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The Bicom Burger Platter

“Welcome to Bicom Systems, what can I get you?”
“Mmm! Can I get a PBX burger with a side of UC?” Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
🍔
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
🍟

Okay, maybe that doesn’t sound very appetizing. But food is a great analogy to explain how PBX and unified communications works! In a previous blog post, I introduced an idea we call “The Bicom Burger”. Account Manager, Kevin Langford, came up with the tasty analogy and we thought it was time to share.  

Just like there are many fast-food chains, there are many telecommunication companies. Each company sells their own version of PBX and/or other suites of Unified Communications. PBX is a standard burger with two buns and a patty, but each company can make their burger unique.

For example, our product PBXware has two buns and a patty similar to others, but we offer different toppings. In this case, toppings would be features. A common topping you find on a burger is cheese, making it a cheeseburger. A common feature that many providers offer is voicemail.

Now to make things more complicated, the type of cheese you offer (cheddar, mozzarella, pepper jack, etc.) is similar to the way your voicemail differs from the competition. PBXware provides transcriptions of your voicemail messages and a recording clip sent to your email. Meaning, even though your burger has cheese on it, it is not necessarily the same cheese as the competition.

Let’s look at more toppings (features).

Lettuce is a common topping on a burger. In this example, let’s say lettuce means CRM integration. Just like there is a variety of lettuce (Iceberg, Romaine, Looseleaf), there are many options of CRMs on the market. PBXware integrates with some of the most popular CRMs like Salesforce, Sugar, and Zoho. It is important to offer your customers options because some businesses will prefer Iceberg to Romaine.

After you’re done creating your PBX burger, you need to pick a side. What goes best with a burger? Fries. What goes best with a proper PBX system? A unified communications application.

Take your business communications to the next level by integrating your VoIP Telephony Platform with a UC application. A UC application will pack everything you need to successfully collaborate with features like IP Phone integration, Softphone, Messaging, Conferencing, Faxing, File transfer and more! For example, Bicom Systems gloCOM integrates seamlessly with PBXware. As good as a burger is on its own, adding a side of fries will enhance your dining experience.

Want to take your order to go? No problem! Eat work on the move with a UC mobile application. gloCOM’s mobile application, gloCOM GO, is your office in your pocket. It has the same calling functionalities as gloCOM and your PBXware Phone system. You can plan phone calls, control your time and set your availability.

One of the great things about the Bicom Burger Platter is it is completely customizable! You can add as many or as little toppings as you want. Once your burger is complete, Bicom Systems allows you to wrap it in your own branded packaging. Your logo, company colors and more can replace the Bicom brand to ensure your customers do not get confused about whom they are buying from. Check out this post and learn how to use this analogy to earn more profit!

So, what will your burger look like? Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
🍔

My second favorite ‘B’ word after burger, is BOGO.
Bicom Systems is having a Buy One Get One FREE sale on PBXware extensions! Take advantage of this spring sale event here.

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The Idea Behind… Personal Dialer

Just like any great invention, there is a story to be told. Inventions are created as solutions to a problem or challenge someone is facing. For example, Pinocchio’s story started with Mister Geppetto wanting a son. Geppetto couldn’t physically have a child himself, so his solution was to build one. Thanks to the blue fairy, Pinocchio was transformed into a ‘real boy’.

The story behind personal dialer doesn’t have a blue fairy (I wish), but it was invented to solve a problem. The Geppetto, the inventor, and person to thank for Personal Dialer, is Cian Maher.

Cian is the CTO of Intellicom and one of Bicom Systems’ Product Managers. Thanks to him and our developers collaboratively working together, we created this new feature and added it to PBXware version 5.3.   

To better understand the idea behind personal dialer, I sat down Cian. Here is what he had to say!

Q: In a few words, what is Personal Dialer?
A: “Personal Dialer is a unique call-by-call automated service in gloCOM. It allows you to expedite dialing of small/medium lists on a user-by-user basis.”

