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Manipulating Open Applications in Windows 7

Kim Mottu — Sat, 26 May 2012 15:40:31 GMT

Windows 7 has some new features for moving and resizing the windows on the desktop. Some of the upgrades include items such as Aero Snap, a feature that allows easy access to two applications at one time each taking up half of the viewing screen. To use this function you simply have to drag the application window to the left or ride side of the screen and the computer takes care of the rest. Then there is Aero Shake, this feature will minimize open windows easily. When you click on a title bar in a window and shake it back and forth with the mouse Windows 7 will minimize all open windows except the window you shook. Repeat this process to return all windows to their original state. Now lets have a look at Aero Peek, (Aero must be enabled) this feature allows the user to get a look at their desktop without the need to minimize their open screens. Simply move the mouse to the right end of the taskbar and all the current open screens become transparent allowing the user to peek at their desktop. To minimize all of the windows simply click the right end of the taskbar. Finally, there is Aero Task Switching, (Aero must be enabled), pressing Alt + Tab displays thumbnails of open applications. As you can see, it is the little things that make a difference. These are just a few of the features that Windows 7 has added or upgraded to make the users experience and work life more efficient.

What Is A Switch?

Brandon Dunn — Fri, 25 May 2012 17:05:08 GMT

Most people are familiar with what a switch is and does, or at least have some idea. Electronically speaking, a switch is a component that can break an electrical circuit, interrupting the current or diverting it from one conductor to another. In telecommunications however, a switch is a device that channels incoming data from multiple input ports and directs it to the specific output port that will guide the data towards its intended destination.

In the circuit-switched telephone networks, one or more switches are used to set up a dedicated though temporary connection for an exchange between parties. On an Ethernet local area network, a switch determines from the physical device address in each incoming message frame which output port to forward it to and out of. These are only a few examples of how switches work in different networks.

On larger networks, the trip from one switch to another in the network is referred to as a hop. The amount of time the switch takes to figure out where to forward a data unit is called its latency. Switches are found at the backbone and gateway levels of any given network, where one network connects with another and at the subnetwork level where data is being forwarded close to its destination or origin. The latter are often known as desktop switches, while the former are referred to as core switches.

In simple or smaller networks, a switch is not required for messages that are sent and received within the network. One example of this is a local area network which may be organized in a token ring or bus arrangement in which each possible destination inspects each message and reads any message with its address. The use of switches is really dependent on the type and size of your current network.

For information on this or any other communications related topics, contact the experts at Business Communication Solutions. You can find us on the web at www.bcs-ip.com or by phone at 512-257-1433.

Working the Taskbar in Windows 7

Kim Mottu — Fri, 25 May 2012 13:59:03 GMT

The taskbar in Windows 7 is taller than in previous versions of Windows. The height adjustment is to compensate for the default setting to display large icons of running applications without the application names. In addition, Windows 7 does away with the Quick Launch Toolbar and replaces it with the Pin to Taskbar option on the Start menu. However, keep in mind when you pin an application to the Taskbar it creates a permanent icon, whether or not the application is running. This gives you easy access to frequently used applications, however, it can be a little confusing if you are accustom to the Taskbar only showing running applications.

If you have Aero enabled on Windows 7 whenever you move the mouse over one of the applications pinned to the Taskbar it will show a thumbnail preview of all open documents related to that application. When you stop the mouse on one of the thumbnails, it will provide a full screen preview of that document. However, you must click on the thumbnail to select or open that particular document.

The Icons pinned to the Taskbar and in the Start Menu now have jump lists, this is a context menu that displays all of a particular applications most frequently used functions. To access jump lists you simply right click on the icon. For instance, open a new document is displayed in Word when you right click the icon if you use that function frequently. Note, you can also unpin an application from the Taskbar by right clicking the icon and selecting Unpin this program from Taskbar in the jump list.

Cyber Security Issues (Part 5)

Kim Mottu — Thu, 24 May 2012 14:43:00 GMT

Most organizations have approached cyber security by trying to put progressively more complicated defenses around their perimeter. The harsh reality is that a motivated attacker will likely find a weakness. For instance, an employee may accidentally create an opportunity for the attacker to gain access to your vital information with email or personal devices used on your network.

