DSL Telecom - Blog #remotework

DSL Telecom Believes Everyone Deserves Fast, Reliable Fibre Internet

Wed, 27 Oct 2021 16:49:30 +0200

Here at DSL Telecom we believe in connecting our customers with the best suited internet connection that will satisfy their daily internet connectivity needs. Whether you're streaming movies on Netflix, jamming out to the latest songs on Spotify, working from home, playing your favourite online game on your Xbox or streaming YouTube videos, your internet speed definitely matters and having a reliable internet connection is key to strong and consistent internet speeds. DSL Telecom is the largest Vox business partner in SA and the largest post-paid Telkom dealer in the country, which means we can provide you with faster, better internet at a fair price.

Why installing a super-fast fibre network in your residential area is vital:

Fibre installation lead times have gone from fast to superfast and is becoming the new normal for residential areas and is essential for smarter living. The COVID-19 pandemic opened South Africa's eyes in terms of expanding the connectivity landscape, emphasizing the fact that the speed and capacity of broadband are essential to supporting the home workforce as well as satisfying the growing demand for safer and smarter homes.

Many residential areas are moving away from copper due to an increase of theft and performance limitations, it's an old technology that communities are moving away from and therefore increasing the need for a reliable communication infrastructure such as fibre internet, which is not only reliable but can also be deployed faster.

Fibre coverage is quickly growing on South Africa's map as it is more reliable, more cost effective and can be deployed rapidly in live for fibre areas. There are many reason why homeowners in South Africa are quickly realising the importance of a fast and reliable internet connection and this helps in terms of increasing fibre coverage across South Africa's map, the bigger the demand, the bigger the coverage.

Here's why we believe you should choose fibre with DSL Telecom

Fibre internet gives you fast speeds: This is important for productivity at home, especially if your work depends on publishing and exchanging large data files or videos online.

Fully reliable: Uptime and data transmission with fibre optic cables is the most consistent, stable and reliable connectivity option. Cabled fibre promises much higher bandwidth, minimal electromagnetic interferences and fewer potential connection interruptions.

Smooth & consistent signal: Fibre internet signal strength stays consistent over distance while xDSL or copper signals can degrade. Large businesses, organisations or building complexes are great candidates for strong and consistent internet signal strength because of this.

Zero throttling of internet speeds: Fibre internet speed doesn't throttle because it's less susceptible to overload. At peak times, your ISP may lower you speed from 100Mbps to 20 or lower to ration their service.

The smart home of tomorrow, today.

Most people, if asked to list their internet connected devices, would likely mention their smartphones, laptops and tablets. In the technology world that we live in today, there are more and varied devices that need a strand of our bandwidth. This easily includes thermostats, light bulbs, TV's, doorbells and CCTV systems. Our homes are no longer just brick and electrical, our homes are becoming increasingly smart and connected.

As we add an increasing number of devices in our home, they start chipping away at our available bandwidth and those devices add up quickly, especially in bigger households.

The more connected devices we bring into our homes the higher our internet standards become, there is no point in having all these smart devices if you can barely use it due to little or no bandwidth.

So when your looking for the ultimate solution in connectivity, when compromise isn't an option and when you need the connected home of tomorrow today, then your home needs a fibre line connection.

So you're convinced that your home needs fibre, this is how to easily connect to

fibre internet:

But first, you'll need to check your Fibre coverage

You will need to check if your area is fibre ready and if your address is covered for fibre. You can check if you are covered for Vox fibre here: www.coveragecheck.co.za

Once you have checked your Telkom fibre coverage and you would like to speak to a sales specialist to sign up you can click here: www.uncappedfibre.co.za

Determine how much fibre internet speed you need?

How many Mbps do you really need from your fibre line for your household to game, stream and download seamlessly.

Choosing the best fibre package that fits your budget

DSL Telecom offers many packages for you to choose from and we have a fully trained team of sales professionals that can assist you in getting the best suited package for your internet connectivity needs, that is also best suited to your budget. Click here to view the different FNO and ISP fibre internet deals that you may be covered for:

Vox fibre Vox Frogfoot fibre deals Vox Vuma fibre deals Vox Openserve fibre deals Vox Octotel fibre deals	Telkom fibre: Telkom Openserve fibre deals Telkom Vuma fibre deals Telkom Frogfoot fibre deals Telkom Link Afrika fibre deals

Vox fibre
Vox Frogfoot fibre deals
Vox Vumatel fibre deals
Vox Octotel fibre deals

Vox Openserve fibre deals

Telkom fibre:
Telkom Openserve fibre deals
Telkom Vumatel fibre deals
Telkom Frogfoot fibre deals
Telkom Link Afrika fibre deals

What's next? Get connected to fibre

We will schedule your fibre internet installation will be scheduled at a time that is convenient for you. The fibre internet installation will involve running the fibre cable from the fibre box on your boundary wall into your home, once this has been completed your fibre network operator will come to your property to install an ONT (optical network terminal). The fibre internet Installation can take anywhere between 2 – 4 hours. Once your fibre line has been installed, your fibre router will be scheduled for delivery and your fibre line will be tested to ensure you are getting exactly the fibre line speeds that you expected. That's it, its a quick and seamless process and if you sign up with us today you can be up and running in no time, to a fast reliable and stable internet connection that you deserve.

Don't wait for tomorrow, click here to check your fibre coverage today: www.coveragecheck.co.za

What CRM System Should You Choose in South Africa?

Mon, 11 Oct 2021 16:26:52 +0200

5 Best CRM Softwares for South African Businesses

Now that your organisation is on the look out for a CRM system, you will need to start with gaining a deeper understanding of your software requirements and what features you can expect from CRM software vendors. Although you've probably come here to make your informed decision on which is the best CRM software to choose for South African business, you've probably realised that selecting the perfect CRM system is no simple process.

The challenge lies not only in the fact that there are so many potential CRM solutions and technologies to choose from, but you also have to consider CRM system deployment options, ability to customise, cost, scalability and business value, before you make your choice.

Here is our 2021 guide on how to choose the right CRM software for your business.

1. Factors to consider when comparing CRM Systems

When it comes to customer relationship management (CRM), it’s important to choose the right CRM system with the capabilities that suit your business before embarking on your selection process.