Q: So, this isn’t a solution for just call centers?
A: “No! A company of any size with a long calling list can benefit from this feature.”

Q: How did you think of this feature?
A:A lot of our customers needed to make multiple outbound calls throughout the day. But they did not have a scenario that warranted a fully automated dialer, or even the technical capabilities to maintain an automated dialer.

Dialing phone numbers is a relatively quick task that can quickly become exhausting. When making manual calls, we were able to identify that users will typically dial around 18 calls per hour. But if there was an automated and easy-to-use/configure option, then users could probably generate 30 calls per hour! This would increase productivity by up to 40%!”

Q: To make it easy to use and configure, what solution did you come up with?
A: “We decided that allowing users to upload a CSV file that contained the names and numbers of the contacts was the easiest solution. Once the list is uploaded, users must hit ‘start’ and the dialing will begin. Agents can pause the dialing at any time to carry out other tasks. Once the list is completed, they are given the option to export the file. The exported CSV file has added information like the date and time of the call and the call status, whether it was answered or not.”

Q: This sounds great and useful! But, will it interfere with other integrations on gloCOM?
A: “Not at all! This function works in conjunction with existing gloCOM features. For example, CRM integration, allowing call automation with CRM call logging.

Q: Awesome! What new features can we expect to see?
A: “We are always cooking up new ideas! But all I can say for now is… stay tuned for PBXware version 6!”

If you want to learn more about Personal Dialer and how it works, take a look at ‘What is Personal Dialer?’. If you’re interested in hearing the benefits it has for employees, check out  ‘5 Benefits of Personal Dialer’ on our blog.

Do you have any questions for Cian or the developers at Bicom Systems? Comment below!

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A PBX Tree Analogy so Good, You WOOD Not Believe It

Our “Bicom Burger” analogy was such a hit I had to check back in with Account Manager Kevin Langford for more!

Who likes to garden? Me? I don’t have much of a green thumb. But imagine planting a tree. You plant the seed, water it and watch it grow from a sapling to a three feet high. Then six feet, then nine feet…The roots are firmly in the ground and you have invested time into watering and caring for this tree. The bigger it gets, the longer the roots will grow. As time goes on, the roots will get so large it will become almost impossible to move the tree. Often, if you do not carefully and correctly move the tree, it will not survive a move.

Now imagine the tree in this analogy is a Free PBX system and the roots are your customers. It is amazing to see your roots customer base expand, but eventually you’ll need to resume growing vertically. It also can be irritating to see your hard work paying off and your company growing, but your PBX system staying the same. It is extreme to say your customers will “die” if you move them, but you may lose them because they don’t want to change, or the transition is difficult.

Let’s be honest. Moving a customer from one PBX interface to another is annoying. You must consider call recordings, voicemails, IVRs, and probably the biggest annoyance, the settings. Ensuring an easy and smooth transition will require extra TLC that some companies aren’t capable of supplying. Announcing a change will give your customers a reason to look elsewhere.

Going back to the gardening example: the time you invested in watering and caring for your tree is paying off in its roots. However, the size of the tree is not growing and no new flowers (features) are blooming. Meaning you have a strong customer base, but nothing else to offer them.  

Our advice? Do it right the first time. A “Free PBX” system can only go so far and do so much. When customers demand more, companies will find their backs against the wall because they have already offered them their “more”. Ultimately, to give your customers more, you will need to re-root (haha garden pun) them to another platform.

Also, Free PBX is not always ‘free’, especially when you add up the hours you waste dealing with it. Investing in a proper system will give you back the time you would have lost using a free PBX. Remember, just because something is free doesn’t mean it is better, especially if you want your company to get bigger.

Bicom Systems PBXware is 100% scalable and flexible to meet the needs of your company. You have the ability to grow up (or down) as easy as the click of a button!  For your tree to get bigger and grow (not just your roots), you need to invest.

Contact our sales team today at sales@bicomsystems.com to get more gardening tips…er I mean more information on PBXware!

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Call me on my ____?

