Beginner's Guide to Business Communications

Companies that Office Fax Broadcasting

2006-08-10T19:08:58Z

If you have decided to go with a fax broadcasting service, you will have plenty of company. Many people prefer this method because it frees up their time to handle more important matters. Marketing departments use fax services especially. This way they can spend more of their time doing other marketing pursuits. Here are some companies that offer faxing services. You may find one that you may like:

• Protus: Protus offers fax broadcasting services. They are a web-based internet fax service that allows you to send a single or multiple faxes. You have the choice. Just let them know. You will have the choice of receiving or sending your fax from and to your email account, Web account, or the broadcast staff. To learn more about Protus http://www.protus.com/index.asp?pg=15.
• Broadfax.com: BroadFx Media is a leading provider of e-document products and services. They have over 15 years experience in the field and know what it takes to deliver faxes properly. You can have them do the faxing, or you can buy their fax software and do the faxing yourself. To learn more about them just go to http://www.broadfax.com/.
• Dataoncall: Data On Call has a service where you can do a fax broadcast for only six cents a page. If you never used the service before, when you sign up you will be given the first 500 pages free. A great bargain to say the least. If you need to send out a marketing message to a number of clients, they can do it for you. Just stop over at http://www.dataoncall.com/fax-broadcast/index.jsp and check them out.

FOIP and Emailed Faxes Overview

2006-08-10T19:10:10Z

Working in a business means you have paperwork to deal with each day. You also have to communicate to many people on a regular basis through the day or week. Many times you are involved in sending documents to people in other departments or in other branches for approval to accomplish a certain task. In times like this you may need to use your fax machine to send your documents. This way you know you are getting the documents to the right party at the time necessary. The only problem with this method is it ties up your fax machine. This is especially true if you have to send more than a one page document or send a series of documents to more than one person. This could be time confusing. Instead of doing this you would use FOIP (Fax over IP). Basically what you are doing is sending a fax over the Internet. There are two ways this can be done:

• Realtime: This is accomplished by sending a fax over many different protocols like VoIP (Voice over IP), SIP (Session Intitation protocol), and many others. You would need an uncompressed 64 Kilobyte codec (a device that converts analog into digital format), in order to get it to work. Obviously this means that special applications would need to be installed on your computer to do this.
• Store and forward: For this to work you would simply have a program to decode the document, store it, and fax it to whom you want the fax to go. This would be the easiest and simplest method to use.

What is FoIP (Fax over IP) and how does it Work?

2006-08-10T19:11:29Z

If you ever sent a fax by email using a fax software package you may not realize it but you were using FoIP (Fax over Internet Protocol). Why? Because anytime you use email the message is being delivered by way if the IP part of your browser's TCP/IP protocol. In short, FoIP is a technology that allows faxes to be sent by way of the Internet, using fax machines. The fax machine is set up to receive a packet of information over the network.

When the fax is transmitted over the Internet, the information is converted to digital format, and stored as a series of packets (a packet is a little bit of information with a header and footer attached to it that any network device can read). This method requires less bandwidth therefore is more practical to business people who have to be concerned about bandwidth.

FoIP and Emailed Faxes Applications

2006-08-10T19:11:52Z

When working with FoIP, there are usually two approaches to it: real-time and store-and-forward. The primary difference between the two is the delivery and method of receipt confirmation. Using FoIP has many cost advantages to it. For one thing the cost factor is reduced because you are transmitting the information in analog format using 64 kbps of bandwidth. And this occurs in both directions not just one. The information is first converted from a digital format on the computer. The software used then transmits this signal as analog over the phone lines, to a receiving station that converts it back to digital to be viewed. However, if the line used is already digital, then no conversion is necessary except to split the signal into packets and add the header and footer, so the network device will know when the packet begins and ends. This signal is then transferred by way of a terminal to a FoIP Gateway where it is transmitted to another FoIP Gateway to the receiving terminal.

How a FoIP System Works

2006-08-10T19:12:10Z

FoIP occurs in five phases. Each phase as to the next phase until the end result is accomplished: a completed fax. These five phases include:

