Category Archives: Telecom News

Are You Ready For IPv6

October 1, 2018High Speed Internet, IT Infrastructure, Telecom Announcements, Telecom Jargon, Telecom NewsIPv6 ReadinessDon Miller

In an earlier blog about 5G, John mentioned that its implementation and widespread adoption would connect more and more “things” to the internet resulting in a whole lot more IP’s being needed. I thought I should follow up on a little information on IPv6 and how to get ready for it.

Your email, internet phone, web surfing, movie streaming and everything else that runs on the internet rely on a networking protocol called IPv4. Simply put, IPv4 provides addresses for internet connected devices so they can find and communicate with each other. The Internet Assigned Numbers Authority (IANA) is the group that hands out these addresses handed out the last pool for North America back in April of 2011. The sky is not falling, there are still big blocks of unused IPs in these pools and ISP’s are recycling unused IPS. But soon or rather than later, IPv4 will not support Internet growth.

What is IPv6?

The next generation of internet addressing is IPV6. It main difference from IPV4 is that instead of just 4.3 billion IP’s, IPv6 allows for trillions of trillions of trillions of addresses. That’s a 3 followed by 38 zeros. It should be plenty for generations of internet users to come.

When will the transition to IPv6 occur? How much longer will IPv4 work?

The transition to IPv6 has already begun but will take many years before it is the predominant internet addressing protocol. In the meantime, there is no countdown to the day when IPv4 addresses will stop working. However, an increasing amount of Internet content and applications will be available only at IPv6 addresses. In order to ensure access to these in the future, consumers should ensure that new equipment and software they purchase is IPv6 ready.

What will it take to move to IPv6?

As mentioned earlier, IPv6 is live now and many of the major internet providers already support IPv6 traffic. Websites are getting IPv6 addresses. On the consumer side, Windows, Mac and Linux Operating systems have supported IPv6 for years. Most mobile phones are compatible now too. Routers and Switches, Modems and other networking device makers are implementing too but because these have long operational lives, they aren’t as far along in deployment. You can check manufacturer websites to see if your network devices are compatible. When you are ready to upgrade your IT hardware, compatibility with IPv6 should be a must have.

Here are a couple of links to sites that will give you more information on your current IPV6 status.

Test-IPv6.com will check to see if your ISP is able to access IPv6 addressed websites.
http://ipv6-test.com/validate.php checks if a webserver is running IPv6

What if I decide to stick with IPv4?

At the moment there is little to no pressure to upgrade. Although currently available, IPv6 is a long way from majority acceptance and implementation. IPv4 will work for years to come. The push to IPv6 addressing will probably focus on new technology, the Internet of Things. Due to the limited number of IPv4 addresses remaining for assignment, some new websites and services may only get IPv6 addresses and will not be accessible over IPv4 but they will be few and far between. Even though you may not be converting over anytime soon, you should still make sure that any new IT purchases will support IPv6, just in case.

Teledata Select offers a whole range of services that will help you meet your business goals. Starting with a complimentary review of your current telecommunication bills to identify errors and find opportunities for savings, better service and more functionality. We also offer project management for new service implementation and infrastructure installs, including fiber and low voltage cabling. Call us at 404-257-1502 to discuss your current Telecom Service Solution and what you would like to get out of it. Or send us a note via This Link to start a no obligation discussion of your specific business technology needs.

Don Miller is a PMP certified Project Manager located in Charlotte, NC. He has come to Teledata Select via Seattle, New York and Washington DC. His experience running small to multi-million dollar projects in the Banking, Software, Telecommunications and Insurance Industries across the US has given him a wide range of business experience.

Looking back on Technology

December 6, 2017Telecom News, Teledata News, Your Single Source Solution2017 tech Review, Tech AdvancesJohn Hagan

While walking the aisles of Best Buy the other day, I got to thinking about how far technology has come in my life time. It is said that the cell phone in your pocket has 1000’s of times more computing power than the computer that got the Apollo 11 to the moon and back. I thought it would be fun to see how much 2017 technology used by us consumers has changed over the years.