Tech savvy corporations are re-adapting security plans from hardware and locations to roles and information. Ultimately, connecting your laptop, notebook, or Smartphone to the corporate network may enable you to reach more publicly available Web sites. However, accessing corporate data or software would necessitate validation of your identity.

Information security is becoming an essential blueprint in underlying technology planning. If your customers’ credit card information is maintained in a single database a hacker would only need to break security once to engage in counterfeit transactions. Therefore, maintaining separate databases for credit card numbers and expiration dates immensely complicates the hackers’ objective. Furthermore, a spiteful system supervisor can be much more dangerous than even the most careless of end users, some IT organizations have initiated a limit to the number of people who can access certain critical information.

Many senior level executives question how to protect their information against cyber attacks. Corporations need to recognize that it is an ongoing conflict. New digital assets and methods for accessing information simply means hackers will create more advanced programs to aide in these attacks. Basically, “where there is a will there is a way”.

Many larger companies are now conducting virtual cyber attacks on their own networks to identify unknown vulnerabilities and to aid in the development of more advanced security features. In addition, corporations must make cyber security, an integral part of their day-to-day business to facilitate and advance new ways of protecting themselves against attacks.

Benefits of Auto Attendant

Brandon Dunn — Thu, 24 May 2012 14:32:57 GMT

Many companies, both large and small, are taking advantage of the features offered by an auto attendant. An auto attendant is a program that allows callers to be automatically transferred to an extension or department without the use of an operator. Most auto attendants (AA) will offer a simple menu system that directs the caller on where to go and how to get there.

One example of this is when you call a business and are greeted with options such as "for sales, press 1, for service, press 2, for human resources, press 3", etc. Most AA's also give the caller the option of reaching a live operator at anytime during the call (often by selecting 0). Auto attendants also have the ability to give the caller a company directory to search. Typically the caller can search by first or last name, or enter in the first few digits of the name of the person they are trying to reach by using the keypad.

Often the auto attendant is included in the business's phone system such as a PBX, but can sometimes be used without such a service. Auto attendants can also route calls to mobile phones, VoIP virtual phones or other locations using traditional land-line phones. This feature can prove to be both a time and money saver to the companies that employ it for several reasons. One reason a business may use this program is to cut back on staff and having to provide an operator or receptionists to field calls at all times. This would help free up employees to perform other tasks as well as cut down on payroll. Another reason to use AA is to direct calls more efficiently and reduce confusion or misdirected calls.

Auto attendant may generally offer routing steps that include the following:

Transfer to Extension
Go to a Sub Menu
Transfer to Voicemail
Play Message (including hours of operation, location, etc.)
Repeat Choices
Timeout (what to do when the caller selects nothing)
Default or General Mailbox / Voicemail

Along with the selections listed above, most AA's will have options to allow for time of day routing for after hours, weekends and holidays. There is also a typical greeting and routing steps that take place during normal work days and business hours which can be changed for special occasions and situations.

Auto attendant is a feature many business's take advantage of in order to save time and money. If this sounds like a program that may be a fit for your company and you would like to learn more, please contact us on the web at www.bcs-ip.com or by phone at 512-257-1433.

Cyber Security Issues (Part 4)

Kim Mottu — Wed, 23 May 2012 15:59:31 GMT

Progressively, more companies will have to rethink their philosophy to address cyber threats. Rather than starting with technological susceptibility, they should first protect the most critical business resources, such as, customer credit card information. Due to recent public exposure of cyber security risks, many institutions have implemented programs to classify business data. Therefore, they can focus cyber security efforts and strategies on their most critical information assets. Corporations have begun to assess their cyber risk, clarifying expectations with vendors, and enhancing relationships with key business associates. Some companies have made cyber security a central part of the customer service plan, instituting a constant exchange of ideas on the right balance between, amassing enough information to confirm identity; without compelling customers to spend too much time setting up or signing on to their online accounts. For these companies, cyber security could represent a business opportunity, as they create nonstop customer experiences that are both convenient and secure.

Components of Unified Communications

Brandon Dunn — Wed, 23 May 2012 13:40:41 GMT

Unified communications (UC) encompasses many different features and is made up of several components. UC is the integration of real-time communication services such as instant messaging, presence information, telephony, video conferencing, data sharing, call control and speech recognition. It is not a single product or feature, but rather a set of products that provides a consistent unified user interface and experience across multiple devices and media types.