• Call establishment: The person who wishes to send the fax, does it either manually, or has it set up to do so automatically. If the person does it manually, he has to set up the software so it dials the fax number. Then the call is placed. When a connection is established, the receiving fax machine returns a signal referred to as a CallEd station Identification (CED). This is the high-pitched tone you hear through your speaker. By hearing this tone, you will know if your connection was made. If you don't hear this tone, you may hear a busy signal or a regular dial tone. If this happens the receiving fax machine may not be engaged.
• Control exchange: After a connection is made the software communicates with the receiving machine to determine what speed to send the fax, and whether or not the line is clear to send the fax. If all is a go, the software takes the document you created, converts it to be read by the fax machine software.
• Information transfer: After the document has been converted over, the software now sends the page or pages over the network to the receiving fax machine.
• End-of-page warning: Besides sending the documents to the receiving fax, a special signal is also sent to the receiving fax when no more documents are in the queue to be sent. This is known as an end-of-page warning or signal. If there are multiple pages to go through, this signal is not sent; instead it sends a signal to let the receiving fax machine know that more pages are coming. This is known as a multipage signal (MPS). The receiving machine sends a signal or message confirmation signal (MCF) to let the sending software know to continue sending more documents.
• Call release: It is at this stage that the call has been completed. When all documents have been faxed over, the sending software sends a disconnect message (DCN) to let the receiving machine know to end the call. At this point the receiving machine hangs up and the call ends.

Disadvantages to using FoIP and Emailed Faxes

2006-08-10T19:12:33Z

Every software program has its advantages and disadvantages. This happens no matter what program it is and how it is used. This is no different for FoIP and emailed faxes. The major issues for FoIP are:

• Timing: Timing is a major problem for FoIP. This is because when faxes are sent over the Internet or network, sometimes the relayed packets are delayed and bottlenecks can occur. This can cause the signal be either delayed and the call drop, or the information coming through the receiving machine could be garbled or misfed. In other words, instead of getting page one first, the receiving machine could get page two followed by page three, with page one following. The sending software has to be programmed to allow for this and adjust the sending of the packets when the network congestion appears.
• Jitter: This occurs when many packets are sent in a variable sequence instead of sending them one after another. Another way to explain this is if 10 packets were sent by the sending software, if the software program was not set up to handle communication problems on the network, those ten packets would be sent randomly instead of in a serial format. To avoid this a timing setting or function would have to be set up in the software to hold sending the packets until such a signal is received, informing the software to send the next packet.
• Lost packets: If the network has severe congestion or network relay problems, a packet could eventually drop. This would mean a bit of information would not make it to the receiving machine. To avoid this from happening, fax software can be programmed to repeat the last packet sent so it goes through. When the receiving machine receives one packet but there is a long delay in getting the next packet or signal that lets the machine know more is coming, that machine could send a request for the next packet to be sent back. This way the software would know the packet was dropped and would resend it.

Overall, although there are some concerns with using FoIP and email faxes, the technology used is always being updated and improved upon. The main result of using FoIP is a cost savings to both parties involved because of lower bandwidth usage.

Getting Started in Direct Mail Overview

2006-08-10T19:14:31Z

If you run a large company you probably have a marketing department that handles all your promotions. However, if you are a small company of less than 100 employees, you probably don't have a marketing department. In this case, you either hire someone to do it for you or you try to accomplish the task yourself. If you have to deal with it yourself, you will need to get started in direct mail and learn how it is done. Otherwise, your business won't get the necessary exposure you need to attract the customers you want. So what is involved in getting started in direct mail? Well let's consider some facts regarding direct mail and starting a campaign:

• Time involvement: Timing will depend on what you are promoting and how much time you have to devote to it. What are you promoting? Is it something everyone could use? If so, what type of promotion are you going to work with? Are you going to use flyers, or postcards? Are you going to use inserts to place in newspapers? Are you going to create the design of the piece yourself or hire someone to do the design part?
• Immediate start: Is it reasonable to start a program of promotion right away, or is a time frame needed? Well most successful business owners do not wait for the right time; they just go out and create the business by being proactive. They evaluate all aspects of promotion, including direct mail pieces and decide on which way to go. They then design the piece and place it in locations for all to see.
• Hiring companies: If you rather hire a direct marketing company to do the work for you, there are certain rules and requirements you must follow. You must know your budget and look for a company that can work within your budget and provide exactly what you are looking for.

What is Direct Mail?

2006-08-10T19:15:24Z

Before you get started in direct mail, especially if you never did it before is to learn what direct mail is. Direct mail is a cost-effective way to reach your customers. This is the way to let your customers know about you, where your business is located, and what products or services you provide. When you are working with direct mail you will find that is allows you to:

• Promote: With direct mail you can promote your business to your customers and let them know about your new product or service.
• Sales: Direct mail helps you generate sales, because you just send out direct mail to your customers, inviting them into the store. This way by getting more people in the store, you can produce more sales.
• Traffic: Direct mail will also drive traffic to your store and/or Website. This is true if you advertise your Website on your direct mail pieces.
• Brand recognition: By doing direct mail, you are putting your product or service in the eyes of your customers. This way your customers will start thinking about your product and it will eventually lead them to investigate. This in turn will lead them in your store.

