Page 21 | Execulink Telecom

Humans of Execulink: Steve Tanner

Posted on August 18, 2022May 29, 2023 by Jaime

Steve has been part of the Execulink team since 2018 when he started in Residential Sales. He has now journeyed to the business side of our organization as a Relationship Manager where he manages corporate accounts and connects with his clients to give them a personalized experience!

1. What does providing an awesome experience for customers mean to you?

In my time at Execulink, providing an awesome experience has always been about connecting my clients with solutions that meet their specific needs. Some clients need to solve an unexpected bottleneck today, some need solutions that prevent bottlenecks over the next three years. It’s all about listening and taking each customers individual needs into account.

2. How would you describe yourself and your role at Execulink? What was your career path here?

My role as a Relationship Manager sees me wearing lots of hats, but first and foremost I see myself as an advisor. I work with some of Execulink’s largest business clients and I connect them with new and updated solutions to ensure their needs are always being met. As businesses succeed and grow their needs change, and I’m here to make sure they have the tools and services they need for continued success.

I started at Execulink in November of 2018 when I joined the Residential Sales Team, and I spent the next three years learning the ins and outs of Execulink’s residential offerings. In November of 2021 I jumped over to the business world, where I was a member of the Inside Business Sales Team until May of this year when a new opportunity presented itself. Since then I’ve been learning about complex solutions and managing accounts as a Relationship Manager. It’s been quite the ride so far!

3. What are three words to describe Execulink?

Local, innovative and integrity!

4. What is the most important thing you have learned in the last five years?

Every obstacle presents opportunities, but you have to develop the right mindset to see them.

5. What do you like to do in your free time outside of work?

Outside of working hours you’ll find me doing a lot of different things! I’m a collector and player of both basses and guitars. I mostly stick to rock and metal these days, but Stevie Wonder has got me dabbling in 70’s pop and funk more recently.

Occasionally you’ll find me at the driving range, or golfing…though you probably won’t catch me on the fairway! I still manage to have fun, though.

I’m also an avid audio book and podcast consumer. Right now my favourite podcasts are Huberman Lab (a science and health podcast), and the It’s Always Sunny Podcast, which is about the TV show it’s named after.

Rapid Fire ‘This or That’ Questions!

Introvert or extrovert? – Sunday – Thursday: Introvert, Friday & Saturday: Extrovert
Execulink blue or green? – Blue!
Work at home or work in office? – Until the office provides the means to air-fry chicken wings on my lunch breaks, my answer is ‘Work at Home’ by a mile!
Movies or TV? – Shameless TV binger, right here!
Emojis or no emojis? – You only live once – emojis all day, everyday
Hot coffee or iced coffee? – Iced Coffee
iPhone or Android? – Android
Text or Call? – Text
City or Countryside? – Both!
USB back up or Cloud storage? – Cloud Storage!

At Execulink, we celebrate and encourage employees to find the right opportunity for them, just like Steve did. He is amazing at giving our corporate clients the awesome experience they deserve! If you are interested in joining the Execulink team, check out our careers page to learn about our open opportunities!

Check out our current open positions!

Roam Everywhere™ – Keeping you connected for less while you travel abroad

Posted on August 14, 2022July 7, 2023 by Tonya Davis

The travel industry is open for business again and more than 60% of Canadians have said they are ready to travel this summer. With summer being the peak travel season for many destinations across the globe, there is expected to be a significant jump in both domestic and international travel. And with travel being non-existent for so many for so long, it’s no surprise that people want to share their experiences with their family and friends along the way.

Traveling is an enriching experience, but the further you travel the more difficult and expensive it can be to stay connected to others. I’m sure you have heard the horror stories of people using their mobile devices in another country and then receiving an unexpectedly large phone bill for data usage from their wireless provider upon their return. This is a result of roaming charges and not understanding how data roaming works.

What is data roaming?

Data roaming occurs when your mobile phone is outside of your provider’s coverage area. Your phone disconnects from your carrier’s network and connects to another network. Roaming allows you to continue to make calls, send texts, and use wireless data even when you’re outside of your network’s boundaries, but you are charged fees to use it. And, if you are not careful these fees can rack up to hundreds or even thousands of dollars in usage costs.

To avoid returning home from your international travels and experiencing “bill shock” it’s important to figure out your cell plan to avoid data charges abroad before you go. If you want to use data while you’re away, the first thing you should do is call your carrier and see if they offer international roaming plans.

Check out Execulink’s Roam Everywhere™ service. Execulink Mobility customers can use their existing mobile plan’s data, talk, and text freely for a low daily fee while roaming internationally in 170+ destinations.

