Phone Cards & Calling Cards

Oct 21, 2007 at 16:02 o\clock

How To Select An International Phone Card And Not Get Burnt!

by: phonecards   Category: International Calling   Keywords: phone, cards, calling, International, call, web, prepaid

International phone cards have made life easier for travellers who like to stay in touch with family and friends while overseas. Before the phone card appeared on the scene, travellers had to endure high calling costs in fact, the cost of phone calls in many instances had to be factored into the overall holiday budget.

Now, not only is it dirt cheap to phone from anywhere in the world but international phone cards have also made it possible to talk for extended periods of time "for cents in the dollar!" You, the traveller, have never had it so easy when it comes to long distance communication.

However, purchasing a prepaid phone card isn't simply a matter of forking out $5, $10 or $20 and getting a card in return. There are some things you should know and the following checklist will give you a better understanding of what to look for when purchasing a card, particularly if you are new to the experience. As a seasoned phone card user, I have a list of things I want before I buy.

International Phone Card Checklist

1. First and foremost, make sure the rates are affordable. After all, isn't the reason you want a phone card to cut down on calling costs. I know this sounds pretty straightforward but believe me, all phone card companies aren't created equal. Compare the different pricing structures from different carriers.

2. Be specific about connection fees. Basically, there should be no connection fees. Also, check for hidden fees. They are there in a lot of cases and can "kill" your entire phone card experience!

3. There should be no expiration date on your card. For example, if you spend $50 and get 2000 minutes of talk time but don't intend using it up in a hurry, then you should not be penalised for this. Make sure that your investment isn't governed by a due date.

4. Be aware of any hidden cost that may be associated with your card. Your initial payment should be final.

5. Check to see whether you can use your card 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I won't purchase a card unless I can get total unrestrictive access at any time of the day.

6. Is the phone card carrier contactable? In other words, if you require customer service, can you talk to a customer service representative. Believe me, this one rule will save you a lot of frustration.

7. Is the card re-chargeable? Better still, can you re-charge you card both online and over the phone. Again, you don't want to be paying a fee when you re-charge.

8. Avoid cards which charge a fee just for making a call but not a connection. In my book, that's pretty rude.

It's simply a matter of protecting your consumer interest. Competition is fierce in the card communication industry and the carrier choice is extensive. International prepaid phone cards will save you money, in fact, that's what they are designed to do. When you become accustomed to using one, you'll wonder how you ever got on in life without a phone card.

Oct 8, 2007 at 11:27 o\clock

PBX Phone Systems

by: phonecards   Category: Business Phone Systems   Keywords: Hosted, PBX, Virtual, IP, voip

A PBX phone system is basically a switching system that interconnects a company’s telephone extensions with each other and the outside telephone network. The earlier systems were made up of only fixed telephone lines. With the arrival of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), PBX phone system now interconnects not only the fixed telephone lines but also the Internet.

Modern PBX phone systems are usually hybrid in nature, integrating both the traditional telephone network and the packet switched networks. The usage of packet switched networks like the Internet allows easy and cheap connections to any part of the world. A company which has numerous offices across the globe can avail of the services of a hosted PBX service provider. The hardware required for setting up this system are relatively inexpensive and easy to setup. Once installed, newer services can be added without requiring any change or addition of new hardware. All the services are software controlled hence no modifications are required in the hardware front. The system comes with a software administrative tool through which changes to the setting can be implemented by just a few clicks.

PBX Phone systems now come with loads of features apart from the conventional telephone and fax services. Newer features include voice mail, auto attendants, remote extensions, call management, and fax to email service. Some modern systems even come with voice enabled auto attendants. All these features are made available without the need for installing specialized telephones. Hosted PBX systems are mostly preferred by small and medium businesses (SMBs) owing to their rich features and relatively low cost of installation and maintenance.

A hosted PBX system provides the functionality of a conventional PBX without the need for installing any equipment. This service is provided by an Application Service Provider (ASP). A client does not have to purchase or install any PBX equipment. Instead it is given access to the PBX system maintained at service provider’s site. The service provider can add new features, which are instantly made available to all the clients.

A major difference between Hosted PBX systems and conventional PBX systems is the fact that in a hosted system an extension is associated with a particular person, and not a telephone. This enables a person to receive calls independent of his current location. This facility called follow-me calling utilizes a list of phone numbers associated with the person. The person can provide the phone number of his current location to the system, which then associates this number with his office extension number. Any business calls to this extension number is automatically routed to the phone number of the employee’s current location.

Companies which have offices and employees in different locations stand to gain a lot from the follow-me facility. The single recipient point provided by the hosted PBX system gives the illusion of a single office location. Companies can thus provide their clients and customers a better service using non variable telephone numbers. Other advantages of Hosted PBX include low installation charge, low maintenance cost, easier management, and greater scalability.