Gerry Blackwell

Customer relationship management (CRM), that catch-all term for solutions that automate everything from sales to marketing to customer service, used to be the domain of big enterprises with deep pockets and the patience to undertake mammoth implementation projects. Not any more, according to Darius Vaskelis, vice president of CRM at Sakonent Partners LLC, a Chicago-based […]

Technology is great when it solves a business problem. It’s even better when it saves you money in the process. Video conferencing can do both, and while the technology’s been around for some time, a lot of factors make video conferencing more appealing and affordable for small businesses than ever before. Think about it: the […]

There is something appealing about an all-in-one desktop PC. It’s uncomplicated, more like an appliance than a computer and easy to set up. It saves space too, and it looks neat and tidy. Who would – or should – consider the VPC100? Where It Fits ViewSonic positions the VPC100as being ideal for “call centers, libraries, […]

The hosted IP PBX model just went mass market. VoIP pioneer 8×8 Inc. is partnering with IP phone maker Aastra USA to market 8×8’s Virtual Office PBX service bundled with the co-branded 8×8/Aastra 6755i IP phone in Office Depot stores across the country. (See our coverage here.) VoIP Planet, had a chance to test the […]

Contain your excitement, here comes another new Windows operating system from Microsoft. On October 22, barely three years after it debuted the less-than-stellar Windows Vista, Microsoft will launch Windows 7. Small business owners who were underwhelmed – or, like many, really ticked off – by Vista may wonder why they should care. But this time […]

Say you have 20 GB of data you want to protect with daily backups using CloudBerry. You’ll pay Amazon about $2 ($0.10 x 20GB) initially to transfer data into S3. Storage will cost $3 ($0.15 x 20GB) per month. Add 30 cents ($0.01 x 30 days) a month for daily backups. Total, including the cost […]

Small businesses looking for an IP-based phone system that will give them the appearance of a big company—with voice mail, auto attendant, unified communications, hunt groups, etc.—have two basic choices: a hosted PBX service or purchasing, configuring, and maintaining a full-blown IP PBX. The hosted option has much to recommend it: easy set-up and management […]

What should a small business look for in a new laptop? In this economy, price ranks first followed closely by reliability and security. Way down at the bottom of that list comes styling, bells and whistles. With that in mind, consider the Hewlett-Packard ProBook 4510s, a well-priced, reliable yet attractive 15.6-inch widescreen laptop, designed for […]

Something interesting is happening to telework. What was once a grassroots movement and a business strategy is turning into an industry – and much of the focus is on small businesses. Purveyors of enabling technologies, such Avaya, which makes IP-based office phone systems that let employees communicate from anywhere as if they were in the […]

When CyberDefender Corp., an Internet security software and services firm, found that its growing pool of customer service agents in Los Angeles was tying up all the company’s office phone lines, it realized the time had come to implement a proper call center system. CyberDefender’s new director of customer service, Jose Martinez, investigated a few […]

The Seagate Replica PC Backup Appliance takes simplifying backups to a new level. How simple? You plug Replica in to a PC, register the product online and accept the software license for the application, which then automatically downloads and installs on your computer. By that time Replica’s already backing up your files. What about the […]

The pink slip you’re dreading – or the one that knocked you for a loop last week – might feel the end of everything, but it could be just the beginning. Every year, thousands of people get a new lease on life by starting their own businesses. This recession has already spawned more than a […]