier data network altogether, you are assured of a dedicated connection between your sites to be used only as you prefer. Depending on the size of the connection, offices with dozens or hundreds of people can be set up to operate off of Point to Point T-1 circuits without requiring local dial tone.

Frame Relay: If your network utilizes Frame Relay, it is not recommended to run voice services over it. Frame was never designed to support voice traffic, and there are much better and more cost effective options to choose from.

Fiber Optic. Fiber being available for direct connection or for point to point applications is becoming more and more common. Some residential varieties such as FIOS from Verizon are of an asymmetrical nature, but typically still provide plenty of reliable bandwidth to support remote users. Commercial fiber options can bypass all traditional points of failure on standard networks and can provide the best possible VOIP connection solution. Fiber bypasses the local ILEC in most cases, and it gives you a clean clear connection straight to the carrier central office. With high traffic volume capabilities and superior clarity and reliability, fiber has come to the forefront as the preferred medium for VOIP solutions. Fiber is not always cost effective, but the quality results are undeniable.

When selecting the medium or circuits that will support your VOIP solution, understand that the main limitation to quality you will experience will be the weakest link in your data network. If your main location has a T-1, but your remote users with IP phones have an ADSL circuit, your weakest link lies in the ADSL circuit. If you are going to experience quality issues, it will most likely occur there. If your main location has a bonded T-1 or DS3, but your remote warehouse has Cable internet, your weakest link will be your Cable connection. As always, work with your local telecommunications professional to determine the best and most cost effective data circuits to use when implementing a business grade VOIP solution.

About the Author:
Steve Norris is a Texas based telecommunications professional that provides Dallas Business Telephone Systems and telecom services from over 80 carriers nationwide. He specializes in hardware solution for multi-location business with advanced infrastructure needs. Over 90% of his clients are able to implement a new Fort Worth Business Phone System without increasing their budget with TeleTAP.

Author: Sarah Shaukat.

We have been hearing about the new emerging trends of social media from quite a long time now. Besides other popular web services, Facebook is one of the biggest social networking website so far. Facebook is all about connecting people and providing them the ability to them to share. People can share photos, videos, ideas, links and lots of other things on Facebook. In no time they can meet their friends from workplace, school, college, groups and from anywhere around the world. Facebook is highly popular among high school and college students in particular.

Launched in the year 2004, Facebook is a complete social networking website, founded by Mark Zukerberg, a former Harvard student. With the passage of time, Facebooking has become a complete addiction among youngsters, encouraging them to spend hours on it. Some popular Facebook features include “Status update” that describes the current whereabouts and activity of the user. Another one is “The Wall” which is a space on each user’s profile page that allows friends to post messages for the user to see. Other than this it also includes a “poke” feature that allows one user to send a “poke” to another one, basically “nudging” them to attract their attention.

The platform of Facebook allows anyone, anywhere to built applications. It has grown so wide now that it brings all other social networks on Facebook. One of the most admired applications on Facebook is the Photos application, where users can upload albums of photos, tag friends, and comment on photos. The applications developers at Facebook have been constantly trying to create viral applications that can become popular by a simple word-of-mouth. Facebook incorporates various social applications such as Orkut, LinkedIn, MySpace and some other virally growing applications ranging from “Honesty Box”, “Will you kiss me”, “Rock You” or “Flirtable” to an unlimited number. Facebook also now includes various location and mobile social networking applications in which you can share your location with your friends and let them know what you’re up to or in some other cases the users can vote and win free mobile application and games.

An annoying drawback of Facebook is that it has grown up to vast extent, aiming to become everything to everybody. It has lost its exclusivity by overcrowding people from every race and culture. If we compare it to other social networks, their main objective is to keep themselves restricted to a particular segment such as LinkedIn focusing on business/professional users. One of the biggest disadvantage of Facebook is related to privacy issues where the complete user information (even a lot of intimate information) is published online, making it accessible to strange people and potential stalkers at the click of a button. Facebook can solve these problems by initiating separate closed communities for specific schools and organization using the domain extension of .edu links.

In the end, keeping aside the criticism for a while, we must appreciate the amount of popularity Facebook has attained in a short time. It features all the elements of web 2.0 services which include (sharing, communities, user generated content etc), but keeping its focus on a specific segment and making things less complex for people will help it to become one of the most successful social networking website of future.