7 important factors to consider in CRM comparisons are:

User-friendly software
Local partner with support, consultation, training and implementation services
Growth and scalability capabilities
Flexible reporting
Affordability
Highly customisable
Integration capabilities

Here is a blog post that details the 7 vital criteria to consider when selecting a CRM system for South African businesses

2. Features South African Businesses need in their CRM Software

A CRM solution opens up amazing opportunities for small businesses and large enterprises alike to thrive. Now more than ever, South African businesses need to expertly manage prospects and existing customers with great care. Using a platform with the best CRM features is an essential part of that strategy, so we compiled a CRM features list to help you get started.

Lead management is the backbone of a successful sales operation. Without effective leads, there’s no need for a CRM or even a sales team in the first place. This concept covers the first step in the sales cycle to create qualified opportunities and ultimately, satisfied customers.

Lead management is the process of tracking and managing prospective customers and CRM Systems should enable you to manage the process of converting prospects into potential customers (leads) by identifying, scoring and moving leads through the sales pipeline.

Follow up with leads automatically with preset emails and tasks or contact them yourself directly from your CRM. CRM Software Systems can nurture prospects all the way through the sales pipeline, from lead generation to closing the sale. Additionally, many CRMs, like Zoho CRM, allow users to create and store sales quotes, track invoices and follow up on documents.

Contact management & Marketing is a vital CRM capability. It allows users to segment contacts into groups to organise and better cater to them. With this CRM capability, you’ll be able to gather crucial customer data and strengthen your marketing strategies. It also improves the personalisation of all contact with customers, making them feel important and catered to. This is a key factor in customer satisfaction!

Many CRM solutions, like Zoho CRM, have built-in marketing tools, including email templates, email marketing pipelines, SMS messaging and lightweight project management tools. Some even offer competition tracking and sales forecasting capabilities.

Business intelligence tools, BI, reporting and dashboards have become some of the top CRM features. Users can view statistics in a highly visual, engaging perspective using customised reports and dashboards. They offer real-time data updates and a platform that can be accessed from various portals, improving ease of access for a variety of personnel. Management can use these reports to make data-driven decisions - an investment in CRM BI is an investment in the future of your business.

Most CRM software includes some reporting functionality, but the best CRM Systems, like Zoho Software, support live, dynamic and customisable dashboards. Make sure any exporting or importing needs you have (for instance, transferring information to and from Excel or QuickBooks) are compatible with the system you choose.

CRM automation refers to a CRM system’s ability to automate repetitive, manual tasks to streamline work and improve productivity. Automation of a CRM can encompass a range of functions across marketing, sales and service activities.

CRM tools are all about making it easier to manage every external interaction and relationship that’s essential for business success. Automation can free up time to focus on more meaningful and strategic work.

3. Top 5 CRM Softwares for South African Businesses

1: Zoho CRM Software

Zoho CRM is one of the larger organisations in the CRM market and is part of the Zoho suite of business management tools. Zoho CRM is an omnichannel cloud-based customer relationship management platform that helps local & global businesses to take control of their business processes to build lasting customer relationships. The web-based platform can be customised to suit industries of all types and sizes. Zoho CRM offers integration with over 50 Zoho products and extends its capacity with more than 300 third-party app extensions, including G Suite, Office 365, Salesforce and many other popular apps.

Businesses can use the Zoho CRM omnichannel CRM to nurture customer relationships anytime, anywhere. From desktop, to phone, to live chat, to email, to social media, businesses can communicate and connect with their clients to enhance the customer experience. Notifications can automatically alert users of each new customer interaction or new contact.

When it comes to a CRM solution, one size doesn't fit all businesses. That's why Zoho CRM lets businesses easily customize the interface to meet the particular requirements of their organisation. Zoho has over 13 million users, a good portion of them being South Africans, due to this Zoho now offers all 45 plus business software applications at a fixed South African rand price. Zoho seeks to make this adoption both simple and affordable by providing its world-class software solutions at a fair price, protected from exchange rate fluctuations.

2. MS Dynamics CRM

Microsoft Dynamics 365 is a multi-language, multi-currency enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. The solution is designed for midsize and larger companies, and is fully customisable and extensible through its development platform and tools. Dynamics 365 offers a range of tools for sales, customer service, field service management, talent acquisition, finance and operations, retail, project service automation, marketing, artificial intelligence and more.

With Microsoft Dynamics 365 businesses can unify their operations, projects, workflows and tasks in one centralised platform in order to aid decision making, build relationships with customers and operate efficiently. The individual applications within Microsoft Dynamics 365 can be used as standalone products, combine with one another or integrated with a wide range of external business systems in order to provide a completely customised solution. The platform integrates with third party applications such as Ameyo, Salesforce, DocuSign, PandaDoc, ADP, Gainsight, Tacton CPQ and more.

3. Salesforce CRM

Salesforce is a CRM cloud-based solution which caters towards companies of all sizes – it is a single platform intended to manage all aspects of sales, service, marketing and analytics, through area specific “clouds” in order to meet specific business needs.

With separate “clouds” for each arm of their CRM, Salesforce provides solutions suited for companies who wish to engage in different aspects of the modern consumer space while maintaining the ability to segregate operations between teams, avoiding over-complication while still allowing for cross-communication. Salesforce offers different services through separate price plans, so businesses only looking for partial CRM functionality can adjust their service level and costs to fit their needs.

4. Pipedrive CRM

Pipedrive is a deal-driven customer relationship management solution that also works as an account-management tool with the ability to assist with marketing and the entire sales process. Pipedrive's proactive nature automatically tracks and organises calls and emails and synchronises schedules across devices. One capability that might be especially attractive to most small to midsized businesses (SMBs) is Pipedrive's ability to visualise the sales process from start to finish.

Pipedrive's straightforward user interface is simple to pick up quickly. Smaller SMBs and entrepreneurs charged with CRM tasks will welcome its ease of use.

5. Hubspot CRM

HubSpot CRM takes care of all the little details - logging emails, recording calls and managing data - in a very intuitive manner therefore freeing up valuable selling time in the process. HubSpot CRM is used to organise, manage, track contacts and build better relationships with customers.