For only $10 per day in the U.S. and $15 per day in over 170 international destinations, you get full access to the data, talk, and text included in your monthly Execulink Mobility plan. You can keep your friends and family updated on your adventures via call and text just as you would at home on your monthly plan. Plus, you can call and text numbers in the eligible destinations you are visiting so you can worry less and make the most of your travel experience.

To make your travel planning even less stressful getting started with Roam Everywhere™ is as easy as 1, 2, 3!

Step 1. Choose your desired destination from our list of eligible destinations and explore your roaming options. Please note, that in order to use your Execulink Mobility service internationally, you must have the latest version of our SIM card installed on your phone.

Step 2. Visit MyExeculink to sign up for Roam Everywhere.

Step 3. Arrive at your destination, turn on data roaming and ensure your APN settings are set up correctly. You will receive a welcome notification confirming that Roam Everywhere is active and ready to use. Now you can enjoy your trip with worry-free roaming from Execulink!

So if you are part of the 60% of Canadians that plan to travel this summer – stay connected, and share your experiences no matter where you are in the world, with Roam Everywhere™ service.

Learn more about Roam Everywhere today!

5 Great Reasons to Upgrade to Residential Fibre Internet

Posted on July 28, 2022July 7, 2023 by Jaime

With a variety of Internet options to choose from, it can sometimes feel overwhelming. Your family likely has unique needs, which could mean that the Internet needs to perform optimally to support these activities. The Internet these days can help you run your business, use video conferencing to chat with family members abroad, play your favourite online games, stream new movies and binge-worthy tv shows, and so much more! It’s no wonder you want the best Internet for your household. With that said, a powerful option to consider is Fibre Internet, which is available in select areas. In the following paragraphs, we’ll share some key benefits of Fibre Internet technology!

Learn more about Execulink’s Fibre Internet packages and benefits!

What is Fibre Internet?

Unlike cable Internet, which transmits data through copper cables, Fibre optic Internet utilizes Fibre cables to transmit the data and provide you with an Internet connection. The Fibre is a thin glass wire inside a protective cable, while the optic portion means that the data is transferred via light signals and an electromagnetic carrier wave.

If you’re considering how your Internet is performing and whether it’s time to upgrade, Fibre may be an excellent choice to meet your family’s Internet needs. Here are five great reasons to upgrade to residential Fibre Internet:

1. Speed

When considering your ideal Internet connection, one of the first factors you’ll want to learn more about is how fast your Internet will be. Speed matters! Compared to copper Internet connections, Fibre Internet is much faster. Especially during peak times, your household will notice that Fibre will outperform many other types of Internet. Fibre Internet has also been known to have more consistent upload and download speeds to ensure your household gets the Internet speeds they deserve.

2. Reliability

Fibre Internet is more reliable than its cable Internet counterpart – this is key if you want less downtime and interference. If there are extreme weather conditions, for instance, this can affect the copper connection, and with Canada’s climate evolving, this can be an important consideration for the future. Another factor that cable Internet is susceptible to is electromagnetic interference, which can be caused by any heavy machinery operating nearby. However, Fibre is resistant to these kinds of electromagnetic interferences.

Fibre is also resistant to any human interference. In contrast, copper wires can be cut or experience other human interference more easily. When you experience unplanned downtime, it can be frustrating for your entire household. And that’s why when you invest in Fibre, you’ll have increased peace of mind that your Internet will run optimally and without frequent interference.

3. Bandwidth Potential

If your household is involved in high data transmission activities like movie streaming, gaming or has many family members using the Internet at once; you’ll want an Internet that has the potential to support these needs. Yet, the bandwidth potential on Fibre is significantly higher than cable Internet, and as mentioned above, the speed does not decrease as demand increases.

4. Reduced Latency

Latency refers to delays experienced while data is processed over an Internet connection. With Fibre Internet, there is less latency compared with cable Internet, reducing disruptions. This is especially the case when uploading or downloading high-quality content. So, if your family loves streaming their favourite television shows or movies, or if you have a gamer in the mix, they’ll love the benefits they’ll experience with the reduced latency of Fibre Internet.

5. Security

Nowadays, cybersecurity is top of mind for many consumers. With important personal data being transmitted across connections, you’ll want to ensure you have secure Internet to protect your household. The only way to breach a Fibre Internet connection is to cut the cables, which will cause you to lose your signal; however, this is difficult considering the glass materials used. While upgrading to Fibre may not mitigate all of the security risks, it can certainly help to increase the protection of your Internet.

Futureproof your Internet with Fibre

Once you upgrade to Fibre Internet, there’s less maintenance to consider over time. The Fibre cables will stay intact, and you may only need to upgrade network equipment every few years. Your Fibre Internet will be able to grow with you and your family’s Internet needs – you can easily upgrade your plan to enjoy speeds up to 1 Gbps! With technology evolving, Fibre can also help you stay on top of these trends because of the newness of the technology.

