The Cloud and Small Business

Cloud computing has been a hot topic at big enterprises for several years. Now small and medium-sized businesses are following suit.

It's not hard to see why: cloud computing is an undeniable money-saving opportunity. Instead of making upfront investments in a lot of software, you can have these same capabilities delivered as a subscription-based service. This saves on both the up-front investment and ongoing administration.  It makes someone else responsible for making sure the applications run smoothly. And when the time comes to upgrade your platforms, there's far less hassle.

There are plenty of cloud-based services available today for basic office applications (accounting to word processing), file backup services, sales support, customer relationship management and more. Major brand names in software such as Google, Microsoft, Intuit, Salesforce.com and others offer cloud-based options priced for the small business market. It's no surprise that the research firm IDC estimates that companies with 100 or fewer employees spent $2.4 billion on cloud computing services in 2010, up from $1.7 billion in 2009.

But if you are looking at cloud computing simply as a way to save money, you may be selling yourself and your business short. Here's why:  the biggest impact of cloud-based services is not necessarily on what you spend, but on the way you work. Here's why:

Simplifying access: Instead of having applications and data on your office PC, your laptop, or on USB drives that you carry around, with a cloud-based services the data and programs that are important to you can be available anywhere. In today's highly mobile world, this kind of anytime, anywhere access is not just a convenience-it's a necessity for doing business. A cloud-based approach gives you a scalable, manageable way of providing this kind of access to your business

Collaboration: Easy access to applications makes collaboration easier. If your business has more than one location or regularly works directly with partners and/or customers you will need to support the easy, seamless sharing and interaction that makes for productive collaboration. A cloud-based solution gives you these capabilities.

When you look at cloud computing in this way-as a new way to work, not just a new way to save money-you realize that it's not simply an either/or decision. It's the rare company that will have everything in the cloud. (Or nothing.) Most will take a hybrid approach, migrating to the cloud for things that are simply done better by others while retaining control over critical, core applications.

At CNR we see a hybrid approach emerging in communications and collaboration, with small businesses depending on the reliability and performance of their office communications system while also taking advantage of seamless integration with complementary, cloud-based services for conferencing, collaboration, customer relationship management and more. 

Trading up to a new communications system has never been easier

CNR 3.25.11

I know some small businesses often resist the move to a new communications system because they fear it will be disruptive. (And expensive) Actually, the opposite is true.   

Today's small business communications systems are more feature-rich and flexible than ever. They deliver features that were once only possible on systems designed for much larger companies. (i.e. “important” business) Today’s phone systems are more mature, more open, more manageable and more able to be integrated directly into business operations. The result is they adapt to the way you do business, and not the other way around:

·         Using your business communications system to get voice, video, e-mail, IM and mobile communications all working together. 

·         Taking advantage of sophisticated call routing options that can be adapted to business function, time of day, special situations (e.g. weather closings), etc.

·         Providing personalized options for regular customers

·         Supporting home-based customer service reps

·         Automating routine functions such as appointment scheduling, confirmations, billing and much more.

While adapting to the way you do business, today's new communications systems also adapt to your bottom line. CNR has several small business solutions and understands the problems you face so let us prepare a configuration for you and make your business more efficient. 

Daniel Knoben is CNR’s Customer Advocate and Social Media Manager

What is Unified Communication?

CNR 3.23.2011

Every business needs to communicate.  CNR can offer you the total package; yes I am referring to unified communications or UC for those in the know.  It seems like every telecommunication company offers UC but for many people, they don’t know what it is, and so they don’t know what aspects of their communication should be “unified” and more importantly what should  a UC system be capable of doing. Well today I am here to help.  UC revolves around a desktop application that syncs many different forms of communication including your phone, email, voicemail, and snail mail. (Ok it doesn’t link the last one.)  UC also compiles a list of contacts, a call history, and includes phone controls on your desktop.  These are the most basic features and should always be included in a basic UC application. (If they don’t, then stay away.)  If you are willing to spring for a slightly fancier version (i.e. pay a little extra) you get some really cool features such as instant messaging integration, presence, and the ability to receive calls from your work phone anywhere on any phone.  Those last two features are known by many names and change depending on what system you look at.  (I guess in order to keep everyone confused because why would a business ever try and make things simple for the customer to understand.)  Anyway; as those terms can be different, they might be unfamiliar to some so I will describe them briefly.  Office anywhere allows a user to forward a call that comes in to his office number to any phone they want.  That means no matter where an employee is, a customer only needs to dial one number, and a worker only needs to give out one number and they can still take calls no matter where they go.  This feature is set by users and changes based on the status a worker sets.  Presence, the second feature allows you to describe what you are doing at a specific moment and what an incoming call should do, like making it go straight to voicemail if you are in a meeting, or forwarding it to a mobile phone if you are out of the office.  Presence can also be used to set instant messaging availability and coolest of all, allows others you work with to see what you are doing, so they can figure out how best to reach you. (Instead of calling you, instant messaging you, emailing you, and then cursing your name when you don’t respond.) This application can also update itself by integrating with your Microsoft Outlook calendar and automatically change your status.  While I have described some cool features here there are many more depending on the system and UC can be configured and customized to fit any business’ needs and is a great way to simplify and bring together many forms of communication

UC is offered by many different companies, including Avaya, Mitel and ShoreTel which will give you a basic version for free with the purchase of a phone system.  You can also get UC from Microsoft and AVST along with many others which will (hopefully) integrate with your phone system.  To truly understand UC visit a manufactures website or call CNR (888.826.9600) and have us set up a demo for you.  Unified Communications is a great application and while some of the features sound confusing, remember UC is about simplicity and no matter which system you go with can really help your business be more efficient. 

Daniel Knoben is CNR’s Customer Advocate and Social Media Manager

Welcome to CNR's New Blog

Daniel Knoben

CNR 3.22.2011

Welcome to CNR’s new Blog. You undoubtedly clicked on it because you thought; this is going to be really interesting and funny.   Unlike CNRs Monthly Newsletter “Message Waiting” (Yes, there is a monthly newsletter as well!) this blog is less about news from the manufacturer and will focus more on CNR.  Like the newsletter, I will talk about what is happening in the industry, but I want to use this area to discuss interesting aspects in more detail.  I will also post hypothetical phone system configurations so people can get a greater understanding of what CNR can offer your business. Plus for those of you interested in configurations (and really, who wouldn’t be) this blog should help you get a better understanding of each system CNR offers and the similarities and differences they include.  Like any business CNR is constantly trying to find new ways to reach customers and I hope this blog will be a great place to talk about the newest products and technologies. Along with this blog CNR has also started a Facebook and Twitter account so we can keep you abreast of news and point out interesting articles we come across.  Using social media is new for us and hopefully we get better at. (Otherwise this might be one short lived blog)  So I hope you enjoy this blog and come back to read new posts.  Until Tomorrow.

Daniel Knoben is CNR’s Customer Advocate and Social Media Manager