Computers:

Dual Floppy Disk Drives were how we shared information before the internet and computer viruses. At 1.44 megabytes, they wouldn’t come close to being able to store a single picture from your phone, a single MP3 song or the average Kindle Book.

Phones:

When a phone was just a phone but one of the coolest things you thought you would ever see.

Cable TV:

Unless you count a younger sibling that you could order around, the first cable box didn’t have a remote and needed a clear channel 2 or 3 to work on.

Video Rental:

Remember “Be Kind, Rewind”?

Video Gaming:

It would be an interesting test to see how long the original game of pong would keep a gamer’s attention today…..

Watches:

Its amazing how a smart watch went from Nerd to Hip!

Sure, I still don’t have flying car in my garage but we definitely have come a long way in a very short time. The really impressive thing about these advancements is that with all of these giant step advancements, the prices continues to fall making them available to wider and wider audiences. This pushes demand for more and more technology that makes people’s lives better and look forward to using.

We look forward to updating this post next year to see how the photos above will change and what photos we use that we can’t even imagine now. Have a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous 2018.

John Hagan is President of TeleData Select, a Telecommunications Consultant located in Atlanta, Ga serving customers throughout the US and overseas. His company provides business solutions for voice, data, mobile and cloud solutions for both large and small businesses. Contact John or their team for a complimentary telecom audit to make sure you’re getting the best value for communication services. The savings you receive could offset the cost of purchasing a new Hosted or Premise VoIP phone system.

Cisco’s Broadsoft Acquistion. Good for the customers?

October 25, 2017Cloud Phone Service, Hosted Cloud Phone Service VoIP, Telecom Announcements, Telecom News, VoIP Hosted Phone SystemsHosted VoIPJohn Hagan

Internet Hardware manufacturer Cisco just announced that they are buying BroadSoft, the technology innovator in cloud PBX, hosted VoIP, unified communications, and contact center solutions for businesses and service providers across 80 countries. The deal, worth $1.9 billion is expected to close in the first quarter of 2018.

This deal is expected to allow Cisco to further diversify away from its stagnating switch and router business. It would also give Cisco a stronger foothold in selling unified communications software to big telecom firms.

As for Broadsoft, my first reaction is this could be a good thing for their customer base. Cisco has deep pockets to invest in Broadsoft’s software offering. Of course time will tell how the transition goes, but it is in Cisco’s best interest to keep Broadsoft’s over 500 service providers worldwide supporting millions of subscribers.

I Thought You’d Never Ask – What is Omni-Channel Marketing?

October 17, 2017Telecom Jargon, Telecom NewsOmni-ChannelDon Miller

Omni-Channel is a marketing strategy describing cross-channel communication tools that companies use to improve their customer’s experience. It includes channels such as physical locations, FAQ webpages, social media, live web chats, mobile applications and telephone communication. The approach has applications in Healthcare, Government, Financial Services, Retail and Telecommunications Industries. Proponents of the model contend that a customer values the ability to be in constant contact with a company through multiple avenues at the same time.

Teledata Select offers a whole range of services that will help you meet your business goals. Starting with a complimentary review of your current telecommunication bills to identify errors and find opportunities for savings, better service and more functionality. We also offer project management for new service implementation and infrastructure installs, including fiber and low voltage cabling. Call us at 404-257-1502 to discuss your current Telecom Service Solution and what you would like to get out of it. Or send us a note via Contact us to start a no obligation discussion of your specific business technology needs.

Don Miller is a PMP certified Project Manager located in Greenville, SC. He has come to Teledata Select via Seattle, New York and Washington DC. His experience running small to multi-million dollar projects in the Banking, Software, Telecommunications and Insurance Industries across the US has given him a wide range of business experience.