About the Author:
Sarah is a Software Engineer, currently associated with Youpark.com is exploring the impact of entertaining applications in both web and mobile services.

Author: Jacob Marshal.

Mobile phones are the most desirable and essential gadgets of the present times. Many people cannot imagine living without a mobile phone in the today’s fast paced world where communication is the most important aspect of life. To exist in today’s dynamic world it is extremely important to communicate with others instantly. Be it business or our personal lives, mobile phones have become highly influential in our lives. Gone are the days when these devices were considered as luxury, today they have become our most basic need.

These gizmos have lead to a revolution in our lives, today we communicate with our loved ones through these phones. We can talk with our friends and peers no matter where we are. Mobiles have given a new dimension to communication and have taken it beyond the conventional boundaries. There has been an incredible growth and development in the world of mobile phones over the course of time. Technology has brought great innovations in the mobile world. New concepts are being introduced and constant research is on which gives mobile telephony great heights. Mobile phones have becoming more and more advanced each day.

The latest handsets are bundled with most innovative and high end features. They offer the users immense utility and great services. A mobile phone can be used to take pictures, shoot videos and surf the internet. Imagine now you can listen to your favourite music and songs anywhere and at any hour of the day. Now you do not need to have a separate camera and an MP3 player. Just have a single phone and you can do your all import work with the help of it. Earlier, the advanced handsets used to be very expensive. The high costs made them out of reach for several people. However, today with the rising competition, many high end handsets are available at low prices.

You can easily find cheap mobile phones in the markets which are loaded with great features. Various online mobile phone portals offer innovative and trendy handsets at extremely affordable prices. These handsets have all the features of the advanced handsets. The online Shops are the most convenient and easy source of availing the cheap mobile phones without any hassles. The best aspect of these online portals is that they offer incredible deals on the mobile phones with a variety of gifts and mobile phone offers. You can simply browse through the various websites and search for the most lucrative deals.

A variety of handsets are available with which you can get the best advantage and high performance at the most awesome costs. These handsets have great durability and amazing quality. The low price does not compromise over the quality and utility of the phones. Various phone portals have the amazing handsets from the popular brands like Sony Ericsson, Nokia and Motorola etc. They have a wide range of options like free contract mobile phones, free line rentals, clearance mobile phones and cash back deals. With all these exciting offers, you can avail your favourite handset at bargain prices as well.

You can get your dream handset with immense capabilities at amazingly low prices. The increased competition has forced the various manufacturers to offer their products at lower costs. Now you get the better products and better features for lesser cost. Depending upon your budget and preferences you can get the most desirable and amazing phones.

Cheap Mobile Phones sell like hot cakes in the market. People prefer the handsets that have better features and stylish looks. These days, mobile phones come with incredible designs and innumerable features. Fashion lovers admire great looking fashionable phones. However some people prefer high performance and utility. Everybody can find a phone that matches his or her style and needs on various mobile phone portals with innovative offers. You can also get amazing discounts on the handsets. This further decreases the cost of the phones. One should constantly check for the available offers and discounts on different online mobile shops.

Customers can get the great benefits from the available discounts and different clearance sales. You can have the latest cheap mobile phones and enthrall yourself with great satisfaction

About the Author:
Know more about Contract Phones and pay as you go mobile phones here.

Author: Jim Haynes.

The purpose of this article and hopefully other GPS (Global Positioning System) articles that I write, is to provide the user with relevant information about this technology and then if interested, allow the reader the opportunity to purchase GPS tracking systems whether for personal use or business use from a related site called SecureWithGPS.

So what is GPS you are wondering or perhaps you already know and are just looking for a refresher course? Basically, with the use of a radio receiver, i.e. a device which receives signals from the GPS satellites that orbit the Earth, you can locate yourself or the position of a vehicle for that matter anywhere on the Earth. Assuming of course, that the area you are trying to locate is covered by the GPS satellites. So in other words GPS tracking and receiving simply consists of buying a receiver, popping in some batteries, turning it on and if you have done everything right, the co-ordinates of where you are should appear on your GPS device.