Remember one thing about direct mail. If done correctly, it should address the interests and needs of the consumer. If it does, consumers who read your direct mail will take notice and stop by to check out your store.

What Does It Take to Get Started in Direct Mail?

2006-08-10T19:15:44Z

If you haven't done direct mail advertising, you may wish to think about doing it now. Direct mail allows you to target those consumers who you know will respond to your advertisements and either come to your store or visit your Website. It is even more effective if you personalize each mailing. The one good thing about direct mail is it is the cheapest route to go when promoting your products. This is because you decide how many pieces to send out and who gets them.

If you are not sure how to approach direct mail, since you maybe new to the concept, it would be better for you to consider taking these steps:

• Start small: You don't have to be a big time spender. You can start small and work your way up the ladder. Work a small campaign first to see if it is feasible. If it is then you can go forward.
• Mailing lists: After you have made your decision to start, go after a list broker. Find a company that has legitimate lists that you can rent or buy. Or if the broker will do it for you, then you just need to feed the broker the description of your product or service, your sales goals, and target audience you want to reach.
• List testing: When you get your list that you want to target, you send out a sample to test with. You want to see if you will get any bites or not. If you will, you've got it made. If you have at least a 2 to 3% conversion rate, you are doing well.
• Quantifying results: Of course, when you send out any mailing you, you want to measure the effectiveness of your ad. The easy market for this would be the amount of direct mail responses you get back, or the phone calls you receive over the direct mail piece, or whatever action you requested from the direct mail piece.

How to Get Started in Direct Mail

2006-08-10T19:16:06Z

You've done your homework and you know your product inside and out and have developed a great marketing piece to use for your campaign. You even secured the services of a list broker. How you do get started in direct mail once everything else is set up. Here are some pointers for you to consider:

• Your target market: Before you start sending out any direct mail piece, you first have to know who your target market is. Who are you going to send your pieces out to? You don't want to send direct mail out to car dealers with you are a plumber. You must know who your target market is.
• Database: It is really important that you use a good database system that is up to date on the latest information. You want to make sure everyone in your database is current and does exist.
• List size matters: List size matters. If you have a small amount of names on your list, you won't get many responses. According to the industry, 5,000 pieces is a good number to start with. If you want to go higher than this you can try. The more you send out the better your response rate will be.
• Timing: The old saying in marketing is that timing is everything. In a way this is true, because if you try to market a sale you are having for Christmas items in November, you may be late with it. For Christmas, you should send out your direct mail pieces by September at the latest. This way each consumer can get the direct mail and have time to react to it before Christmas comes.
• Keep message simple: When you make up your marketing message, it is best to keep it simple. In many cases, when someone gets a direct mail piece, he/she will take one second to look at it and toss it away. So your message has to be simply written but also eye catching so the consumer doesn't toss it aside but reads on to learn more.
• Right direct mail format: One of the important parts of direct mail is deciding on which direct mail piece to deliver. You can use postcards, letters, packages, or maybe a combination of all three.
• Response mechanism: When you send out your direct mail piece, make sure to give the consumer a choice as to how to respond. What way will they respond to your direct mail piece? Are you going to request them to bring the piece in the store with them as proof so the consumer can get a discount? Or do they make a phone call mentioning a certain code placed on the piece? Or are you going to supply a business reply card or have them go to your Website? Whatever it may is you use, you have to give the consumer a way to respond with a call to action.

Global System of Global Communications (GSM) Overview

2006-10-11T14:21:29Z

If you use a mobile phone or PDA you may not realize it but you use it as a communications tool. Think about it. When you make a call you and you connect to the other party, you are communicating. When you use your PDA you are using a form of communication to get the information you need. What you may not realize is that these communication devices all run under a system referred to as a Global System for Global Communications or as it is now known as Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) today. Over 2 billion people use GSM worldwide in more than 210 countries. If you were to travel somewhere and you see roaming displayed on your cell phone, this is GSM in action. To understand GSM more you just have to know what it entails. GSM works by way of a certain type of architecture. This architecture includes:

• Mobile stations: Mobile stations consist of a mobile unit and a smart card, also referred to in the trade as a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card. This card sits inside the cell phone right under the battery. The SIM gives the user more personal mobility by providing and storing many functions that the user many not normally get or use with a cell phone. The equipment itself is identified by a unique number known as the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI).
• Base stations: The base station is composed of the Base Transceiver Station (BTS) and the Base Station Controller (BSC). Communication is established across the standardized Abis interface. The BTS contains the radio transceiver, which is in reality the cell, and takes care of the radio-link protocols of the station. It is here that signals from and to cell phones are established.
• Network stations: the network station consists of the Mobile Services Switching Center (MSC). This system is what handles all the mobile subscribers including registration, authentication, location of user and cell, and call routing. The MSC in cooperation with the Home Location register (HLR) and the Visitor Location Register (VLR), take care of mobile calls and routing of phone calls.