We are at the Channel Partners Evolution Conference

September 24, 2017Cloud Phone Service, High Speed Internet, Hosted Cloud Phone Service VoIP, Telecom Aggregration, Telecom Expense Audit, Telecom News, Teledata News, VoIP Hosted Phone Systems, Your Single Source SolutionAtlanta Telecom Broker, Channel Partners EvolutionJohn Hagan

Hello from the Great State of Texas, Austin in particular. We are here for the 2017 Channel Partners Evolution Conference. The theme this year is about how solution providers must evolve to meet the changing needs of the end customers. There will be presentations of the latest technology offerings, innovative business strategies, speakers from the industry and more. Agents, VARs, MSPs, integrators and consultants will converge to meet vendors with state-of-the-art services and partner programs, network with peers and take in a new slate of educational programming.

It will be a busy couple of days but don’t doubt that we won’t be taking in some of that famous Texas BBQ that we have been hearing so much about.

Teledata Select offers a whole range of services that will help you meet your business goals. Starting with a complimentary review of your current telecommunication bills to identify errors and find opportunities for savings, better service and more functionality. We also offer project management for new service implementation and infrastructure installs, including fiber and low voltage cabling. Call us at 404-257-1502 to discuss your current Telecom Service Solution and what you would like to get out of it. Or send us a note via Contact us to start a no obligation discussion of your specific business technology needs.

Hurricane Preparedness – Ideas for You

September 7, 2017Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery, Telecom Blog, Telecom NewsHurricane Irma PreparednessDon Miller

We are based out of Atlanta Ga and watching the tracking maps and predictions for Hurricane Irma closely. We are hoping that Irma loses strength by the time it gets here. Even if it does, there will probably still be a lot of rain with whatever we get.

Atlanta doesn’t have as much concrete to block the rain from soaking in as Huston does but the lower parts of town do flood when the rain gets heavy. Instead of worrying about something that may happen, we are preparing for what could happen.

Time is short if you are in the path of Irma, but if you are, here are a few tips that you can do in the few days left until the storm hits.

Plan on the power going out. Make sure you have flashlights for everyone in your group. A headlamp for everyone is a good idea. Consider collar lights for your pets too. LED lights use less power than the old incandescent bulbs. Make sure you stock up on enough of the right batteries. Purchase a few table top lanterns because they light up a whole room better than a flashlight can.

Stock up on non perishable food. Fill up your propane tanks in case you have an electric stove and/or water heater and want a hot meal. Which reminds me, make sure you know where all your shutoff valves are and the tools you’ll need to turn them off and on with. Gas, Electric and Water come to mind.

If you are able to stay in place, fill up all as many jugs and bottles as you can find while you have clean water. To avoid having to stand in line for bottled water, get a water purifier similar to this. Split and mark your water jugs for unclean and post purified clean water. You don’t want to make the mistake of putting clean water into a jug that had dirty water in it earlier.

If you are not a camper, now might be a good time to visit your local camping store or online

shop. What is camping but trying to live comfortably without all the comforts of home, like a roof, clean water and electricity.

If you have to leave your home, everyone else probably does too. You should have enough tents, sleeping bags and air mattresses for everyone in your group in case hotels and shelters fill up.

Next is a camp stove (and plenty of fuel), pots, plates and flatware. I like my Snow Peak LiteMax Stove because it doesn’t take up much room in my bag. Depending on the size of your group and how mobile you have to be, a bigger stove may serve you better.

Make sure you have enough medicines and toiletry items to last you a couple of weeks. If you have an electric toothbrush, you might want to get a manual one in case you can’t recharge. Grab as many individual wet naps as you can. They are magic when water levels don’t allow for showers.

Do you have a radio? In the age of Pandora and Spotify, many don’t. Don’t count on internet access let alone wi-fi.

Get to know your neighbors. Find out where shelters and aid stations are planned to be set up before you need to go to them. Fill your car with gas. Tune to the news and get out if emergency teams tell you to.

I know it is a little late for this information and probably not expected from a Telecom Broker your safety is more important than your bandwidth.

I am not a spokesman for REI, they were just my go to store for outdoor gear when I lived in Seattle.

Good Luck!!!