With UC, multiple modes of communications are seamlessly integrated. These collection of products and features include:

*Call control - This refers to software within a telephone switch that supplies its central function. It controls functions such as "call waiting", "call forward on busy" and "do not disturb".

*Presence - This is a status indicator that conveys ability and willingness of a potential communications partner or user to communicate. Various options for this feature include "available", "at desk", "on call", "offline" and "do not disturb".

*Instant messaging - Also known as IM, it is a form of communication over the Internet that offers ability to chat in real time via text-based messages from sender to receiver.

*Unified messaging - Often referred to as UM, it is the integration of different electronic messaging and communications media such as email, SMS, Fax, voicemail and video messaging.

*Speech - Speech recognition is the translation of spoken words into text. It includes voice user interfaces such as voice dialing, call routing, domotic appliance control, search, simple data entry and speech-to-text-processing.

*Conferencing - Conferencing can include video and telephone and allows multiple parties to communicate simultaneously from different locations via two-way video or audio transmissions.

As you can see, UC is made up of various features and can be very beneficial to businesses that seek to communicated in multiple ways. To find out more about UC and if its right for your company, contact Business Communication Solutions at 512-257-1433 or on the web at www.bcs-ip.com.

Unified Communication or Unified Messaging?

Khang Nguyen — Wed, 23 May 2012 12:38:42 GMT

Unified Communication and Unified Messaging has been a buzz word in Telecom for sometime now. Regardless how long it's been around, there are lots of miscommunication between manufacturers, vendors, dealers, and end user. Some people refer to voicemail to email as Unified Communication or Unified Messaging. Unified Communication to us here at BCS is the integration of phone, voicemail, email, instant message, fax, and other forms of communication media into one. It can be just phone, voicemail, and email. Unified Messaging in our terms is the integration of voicemail and email. With true Unified Messaging, your voicemail on your phones and voicemail on your email should be in sync. Example: When I deleted the voicemail from my phone, it should be automatically deleted from my email. When I deleted the voicemail from my email, it should automatically be deleted from my phone. There are many options here. When I get a voicemail, do I want it to reside on my phone only? Do I want it to reside on my phone and send me and email? Do I want it to send me and email and automatically remove from my phone? Do I want the phone and email to be in sync? All have pros and cons. You must weigh out your options then make a decision. I will go over pros and cons of these options here.

I want my voicemail to reside on my phone only. I do not want voicemail to email.
Pros - Simple management. No need to worry about email!
Cons - If you are away from your office, how do you know you have voicemail? (I'm assuming you have a smart phone that can receive email).

I want my voicemail to reside on my phone and send me and email.
Pros - You have access to your voicemail with a phone or a computer.
Cons - You have to deleted every message twice, 1 from your phone, 2 from your email.

I want my voicemail to be sent to may email only and never on my phone.
Pros - You don't have to worry about checking your voicemail, only check your email.
Cons - If your email go down, you get no voicemail. What if your computer don't work?

I want my voicemail and email to be in sync.
Pros - You get voicemail on both phone and email.
Cons - It typically cost more.

As you can see, they all have Pros and Cons. As with anything else in IT, everything has a cost, whether its time, money, memory, processing power, speed, functionality, reliability, etc, etc.

If you would like futher assistance, feel free to give us a call at 512.257.1433. We would be more than open to a brief conversation.

Router

Huy Pham — Tue, 22 May 2012 22:45:30 GMT

A router is hardware device or software program that is designed to manage the paths along which information packets are forwarded within a network. Routers are necessary for communication between computers on your personal network and the Internet. A router enables data communication between the computers on any given network and others that are on the Internet. The router is designed to direct or route data packets to their destination, which is where the term "router" is derived. Routers link the numerous computer network that make up the Internet, and are responsible for determining the destination to which each data packet is forwarded to, as well as the best possible route it should take to get to that destination.

