On-Premise vs Cloud-Based

A premises-based PBX solution (also known as an IP PBX) is dependent on a voice server kept on-site in the equipment/server closet. Physical phones are located throughout the office. Calls can route through a traditional phone company as well as over the internet using SIP trunking. Hosted PBX is a cloud voice solution where the provider manages/maintains the voice server in a cloud data center. The only equipment in the office is physical phones. Calls route over the internet using SIP trunking.

On-Premise PBX

Cost – higher upfront costs and set-up fees. Above a certain threshold, it might be cheaper to own equipment than pay a monthly fee, but servicing and maintenance can get expensive. When using only basic call features with >25 phones per store, the total cost of ownership is less over a 5-year period

Scalability – purchase phones to expand (in addition to any licensing required). PBX needs to be able to accommodate growth and the possibility of complexity with added features

Failover – if the issue with PBX in-store, calling is affected and potentially down until PBX can be repaired via a service contract

Maintenance – managed services contract (with phone vendor) required for software patching and maintenance to ensure security and uptime

Hosted PBX

Cost – usually low upfront costs, the monthly fee per user. Typically, the low total cost of ownership as a hosted provider takes care of the server configuration, maintenance, and software patching

Scalability – purchased or leased IP phones added to service plan, picking and canceling numbers and moving phone system is easy and quick

Failover – calls can be rerouted to cell phones if an issue with SIP trunk quality, power at a store or catastrophic event. Safeguards at off-site facility include back up power sources, geographic redundancy of data centers, active-active failover of servers, etc.

If you are interested in learning more, contact TDS Networks at 610-783-7005

The Value of a Managed Service Provider

At the end of the day, handling painstaking IT tasks, like managing a network, internally is not the best use of time and resources. As you may know, managed service providers can help you save money by offloading these responsibilities from your business, allowing you to cut costs on human capital and expensive hardware. However, there are many other advantages to working with an MSP that you may not be aware of. These include:

Gaining a Trusted Advisor

TDS can guide you to the technologies that will produce the best business outcomes. Offering plentiful solutions from a wide range of carriers, they acquire quotes from multiple vendors and present those that provide the greatest value to your business. As your trusted advisor, they learn your technology stack from the ground up so they can customize solutions that help you achieve your unique goals.

Benefiting from Operational Excellence

TDS can help reduce operating costs by identifying the best solutions and connecting you to them at the lowest rates. Many have dedicated telco and cable teams that manage carriers, so you don’t have to. Additionally, they manage your burdensome IT tasks, allowing you to cut costs and use money 

saved towards revenue-generating initiatives.

Working with a Single Point of Contact

Instead of working with several different carriers, you only have one point of contact for your telecom and IT services. This means you only have one phone number to remember and one person to call about service quality.

Enhancing Your Security

The constant evolution of cyber threats has made monitoring and protecting networks an overwhelming struggle.TDS will manage your security, providing cost-effective, enterprise-level support. As a result, you benefit from peace of mind knowing that your network is being monitored by experts, 24-7-365.

As an MSP, we take pride in streamlining IT and telecom solutions for our customers. We leverage our expertise and resources to help you manage carrier relationships, maintain high levels of customer service, and allocate employees to revenue-generating responsibilities. Get in touch with us today to leverage our full suite of services. Contact TDS Networks today to learn more at 610-783-7005! 

today to leverage our full suite of services.

Cybersecurity Statistics Your Business Should Know

There have been many cyber issues and threats that the world has experienced over the years. Part of living in the digital era is understanding that private information is more vulnerable than ever before. As a business, it is important to maintain the physical property you own and protect it against intruders, potential threat and other acts that could cause issues within your company. In the same way, cybersecurity is just as important, if not greater, than traditional security precautions.

Here are 10 eye-opening statistics that help illustrate the current state of cybersecurity: 

1. 43% of cyber attacks are aimed at small businesses. (Small Business Trends)

2. It takes most companies for over six months, or around 197 days to detect a data breach. (ZD Net)

3. Windows is the most targeted platform by hackers(Computer World)

4. The most expensive component of a cyber attack is information loss, which represents 43% of costs. (Accenture)

5. 91% of cyberattacks begin with a spear-phishing email, which is commonly used to infect organizations with ransomware. (KnowBe4) 

6. 75% of organizations infected with ransomware were running up-to-date endpoint protection (Sophos)

7. 90% of hackers cover their tracks by using encryption. (Vanson Bourne)

8. More than 4,000 ransomware attacks occur every day. (FBI)

9. The total cost of a successful cyber attack is over $5 million, or $301 per employee. (Ponemon)

10. It is estimated there will be a ransomware attack on businesses every 14 seconds by the end of 2019, up from 40 seconds in 2016. (Cybersecurity Ventures)

Understanding the state of cybersecurity is important to protect your business from digital threats. The statistics we have shared show that even though many companies are aware of cyber threats, their protection is failing due to the continued expansion of attacks. As cybercriminals continue to target organizations, owners and employees need to understand how to protect their customers and as well as their business.  Learn more at tdsnetworks.com or call us directly @ 610-783-7005!