How is Global Systems for Mobile Communications (GSM) Defined?

2006-10-11T14:22:32Z

If you used your cell phone or PDA before, you know all you have to do is enter in a phone number, hit the send or call button, and in a few seconds you will be connected to another party. This whole process is in fact the result of Global Systems for Mobile Communications (GSM). It used to be called Global Systems of Global Communications years ago, but people in charge of the technology decided a more fitting name for it would be GSM.

GSM is known as the standard communication system in the world for mobile phones. It is used by over 2 billion people and covers over 210 countries. If you ever went somewhere and you saw roaming on the cell phone, GSM was responsible. GSM allows communications to occur between cell phone users no matter where they live in the world. The reason the GSM system is so popular is because it has higher digital voice quality and operates at lower cost. If it wasn't for GSMs low cost features, text messaging would not be possible. Also GSM allows customers to use different vendors without sacrificing the ability to communicate with other people. This way a customer can travel to another country and still use his/her cell phone with no problem.

How Does GSM Work?

2006-10-11T14:23:01Z

Since GSM is connected in a cellular network, mobile phones can connect to the system by way of cells that may be in their area. GSMs usually operate using four radio frequencies: 850 MHZ, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, and 1900 MHz. Also GSMs use four cell sizes: macro, micro, pico, and umbrella. The macro cells are normally referred to as cells that have the base station antenna installed on some kind of mast or on the building somewhere. So if you see an antenna on top of a building, this may be the macro cell. The micro cell is considered the antenna that is installed below the roof. These types are usually found in urban areas. Pico cells are basically found inside buildings. The umbrella cell is used to cover smaller cells and help fill in gaps in coverage where the smaller cells can't reach.

So how does it work? Well when a customer places a call using his/her cell phone, GSM uses a process called circuit switching. This method of communication allows a path to be established between two devices. Once the two devices are connected, a constant stream of digital data is relayed. This allows the receiving end to hear the data being sent before the whole message or data was finished. The advantage to this is there's no wait time.

Advantages of Using GSM Systems

2006-10-11T14:23:26Z

If you have a cell phone you know how easy it is to pick up your cell and make a call. The GSM system allows this to happen. This makes communications around the world possible. You never have to worry about not being able to get in touch with your friends or loved ones again when traveling. A cell phone and GSM makes it easy. Besides this there are other advantages to using GSM:

• No extra costs involved: There aren't any side costs involved other than maintaining the network. There are also no infrastructure establishment costs.
• Low operating costs: Using GSM keeps your operating costs down because GSM uses Short Message Service, which keeps bandwidth and time down.
• Reliability: GSM is a very reliable system. There is hardly any down time unless a severe electrical storm was to damage a transceiver or cell somewhere.
• Global coverage: GSM covers the entire globe. So your chances of using your cell phone to make a call and the call going through are 100% at best. You won't need to worry about that aspect of the service. Just travel with confidence knowing you are only a phone call away from reaching your friends and family. Even if you are in Paris, France while they are in the USA.
• Low power consumption: GSM systems do not use a large amount of power. They rely on so little energy to operate that you can actually you a solar or wind system as backup power and you wouldn't have enough power to operate the system.

How To Use GSM Systems

2006-10-11T14:23:54Z

One of the key features of GSM systems, besides connecting user's cell phones, is by using roaming and Short Message Service (SMS). Both these services give you a lot of functionality because you can reach and communicate with others at anytime of the day or night no matter where you may be. You can travel from one state to another and will always know you can get in touch with someone by either through the SMS system, or by making a phone call. If you try to reach someone by phone and their line is busy, you can get in touch with them by using SMS.

Setting up your phone for roaming is automatic. That is controlled by your SIM card and the GSM system. So you don't need to worry over that one. As for SMS, you just need to set it up on your cell phone. Because each cell phone is different, you may have to refer to your phone's user manual to do it correctly. The basic premise here is to find the menu for SMS. You may find it under Messages or Mail. Once you find it you just enter the number of the SMS Center for Short Messages Services your service provides. Once you do this, follow the instructions on the screen and you'll soon have your SMS system activated.