The CRM will also let your entire company operate off of one source of truth about the contacts in your database instead of sharing spreadsheets or finding emails. Every interaction is stored in a timeline, including notes about the contact and the content they’ve consumed. Organisations that are new to the business or mid-market companies accept the HubSpot CRM tool because it provides secured services and quick functions that are easily understood.

4. Why we highly recommend Zoho CRM

Zoho CRM - with its broad coverage, deep features and intuitive UI - can go head to head against any other big brand name when it comes to technology and functionality. Where other CRMs use predatory business practices and aggressive, multi-year contracts to strong arm users into sticking around, Zoho is so confident in the strength of their CRM System that they offer flexible, month-to-month subscriptions that can grow with your business.

Zoho CRM is a widely adopted customer relationship management (CRM) platform, which has a strong emphasis on increasing leads, accelerating sales and measuring performance. It makes great use of artificial intelligence (AI), and its business intelligence features can empower remote workforces to achieve more together. Advanced options such as Zia, the AI-powered assistant, provide exceptional lead and deal predictions to identify the potential customers who are most likely to convert, helping sales teams focus their efforts in the most efficient way possible. The user-friendly platform integrates with hundreds of popular apps and software, making it easy to build a custom CRM for any business.

Zoho offers transparent pricing based on monthly and annual terms. There are four bundled service options. Free trials are available for each subscription level. The Standard bundle includes everything in the free version plus added features. (Each successive tier includes everything available in the bundles that precede it.)

We recommend Zoho CRM for:

Small businesses looking to implement their first unified CRM software solution.
Any size of business with a sales-focused model that wants to gamify the selling process to build camaraderie and competitiveness as well as increase communication and collaboration across remote teams.
Medium-sized businesses that want to streamline their sales processes with helpful organisation and insights from an AI-powered assistant.
Businesses that need best-in-class analytics for reliable decision-making.
Teams that require a CRM that integrates with existing business applications.
Organisations that want a solution without a steep learning curve and a system that quickly and easily fits right into their business systems.

Since partnering with Software Development Giant, Zoho Corporation in 2012, we at DSL Telecom have stepped up the Zoho Partner Status tiers and this year, we're exhilarated to have been officially recognised as a Zoho Premium Partner - the first and currently the only Zoho Premium Partner in South Africa.

If adopting Zoho's products is a dream for your company, but limited people-power and a tight budget have been holding you back, your best bet is to hire a Zoho Premium Partner like DSL Telecom. From start to finish, we take care of your needs and ensure a seamless, cost-effective solution that promises fast results.

Learn the prime benefits are when dealing with a Zoho partner in South Africa here.

Get in touch with a Zoho Specialist

Discuss your business requirements, get a free demo &
determine if Zoho would be a good fit for your business

Book Your Free Demo

Everything you need to know about the TP-Link Deco Mesh Wi-Fi extender

Wed, 11 Aug 2021 17:31:18 +0200

DSL Telecom offers internet and wi-fi solutions to homes and businesses. The TP-Link Deco Mesh Wi-Fi System is one of the solutions we offer to improve your internet connection throughout your home or business.

For many years mesh wi-fi systems were used only in businesses. Mesh wi-fi entered the consumer market to provide customers with access to a stable connection, allowing for a lower network congested wi-fi system and greater wireless coverage. Mesh systems like the TP-Link Deco Mesh Extender are designed to solve one problem, bad signal strength. If you do not have any dead zones in your home then the problem is not with your wi-fi network but rather with your internet package.

In this blog you will learn everything you need to know about TP-Link Deco Mesh wi-fi extenders, what it is, how it works and the benefits that the TP-Deco Link can have on your home set-up.

What is Mesh Wi-Fi?

The mesh wifi technology system is built to eliminate dead zones and creates one big connection that covers all corners of your home. The Mesh WiFi system creates faster speeds and a more stable connection. It allows for better performance and less network congestion providing you with better reliability and greater wireless coverage.

How does the TP-Link Deco Mesh Wi-Fi system work?

The mesh wi-fi system consists of a main router that connects directly to your router and a series of nodes (a device or data point in a larger network) placed around your home for full wi-fi coverage. Only one node needs to be connected to the router, the one wired node then shares its internet connection with all other nodes in its vicinity. They are all part of a single wireless network that requires multiple devices to be set up around your home where you require the connection.

TP-Link Mesh No TP-Link Mesh Present

10 benefits of the TP-Link Deco Mesh Wi-Fi system

Do you need a TP-Link Deco Mesh Wi-Fi system in your home?

Ask yourself the following questions:

Do you need to ensure dead zones and drops do not impact your working day, or weekend streaming?
Do you need a consistent, even speed wherever you go in your home?
Are you tired of switching between networks as you move between upstairs and downstairs?
Do you want to optimize your current wi-fi network?
Do you live in a big house or have multiple walls between your devices?

Questions you may have before purchasing the TP-Link Deco Mesh

Do I need to purchase a new router?

You can use the TP-link extender in tandem with your current router, you don't need to purchase a new router. The Mesh wi-fi system is what connects to the internet, the router part is the transmitting of that connection over wi-fi. So even though the mesh systems will replace the router part, you still need to reply on the built in router.

Will a Mesh Wi-Fi network improve internet speed?

With Mesh wi-fi nodes positioned throughout your home, you get a much more consistent, even speed wherever you go in your home. Because there are multiple access points your going to get a more consistent signal spread across your home.

How far can Mesh Wi-Fi extend?

A good rule of thumb is to place the second node halfway between the router and the dead zone, the range can be about 30 meters or two rooms apart.

Does Mesh Wi-Fi need a line of sight?

No. Nodes can be placed anywhere within range of each other to create a mesh network in your home. While a line of sight is optimal to reduce the chance of any interference between nodes, it is not a requirement.

How do I know which TP-Link I should purchase?

The E4 Deco mesh is best suitable for fibre line speeds of up to 100Mbps. The Deco M4 is best suitable for line speeds of up to 1Gbps, the hardware mostly depends on your current fibre line speed for optimal use of the product.

Experience Wi-Fi like never before, with the TP Link Deco Mesh Wi-Fi extender

With our mesh wi-fi systems, you'll have no more dropped wi-fi connections as you move throughout your home.