One should note that there is more than one GPS system but for this article, I am referring to the Global Positioning System which is operated by the United States government and similar technology that is based on such a system. To provide a quick history, radio signals have been used for navigation dating back to the 1920s. The first step to GPS came way back in 1957 when the Russians launched Sputnik, which was the first satellite to orbit Earth. Eventually American scientists figured out that if they knew the precise orbital position of the satellite, they could accurately locate their position on Earth. The first GPS satellite was then launched in 1974 and by 1994, the full constellation of 24 satellites were in place. Hence these satellites make up the GPS system as we know it today.

Finally, one might be wondering why this technology is so widely in use or what is the big deal about it? Well, to mention a few reasons, which will hopefully be expanded on in other GPS articles, is that almost anything which has a GPS transmitter on it, it can be tracked and located fairly accurately around the world. You can attach a GPS receiver to your personal car, a car driven by your child, a fleet of vehicles that you may own and wish to monitor or even to locate your pet if it were to wander away and get lost. But with reference to the personal and business aspect however the website SecureWithGPS provides a great overview of what the current technology can be used for.

About the Author:
For a reliable GPS (Global Positioning System) for personal or business use, please check out http://www.securewithgps.com . At http://www.securewithgps.com they provide the latest in GPS tracking, fleet management and near real time location updates.

Author: Liam G.

Since the advent and wide-spread acceptance of “always on” broadband internet connections, online criminals are finding it easier than ever to gain access to sensitive and personal information.

In 2007, 61% of Britain was connected to the internet, that’s around 15m homes. For the majority of those with broadband connections, their computer becomes connected to the internet as soon as it is turned on.

This has essentially made us very vulnerable to online hackers and fraudsters. Such people use a wide range of motives, methods and techniques to obtain our personal information (namely bank details, and other “secure” information)

It’s important to note that the purpose of this article is not to make you fearful of the internet, but educate you on the methods that hackers use, so you can be more aware on how to protect your information.

Put simply, there are two ways in which hackers can attack your computer; these are discussed in more detail below.

Externally
This involves the attacker “probing” your computer, in the hopes of exposing any weaknesses in which they can gain access to your information.

Typical methods include; subnet scanning, port scanning, packet sniffing, e-mail eaves dropping, DOS attacks and “Phishing”.

Internally
This method often involves users’ unknowingly downloading malicious programs, sometimes referred to as “malware” to their computer systems. Malware often appears harmless software, and is usually transferred via email or downloaded from what appear legitimate sites.

Typical methods and malicious applications include; Trojan’s, viruses, rouge diallers, key loggers, spyware and “pharming” sites.

The above are just a few examples of how hackers can use your broadband connection to gain access to your personal information; new methods are being created daily.
It is for this reason that you must ensure your broadband connection is as secure as it can be. There is a wealth of information, as well as cheap broadband deals available on the web.

About the Author:
Liam is a UK based writer.

Author: Jacob Marshal.

The Nokia N95 8GB is a smart mobile phone that comes with a multitude of multimedia features. The QVGA resolution of this handset enhances the picture quality of the images that are displayed with 16.7 million colors. This handset comes to boast of its efficient battery life. The superb battery of this gadget would support maximum talk time as compared to other mobile phones. The most exciting feature of this gadget is its incorporated double RAM that enables the mobile phone to operate much faster.

The 2.8 display is undoubtedly the most astounding feature that shows images with striking picture clarity and unmatched brightness. The loudspeaker and the vibration feature would make sure that you never miss your incoming calls. The sound quality is far more enhanced and of better quality.

The music player features in this gadget would enthrall the music lovers all throughout the day. This enticing feature comes with the capability to support the music file formats such as MP3, AAC, and WMA. The M3U playlists of this handset can be managed very easily and even refresh option would enable the users to add more files to the music tracks library. This advanced technological wonder would permit you to sort your favorite music tracks by the name of artists, genre, composer etc. The Bluetooth and the USB would further facilitate the users to transfer their preferred music tracks to other compatible devices or even download their favorite music tracks from the internet.