T-Carrier Flavors

Khang Nguyen — Tue, 22 May 2012 16:37:24 GMT

T-carrier was introduced to telecom in the 1970's. The basic unit of the T-carrier is call DS0. From the T-carrier or DSO evolves quite a bit of flavors. I personally do not have the knowledge to go into details with every flavors or variations. T-carrier in simple term is basically data with the equivalent speed of 1 analog line or POTS (Plain-Old-Telephone-Service). If you have a home phone from ATT, you most likely have a POTS line. So there you have it, the fundamental of T-carrier which is 64 kbps. Combine 24 channels together (this process is call channel bonding or aggregation), you get the very popular T1 that we hear all the buzz about for the last I'm guessing 20 years. T1 is is popular here in the US. We have an European or Asian equivalent of a T1 which is the E1 (European). Their E1 has 32 channel vs our 24 channels. Yes, that's basically 25% faster. Ok, let's get back on subject with T1. T1 is also known as DS1. T2 aka DS2 is the result of 4 T1 bonded together with speed of approximately 6.312 Mbit/s. T3 aka DS3 is the result of 7 DS2 bonded together for the resulting speed of 44.736 Mbit/s. If you add 4 T1 together you get 6.176 instead of 6.312. That's because of the way they are bonded together. For the purpose of this blog, I'm not going into that much details. Here is a water down version:
T1 = 1.544 Mbps
T2 = 6.312 Mbps
T3 = 44.736 Mbps
E1 = 2.048 Mbps
E2 = 8.448 Mbps
E3 = 34.368 Mbps - Yes our T3 is faster, I'm not getting into this detail on this blog neither.
Now that we have the basic speed down, let's talk about encoding. Why do we need encoding? Encoding is needed in order to maintain synchonization between the transmitter and receiver. It's kind of like how we use time to schedule an appointment. If your watch is off by 10 minutes, you may be 10 minutes late or early. With the correct clocking and synchonization or encoding in place, you can assure a more quality data or voice transmission. Encoding is also use for a better error detection system too as well. There are two major encoding that we use in Telecommunications. AMI and B8ZS. AMI which stands for alternate mark inversion is the first generation PCM networks. It is still being use today with older multiplexing equipment. B8ZS is the more commonly encoding use today. B8ZS (Binary Eight Zero Substitution) in a nutshell is an improved version of AMI.
Now that we have a little bit more understanding of the digital T-carrier world. Let's talk about real live configurations. T1 has 24 channels. Those 24 channels can be customize to meet a customer needs. If you need 6 analog line then you will have 1152 kbps available for internet. If you use 12 analog line you will have 768 kbps left for internet. Each voice line can be terminated as a True T1 (digital) or it can be converted to analog or pots line using a channel bank. Your T1 can also be configure as loop start line, fax line, modem line, credit card line, opx line (off premise line), analog did line (direct inward dial), ground start line, etc. You have the options to convert your T1 to a PRI as well. T1 can also be configured as Point-to-Point, MPLS, Frame Relay, VOIP. It can also be use to deliver Sip Trunks with guarantee QoS (Quality of Service). All these options can be setup depending on what your channel bank or what your service provider can support.
There you have it, the reason why T1 are so popular. It comes in so many flavors.

Voice Digitization: Analog => Digital

Roxanne Borsellino — Mon, 21 May 2012 21:48:33 GMT

Many of you may know that not all phone lines are the same. Some phone lines are analog and some are digital. So, if I want to make a call to you and I have analog lines and you have digital lines what happens in between our lines to make communication happen?? In order for an analog signal to be converted to a digital signal Quantization, Sampling, and Coding have to happen.

The first step, Quantization, is changing from continuous in value to discrete in value. Basically you take a range of values a signal could take on and divide this into steps, levels, or even bins. Then if you want to know the value of a signal in an instance of time you look to see what bin, level, or step the signal is at.

Sampling is the next step in this process and is defined as a change from continuous in time to discrete in time. It’s a bit like a clock; you look at the signal to see what the value is at different times. Then you end up with a sequence of number representing where the signal was at each of these times.

The last and final step in the process is the Coding step. You have to somehow take the raw output from the Quantization and Sampling, and code the values of the samples into 1s and 0s. What you now end up with is a stream of 1s and 0s transmitted through the telephone switch as a digital signal.

Using the 'Conference' Feature on an NEC DSX

Rene Ramos — Mon, 21 May 2012 20:34:47 GMT

To set up a telephone meeting:

1. Place or answer your first call (Intercom or outside caller) + Press CONF.

2. Place or answer your next call (Intercom or outside caller) + Press CONF.

3. Press CONF again to set up the Conference.

– Repeat step 2 to add additional callers to your Conference.