With 24/7 support and a wide range of Internet options to suit every lifestyle, at Execulink, we have the awesome services your home or business needs to stay connected to what matters the most! Call us at 1-866-706-1942 today or visit our Internet page to find the Internet package you’ve been looking for!

The impact of an Internet outage on your business and the backup solutions to prevent it.

Posted on July 25, 2022May 29, 2023 by Tonya Davis

There isn’t much in today’s digital workplace that doesn’t rely on Internet connectivity. If you were to take stock of all your critical business operations that require connectivity to run, it will give you nightmares to think about what would happen if they were to all shut down. This, unfortunately, was just the reality for many people and businesses who experienced a 19-hour service outage at one of Canada’s biggest telecom operators. The impact of this recent outage was felt by more than 10 million customers and affected Internet access, cell phone, and landline phone connections across Canada, and had some fairly serious consequences as a result.

911 services were inaccessible on many mobile phones, hospitals and banking services were disrupted and many businesses were unable to accept debit transactions for payment. With services shut down, companies were losing money for every second their customers couldn’t reach their web services, and productivity suffered when employees couldn’t access the web applications they rely on to get their jobs done.

The system failure, in this case, was due to a maintenance update, but there are many potential reasons for an Internet connection to drop. These reasons can range from equipment failures, faults on the line, human error, natural disasters, and cyberattacks. Although different Internet types have varying degrees of reliability, no connections are guaranteed, and therefore businesses need to be mindful of the impact an outage can have.

The impact of Internet downtime on your business

Loss of productivity: When the Internet goes down employees are unable to perform their jobs as they normally do. They are unable to read or respond to emails, load and transfer files, send attachments, customer and company data may be inaccessible, and in some cases, they are unable to use their phone, particularly if you are using VoIP.

Decrease in morale: When a company’s network shuts down it impedes employees’ ability to work, which demotivates them because they feel like they are not performing their job effectively.

Customer service: Customers have high expectations when they interact and engage with your business. They have come to expect lightning-fast service, including fast page loads and almost immediate customer service responses. Clients will get frustrated, especially if they can’t connect to your site or get the customer service they need. A delay in responsiveness could ultimately move your customer to a competitor resulting in a loss of potential revenue.

Brand reputation: Let’s also not forget the impact of customer perception. When customers have a bad customer experience, be it no response, dropped voice calls, or slow or unavailable transactions they are likely not going to buy from your business again, and even worse they may tell others not to do business with you.

Financial loss: Internet outages or disruption always result in a financial loss from missed sales and reduced output from your team. Depending on your business, revenue loss will fluctuate but according to a past Gartner study, the average cost of IT downtime to a business is $5,600 per minute. That on its own is a significant impact on your business, now imagine the impact if you were shut down for an entire day.

In the event that a network outage happens, organizations must plan for and implement network failovers to ensure they have protection, resiliency, and redundancy in place to prevent downtime. Fortunately, there are backup solutions available to help should any of these outages ever occur.

How to prevent downtime in your business

The key to preventing downtime is having a backup plan. When issues occur, you want to be able to switch to a reliable backup or redundant system.

To ensure network connectivity, providers like Execulink offer redundant Internet solutions to help maximize speed and reliability and offer a network connection if your primary Internet goes down. Hybrid Bonded Internet and LTE Backup can enhance your connection and give you peace of mind.

LTE Backup

Having an LTE Backup solution is an excellent choice to maintain your network to avoid interruptions. It’s a hardware solution that can get you back up and running seamlessly. Execulink’s LTE Backup solution uses a cellular gateway coupled with a SIM card to provide an alternate method of access to the Internet using Mobile networks. The failover kicks in when your primary connection goes down so that you never have to worry about downtime again. It’s perfect for businesses that require 24/7 Internet to function and it will keep your devices connected.

Hybrid Bonded Internet

Whether your business needs consistent uptime, better quality bandwidth, or confidence in your overnight backup, Hybrid Bonding can make those needs a reality! Hybrid Bonding utilizes services such as DSL, Cable, Wireless, Fibre, or even Mobile Data and bonds multiple lines into a single managed access. Whether it’s Fibre with Cable, multiple DSL lines, or a combination of all of the above; the bonding hardware brings together these services to provide a high quality, single-IP, redundant solution for your business.

Hybrid Bonded Internet gives you the power to mix-and-match service providers to create a resilient, fully-dependable, single-IP network. If one service goes down, no wait-time for failover is required as the bonded appliance dynamically manages your data over working connections as you continue on with business as usual.

You’ll never miss that overnight backup again – plus since no system reconfiguration is required to accommodate single service outages, productivity in the office will remain consistent.