Teledata Select offers a whole range of services that will help you meet your business goals. Starting with a complimentary review of your current telecommunication bills to identify errors and find opportunities for savings, better service and more functionality. We also offer project management for new service implementation and infrastructure installs, including fiber and low voltage cabling. Call us at 404-257-1502 to discuss your current Telecom Service Solution and what you would like to get out of it. Or send us a note via Contact us to start a no obligation discussion of your specific business technology needs.

Getting to Know The Birch Fusion Merger

September 5, 2017Telecom News, Your Single Source SolutionBirch, Fusion, Telecom MergerDon Miller

NEW YORK, NY — August 28, 2017 — Fusion (NASDAQ: FSNN), a leading cloud services provider, announced today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the Cloud and Business Services customers, operations and infrastructure of privately-held Birch Communications, which represents the majority of Birch’s current revenues. The transaction is expected to close by the end of 2017, subject to customary approvals and closing conditions.

Another Telecom Services Merger was announced last week. This time, it is two major players in the Cloud Services space. If you are a current or prospective customer of either, should you be concerned?

At the moment, No. It is still early. Usually, at this stage in a merger, there aren’t even any plans in place to merge operations. Many times, the merging companies continue to run as separate entities long after the merger completes. But that doesn’t mean, you shouldn’t start paying attention.

Some things to ask about are if there will be changes to Customer Service, available features, pricing and/or contracts. Have you made any contacts with employees that may not be there when the merger is done? That is a lot of information to seek out. This would be a good point for you to contact your Telecom Broker. They should be tracking the merger effort and subsequent impacts to the customer base and have the latest news outside of what the PR Department puts out.

Teledata Select offers a whole range of services that will help you meet your business goals. Starting with a complimentary review of your current telecommunication bills to identify errors and find opportunities for savings, better service and more functionality. We also offer project management for new service implementation and infrastructure installs, including fiber and low voltage cabling. Call us at 404-257-1502 to discuss your current Telecom Service Solution and what you would like to get out of it. Or send us a note via Contact us to start a no obligation discussion of your specific business technology needs.

Don Miller is a PMP certified Project Manager located in Greenville, SC. He has come to Teledata Select via Seattle, New York and Washington DC. His experience running small to multi-million dollar projects in the Banking, Software, Telecommunications and Insurance Industries across the US has given him a wide range of business experience.

Georgia Relay – Supporting Communication for the Communication Impaired

July 17, 2017Telecom Announcements, Telecom News, Teledata NewsCaptel, Captioned Telephone Service, Dial 711, Georgia RelayDon Miller

Teledata Select is spreading the word about the Georgia Replay Project.

Georgia Relay is a FREE public service provided by the State of Georgia to make communicating by telephone easy, accessible and reliable for everyone, including people who are deaf, hard of hearing, deaf-blind or have difficulty speaking.

For more information, Contact Georgia Relay

Teledata Select offers a whole range of services that will help you meet your business goals. Starting with a complimentary review of your current telecommunication bills to identify errors and find opportunities for savings, better service and more functionality. We also offer project management for new service implementation and infrastructure installs, including fiber and low voltage cabling. Contact us for a detailed discussion of your specific business technology needs.

Announcement: TeleData Select Partners with Nexmo

June 27, 2017Telecom News, Teledata News, Your Single Source SolutionNexmo, security, Small Business IT, Small Business Solutions, Telecom Broker, Telecom Consultant, Telecom Service Consultant, VonageDon Miller

Teledata Select is excited to announce that we have partnered with Vonage to offer their Nexmo service. Nexmo provides cloud based communication application program interfaces (API) to let other people and businesses integrate various forms of personalized communications, such as messaging, into their own applications.

Nexmo services are used by Uber, AirBnB, Alibaba, Snapchat, Expedia, KLM and others to provide:

Alert notifications
Realtime Chat via an App or webpage
Two-factor authentication
Mobile coupons and marketing promotions

Nexmo is a low cost solution that can help you add that extra layer of customer service and interaction that might just be the next step for your company. Contact Us to get more information on what value Nexmo can add to you business.