Buy Now

The DSL Telecom Cloud PBX merges voice and data into an all-in-one platform with the all-new Salesforce integration

Tue, 13 Jul 2021 16:32:48 +0200

Both your CRM software and business phone system are vital tools to help you and your team keep track of business interactions with customers. Merging these two software programs will assist your business to effectively utilise the best of both these programs and more!

The DSL Telecom Cloud PBX is packed with outstanding features including mobility, messaging, presence, 50+ call features and a seamless integration capability to Salesforce CRM. This phone system unites voice and data in an all-in-one platform which will not only keep your customers happy with shortened communication turnaround times, you'll also appreciate easier record-updating processes for your sales teams and agents.

Related blogs that may interest you:

Easily Unfold Customer Insights In Salesforce During Your Calls

Boost your agents, sales representatives' or managers' efficiency with streamlined dialing, auto-call logging, call pickup, detailed call records and call pop ups.

Call customers with just a click

Click-to-call creates an easy and efficient way for your sales and support teams to contact your customers right from your CRM. Dial your customers faster and with fewer mistakes. Stop wasting time dialing phone numbers – simply click to call a customer right from your CRM while you’re looking at all their details and records.

Log all your calls automatically

Automatic call logging makes manual data entry a thing of the past. Your call data from your DSL Telecom Cloud PBX will automatically be synced to your Salesforce CRM in real time, helping you keep track of every conversation.

Know who is calling you with live call pop ups

Now you can improve the quality of your customer interactions by automatically delivering pertinent information along with each call. When the DSL Telecom Cloud PBX & Salesforce CRM is integrated, a “screen pop up” on a call provides a holistic view of the customer. The customer information that will be available will include instant access to the caller' full name, contact details, history of call interactions, customer notes, product interest and social media accounts as well as critical business facts such as the contact’s position held within their company, the language they speak and even their birthdays. With all this information at your fingertips, personalising communication with your customers becomes a breeze!

Easily manage your customers

Rather than collecting handwritten notes or requiring employees to open their CRM system each time a phone call comes in, an integrated system will open a notepad for your employees to instantly take notes and view previous notes. In addition, the time and duration of the call will be displayed plus much more!

Interested in integrating your Salesforce CRM & DSL Telecom Cloud PBX?

Contact Sales

Seamlessly Communicate With An Award-Winning DSL Telecom VoIP PBX + Microsoft Teams Collaboration

Tue, 13 Jul 2021 16:32:48 +0200

Both your Business Communications Platform Software and your Business Phone System are considerably-essential business operational tools which enable companies of all sizes to keep track of communication interactions with your team members and customers alike. Merging these two state-of-the-art software platforms promises to deliver exceptional calling experiences to Teams Users as well as your ever-valued customers.

The DSL Telecom Cloud PBX is packed with outstanding features including mobility, messaging, presence, 50+ call features and a seamless integration capability to MS Teams. This phone system unites voice and communication software platforms, filling the gap for your established Teams user base and providing your business the opportunities you deserve to reach a much broader customer base.

As Microsoft Teams surpassed 145 million daily active users, Yeastar integrates with Teams to make enterprise-grade calling capabilities of The DSL Telecom Yeastar Cloud PBX System available to Teams users. With the direct routing technology, users on DSL Telecom's Yeaster Cloud Phone System and MS Teams can seamlessly communicate with others like regular extensions do, making it a perfect fit for businesses with a mix of Teams and non-Teams users.

Related blogs that may interest you:

Get More Done With Less Effort

This integration solution offers a quick, simple and cost-effective way to take your communication processes to another level without any disruption to your existing phone service.

Here's what you can expect your business to gain

By associating MS Teams users with SIP extensions of the DSL Telecom Cloud PBX, the MS Teams App will work as a softphone that is registered to the PBX, enabling you to achieve the following: Make and receive calls directly from the MS Teams App, Keep your existing phone numbers, SIP phones and any SIP devices.

Empower your business with DSL Telecom's VoIP and MS Teams integration capability

Users on DSL Telecom's Cloud PBX System and MS Teams can reach each other like they would usually do on regular extensions using the DSL Telecom Cloud PBX System, so that they can make and receive internal and external calls directly on the MS Teams App while enjoying a variety of advanced calling features.

Features at a Glance:

Place and receive calls from anywhere on any device via the MS Teams App.
Keep your existing phone numbers and any SIP endpoints on MS Teams.
Set up customised IVR scripts to suit your specific business's requirements.
Support advanced call management to forward, transfer, hold, and mute calls.
Access to more incredible calling features such as call recording, ring groups, voicemail to email and more.
Consolidate your business communications and collaboration on a single platform.
Simplify configuration and administration with the easy setup process.

One Plus One Outperforms Two

To wrap up, VoIP Integration Is A Technology – a bridge to unite your VoIP phone system with other work-related platforms to maximise the value of each of your current applications.

Interested in integrating your MS Teams Communication Platform With DSL Telecom's Cloud PBX?

Contact Sales

Everything a modern South African business should consider when comparing Cloud PBX Phone Systems

Tue, 13 Jul 2021 16:32:48 +0200

Making the proper PBX choice

Every business needs a phone system to operate optimally and communicate effectively with each other and their customers, however with the abundance of PBX Phone System options available, choosing a suitable Cloud PBX provider can seem complicated and somewhat overwhelming, especially as a South African business.

To help simplify your decision, we at DSL Telecom through our extensive first-hand Cloud PBX System experience, have gathered up what we consider to be the leading Cloud PBX competitors in the South African professional marketplace and delved into what sets them apart with some insightful PBX comparisons.

But first, let's take a look at what factors you'd want to to consider when comparing Cloud PBX Systems as well as some of the exciting Phone System features.

4 Crucial factors to consider when comparing Cloud PBX Systems

Here are 4 factors to consider when selecting your Cloud Phone System and comparing Cloud PBX comparisons.

#1 Will the Cloud PBX Solution support your business needs?

When selecting a Cloud PBX provider, you should be aware of all your business needs, i.e. number of lines, number of all employees in all offices, location of all employees, broadband specifications, local/long distance needs, conference calling, call volumes and so forth. In knowing these, you'll be able to select a provider who has the appropriate tools and capacity for your business. Another area that should be addressed is accessibility and technical support.