Internet outages are often unpredictable, but having backup solutions in place will minimize the business impact and keep your employees productive and your business profitable. To learn more about backup Internet solutions for your business call us at 1-877-561-6771 today or contact sales@execulinktelecom.ca.

Learn more about Execulinks Internet backup solutions today!

6 Social Media Tips for Small Businesses

Posted on July 8, 2022May 29, 2023 by Jaime

When you’re the owner of a small business finding time to manage everything you need to get done can be challenging. Managing your social media presence can easily fall off your priority list when you have other more pressing tasks that need to be done. However, social media is valuable for businesses of any size or industry and finding customers on social media can have a direct impact on your sales!

Social media can help you prospect new customers and maintain relationships with existing customers. Poor experiences or missed opportunities can spread through social media very quickly. If you’re not active and engaging you could miss these reviews, comments, and messages.

Some general ideas of content you can post to improve your social media presence include:

Being responsive
Promotions (ie. Discounts, buy 1 get 1, etc.)
Educational content
Interesting or funny visuals/videos
Exclusive content
Behind the scenes content

Before you start posting it’s important to consider which platforms work best for your business. You may underestimate the importance of Facebook for younger generations or TikTok for older generations! You can use different channels as well to reach certain goals. For example, you could use Facebook to build your audience, generate leads, and use Twitter for customer service.

Here is a list of things you can do to improve your social media presence with some concrete examples of how it can help your business!

1. Identify your audience

Luckily, if you have a business account set up on your social media pages there are tools built in that allow you to learn more about your audience. You can find out location, age, and when they are most active. This information is usually found in sections of social media platforms such as “Analytics”, “Audiences”, or “Insights”.

If you know where your audience is located, you can help create content they will enjoy. You could also use specific hashtags that are used in that area. For example in Kitchener-Waterloo the hashtag “KWAwesome” is frequently used by local businesses.

2. Build relationships

You can use social media to build and engage with your audience. For example if you see people posting about your product or share photos at your restaurant. Re-sharing them on your own page or in your stories is a great way to show your appreciation and build an audience. As well, responding to inquiries and complaints in a timely manner will let customers know that you care.

3. Search for new trending topics and opportunities

You can use social listening tools to identify conversations you may want to be part of on social media. For instance, if you make gluten-free baked goods in Woodstock, ON you can set up a brand keyword for “Gluten-Free” within your business’ radius. This will send you tweets that are about this topic to you. Then you can like or comment on these tweets!

You can also create videos that are appropriate for current trends. TikTok has taken trending videos to a new level. Finding ways to adopt certain audio-clips or dances to your industry will help you carve out a unique presence and increase engagement!

4. Create a content calendar

Creating a content calendar is a great way to stay organized and keep you accountable to staying on top of social media. If you plan your content a month or two months in advance, you will be less likely to end up scrambling to put something together at the last minute. As you are scheduling your content you should also consider when your followers are online and most likely to see your posts.

It is recommended to post about 1 or 2 times per day on your Facebook page. There is some evidence that if you post more than that you can see a drop in engagement.
You should post to your Instagram feed 2-3 times per week and 2 stories per day.
It’s appropriate to post on twitter 1-2 times per day.
You can post on LinkedIn 1 time per day but no more than 5 times per day.
TikTok recommends posting 1-4 times per day to please the algorithm and your fans.

5. Find the right hashtags

Hashtags are still important for gaining more exposure on social media. You should consider hashtags that are relevant to your content, ones your audience is already using, and aim for a mix of community hashtags and niche hashtags. Lastly creating a branded hashtag, specific to your business that customers and employees can use is a great idea!

Be sure to avoid over-using hashtags or use generic hashtags that have millions of posts under them. Your post will get lost.

The consensus is to use about:

11 hashtags on Instagram
2-3 hashtags on Facebook
2 hashtags on Twitter
5 hashtags on LinkedIn
3-5 hashtags on TikTok

6. Audit and monitor your presence

Monitoring your social media presence according to your goals is important for creating a successful long-term strategy. Look at which posts preform the best and consider repurposing them in the future. You can look at metrics such as comments, likes, shares, clicks, followers, impressions, and reach. Adapting and modifying your strategy as you go can help your business to stay relevant.

To access your social media accounts, having a strong and reliable Business Internet connection is important! At Execulink, we understand how important it is to receive reliable service without interruption. That’s why we offer 24/7 customer support to help get your Internet running as fast as possible and answer your important questions regardless of the time of day. We have the awesome services your home or business needs to stay connected to what matters the most. Call us at 1-866-706-1942 today or visit our Internet page to find the Internet package you’ve been looking for!

