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Posts Tagged ‘Multi-Link’
Pro-Faxers vs. No faxers | Vote now!
Thursday, May 5th, 2011Got an All-in-One? Great, now get rid of the fax line!
Monday, April 18th, 2011It used to be that when a small office/home office worker needed access to a scanner, copier, fax, AND printer it meant four machines competing for space and budget. After all, chances are at some point you will need one or all functions during a typical work day.
Whether you use the term multi-function printer (MFP), all-in-on (AIO), or other nomenclature (multi-function copier, or MFC), printers that do more than just print have some clear advantages over single-function equipment; obviously, they save space and money compared to buying multiple separate machines. And who doesn’t like saving space or money?
Basically, an all-in-one will give you a printer, copier, and scanner in one package. Beyond that, if it’s designed primarily for office use, it will usually work as a standalone fax machine. If this is the case, a fax switch like The Stick will provide further savings. The Stick even can be used for fax software on a PC. The Stick routes incoming faxes based on the CNG tones emitted by the sending fax, irrespective of the equipment attached. The fax detection is automatic and takes only a few seconds to route.
So if you are the proud new owner of an All-in-One, get rid of the fax line and the monthly costs of a dedicated line. You are going to need the extra cash for all that ink you’ll be using. How much ink? Use our handy Cost Saving Calculator for yourself.
Corporate Cost Cutting Starts in the Telecom Department
Tuesday, April 5th, 2011Hundreds of companies are launching initiatives to reduce the number telephone land lines and the associated cost. Many restaurant and retail store chains have 3 – 6 telephone lines per site. With broadband connections, this number can be reduced, dramatically reducing overall telecom costs. The Stick Phone/Fax/Modem switch can help you accomplish this.
- 36% of Companies are striving to reduce Telecom expenses.
- Average cost of a business phone line is $50/month nationwide.
- As IT and data acquisition improves and expands, there is less need for Analog Telephone Lines.
- Companies are reducing their number of phones lines at their remote business locations.
However, not all Analog Phone Lines can be eliminated—typically the fax line remains, as well as back up lines for POS/Credit Card Terminals. Point of Sale Systems generally use broadband connections where available for high-speed payment card processing. However, 75% or more of these systems use analog phone lines as back-up in case of network downtime or equipment malfunction. These back-up phone lines, although seldom or never used, represent recurring monthly expenses for businesses.
The Stick Phone/Fax/ Modem switch allows companies to reduce phone lines by “Sharing” the remaining Analog line(s) with devices that use the telephone line.
- The analog line can be used as an “out of band” inbound and outbound communications path for critical information exchanges.
- Over 600,000 units have been installed by companies with remote locations.
- ROI in less than 2 months.
How much can you save? Try out our cost savings calculator and find out in minutes!
Coming soon…The SR-3 Selective Ring Call Router
Friday, March 18th, 2011After two years out of the Multi-Link product line up, The SR-3 call router is returning to production this year.
The SR-3 call processor is a passive line-sharing device that routes incoming phone (POTS) calls based on the “selective ring” service from the local telephone company. The SR-3 differs from the rest of Multi-Link’s line sharing switches that actively answer and route calls. The bottom line is the same—the main benefit is reducing phone lines and the monthly cost. Because the SR-3 routes in this manner, it can be used with common telco call packages that offer voice mail, call forwarding, and TTY/TTD.
The SR-3 routes up to three numbers per line. The selective ring service goes by different names depending on the phone service provider, and this service must be activated for the SR-3 to route properly. Typical cost for a selective ring phone number is $5 per month.
The SR-3 works on a standard POTS line and does not go “off hook” to screen but routes to the appropriate port based on the signature ring pattern for each phone number assigned to a single phone line. The primary phone number routes to port one, secondary number to port two, etc. Multi-Link’s “Smartware™” technology eliminates any user programming by automatically learning the ring cadence. Operation is totally automatic. The barge-in protection feature is optional. Outbound calls are processed in the normal fashion.
For SOHO applications, the SR-3 allows a phone and fax machine to share a single phone line while using different numbers. One phone line can be used for home and business, with automatic routing. Only home phones will ring when the home phone number is called, and business calls are directed to the business phone or fax.
Past users of the SR-3 will notice a new sleeker cabinet, but the functionality is exactly the same. We are now taking pre-orders for the SR-3 and expect to start shipping in April. Call 800-535-4651 with any questions.
A Dedicated Phone Line for Postage Meters is Wasteful
Thursday, January 6th, 2011If your business spends more than $50 a month in postage, chances are you are leasing a postage meter and benefit from convenience, reduced expenses, and time savings. Typically, money savings from using a postage meter average around a 20% per month, due largely to the ability to weigh and meter accurately. Authorized providers of postage meters include Pitney-Bowes, Neopost, Data-Pac, FP Mailing Solutions, and Hasler.