3 Problems with “Free”

First off, is anything really ‘free’ in this world? Chances are, if it doesn’t cost you money now, it will in the long run. Especially if you are trying to grow your business like I know you all are!  Keep reading to hear three problems that come with a ‘Free’ PBX System.  1. Lack of […]

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V6 Coming Soon!

Coming soon to a cloud near you: A project we’ve been working on called Verison 6. It introduces a new product, gloCOM Meeting, and updates for gloCOM, gloCOM GO, and PBXware.  If you attended our 15th Anniversary event in Las Vegas or read our recap, you have heard us mention this new release. To stay […]

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A telecommunications holiday gift guide!

It is the most wonderful time of the year!  This year, avoid those insane shopping centers and make a purchase that will help your business. To help you decide what to get for (that special someone) your business, Bicom Systems has created the perfect Holiday Gift Guide!   1. PBXware It’s beginning to look a […]

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You Might be a Contact Center – But You Don’t Know it Yet


What’s New in Version 6

Back in November we released a teaser about our new project, V6! V6, also known as version 6, is an umbrella of updates to our existing products, including PBXware, gloCOM, and gloCOM GO. We also mentioned a new product called gloCOM Meeting.   All of our products at Bicom Systems connect seamlessly and are designed as […]

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Why a Real MT is in the Cloud

It is the same song and dance we hear all the time. Providers start out with a free PBX solution – or even a paid one that is not a true Multi-Tenant – and dedicate one virtualization machine per customer. Sure this plan is doable and is often cheap, but the problem is a makeshift […]

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Contact Center Features that Improve Productivity – Part 1

How Our Partners Are Making a Difference during the COVID-19 Crisis: Case #2 GTS-Telecom

Last month we were contacted by another partner, Pierre-Francois Kamanou, founder of GTS-Telecom, the first value-added Mobile Operator in both Cameroon and Nigeria and also the President of Cameroon’s Association of Telecom’s Professionals, REPTIC.cm. Before jumping into GTS-Telecom’s story, learn how our Ireland partner, Intellicom, uses our Contact Center solution to help the HSE by […]

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5 Things to Consider When Choosing a Communication Platform for your Business

SMS – Is Here!

Readers, Rome wasn’t built in a day. And we are happy to announce that the wait is finally over, and SMS is here! Before we do a deep dive into this feature and unbox all the ways you can get your hands on it, we need to give some shout-outs.  Big thanks to all of […]

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The Advantages to using SMS

These days, you can find an app for almost anything! I mean almost anything. I still haven’t found one that will do my laundry, but I am sure the developers are working on it.😉 Speaking of apps, unified communication mobile applications are great for staying in contact with your colleagues and clients. Users can work […]

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What’s New in PBXware & gloCOM 6.3

In today’s blog post, we are excited to talk about our new release of PBXware and gloCOM 6.3. We know that learning about new releases (even ones with exciting new features) can sometimes feel like you are reading a press release or an instruction manual.  To keep it light, we will only focus on a […]

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PBXware Now Integrates with Call2Teams

Did you hear the news? Bicom Systems VoIP solution, PBXware now integrates with Microsoft Teams through Call2Teams thanks to Qunifi! Resellers can now offer the option to their customers to enable calls in Microsoft Teams using their existing PBXware phone system. A huge selling point to this integration is that users can still use their […]

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Why Your Customer Service Department Should be Using VoIP

IT Partners 2021 Recap

Back in September, the Bicom Systems team joined FONIA, our exclusive product distributor for France, at IT Partners. It was our third time attending the two-day show, and, as always, it did not disappoint! In fact, IT Partners is the first tradeshow the team has attended since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Keep reading to find […]

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Improving Success through Integration

You probably heard the news already.  Bicom Systems PBXware now integrates with Microsoft Teams through Call2Teams, thanks to our partnership with Qunifi! If you have not heard and are interested in learning more about the integration, look at our recent blog posts on this topic.  We have already shared with you the reasons we chose […]

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