– If you hear an error tone after trying to add another party, your Conference is full.

– To place a Conference on Hold, press HOLD. To reinstate the Conference, press CONF.

– If you Conference with two outside callers, you may be able to hang up and have them continue

their conversation in an Unsupervised Conference.

--YOU CAN HAVE UP TO 8 PARTIES IN A CONFERENCE, INCLUDING YOURSELF

Ambitions and Opportunity for Information Technology

Kim Mottu — Mon, 21 May 2012 18:17:23 GMT

Ambitions and Opportunity for Information Technology have never been higher. Executives place demanding burdens for Information Technology support of business procedures; and they see still a larger role for Information Technology in an aggressive atmosphere increasingly stunned by technological advancements. Based on a growing trend and looking ahead, most executives anticipate Information Technology to create new platforms to support improvement and expansion, help direct policy with data and advanced problem solving techniques, and stay on top of fresh functions for mobile devices. For IT leaders, the good news is that along with these higher prospects, most executives show a greater motivation to spend more on Information Technology.

ADTRAN NetVanta 3120

Brandon Dunn — Mon, 21 May 2012 14:53:13 GMT

The 3120 is a Fixed-port Access Router that is designed for enterprise-level Internet access for secure, high-speed, corporate connectivity or IP telephony use. It is offered by ADTRAN through their NetVanta series. It is used with broadband access such as DSL or cable, and includes one Ethernet WAN port and an integrated four-port Ethernet switch. The 3120 also offers a built-in firewall for network security, QOS, DHCP to assign IP addresses, Network Address Translation to conceal private addresses and IPSec VPN.

The NetVanta series of Fixed-port Access Routers offers cost-effective IP routing solutions for business class broadband networks. Based on the ADTRAN Operating System, or AOS, this family of routers offers a wide variety of features set with functionality and addresses the growing need for secure access to corporate information over the Internet.

The 3120 is among today's most advanced ADSL technologies for applications taking advantage of its extending reach and higher bandwidth (up to 25 Mbps). This series is perfect for businesses that are small to medium in size, no matter if they are bundled with a carrier service or employee deployed. The NetVanata 3120 deliver secure, high-speed corporate connectivity. These routers are also designed for remote offices, telecommuters and mobile users to take advantage of. The small, secure routers ensure your remote employees can work without the security concerns normally associated with shared networks.

The 3120 series also offers the best of both worlds by supplying an Ethernet or ADSL WAN interface, four-port fully managed switch and an analog port for a disaster recovery scheme (or dial-in for remote management). NetVanata products are full featured and cost efficient alternatives perfect for secure Internet access or high-speed corporate connectivity using broadband access like DSL or cable. If you want to know more about this product or any of ADTRAN's NetVanta products, please visit our website at www.bcs-ip.com or call us at 512-257-1433.

Plenum Cable

Brandon Dunn — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:15:03 GMT

When running cables to install any telephone or networking system, there is often two main types of cable to consider: regular and plenum. Plenum cable is a type of cable that is ran in the plenum spaces of a building or work space. What is a plenum space you ask?

A plenum space is any part of a building that can facilitate air circulation for heating and air conditioning, by providing pathways for both heated/conditioned and return airflows. Examples of these areas include the space between the structural ceiling and dropped ceiling or under a raised floor. The main purpose of these areas is to house the communication cables for the buildings computer and telephone network.

Plastics used to construct plenum cable are regulated under the National Fire Protection Association. All materials for use on wire and cables to be placed in plenum spaces are designed to meet rigorous fire safety standards. All plenum cable is covered with a fire-retardant plastic jacket of either low-smoke PVC or a FE polymer. Recently there have been some concerns about lingering toxicity due to the types of compounds used and the threat of fires in plenum spaces. Since 2007, there have been programs developed specifically targeted at addressing these concerns.

Plenum-rated cables are often restricted to only allow certain chemicals for manufacture of the wire insulation and sheath. Because of this, plenum cable has reduced flexibility making it stiff and harder to bend as compared to other types of cable. the bend radius can be increased and tight bends can potentially crack or tear the insulation and sheathing.

You have many options when it comes to cabling, and certain spaces or situations may call for certain types of cabling. If you have any questions or concerns as it pertains to cabling in your building or work space, please contact Business Communication Solutions at 512-257-1433 or on the web at www.bcs-ip.com.

