The internet has enabled better integration of all of our
communications technologies. We have begun to see unified message
offerings by various companies that combine email, fax management,
voicemail, text messages, and other technologies into a single
"mailbox".
Many companies pay large sums of money to integration contractors to provide such solutions, but the truth is that this can be done on the cheap by individuals, or small companies. This is possible because many of the services that enable such services provide some of these packages for free, or at very low cost. Of course, if you are in a large company, you need regular support for all of these functions, and your company is willing to pay more for such an offering that affects the outward company image. If you are looking to do this on the cheap, however, here are the services you should consider:
Today, if you choose, you can have the internet as your only connection to the outside, and you can receive television and phone service over the internet. In some cases, the part of the internet used is a dedicated network used by your cable company, or ATTs U-Verse, or Verizon's FiOS to send data for television and voice, but you can get these services over the open internet from other providers, such as Vonage. You can also purchase equipment to provide you with effectively free phone service over the internet (after the equipment purchase), with products like the Ooma Core phone system. |