Teledata Select offers a whole range of services that will help you meet your business goals. Starting with a complimentary review of your current telecommunication bills to find opportunities for savings. better service and more functionality. We also offer project management for new service implementation and infrastructure installs, including fiber and low voltage cabling. Contact us for a detailed discussion of your specific business technology needs.

SD-WAN, The right solution for you?

April 30, 2017Cloud Phone Service, Hosted Cloud Phone Service VoIP, Telecom News, Teledata NewsSD-WAN, SD-WAN Benefits, software-defined WAN benefitsDon Miller

We are back from the 2017 Channel Partner Expo and Conference in Las Vegas. Lots of buzz about SD-WAN (Software Defined, Wide Area Networks) and how SD-Wan can effectively replace traditional MPLS networks. Our experience with traditional network solutions is that they can be complex to manage, generally don’t scale quickly and are not always the best value. But we have to work with what’s available. Now there is another option, SD-WAN technology is a rapidly maturing technology that is garnering vendor support from major companies like Cisco, Riverbed and SilverPeak.

A few highlight of how SD-WAN can be a good fit.

Seamless Failover – SD-WAN can combine 2 or more internet links to create enhanced bandwidth capacity for one or more locations.
Rapid Deployment – As a company grows, SD-WAN can be deployed rapidly without the longer install time line typical with MPLS.
Lower location costs – By using cloud based network management software, managing networks over multiple locations is much easier.
QOS over any network or internet connection – SD-WAN makes it possible to increase performance for mission critical applications like voice and video traffic.
Centralized WAN Management – SD-WAN uses cloud based network management software simplifying network management over multiple locations much easier.
Firewall & Router – One device can replace a firewall and router.
Cloud VPN – Network traffic can be encrypted from the branch site to the headquarters over the public internet.

Based on what we are seeing with the technology, SD-WAN is something worth considering. Especially if you are currently using an MPLS network design. Contact us to discuss how SD-WAN may meet your telecommunication needs.

TeleData Select is an independent Telecom Broker founded in Atlanta, GA in 2006 with a single concept in mind: finding the Right Provider, Right Solution and Right Price for our customers — regardless of the telecom communication carrier. As technology changes, our team keeps up with the latest telecom options and service providers so we can truly be an agnostic resource that customers can count on for unbiased advice.

Polycom’s RealPresence Trio Speakerphone

April 25, 2017Cloud Phone Service, Hosted Cloud Phone Service VoIP, Telecom Blog, Telecom News, Teledata News, VoIP Hosted Phone SystemsPolycom, Realpresence Trio, Speakerphone, teleconferenceJohn Hagan

I had the pleasure to attend a Conference late last year and got a chance to hear one of the founders of Polycom speak. Polycom started in 1990 with a vision of transforming the simple speaker phone into an indispensable business tool. Since then, they have become a global leader in video, voice and content collaboration solutions for industries and enterprises of all types and sizes. You have seen the distinctive space ship styled speakerphone in a Conference Room, more than likely it was Polycom.

This speakerphone is a smart hub for group collaboration that takes the basic three point Conference room phone and integrates it with voice, video and content sharing for large or small businesses.

The phone is simple to use, sleek and sounds great. It has a very cool 5-inch color touch screen and intuitive navigation menu making it very simple. I recently won one of these these cool phones at this years 2017 Channel Partner Expo in Las Vegas. CONTACT US if you want to see one up close or have a demo.

In the meantime, click this LINK for the Polycom’s YouTube video demonstrating the RealPresence Trio.

We’re in Las Vegas this week

April 10, 2017Telecom News, Teledata NewsDon Miller

We are at the Channel Partner Conference and Expo in Las Vegas this week. It is a gathering of service providers, manufacturers and resellers. Our goal is to stay up to date on what’s new and what’s coming in the telecom services world. And maybe take in a show or two. If any of you are out here too, contact us. We would love to meet you.