Check out your Business Internet options

How Hybrid Bonded Internet Can Help Your Business Level Up

Posted on June 27, 2022May 29, 2023 by Jaime

In today’s ultra-connected world, it is more important than ever for businesses to stay on top of advancements in technology. Investing in high-quality technology for your business can give your customers a more user-friendly experience and keep them coming back for more. As a business owner, you might be wondering how you can optimize your Internet connection to get the most out of it and keep up with the market’s growing needs. While there are many options to choose from that may seem to fit the needs of your business, one of the options that you may not have heard of but should be considering is Hybrid Bonded Internet. Let’s demystify this type of Internet and learn more about how your business can benefit from it.

What is Hybrid Bonded Internet

Put simply; Hybrid Bonded Internet is when two or more Internet connections are joined through a single router. You can use any Internet connection for hybrid Internet, including DSL, Cable, Wireless, Fibre or even Mobile Data; in fact, almost all types of modern Internet can be bonded together! Sometimes Hybrid Bonded Internet is mistaken for load balancing; however, with load balancing, you’ll simply have a backup connection. On the other hand, Hybrid Bonded Internet allows you to maximize all connections. As a result, you have an advantage over your competitors because while they are settling for slower, patchy, more expensive Internet connections, you have the benefit of lightning-fast speeds, reliable connections, and affordable prices.

Speed

One of the main reasons why Hybrid Bonded Internet is superior is because it offers faster speeds. Since the connections of a Hybrid Bonded Internet run through a single router, it can deliver a more powerful Internet speed. For instance, a 500 MB Internet connection, when combined with a 1 GB Internet connection, can provide a 1.5 GB connection. It’s like multiplication of your existing bandwidth to give you high-speed Internet across your organization. Why settle for slow when you can have super-fast Internet speeds?

Competitive Advantage

A common mistake small businesses make is choosing an Internet connection that only fits their current size. Since many businesses rely on a high-performing Internet connection, ensuring you have a connection that can grow with your business is key. When you invest in Hybrid Bonded Internet, you can scale up to meet the needs of your business dynamically; keeping up with your network to accommodate changing bandwidth demands. Give your business a competitive advantage in the market by offering your growing employee base the support they need to do their daily tasks. Grow your business, enhance productivity, and maximize profit, all with the advantage of Hybrid Bonded Internet.

Flexibility

With Hybrid Bonded Internet, you have the ultimate flexibility. Since there are multiple connections, you can pick which ones you want to include. If you want to mix and match your service providers to fulfill each of your connections, it’s pretty simple to do that with this type of Internet. You can shop around, explore your options and determine which providers are giving you the best connection options that fit the needs of your business. This puts you in ultimate control of your Internet!

Simplicity

Although Hybrid Bonded Internet uses multiple connections fed through one router, you’ll simply have one managed Internet. This can give you a power-packed Internet without the complicated setup. With plenty on your plate already, having an Internet infrastructure capable of supporting your business while allowing you to focus on other business needs is key to keeping things running smoothly.

Remote Regions

Some businesses might be in a rural locations where a large Internet setup is difficult or impossible. If your business is located in a remote region, Hybrid Bonded Internet can be a way to have a high-performing Internet despite not being closer to larger urban city centers that offer more opportunities for technology. No longer does your remote area have to work around low speeds and unreliability – Hybrid Bonded Internet can help ensure your remotely located business can experience Internet with a wow factor.

Reliability

Why settle for relying on one Internet connection to work when two is an option? With Hybrid Bonded Internet, if one of your connections has issues, but the other is working, you can rely on that other connection to keep your business up and running. Having less downtime is crucial if you want to keep your employees productive and your business profitable. Let us take care of your Internet connection so you can focus on what matters for your business.

If you’re interested in learning more about Hybrid Bonded Internet options, get in touch with the Execulink team today! As an Ontario-based telecommunications company, Execulink is not your average impersonal business – we are your friends and neighbours. We understand how important it is to our customers all over the province to receive reliable service without interruption. That’s why we offer 24/7 customer support to help get your Internet running as fast as possible and answer your important questions regardless of the time of day. We have the awesome services your home or business needs to stay connected to what matters the most. Call us at 1-877-561-6771 today or visit our Internet page to find the Internet package you’ve been looking for!

Learn more about Execulink’s Business Internet options!

Technology to support 24/7 service

Posted on June 17, 2022July 7, 2023 by Tonya Davis

No longer are the days of a traditional 9 to 5 work week. Customers have been empowered to get what they want, when they want, and how they want it, turning businesses into a 24/7 operation, providing access to their services around the clock.

The increased presence of technology like mobile devices, apps, machine learning, automation, and more have created a growing impact of instant gratification among consumers. From products to services, and customer support; consumers expect it all and want it now.

