Melissa Whitten

The most basic hosted IVR plans can cost as little as $20 per user per month. For more advanced cloud-based IVR systems, prices can go up to several hundred dollars per user per month. On-premise IVR systems involve a larger upfront investment, ranging from $5,000 for the most basic setup to $100,000 or more for advanced syst...

Conference bridge calls are like virtual meeting rooms where people can join discussions remotely from any location. Getting everyone on the call may seem challenging, especially when people are joining using different devices and methods, but we’ll show you two easy ways to do it. We also have tips to ensure you have a smooth, productive conference bridge call once everyone’s on board.

Call masking is a communication feature that conceals your actual phone number by displaying a different number during calls.
For instance, a food delivery app uses call masking to allow customers and delivery drivers to communicate without revealing their personal numbers, ensuring privacy for both parties. This enhances bot...

A call path is a dedicated route for a single phone call within a network. It’s what connects your call from start to finish. With traditional phone systems, the number of call paths available to you usually matches the number of users, lines, or extensions your phone service provider has set up for your account.
Moving to a ...

Do Not Call (DNC) scrubbing is the step telemarketers take to cross-reference their call lists with the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) National Do Not Call Registry. This ensures they’re not calling folks who’ve decided they’d rather not get telemarketing calls and keeps them compliant with FTC and state laws.
Honoring the DNC list is crucial because slipping up can be costly. Calling someone on the list can carry a fine of up to $50,120 per call according to federal law, and states could a...

There will be no stories about a trip to Italy to scroll through or a memory about somebody’s grandma before getting to the ingredients of this recipe. The four most common mistakes that businesses make when setting up their network security are as follows:
Weak passwords
Outdated software
Poor training
Unrestricted network access...

Unified Communications (UC) brings together a wide range of communication methods—such as phone calls, video chats, and instant messaging—into a single platform. This integration makes it easier for employees to collaborate with colleagues and reach out to customers while also lowering the costs of business communication.
Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) is a cloud-based version of UC that removes the need for your company to handle installation and IT support—because a UCaaS provi...

In our digital era, seamless communication is essential for operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. But how can you achieve that without completely overhauling your existing tools?
Enter Communication Platform as a Service (CPaaS). This solution melds communication features like voice, text, and video conferencing with e...

Fax machines are fairly straightforward to use, but they do come with some quirks that might make your first encounter a tad bewildering. This goes for both classic fax machine technologies and online fax services.
The latter, modern-day alternative opens up a realm of possibilities in how you send and receive documents, as it doe...

Navigating the online scene of webinars and webcasts can be tricky, especially when you want to choose the right format for your presentation. Both offer unique advantages and limitations according to your specific objectives and audience needs.
The following is an in-depth guide on the differences between webcasts and webinars so...

Recording phone calls used to be a walk in the park on Android—just a few taps in the native phone app and you were good to go. But the Android world has changed a lot. Now, the level of difficulty for recording calls depends on a combination of factors, such as what device you’re using, who your carrier is, and what operating system (OS) or software version you have.
Specifically, the Android OS is typically known for being highly customizable and modifiable enough to accomplish anything wit...

Call center dialers are integral tools of efficient call centers. They automate the dialing process so that agents can connect with more customers in a shorter time span.
The variety of dialer types caters to different call center needs, so getting to know each kind will help you meet your operational demands. They include:
Preview dialers
Power dialers
Progressive dialers
Predictive dialers
Click-to-call dialers
Each type of auto-dialer software serves a unique purpose for a wide range of ca...

In the world of VoIP phone systems, you’ll typically pay around $25 per seat per month. However, prices can vary, ranging from $10 to $40, based on the features included.
These features are often included at $25 per seat:
Auto Attendant: A digital receptionist that automatically greets callers and directs them to the appropriate department or individual, which makes managing calls a more efficient process.
Business Text Messaging: This allows for easy and streamlined text communication betwee...

When it comes to choosing between VoIP and UCaaS, it’s about more than just tech specs. You have to identify the right tool that aligns with your business objectives.
VoIP phone services are a budget-friendly choice for solid voice communication. It modernizes phone systems via the internet, offering better call quality for businesses needing a simple, cost-effective solution.
UCaaS, on the other hand, combines voice, video, messaging, and email into one platform. Though pricier than VoIP, it...

Outbound Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems are transforming business-customer interactions by automating tasks like appointment reminders and payment confirmations. This frees up agents for more complex, high-value tasks, such as closing sales or resolving customer complaints.

And in turn, this streamlines communication and reduces costs by eliminating the manual labor involved in simple, repetitive tasks.
However, while there’s a ton to like about outbound IVR, it’s important to use t...