#2 What about sufficient bandwidth?

Since adequate bandwidth is critical to Cloud PBX systems in order to carry both voice traffic and other data, you'll require sizeable bandwidth for your PBX system. Therefore, the size and data requirement of your company dictates how much bandwidth will be required to adequately run a Cloud PBX service. Your company's exact bandwidth requirements depend directly on your call volume, codec, your packets per second capability, and your total packet size over the WAN. Once this information is accounted for, you'll be able to calculate an approximation of the bandwidth needed.

#3 User training

When choosing your business's ideal PBX Phone System, it's important to choose a Cloud PBX Solution that offers hands-on employee training during the initial installation right through to the training of new employees if required. With this, users will benefit from system proficiency, which ultimately leads to a better utilisation of the system, features, and functions.

#4 Scalability and flexibility

As your business grows larger or smaller, it's imperative that you choose a Cloud Phone System that's designed to easily scale users up and down as your business requires. In addition, you should look for a Cloud PBX that offers the optimum amount of flexibility within their service. Aside from support and training, users should be sure that the provider’s service is able to apply to employees that are both in and out of the office.

All the features you need to grow your business

One of the biggest selling points of Cloud PBX Systems is the availability of advanced features which are most often advertised prominently by PBX Competitors hoping to attract new clients. Since PBX features are provided as a service, there is no equipment, installation or maintenance required for any of these advanced PBX features.

Call Routing

Call routing is a call management feature that queues and distributes inbound calls to a team of agents. It is a feature commonly used in call centres to manage a high volume of incoming calls.

Automated Attendant

Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is a telephony menu system that enables the dial pad for identification, segmentation and routing of calls.

Music On Hold

Music on hold (MOH) is the business practice of playing recorded music to fill the silence that would be heard by telephone callers who have been placed on hold.

Call Pickup

Call Pickup feature allows users in the same pickup group to pick up no-answering calls of other extensions without running to the ringing phones.

Conference Rooms

By dialing the conference extension number, Cloud Phone System users will be allowed to join a conference room with other specified users.

Call Recording

Call recording is an automatic system that records all your calls. so you don't have to lift another finger for it to begin working, as it is enabled by default.

Call Detail Record

A call detail record (CDR) is a data record produced by a phone extension containing various attributes of the call, such as time, duration, completion status, source number, and destination number.

Holiday Hours

This feature keeps your customers informed about changes in your business hours during the holidays.

Ring Groups

Ring groups allow members to take turns answering calls. Calls could ring all members of the team until someone answers or you could ring members one at a time, in a random order.

Here's an in-depth PBX comparison into our best picks for Cloud PBX Systems for South African Businesses:

Customisable phone solutions for businesses - Pros:

- Locally developed platform based on open source technology

- Cloud platform

- Prepaid or postpaid billing

- 30+ features to monitor and manage your users and agent

-Mobile-ready, web-based technology + up to 3 devices per extension

-Multiple plans to meet your business requirements

Cons:

Limited range of devices compatible with MS Teams

Native video compatibilities not available
6 month data retention

No Unified Comms application suite

3CX PBX is an open-platform, cloud business phone system - Pros:

- Self host with popular cloud providers offering

- Standard Linux VPS. (Google Cloud, Amazon Lightsail, Microsoft Azure & more)

- Easily move your PBX between cloud providers with

- inbuilt backup & restore

- Pay a low monthly fee per PBX rather than an inflated price per extension.

- No long-term contracts

- Save on monthly call costs using SIP trunks

Cons:

The set up can seem a little daunting, especially if you plan to take it on internally.

Limited integration options with other applications.

Requires a video call feature.

Vox Verto Supreme is an all-inclusive cloud-based cloud PBX-Pros:

- Full feature set at a single per user price

- Pure IP Centrex solution allowing customers to benefit from competitive voice rates

- Scalable and flexible - pay per use

- Flexible contract terms available

- PBX features such as voicemail, conferencing, music on hold, automated attendant and automatic call distribution included with the option to add more

- Excellent SLA agreements are mandatory at a low cost per user to ensure excellent service and uptime

Cons:

- Limited features included as standard

- SLA packages are not included but mandatory.

Vox Verto Supreme is an all-inclusive cloud-based cloud PBX-Pros:

- Full feature set at a single per user price

- Pure IP Centrex solution allowing customers to benefit from competitive voice rates

- Scalable and flexible - pay per use

- Flexible contract terms available

- PBX features such as voicemail, conferencing, music on hold, automated attendant and automatic call distribution included with the option to add more

- Excellent SLA agreements are mandatory at a low cost per user to ensure excellent service and uptime

Cons:

Limited features included as standard

SLA packages are not included but mandatory.

Our top pick for South African businesses

If we take a closer look at all the above Cloud PBX competitors, it can't be argued that the DSL Telecom Cloud PBX system offers truly outstanding value, promising to reduce costs, connect seamlessly, and get more done - even when on the go. In today's business climate, agility, flexibility and great value are all massive factors to consider as competitive advantages. DSL Telecom' Cloud Phone System really does tick all the boxes.

To learn more about how this incredible game-changing Cloud Phone System can transform your business, head over to this website: www.pbxcapetown.co.za

Bye for now, chat again soon 👍 www.pbxcapetown.co.za

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Everything you need to know about electronic signature applications for your business

Thu, 29 Apr 2021 16:19:49 +0200

Requesting document signatures can be a tedious task. You have to wait hours, sometimes even days before you receive documents from your clients or stakeholders. How about getting documents signed within minutes instead of waiting for days or hours? This has been made possible with electronic signature applications. E-signature applications are becoming a fast norm, not only in the South African corporate world but in SME businesses too.

If you don't know much about electronic signatures applications, here's the perfect place to learn about them and the benefits of implementing an e-signature application into your business today.

What do you have to lose? Try the simple, secure and legal E-Signature app for free today!

Start your free Zoho Sign trial here.

What exactly is an electronic signature?

An e-signature or electronic signature is an electronic form of data which can be used to execute signatures on electronic documents or records. This type of signature enjoys the same validity as the standard pen-and-paper signature.

