SEATTLE, Oct. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Speakeasy (www.speakeasy.net [1]), a Best Buy company (NYSE: BBY [2]), has compiled a list of what's hot and what's not when it comes to voice and data trends. Not surprisingly, faster, more reliable Internet tops the list. To that end, Speakeasy is giving away one month of free service, plus free installation, for customers upgrading to Speakeasy's fastest broadband speeds.
"These days, small businesses simply can't afford slow Internet," said Bruce Chatterley, Speakeasy CEO. "We want to show our customers just how affordable and fast business class bandwidth can be, so we're giving them one month free on our biggest broadband, plus free installation."
In addition to faster broadband, following are some of the hottest voice and data trends to keep an eye on - and several worth forgetting:
What's Hot: Faster, More Reliable Internet
What's Not: Unreliable, Slow Connections
More bandwidth is becoming increasingly necessary in the current business landscape. In fact, it's downright addictive. A survey conducted by Zeugma Systems in conjunction with research firm IDC concluded that the more bandwidth customers buy, the more they want.(1) With the amount of activity small businesses are conducting electronically - from emailing medical records, to advertising comps, to data storage - there's an increased need for more bandwidth, now more than ever.
What's Hot: Business Voice Services (VoIP)
What's Not: Traditional Phone Services
Thanks in part to free international long distance, Speakeasy Business Voice can save customers up to 45 percent over traditional phone services. In addition to cost savings, businesses are starting to realize just how many productivity-enhancing benefits come with these services, causing VoIP adoption to grow. In fact, marketing research firm Dell 'Oro Group predicted that IP lines will grow to almost 60 percent of small business line shipments by the year 2011, while digital and analog shipments are expected to decline at an average of 10 percent per year. Traditional systems are expected to fair even worse, declining to less than 5 percent of the total market by 2011.(2)
What's Hot: Voicemail as Email
What's Not: Traditional Voicemail
Nobody should have to ask "did you check your voicemail?" any more. Gone are the days when it was necessary to navigate through a phone tree just to receive a voicemail. With Speakeasy Business Voice, voicemail is delivered as email. This technology allows customers to receive their voice messages in a .wav file in their email inbox with caller ID in the subject line. This allows them to prioritize messages at a glance, and to forward messages as email attachments.
What's Hot: Giving Out One Phone Number
What's Not: Juggling Your Office, Mobile and Home Numbers
Letting everyone know you're working from home is out. Working from anywhere while appearing to be in the office is in. Whether physically in the office, working from home, or on the road, Speakeasy Business Voice customers can take advantage of many features that make working remotely just as productive as being in the office. For example, with Find Me/Follow me, users can give out just one number and be reached wherever they go. In addition to avoiding missing important calls, this allows them to avoid juggling multiple phone numbers while keeping home and mobile numbers private.
What's Hot: One Provider
What's Not: Too Many Bills
With the rise of intricately linked phone and Internet services, having one bill for both voice and data services makes things easier on the customer. Additionally, for businesses with multiple offices throughout the country, having one provider means not having to deal with multiple invoices from different regional providers. Speakeasy aims to simplify the process for the customer, including a single supplier, single bill, single support interface and simple, predictable pricing.
Speakeasy's biggest broadband promotion runs for the month of October only and applies to Bonded T1 speeds between 3 and 6 Mbps, and Business Ethernet speeds between 3 and 20 Mbps. For more information, visit www.speakeasy.net/promos/thinkbig [3] or call 866-556-5829.
About Speakeasy
Speakeasy is one of the nation's leading broadband voice (VoIP), data and IT service providers. Speakeasy helps small businesses succeed by offering simplified voice and data solutions that improve the customer experience, increase employee productivity and help cut costs. Based in Seattle, Speakeasy has provided award-winning customer service since 1994 and joined the Best Buy family of companies in April 2007, working with Best Buy For Business to champion technology for small businesses throughout the U.S. Visit Speakeasy at www.speakeasy.net [1] or call 800.556.5829. Follow Speakeasy on Twitter at http://twitter.com/speakeasynet [4].
(1) Source: IDC: IDC Survey Shows Consumers Support Smarter Networks, Doc # lcUS21449408, September 2008
(2) Source: Dell'Oro Group 5-Year Forecast Report, 2007
SOURCE Speakeasy
Links:
[1] http://www.speakeasy.net/
[2] http://studio-5.financialcontent.com/prnews?Page=Quote&Ticker=BBY
[3] http://www.speakeasy.net/promos/thinkbig
[4] http://twitter.com/speakeasynet