Instant gratification is not new, however, the definition of instant has become to mean “now” or within seconds. The consumer’s need for convenience and immediacy puts major pressure on companies to remain accessible and on-demand at all times. Luckily, with the digital technology available today, it’s easier than ever to do this.

How can your organization adapt to this 24/7 operation and ensure it satisfies the instant-gratification demands of consumers?

There are various customer service technologies that businesses are implementing that include a range of software and hardware solutions that cater to consumer demand and improve the customer experience.

Chatbots – AI Chatbots are typically active 24/7 to help customers get an instant response to common questions from any page on your website or app. The instant problem-solving assistance boosts customer engagement and satisfaction.

In fact, 35% of consumers want more companies to use chatbots to improve their communication strategy and deliver a better experience.

Live chat – enables agents to solve customer issues in real-time through back-and-forth conversations on a company’s website or mobile app. With Live chat embedded on a company’s website or mobile app, the customers do not need to search for a special contact page for support. This accessibility reduces the customer effort, which in turn will help to build customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Video chat – like live chat it enables agents to solve customer issues in real-time and get their queries solved quickly, but does this with face-to-face interactions. This makes the engagement more interactive and personalized for a better customer experience.

Phone support – The Telephone remains one of the most relied upon methods of communication, especially for high-stakes issues. Customers still use the Phone to call your business because it’s convenient, reliable, and provides the instant gratification they demand. Historically, companies provided 24/7 customer support from call centers, but with technologies like VoIP and automation, it has quickly become a thing of the past.

VoIP systems offer more versatility and flexibility than other types of business phone systems due to the feature-rich system and because calls are handled over the Internet. You can customize your call flow based on your business’s specific needs, replicate a dynamic office environment from your mobile device, and take calls if you’re out of the office.

The flexibility is probably one of the main reasons businesses choose VoIP because you are not tied to your desk like you are with a landline. It gives you the ability to make calls from internet-connected devices, such as laptops, tablets, and cell phones, allowing you to take your business with you, anywhere and anytime, enabling around-the-clock service.

Knowledge base/Self-service customer portal – With a knowledge base, support teams can empower customers to self-serve at their convenience. It’s also a more cost-efficient way to support your customers, specifically if they include self-service options such as our MyExeculink customer portal, a support section on your website, or a company support app like Execulink Helps.

In order to keep up with today’s hyper-connected society and the consumer’s need for convenience and immediacy, your business must continue to embrace technology. Companies that can offer immediacy, and 24/7 accessibility to their customers will gain a competitive advantage and succeed in the future.

In today’s digital era, telecom services are critical for business success and continuity. Execulink can help you build the proper network infrastructure for your business to support new digital technologies so your business remains competitive and positioned for growth.

Learn more about Execulink’s Business Solutions here!

Humans of Execulink: Tonya Davis

Posted on June 16, 2022May 29, 2023 by Meredith Gillin

Tonya has been part of the Execulink team as a Business Product Specialist since December 2020 and she has carved out a niche role and taken our Business marketing initiatives to the next level. Her understanding of B2B marketing and content creation is phenomenal. She is very organized and keeps projects moving forward to improve the products and services Execulink has available for businesses. Execulink’s is currently recruiting for another Product Marketing Specialist! If you think her role sounds interesting, we encourage you to apply!

Apply to become a Product Specialist today!

1. How would you describe your current role?

As a Product Marketing Specialists at Execulink I help to manage the messaging, positioning, and branding of our Business Product Portfolio which includes – Internet, Voice, Mobility, TV and Network Solutions.

I support the development of product strategy by conducting market research, analysis and performance reporting and collaborate with sales and marketing to validate and execute our marketing initiatives for business growth.

2. What do you find the most challenging in your current role?

Getting to know everyone within the company and understanding each role in a virtual/hybrid setting. There have been opportunities to meet colleagues face-to-face during events and in-person meetings. I’ve loved getting the chance to connect there. However, having the flexibility of a hybrid role is very valuable to me as well.

3. If you could witness any historical event, what would you want to see?

The Civil Rights and Women’s Rights Movements.

4. What does a typical day look like for you?

Early morning me time, daughter time before day care, work time, dog time at lunch, work time again – in that order.

A typical day can vary based on priorities, but usually consists of meetings with sales, sales engineers, and marketing to collaborate/brainstorm and execute on projects and campaigns.

I regularly conduct research, analysis, and performance reporting to support the development of product strategy, and work on content strategy/development for our online and offline channels to increase our business brand awareness and sales leads.

5. What’s your go-to productivity trick?

Creating and maintaining a “to do” list – daily.

This or That Questions – Choose Your Preference!