Electronic signatures are a legal way to get consent on electronic documents or forms to validate and verify a document in the same manner as a pen-and-paper signature would. It can replace a handwritten signature in virtually any process.

Are electronic signatures legally binding?

The short answer is yes.

In South Africa, electronic signatures have the same legal standing as handwritten signatures if they meet certain criteria of technical reliability.

For all situations where a document is signed by an electronic signature and where law does not prohibit the document from being signed electronically, the electronic signature will have the same presumption of enforceability as a handwritten signature.

Reasons why you should use an electronic signature application:

Simple & easy to use

The biggest benefit of electronic signatures is that they're simple and easy-to-use. Simply upload a document, declare signers and recipients and deliver a secure link to the recipient. The recipient signs the document and the process is complete. It's that easy!

Real-time notifications

Electronic signatures contain traceable information about who signed the document, when they signed it, and where they signed it. That's much stronger and more enforceable than your average paper-based transaction.

Get signatures faster

The convenience of electronic signatures means there's a much faster turnaround. Instead of sending a document to one party, getting them to print, sign, and scan it, sending it to the next party and then repeating the process down the line, everyone can sign off within seconds. This faster turnaround gives businesses greater versatility in time-sensitive situations and provides your customer with their desired product or service quicker.

Better user experience

No one can ignore that client satisfaction is a key factor which directly influences your the success of any business. Electronic signatures save clients’ time and make the whole signing process much more desirable for them. They can sign documents anywhere, anytime they want and using any internet-enabled device they prefer.

Our top pick for the best E-Signature application in South Africa:

Choosing the right electronic signature application can be hard, so we've made it easy for you and selected the best in the market for South African businesses - Zoho Sign.

With Zoho Sign, you can securely sign, send and manage your business documents from anywhere in a few simple clicks. It's easy to use, quick to learn and simple to implement into your business. What's more, it's now available in ZAR, making it affordable for South African Businesses to adopt so you'll no longer be exposed to fluctuations in the Rand/Dollar exchange rate. Zoho Sign works completely in the cloud and is perfect for anyone that needs to sign business documents - ideal for HR, sales & finance departments.

We've put together the most game-changing features, to help you make the switch to Zoho Sign today:

Easily import- With Zoho Sign, you can easily import and transfer your business document to Zoho Sign from your desktop or cloud application solutions such as Google Drive, OneDrive, DropBox, Box and Zoho Workdrive. This way, you don't have to create all your documents from scratch, simply migrate your existing documentation straight onto Zoho Sign.

Cloud backup- You will never have to worry about your documents going missing! Zoho Sign enables you to back up your signed documents rapidly. You can even automatically back up signed copies to your favourite cloud app solutions like DropBox, Box, OneDrive and more for improved data protection and to keep your records updated.

Automatic field addition - When you begin the signing process by uploading a document, Zoho Sign will automatically identify if you have text fields and the corresponding fields will automatically be created as digital text fields so that all the fields on your document that you would like the client to fill in will be identified.

Real-time comments - Simply add public or private notes and comments onto your document to elaborate on document information or provide clarity, preventing you from unnecessarily hold ups inclosing your deal or having to send a document back and forth.

Timely reminders- You can see if your recipient has viewed, signed or sent the document back to you. Simply track document status. If your recipient has taken longer than expected to sign the document, you can easily send reminders and automate reminders to expedite the signing process.

Complete control- You can approve, dent or decline documents. If you made a mistake in the document or have sent the wrong document to the wrong person, don't worry, simply recall the document and cancel the signing process.

Templates - Be more productive by saving time and effort by converting frequently-used documents into templates that are easy to send, reuse and maintain forever.

Available in 12 languages- Give your customers the option to view and complete the document signing process in their native language. Zoho Sign is avaiable in English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Dutch and Swedish.

Integrations - Zoho Sign integrates with popular third-party services so that you can import users and documents and get your documents signed in a few steps. You can also build custom integrations to meet your requirements with Zoho.

Advanced authentication - Protect your account, documents and your clients documents with multi-factor authentication for that additional level of security.

Legality - All documents that are signed using Zoho Sign are legally binding.

Make it effortless for your clients to sign documents

All in all, electronic signature software, like Zoho Sign is essential for all businesses, whether you're a budding startup, a fast-growing small business or a big enterprise. Why not make it easier to get proposals signed, agreements done, eliminate manual tasks and reduce time spent on following up. Zoho Sign offers powerful features that help you do just that.

If you would like to sign up for a 14-day free trial of Zoho Sign, click here.

Alternatively, request a Zoho Sign demo with one of our Zoho experts, by clicking on the button below.

Book your Zoho Sign Demo

An ideal friendship: DSL Telecom Phone System & Zoho CRM

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 17:01:28 +0200

In the age of multichannel communications, your customers are communicating to your teams through chat, email, social media and (of course) telephone. Keeping up to date with what a customer requires is even harder when all these channels act like perfect strangers — remaining separate and detached. That is why we suggest you integrate your phone and CRM software. A seamless CRM phone integration, in many ways, turns these two critical communication platforms into best friends: effortlessly in tune and always working together to achieve more than each could alone. The good news is that Zoho CRM & DSL Telecom Phone System have already been introduced and collaborate seamlessly.

In today's blog we'll be discussing what makes the Zoho CRM & DSL Telecom PBX integration the best of companions.

Click here to learn more about DSL Telecom's Cloud Phone System
Click here to start your FREE Zoho CRM trial

Easier tracking

Make manual data entry a thing of the past with DSL Telecom and Zoho CRM's automatic call logging feature. Accurate and descriptive notes on your customer is your team's secret weapon to providing superior service! The call pop-up window enables your team to add notes, create follow-up tasks or assign the contact you spoke with to someone else. You will never lose track or forget about a conversation that you had with a customer.

Call pop-ups to better serve your customers

Zoho's CRM Software can store, access and analyse large amounts of diverse information, including detailed caller identification and call history. Linking your telephony to your CRM gives your sales team quick access to previous call interactions and customer details before the call connects. This enables you to quickly prepare for the customer interaction and ultimately you're now able to assist the customer promptly - saving time for all parties.