Chances are, like us, you are using the market-leader Pitney-Bowes. We employ a MailStation 2 with great results. Recently I had to update postage rates and download postage funds via modem. It only took about 10 minutes to accomplish. Curious about a technical question, I reviewed the user manual for the answer. While I was thumbing through it, I discovered something curious. In a section named Using an Analog Line to Establish Connections, it states “Use a dedicated analog phone line if possible (one that is not shared with other devices) to avoid possible issues.” Whoa, now— a $50/month phone line?
Being a manufacturer of line-sharing devices aside, Multi-Link , like all businesses, has to watch every expense. It would be counter-productive for us to save money on postage on one hand, and then just use the savings to pay for an additional phone line used just once a month, or even three months, for 10 minutes at a time! How many other companies can afford to pay that?
Installing the postage meter on a line-sharing device like The Stick would take only minutes, and the barge-in protection feature would keep any other telephony device, say a fax, from interfering during a download—and vice versa. Throughput speed is not diminished, and no PC interface or software upgrades are needed. Just plug and go. Take a look at the simple diagram below.
Line sharing with postage meter
View more presentations from Scott Shelton.
Hopefully, this will make your office manager very happy. (E)mail us with any questions on this or any other application: marketing(at)multi-link.net
There has never been a better time to switch to Multi-Link!
Thursday, November 18th, 2010Are you looking for a dependable source for Phone Line Sharing products?
Whether you are looking for a fax switch, a phone switch, a phone splitter or any other form of POTS line sharing device, Multi-Link has the product you need.
Multi-Link’s line sharing portfolio (The Stick, Polnet ACP, SR-3, and Versa-Link ATX 250) allows you to consolidate multiple telephony devices onto a single standard telephone line, reducing the number of lines needed to support the business and the related monthly phone line subscription costs. At an average yearly cost of $600 per phone line subscription, Multi-link’s line sharing products have delivered cost reductions reaching millions of dollars per year.
The Stick (STK29112) is Multi-Link’s best selling line sharing device that screens and automatically routes all voice, fax, and modem calls to the right equipment every time — eliminating the need for costly dedicated phone lines. The Stick works on a standard analog phone line and is programmed by touch tones from a telephone keypad. DSL and CID compatible. Proprietary “Bell Spec” ringback technology. Share 3 devices with 1 line.
The Polnet ACP (ACP-3, 5, 9) is an industrial grade line sharing device (3,5,9) that actively answers, screens, and routes all voice, fax, and modem calls to the right equipment every time—eliminating the need for costly dedicated phone lines. The ACP has additional security and programming features that make it ideal for IT applications and critical data acquisition. DSL compatible. Share up to 9 devices with 1 line.
The ATX-250 (VersaLink) call processor is a versatile line sharing device that routes incoming phone calls based on the “Distinctive Ring” service from the local telco. Routes up to two phone numbers on one phone line. Also routes automatically with active fax detection. DSL and CID compatible. Share 2 devices with 1 line.
The SR-3 Selective Ring Router saves money by eliminating unnecessary phone lines. The SR-3 routes up to three numbers per line. It installs on a standard POTS line and does not go “off hook” to screen but routes to the appropriate port based on the signature ring pattern for each phone number assigned to a single phone line. The primary phone number routes to port one, secondary number to port two, etc. Multi-Link’s “Smartware™” technology eliminates any user programming by automatically learning the ring cadence. Operation is totally automatic. The barge-in protection feature is optional. Outbound calls are processed in the normal fashion.
Call us for a sales kit and product info at 800-535-4651.
The Stick Reduces Costs for KSU/PBX Installations
Wednesday, November 3rd, 2010Many businesses are facing a financial quandary when they have maxed out the number of extensions and expansion cards on their phone systems: “How to add new telephony equipment with no money to expand or upgrade the current KSU or PBX?”
One solution is a line sharing switch. Multi-Link’s line sharing portfolio (The Stick, Polnet ACP and Versa-Link ATX 250) allows customers to consolidate various devices onto a single standard telephone line, reducing the number of lines needed to support the business. At an average yearly cost of $600 per phone line subscription, Multi-link’s line sharing products have delivered cost reductions reaching millions of dollars per year.
It is also important to note that even with VoIP systems, there are an initial up-front costs for replacing legacy analog faxes, modems, etc. that can be prohibitive. By retaining a few analog lines and installing an analog line sharing switch, these costs can be avoided, or at least deferred until a time when these expenses can be justified. Many small branch deployments of IP telephony require analog interfaces, or analog phone gateways, for connectivity to the PSTN, fax machines, security systems, analog phones, and other analog devices. At $300-$500 for just two analog ports, it makes sense to use a line sharing switch to expand the number of analog devices that can connect through the gateway, rather than add more ports.
View more documents from Scott Shelton.