The Nokia N95 8GB comes with a Real Player option that has the capability to play the video clips. The video clips can be further viewed in the landscape, portrait or in the full screen mode. It depends on the users how he would like to take pleasure on viewing his favorite video clips. The brilliant display quality and even the storage capacity of this gadget further enhance the video player feature. Again, if the users get bored at times, they can easily switch over to the radio option for an exciting break. The FM radio feature of this handset can automatically save all the available radio stations without any hassle. As such, these amazing features would enable you to swirl away all your boredom.

The 5 mega pixel camera of Nokia N95 8GB comes with various enhanced features such as auto focus and Carl Zeiss optics. The manual white balance feature would further ensure that the captured images are of better quality. The users can further adjust the sharpness, settings and even apply various effects to those captured photographs. The striking grid line feature of this gadget would permit the users to add frames to the captured images even while sticking themselves to the photographic rule of thirds.

This gadget comes up with the capability to capture the video clips at a VGA resolution and that too with a rate of 30 frames per second. The video clips are further captured in the popular format of MPEG4. The users can adjust the white balance of those video clips in two ways - automatically or manually. Six hours of video recording is possible with this amazing handset.

All the advanced features that have the capability to transfer the important files are supported by this latest gadget. The network connectivity features such as Bluetooth, GPRS, EDGE and HSDPA are supported by the handset. However, the wireless communication feature is satisfied by the Wi-Fi feature. The users can even enjoy browsing their preferred Web Pages without any hindrance. The GPS navigation feature would further enable them to explore unknown places with great fun.

The consumer can browse the various online shopping stores to avail this latest and advanced gadget. These trends of shopping are changing the mindsets of the people to a great extent. With this type of shopping process the consumers can avail various benefits too, as the retailers offer their revered customers various lucrative offers and deals. Visit those sites and avail the best Nokia N95 8GB deals that would perfectly suit all your affordability concerns. The Nokia mobile phones have attained the iconic status in the mobile phone markets due to their reliability and high tech features.

About the Author:
Know more about Nokia N95 and other cheap mobile phones here.

Author: Austin David.

Mobile phones are coming with advanced features like multimedia, music and camera. Though the market is completely filled with such mobile phones, but some of them have really astonishing features. Sony Ericsson has launched the handsets of a new K series in the market. The Ericsson K750i is a stylish mobile phone with stunning features which has created a storm in the mobile market. Cheap Ericsson K750i has become the best choice of mobile lovers.

Sony Ericsson K750i comes with a 2MP camera which has autofocus and flash. It enables you to capture the high quality images and fine photos. You can also do video recording with this wonderful handset. You can listen to your favourite music as it has a media player and FM radio with RDS support which enable you to listen to music whenever you need it. It has a lot of nice functions to be used like you can create play lists. Its media player also has equalizer, Bass, Mega Bass, user-defined mode and many more. Its hardware buttons help the user to go straight to the media player without opening the menu that is very easy to use.

Cheap Ericsson K750i is accessible for the consumers through many online shops, which deal in mobile phones. There are many plans like pay as you go plan, contract mobile phone plan, pay monthly mobile phone plan and many more. You can choose any one plan according to your requirement and interest. You can also find a lot of free gifts when you buy this handset through contract deals at cheaper price like free accessories, free minutes, free SMS and MMS service for a certain period of time, roaming free service and many more.

The users can find here seamless connectivity and Tri-band GSM network of 900/1800/1900, as well as GPRS. The handset also has the facilities of Bluetooth, infrared, quick share, USB, WAP2.0, picture editor and effects and more. Cheap Ericsson has an ample internal memory of 32MB and a 64KB memory stick in its expandable memory Stick Duo slot. It offers really an amazing experience in usage!

About the Author:
Austin David is associated with Contract Phones.He holds a master’s degree in electronics and communication from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. To know more about Ericsson K750i, Sony Ericsson K750i, Contract mobile phone please visit http://www.contractphones.me.uk/

Author: Liam G.

Considering the wealth of methods that malicious users employ to gain access to other people’s machines, you would expect the general public to be better protected while online.

However, a survey conducted in 2004 found that even though 63% of respondents thought they had a firewall protecting their system, only 33% actually had a live firewall. Moreover, 77% of respondents had the general thought that their computers were safe.