Every call from your customer automatically displays a pop-up with the customers information on your screen. Pop-ups provide quick access to customer records which helps to get to the heart of the matter quickly. Having this information handy when a customer calls, gives your team the opportunity to provide a personalised customer service.

Gives you more data

Providing your team with constructive feedback is vital to motivate, improve and enhance your workforce. It is essential to measure KPIs such as call rates, upselling activity and conversion rates. Integrating your telephony with your CRM system helps monitor and analyse staff tendencies and capabilities, providing supervisors and managers with useful, quantifiable data. This integration gives you the opportunity to generate reports. With reports, you can track trends and teams' performance during specific periods and motivate them to improve by providing proof of superb performance or the need to improve on certain aspects of their work. Built-in charts and reports let you visualise your call data and help you figure out how to provide a better customer experience.

Elevate productivity

The ability to accept incoming calls and make outgoing calls with a single click is facilitated through DSL Telecom's Cloud PBX and Zoho's CRM system, enhancing the swiftness of your staff. Stop wasting time searching for contacts' numbers and dialing numbers - make calls straight from Zoho CRM. While you're looking at your leads or contacts, just click the call icon to initiate a call.

What does this integration look like?

Zoho CRM & DSL Telecom Phone Integration: Better Together

The future belongs to companies that maintain strong customer relations and improve efficiency at serving them. Technology is an effective way to help your business achieve both these goals. By integrating your CRM and telephony services, you can make your business stand out even in a hyper-competitive market. Our Zoho Consultants and Cloud PBX Specialists understand how essential communication and building relationships are to businesses. Let us help you unify your communications with your customers.

Try this integration

How we hacked team collaboration using Zoho Cliq

Thu, 04 Mar 2021 09:44:11 +0200

Zoho Cliq has been an indispensable part of our team's collaboration since the Covid-19 pandemic started. With only a week's notice to a national lockdown, we needed a team communication platform that would allow our teams to communicate seamlessly while being remote.

Zoho Cliq is a business messaging tool that lets teams communicate in real time. Members can create channels for specific projects or teams and make audio and video calls to work more productively with their teams.

Making the choice to use Zoho Cliq as our internal communication platform has vastly benefited our team. It simplified our team communication in the middle of a global crisis. With organised conversations, easy-to-access information and integrating Zoho Cliq to the tools we love, we were able to not only maintain but double our team's productivity.

In this blog, we’ve highlighted some tips that DSL Telecom effectively used with Zoho Cliq to collaborate better. Take a look at our foolproof tips to master effective team collaboration.

Tip #1:

We easily scheduled daily morning and afternoon calls with our teams to stay updated with our projects and productivity.

Every day our team members need to collaborate on projects. Using Cliq, we can easily make a call directly from any personal chat or group chat. For an even stronger team collaboration, we can easily share our screen in the call! This enables us to keep everyone on the same page at all times.

Tip #2:

We created a team-wide channel called #MarketingSuggestions - dedicated to sharing marketing ideas, tips and recommendations.

Using Cliq enables us to streamline our discussions with Channels — a smart, transparent space for synchronous team collaboration. Channels is a great way for our team to make sure our projects and topic ideas, resources and work aligns with our teammates, ensuring that our projects are successfully executed.

Tip #3:

We have preset presence updates to let our teammates know when we are available to collaborate.

Zoho Cliq gives users a good view of who's available, away, or currently in a meeting. Be more efficient with your time by knowing if your team members are available to have a discussion, if they're in a meeting or away from their workspace.

Tip #4:

We use reminders to stay up to date and never miss important messages.

We stay on top of important messages and requests by setting in-chat reminders. This way, Cliq will make sure we never accidentally let something important slip away, while at the same time, organising messages for an easy view of what is important to you.

Tip #5:

We easily organise and stay on top of our messages with Zoho Cliq's message staring feature.

You can bookmark or save important messages, images and videos by starring them in a relevant category that can be accessed anytime.

★ Important ★ To-Do ★ Note ★ Boss ★ Follow-Up

Tip #6:

We continue to build our company culture through lively conversations using Zomojis and GIFs

Something as simple as sharing GIFs and reacting to a message with Zomojis brings your team together, letting your team members know what you think. GIFs are known to be an effective and creative way to communicate and engage.

Tip #7:

We are able to keep up with our teammates on the go

Cliq is available on mobile and tablet devices, in iOS and Android operating systems. Chat your way to productive business communication, wherever you are, on any device.

Transform your team's collaboration with Zoho Cliq

Working remotely shouldn't take away all the little quirks you enjoy about working in the office. From getting into work and greeting your co-workers, to being able to easily check if someone is available for a discussion and taking a quick coffee break together, Cliq's remote work capabilities make sure you don't miss out on the little things.

If you're interested in Zoho Cliq, reach out to DSL Telecom, a Zoho Consulting Partner by clicking the "Speak to a Zoho Expert" button below.

Start Your Free Trial Today

Speak to a Zoho Expert

7 vital criteria to consider when selecting a CRM system for South African businesses

Fri, 11 Dec 2020 10:54:32 +0200

When it comes to customer relationship management (CRM), it’s important to choose the right CRM system with capabilities that suit your business before embarking on your selection process.

No matter what size your company is, or the industry you operate in, the correct CRM software will help you stay competitive by allowing you to:

Keep track of all your interactions with all your customers
Consolidate all your customer data into one easy-to-access location
Maintain powerful customer relationships with greater and faster communication
Sell more products and services
Improve your processes
Enhance communication between sales and marketing teams
Acquire new customers and retain existing customers
Refine your customer segmentation process

As you've probably realised, selecting the perfect CRM system is no simple process.

That‘s precisely why we created this blog—to provide you with the essential information you need to make the best decision possible for your organisation.

Consider the 7 following criteria when selecting a CRM software:

2. Ensure that there is a local partner for Support, Consultation, Training and Implementation

Since a CRM application is such a major investment, it's critical to implement and maintain it effectively. Your software consultant or customer success manager will be a good resource for technical queries or for other questions that may arise. In addition, you may still need to rely on the consultant to assist you with modifications later down the line. Therefore, ensure your consultant is a certified South African partner.