Digital ads or print ads? Digital
Mornings or evenings? Mornings
Email or teams messages? Teams
Delivery or pick up? Pick up
Lunch or breakfast? Breakfast
Coffee before noon or afternoon? Before noon
Newspapers or magazines? Newspapers
Wi-Fi or Ethernet? Wi-Fi
Virtual meetings or in person? Virtual
Comedian in serious film or serious actor in comedy film? Comedian in serious film

Tonya provides valuable expertise and creativity to her colleagues through her role as Business Product Specialist. She stays innovative and finds new ways of reaching businesses of all sizes from small businesses to enterprises. Her passion for delivering high-quality and awesome content shines through in many of the blogs she writes! If you are interested in joining the Marketing team visit our Careers page today.

The most common phone systems for business.

Posted on June 7, 2022July 7, 2023 by Tonya Davis

A business telephone system is a critical tool to keep your business connected to the outside world and enables employees to communicate effectively with each other and with external clients and partners. Furthermore, phone calls are still one of the most preferred communication channels between customers and a business or employees and their co-workers. In short, if you own and run a business, investing in a reliable phone system is vital to the success of your operations.

There are many types of business phone systems available that are designed to meet the requirements of today’s business. But, with numerous phone systems on the market, it can be tough to choose the right one. Learn about the different types of phone systems below to decide which one is best for your business.

What is a Business Phone System?

A business phone system is a multiline phone system that includes many basic and advanced call handling features used in small to large office environments. Phone systems today are designed to better meet the requirements of today’s modern business, offering more flexibility, with new technological advancements, features, and benefits than traditional phone systems.

So if you’re still using an antiquated business phone service, you should think about modernizing your call infrastructure to get the most out of your business communication tools.

Types of Business Phone Systems

There are four main types of business phone systems. Key System Unit (KSU), Private Branch Exchange (PBX), Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), and Hosted VoIP.

Key Systems Unit (KSU) – This is the most basic multi-line business telephone system. It is a landline-based hardware system that requires a central switching device that is installed on your premise. It converts a single public switched telephone network (PSTN) line into an array of internal business lines, allowing users to use various internal lines from a single telephone desktop.

Because KSU’s are landline-based they can only support a limited number of phone lines. As a result, they are typically used by a smaller organization with less than 50 employees that do not receive a lot of incoming and outgoing phone traffic. As the most basic phone system, they are also limited in terms of features and include basic functionality like hold buttons, intercom, paging, and speakerphone. The units themselves have multiple buttons that represent individual lines. When the user picks up the receiver, they press a button to access the line, the line that is in use will light up to notify others that it is unavailable.

KSU’s are definitely on the decline and considered a legacy system as more innovative phone systems are replacing them, and phone companies are no longer producing them. This is something to consider as your business grows because these systems cannot scale with you.

Private Branch Exchange (PBX) – This is a centralized network that is connected to a local Public Switched Telephone Network (PTSN) through a landline. It connects people within an organization to each other and lets them send and receive external phone calls.

Similar to a key system, you need hardware installed on-site. A PBX however, is much more sophisticated, flexible, and scalable, with more advanced features such as automatic incoming call routing, and auto attendants that allow customers to choose different menu options.

PBX systems are great for larger companies with more than 40 employees who can afford a more expensive phone system. They are designed to accommodate complex calling requirements and provide more automation and customization typically required by large corporations.

Voice over Internet Protocol PBX (VoIP PBX) – One of the most widely used types of business phone system is a Digital or VoIP PBX, also referred to as Internet Protocol PBX (IP PBX). It’s a business telephone system that provides services similar to a standard PBX but it allows a business to make internal calls using the internet. The system connects through a company’s LAN or WAN data network rather than through the circuit-switched networks used by the traditional Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN).

VoIP systems offer more versatility and flexibility than other types of business phone systems due to the feature-rich system and because calls are handled over the Internet. The flexibility is probably one of the main reasons businesses choose VoIP because you are not tied to your desk like you are with a landline. You can make calls from internet-connected devices, such as laptops, tablets, cell phones, and forward incoming calls to your phone or other numbers.

Because VoIP connects through the Internet, you do have to ensure you have a reliable high-speed Internet connection for it to function seamlessly. It’s also a self-hosted system which means the organization is fully responsible for maintaining the system in-house.

Hosted VoIP – If you are looking for a business phone system that you don’t have to manage and maintain onsite then a Hosted VoIP system, also referred to as a Hosted PBX is the best option. Hosted VoIP, uses Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to make calls over the Internet. You won’t be relying on hardware and fixed Phone lines running through your office building anymore to make all your important calls. This allows you to eliminate some of the installation and maintenance costs associated with a traditional PBX system without sacrificing any advanced functionality.

A Hosted Phone service is generally hosted on an IP network in the cloud. It is not based on your company’s premises but instead is hosted on a server typically owned by your service provider. When a phone system is hosted off-site, it means the responsibility of hardware, software, training, operations, maintenance, and more is handled by a service provider. The service provider manages the regular updates and upkeep, freeing organizations from endless hardware upgrades, repairs, and the overall complexity of managing a cloud-based phone system on-site.