It would seem that the general public are aware of the threats of the internet, but not as clued up as they should be on how to prevent any malicious attacks. For instance, 67% of the respondents either, did not have a virus checker or had not updated it recently.

The first and most commonly overlooked step when securing ones PC is the physical aspect. For instance, at work, you should always lock your workstation so that no one else can gain access to your information.

At home, younger members of the family are often prone to installing generally useless pieces of software which may be “piggybacked” with malicious spyware or malware. It is therefore, important to educate your family on what to look out for when downloading.

Most users are now aware that having both firewall and antivirus software is vital if they are going to be using the internet. What is often overlooked though is the requirement to keep both of these applications up-to-date, as new viruses are being released daily.

There is a myriad of internet security packages available, some free, some not, and each have their pro’s and con’s. Consumer reviews are probably the best way to determine which company has the right package for you.

Lastly, a great deal of broadband safety does lie within the users’ hands. So a certain degree of “common sense” is required when using your broadband.

So, in conclusion, when using your broadband, always be on the look out for any suspicious activity.

About the Author:
Liam is a UK based writer.

Author: david burton.

Laptops:communication in the 21st century

A laptop computer or simply a laptop is a small mobile computer that usually weighs from 10 to 16 pounds. It usually runs on a single main battery that can also be connected to an external AC/DC connector. A laptop has small components that have been optimised for mobile use and efficient energy consumption. A laptop computer can generally perform all the tasks that a desktop computer can do, but they are typically more expensive than a desktop computer.although the prices are rapidly falling among the high production manufacturers.
Many notebooks come equipped with a 6 volt battery that will keep the device running for quite some time in case of a power failure so that laptop computer users can complete there urgent tasks quickly. Laptops usually have liquid crystal displays (LCDs) and most of them use different memory modules to access their random access memory (RAM). They have a built-in keyboard and many of them come equipped with a touch-pad. A pointing stick or an external mouse can also be attached to the device. These days, manufactures have released several new models of cheap end laptop computer into the markets.
These cheap laptops are a big positive among the masses. Earlier, only high profile business people or executives were the only ones that could afford to buy a laptop computer. But people of all walsk of life can now purchase these at retailers in the high street these days. Thanks to the big competition in the mobile computing market, manufacturers are rolling out a updated model of a well priced laptop computer every now and then.
Gone are the days when only high profile business people and executives could afford to buy a laptop. Now, several models of cheap laptops are available in the markets. Retailers across the UK have come up with many attractive cheap laptop deals. These deals have made it possible for students, youngsters and housewives to own a laptop computer of their own. The costs of laptops are bound to fall further in the future.

Laptop computer www.discount-notebooks.net

About the Author:
David is the developer of www.discount-notebooks.net which has all the latest notebooks fo all your officeneeds . htp://www.discount-notebooks.net

Author: Daphne Scott.

People who like to be technology-savvy are often forced to mar their desires and cravings due to the limitation of the monetary factor. Moreover, it is not possible as well for the common man to keep updating his device with the changing technology. Through contract mobile deals however, the users can keep themselves updated without spending too much.

Through contract mobile deals, the users of mobile phones can relax as the expenses that they make every time they update their mobile phone can be saved. Also, the users who can not spend much on mobiles as well as manage their expenses can also buy good phones with these deals available to them.

When the users enter into a contract with the service provider or a company, he gets the mobile phone that he wants to buy. This however will not require him to pay the cost of the mobile phone in one go. The user can pay a fixed monthly amount to the company which offers the deal and his expenses can be managed easily as well.

The user also gets many benefits and offers attached to these contracts. He may go in for a free talk value, get free SMS, no roaming charges, free phone accessories etc. also, for some mobile phones, he may even not be required to pay the cost of the phone. Only the usage of the phone will have to be paid by the user. Free gifts are also available to the users like XBOX 360, Nintendo, and Ipod etc.

When the users get so many benefits through contract mobile deals, there is no reason why people should not take up the opportunity. All that he gets is convenience and benefits.

About the Author:
Daphne Scott is associated with Cheap Mobile Phone Deals. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electronics and communication from IIT,Kharagpur. To know more about contract mobile deals, mobile phone, mobile deals please visit http://www.cheapmobilephonedeals.net