- Here are some important questions to ask regarding support for your CRM software:

How quickly are support calls handled?
Is there an SLA agreement?
What options are available for after-hours questions or concerns?
Are there customer service plans available?
What level of support can I expect?

3. Flexible reporting

Look for a system with the capability to produce the reports your organisation requires. When reviewing your options, find out if customised reports can be created with minimum time and effort, or even automatically updated. Also, find out if the system will allow you to manipulate the data according to your business's needs. Your CRM system needs to show you reports of your data in graphs and statistics that make sense for your business.

- Here are some important questions to ask about reports in your CRM software:

How quickly are reports generated?
Can reports in the CRM system she shared and exported?
It is possible to customise the report dashboard?
Can reports be embedded to third-party dashboards?
Are there analytics features?

4. Are growth and scalability supported?

A good software company invests heavily in engineering and develops new product features and enhancements regularly. It stays abreast of new technologies and makes sure that its customers do too. Often, software upgrades cost far less than the retail price of the full program. Some CRM vendors even provide upgrades within their support programs. A superior CRM software manufacturer will provide product upgrades at reasonable prices or as part of a yearly service agreement. It is imperative to have a CRM software that grows with your business.

5. Does the price of the CRM system fit your budget?

Remember that your CRM system is a business investment. As such, your return on investment (ROI) should be a major component in determining which CRM system you select and how you choose to deploy it. Spending too little could result in an inadequate system that does not meet the needs of your customers or your organisation, while overspending may put your business at risk. If you are honest with your reseller about the factors that will ultimately influence your decision, you should be able to make an informed decision that fits comfortably within your budget.

6. Adopt a highly customisable CRM

A truly customisable solution should be adaptable to fit the needs of your business, such as modifications to fields, buttons and sales cycle processes and managing complex data sets and layouts. For adaption, growth and prospective strategies, focus on getting a CRM System that is a highly adaptable and enables businesses of all sizes and industries to create a platform perfectly tailored to their teams’ processes and unique business needs.

- Questions you should be asking:

Does the software allow you to modify and customise all aspects of the CRM system?
Are the customisation tools easy-to-use?
Do you have the ability to create and modify fields, screens, buttons, tables, views, script, and security settings on the go?

7. Does the CRM software integrate smoothly with the programs you are already using?

A great CRM platform needs to be able to work in harmony with your existing applications. This is one of the most important things to consider when choosing a CRM for your business. You’re not buying a CRM application as yet another item to add to your collection of different work systems. You’re buying it to help streamline and integrate your business operations! It is important to list the third-party software that your company currently uses and look into CRMs that offer the relevant integration tools.

Pro Tip: In order to ensure you're making the right choice for your business, many CRM systems offer a free trial for a sufficient period of time. In this period, you’ll be able to understand if the CRM system match your requirements.

Zoho Software is expanding in South Africa

In 2020, the leading global cloud business software provider, Zoho, announced its plans to expand its footprints in South Africa in order to help African businesses in their digital transformation journey.

DSL Telecom is a South African Zoho Premium Partner. Zoho CRM System covers all of the above criteria and more! Zoho CRM Software empowers a global network of over 150,000 businesses in 180 countries to convert more leads, engage with customers, and grow their revenue. Transform your business with the world’s favourite Customer Relationship Management software.

Try your Zoho CRM Free Trial today:

Start My Free Trial

DSL Telecom - Blog #remotework

DSL Telecom Believes Everyone Deserves Fast, Reliable Fibre Internet

​Why installing a super-fast fibre network in your residential area is vital:

Here's why we believe you should choose fibre with DSL Telecom

​​The smart home of tomorrow, today.

​​So you're convinced that your home needs fibre, this is how to easily connect tofibre internet: ​​​​

What CRM System Should You Choose in South Africa?

5 Best CRM Softwares for South African Businesses

5 Best CRM Softwares for South African Businesses

Get in touch with a Zoho Specialist

Discuss your business requirements, get a free demo & ​determine if Zoho would be a good fit for your business

Everything you need to know about the TP-Link Deco Mesh Wi-Fi extender

What is Mesh Wi-Fi?

How does the TP-Link Deco Mesh Wi-Fi system work?

TP-Link Mesh No TP-Link Mesh Present

10 benefits of the TP-Link Deco Mesh Wi-Fi system

Do you need a TP-Link Deco Mesh Wi-Fi system in your home?

Questions you may have before purchasing the TP-Link Deco Mesh

Experience Wi-Fi like never before, with the TP Link Deco Mesh Wi-Fi extender

The DSL Telecom Cloud PBX merges voice and data into an all-in-one platform with the all-new Salesforce integration

Easily Unfold Customer Insights In Salesforce During Your Calls

Call customers with just a click

Log all your calls automatically

Know who is calling you with live call pop ups

Easily manage your customers

Interested in integrating your Salesforce CRM & DSL Telecom Cloud PBX?

Seamlessly Communicate With An Award-Winning DSL Telecom VoIP PBX + Microsoft Teams Collaboration

Get More Done With Less Effort

Here's what you can expect your business to gain

Empower your business with DSL Telecom's VoIP and MS Teams integration capability

One Plus One Outperforms Two

Interested in integrating your MS Teams Communication Platform With DSL Telecom's Cloud PBX?

Everything a modern South African business should consider when comparing Cloud PBX Phone Systems

Call Routing

Automated Attendant

Music On Hold

Call Pickup

Conference Rooms

Call Recording

Call Detail Record

Holiday Hours

Ring Groups

Everything you need to know about electronic signature applications for your business

Make it effortless for your clients to sign documents

An ideal friendship: DSL Telecom Phone System & Zoho CRM

Easier tracking

Call pop-ups to better serve your customers

Gives you more data

Elevate productivity

What does this integration look like?

Zoho CRM & DSL Telecom Phone Integration: Better Together

How we hacked team collaboration using Zoho Cliq

7 vital criteria to consider when selecting a CRM system for South African businesses

Why installing a super-fast fibre network in your residential area is vital:

The smart home of tomorrow, today.

So you're convinced that your home needs fibre, this is how to easily connect to

fibre internet:

Discuss your business requirements, get a free demo &
determine if Zoho would be a good fit for your business