Music On Hold (MOH)

Huy Pham — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:40:50 GMT

Music on Hold (MOH) plays music to calls on hold, parked calls, and transferred calls. The music lets the caller know that their call is waiting, not forgotten. Without Music on Hold, the system provides silence to these types of calls. Music on Hold is available from one of eight sources: two internal beep tones, two audio input minijacks, and one of four PGDAD Module audio ports. The source you choose in turn connects to a customer-provided external music source.

Static IP Address

Rene Ramos — Fri, 18 May 2012 13:22:57 GMT

Static IP addressing is for one customer on one IP address and Dynamic IP addressing assigns a different IP address each time the ISP customer logs on to their computer, but this is dependent upon the Internet Service Provider (ISP) because some ISP's only change the IP address as they deem it necessary.

If you feel the need to always know what your IP address is then you need a Static IP address, because it is constant. Static IP addresses are more reliable for Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP), more reliable to host a gaming website or to play X-Box, Play Station, use Virtual Private Network for secure access to files from your company network computer, etc. Static IP addresses are also great if you use your computer as a server, as it should give your file server faster file uploads and downloads. Another plus with Static IP's, when hosting a website you are not sharing your IP with another company who sends out a lot of E-mail SPAM and not only has their website been shut down but in turn gets your IP address blacklisted.

In contrast a static IP address can become a security risk, because the address is always the same. Static IP's are easier to track for data mining companies. Static IP addressing is less cost effective than Dynamic IP Addressing.

Cat6 Vs. Cat6a

Roxanne Borsellino — Thu, 17 May 2012 21:44:56 GMT

Just recently BCS had a customer request a quote for Cat6 and Cat6a cable. I didn’t even know Cat6a was available, and I just assumed it was cat6e. Big mistake. So in order to make this a learning experience, as well as make sure I didn’t make the same mistake again I started to do some research on the difference between Cat6 and Cat6a cable.

Cat6a is the newest type of cabling you can run for your network, it is an improved version of Cat6, and also offers overall better performance. Cat6a can achieve speeds of 10Gbps and about 500Mhz versus Cat6 that can only process 1Gbps and 250 Mhz. Cat6A is also much better at protecting against crosstalk.

Some factors to consider when deciding between Cat6 and Cat 6a would first and foremost be the cost. Get ready to pay about twice the price for the Cat6a cable as well as all of the materials you will need for your cabling job. Additionally most switches can only process up to 1Gbps, so you are topped out on your speed at it is.

So the real question is should I upgrade now? Probably not since a 10Gbps connection won’t be the standard for a good 5-10 years.

Why Do I have a PARK Key on my Phone?

Rene Ramos — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:52:26 GMT

Park keys are used when a company has more lines on their telephone system than they have buttons on their phones.

Normally, if every incoming line has a button associated with it, you can simply put the caller on HOLD and then go to any other office phone, press the line button and retrieve the call.

When you have multiple lines on a single line key and you put a caller on HOLD, the HOLD feature is exclusive to that phone.

So, how can you reteive that call on another phone? PARK it!

Here's how it works: Every phone will have 2 to 3 line buttons and 2 to 3 park buttons. This allows for mulltiple calls/parks. Once you have pressed the PARK key, the call will be sent to a PARKING SPACE and wait until it is retieved (e.g. Park 1 button will light up). At this point, every phone will have a lit up button with the call parked. Simply press the Park 1 button and continue your conversation. You can park again and again if needed...

Auto Attendant

Huy Pham — Thu, 17 May 2012 19:31:18 GMT

Auto attendant is a term commonly used in telephony to describe a voice menu system that allows callers to be transferred to an extension without going through a telephone operator or receptionist. The auto-attendant is also known as a digital receptionist. For a caller to find a user on a phone system, a dial by name directory is usually available. This feature lists users by name, allowing the caller to press a key to automatically ring the extension of a user once his or her extension is announced by the auto attendant. If a user is not available the auto-attendant directs callers to the appropriate voice mailbox of the user to leave a voicemail message. Having an auto attendant in a phone system is a very useful and cost-effective feature for a business, as it replaces and helps the human operator by automating and simplifying the incoming phone calls procedure.