DATE: 05/05/06

A UK FIRST - DEVELOPED IN DEVON REVOLUTIONISES EXETER BUSINESS

According to OFCOM in the next four years, virtually all calls will be made using VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). 

Noble IT solutions a Bovey Tracey based company specialising in all aspects of IT systems and networks claim to have produced the smallest VoIP phone system in the UK and arguably the world.  Measuring less than 15 cm x 15 cm, this tiny device has no moving parts, using compact flash cards as disk drives and therefore, has nothing to break.  And you can phone just about any landline in the world for 1p/minute, any time of the day.

Quote from Nick Middleton, Managing Director of Noble IT Solutions:

“Our mission is to become the leading provider of business IT solutions to small and medium sized enterprises in the South West.   As a result we have produced a micro VoIP system with all of the usual features of an office telephone system usually costing upwards of £20,000.  This includes music on hold, call transfers, voicemail, and the capability of handling up to four landlines as well as calls using broadband, for less than £1,000!  A unique feature of the system is that it can route calls to multiple destinations at the same time, this means, that when the system gets an incoming call, your desk phone, mobile and home phone will all ring at the same time.  Whichever phone you answer will have the call transferred seamlessly to it – so wherever you are, you will never miss that important call.   No more remembering to setup call diversions.  The system is very fast, every efficient and very reliable, but above all works exactly as an existing system”.

Local leading independent Estate Agents, Nigel Green Property Sales and Rentals, have 5 offices in the South Devon area and has recently installed the system at their Kingsteignton office and seen the benefits of utilising the VoIP system firsthand.  With a further outlet opening in Paignton in July together with the launch of a separate company Mortgage Talk South Devon Limited, Nigel Green felt improved communication between the offices would streamline the business to give a better customer service for their clients.  The company has a defined data/IT strategy, which has now been implemented and it made sense to have a voice strategy as well, and Noble’s VoIP addresses this. 

Quote from Nigel Green, Managing Director of Nigel Green Property Sales & Rentals Limited:

“Noble IT Solutions carry out all our high spec network IT work and it was on their recommendation that we decided to go ahead with the VoIP system, which works very well throughout the offices and aids communication”.

Contact:

Nick Middleton

Noble IT solutions

T: 01626 832423

M: 07739 600 007

E: sales@noblesolutions.co.uk

W: www.noblesolutions.co.uk

PR/Marketing:

Glen King

M: 07921 586 911

NOTES FOR EDITORS:

Background information: Nik Middleton has had senior roles in blue chip companies such as BT, Computer Science Corporation and LogicaCMG, with responsibility for delivering systems worth tens of millions he brings a wealth of experience to the company.

What is VoIP?

Many businesses are faced with spiralling phone bills or simply don’t know that huge savings can be achieved. One way of reducing your bills is to use your IT network for phone calls between branches and use the Internet for external calls. This is known as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP).  It is a technology that allows you to make telephone calls using a broadband Internet connection instead of a regular (or analogue) phone line.  In addition, you can route inbound calls as well.  The big benefit here, is that you can significantly reduce the number of phone lines you need, saving around 45 pounds per line, per quarter, year on year. With the launch of the new high speed broadband by BT, you can now use your single broadband connection to replace 6 phone lines!  That’s a saving of over  £1,000 a year just on line rental.

How does it work?

The telephone call is compressed and converted into data (similar to what an MP3 players does, only it's optimised for voice) and then sent along a piece of wire (commonly a kilostream) connecting two sites. The call is then reconnected at the other end and changed back into a voice call and the two persons can talk to one another. The sites can also be connected using the Internet using a broadband connection, instead of a fixed link such as a kilostream.  In addition PSTN termination services are available that let people dial a regular phone number to call you, and of course you can dial other PSTN numbers.

Benefits of VoIP:

Reducing your business phone bills and line rental is only one benefit of VoIP, albeit an important one.  VoIP can also dramatically improve the way you work.  If you switch your phone calls to your IT Network you can merge voice and data, boosting staff productivity and enhancing customer service. As voice is converted into data, only one link between two sites is required. This is because the voice and data can now be sent together. This provides multi-site businesses the advantage of saving money on leased line rental.

Some key features of VoIP:

• Interactive voice response
• Flexible routing of calls
• Call queuing in real time
• Call statistics for daily monitoring
• Remote numbering e.g. a London number for Devon-based business
• Real-time billing
• Music on hold
• Voice mail

Who will benefit from VoIP?

Any company that:

• Makes and/or receives a lot of calls
• Has a number of phone lines and extensions (can be multiple offices)
• Strives to increase productivity
• Puts customer care as a top priority
• Loses potentially important calls
• Has a desire to achieve cost savings on line rental and calls
• Has a seasonal business, with the need to handle lots of calls, but not year round.
• Expanding businesses, you can take your number with you
• Employs Home workers