A Hosted PBX can transform your business communications. The capabilities and rich feature set of a cloud-based system extend to all business types and sizes, presenting a number of advantages. On top of this, it also represents a way to scale your business for the future with continuing technological advancements, making it a valuable long-term investment.

In short, a hosted phone streamlines your company’s business communications, making it more flexible, scalable, easy to use, and easy to manage, resulting in much lower administration and set up costs that you would see with a traditional phone system.

What’s The Best Phone System For Your Business?

The best solution for your business will depend on the size of your organization, how many calls you handle, future growth potential, budget, and location, among other things. Phone service providers like Execulink, can you help you choose the best solutions for your business designed for your unique needs.

Call us at 1-877-561-6771 today or visit our Voice Solutions page to find the right Phone system for your business.

Learn more about Execulink’s Voice Solutions here!

5 Benefits of Home Phone for Remote Workers

Posted on June 3, 2022July 7, 2023 by Meredith Gillin

As remote work continues to remain popular through the latest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, having a reliable Voice service is high priority for many. If you handle many calls throughout your workday, you are going to want a Phone connection that delivers results. We explored some of the benefits of having Home Phone services if you are a remote worker!

1. Superior Sound and Quality

Having Home Phone service will improve the quality of the calls you need to make for your job. A convenient set up will enhance your work-from-home experience! Consumer reports found that quality on a cordless home phone was better than any cellular device. We find that Home Phones provides a crisper and clearer sound than cell service. Additionally, Home Phone services are more reliable than cellular services in hard to reach areas of the home like a basement office or a garage.

2. Expanded Calling Areas and Features

With our Phone service, you get these awesome features included in your plan:

Call display – The callers name and number is displayed while the phone is ringing.
Call waiting – Alerts you to an incoming call when you are already on another call.
Call forwarding – Forward all incoming calls to another number.
Speed calling – Use short codes to call frequently used numbers.
Automatic recall – Announces the last incoming phone number with an option to call it.
Selective call rejection – Reject incoming calls from up to 10 selected phone numbers.
3-way calling – Call two numbers and conduct simultaneous conversations with both parties.

If you are interested in adding more features to your plan like voicemail and call transfer we have a variety of calling features available for an affordable price.

Certain towns may qualify as one of our Expanded Local Calling Areas, which makes a call that would normally be long distance be local instead! We have local calling areas available for Ailsa Craig, Arkona, Forest, Ilderton, Parkhill, Port Franks/Ipperwash, Thedford, Watford, Delhi, Langton, Port Dover, Port Rowan and St. Williams. View all the details through our support page!

3. There for You During Emergencies

In emergencies, 911 operators are able to quickly track a call from landline services, whereas on a cellphone they are only able to track to the nearest cell tower. The added security of a Home Phone service is beneficial in those worst-case scenarios.

4. Bundle for Affordable Service

At Execulink, and many other telecommunication providers, there is a financial benefit to bundling your Internet, TV, and Phone services. We want to provide you with an affordable option so we offer discounts when you add more than one service. For our most up-to-date pricing check out our dedicated bundles page to learn more about our Internet, TV, and Phone bundles.

5. Reliability

Home Phone services are historically more stable than cell service. VoIP service (Voice over Internet Protocol) is reliable. As long as you have a high-speed Internet connection, you’ll experience high-quality voice calls with reliable connection uptime. You can boost this uptime by making sure you have a backup power source in case of power outages. Having this peace of mind when you are a remote worker is priceless; you want to avoid the hassle and inconvenience that comes with downtime at all costs.

Bonus – Solutions for Business Owners

There are also several voice options for Businesses with a remote workforce. There is Direct Routing for Microsoft Teams, which will turn your Teams environment into a business phone system with enterprise-grade voice capabilities. You have the ability to make and receive calls from your Teams app, on any device, from anywhere.

A Hosted Phone solution will also allow you to be in all places at once and take your business with you. You can customize your call flow and replicate a dynamic office environment from your mobile phone. You have the ability to connect multiple offices and function as a single organization, even when the offices are separated geographically. Transfer calls to and from home offices with ease without making your customers dial separate numbers. Alternatively, direct-dial numbers can be set up for each employee without the added cost of purchasing additional telephone lines. Calls are managed as if all of your employees are in the same physical location.

Overall, there are many benefits to using Home Phone service if you are a remote worker. Having a strong Phone connection allows you to connect reliably with co-workers and clients. If you are interested in adding it to your package, check out our Home Phone page or give our Sales team a call at 1-866-706-1942.

Learn more about Home Phone!