Managed IT Services: A Smart Move for Growing Businesses

In today’s fast-paced business environment, staying ahead means more than just having the latest technology—it means managing it smartly. As companies grow, so do their IT needs, and trying to handle everything in-house can stretch resources thin. That’s where Managed IT Services come in—and why they’ve become a smart, strategic move for businesses that are serious about growth.

At BTS, we provide managed IT services designed to not only support your operations but to help drive your success. Here’s why it matters—and how we’ve already helped businesses like yours.

The Value of Managed IT Services

1. Proactive Maintenance: Prevent Problems Before They Start

Instead of waiting for something to break, managed IT services are all about proactive monitoring and maintenance.
At BTS, we continuously monitor your network, servers, and devices to catch issues early—before they turn into costly downtime. Regular updates, security patches, and system optimizations keep your IT environment running smoothly, so you can focus on running your business.

2. Strengthened Cybersecurity: Protect Your Business Assets

Cyber threats are evolving rapidly, and businesses of all sizes are targets. Managed IT services include advanced cybersecurity solutions like firewalls, anti-virus management, endpoint protection, secure backups, and threat detection.

3. 24/7 Support: Help When You Need It Most

Technology problems don’t stick to a 9-to-5 schedule. That’s why BTS offers 24/7 IT support. Whether it’s a password reset at 10 PM or a server issue on a holiday weekend, our support team is just a call or ticket away.

4. Strategic IT Planning: Scale Smart

Managed services aren’t just about maintaining what you have—they’re about preparing for what’s next.
BTS acts as your virtual CIO, helping you plan your IT roadmap so that your technology scales alongside your business goals.

Why BTS?

At BTS, we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. We partner with you to understand your needs, challenges, and ambitions—and then deliver managed services that empower your business.

With 40+ years of industry experience, cutting-edge technology solutions, and a personal commitment to our clients’ success, BTS is the IT partner you can trust.

Ready to Future-Proof Your IT?

Don’t let IT challenges slow your growth. Let BTS handle the technology—so you can focus on your business.
📞 Call us today at

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Stay focused on your priorities with a personal AI Assistant that captures call notes, translates messages, and crafts polished texts.

Here are some Powerful AI features for all the ways you work:

1. Capture details, connect and communicate effortlessly

You can capture key call details effortlessly with automated real-time note-taking, all key call details, decisions, and action items are capture and organized, allowing you to focus on meaningful conversations rather than administrative task. When you are on a call you can convert spoken words into real-time text with live transcription to create a searchable conversation for future reference. To enhance accessibility for those with hearing impairments you can improve conversation clarity with closed captions and offer on-screen text translations.

2. Hold productive conversations across every language

1. Craft and translate messages quickly 

Compose polished chat messages in your preferred style and length, while bridging languages gaps to enable effective global collaboration.

2. Generate more engaging texts

Create personalized SMS responses based on input and context, making your mobile communication more efficient and relevant.

3. Catch up in seconds

Quick catch up on group chats with key insights from condensed messaging summaries.

3. Get instant recaps from your most important conversations

We have all been in back to back meetings without a chance to jot down important notes and then we forget what was said in the meeting. With Rings AI Assistant you do not have to worry about taking notes or going back to look for that information, AI has you covered in the following.

1. Meeting recaps without the rewatch

Capture meeting highlights with concise summaries, providing quick takeaways without reviewing the entire session.

2. Easily share and send meeting highlights

Generate dynamic highlight clips of video meetings, and effortlessly revisit key moments.

3. Host more inclusive video meetings

Increase engagement with live transcription and close captions, ensuring everyone is included and informed during video meetings.

4. The ROI of AI Assistant

See how AI-powered virtual assistant helps save costs and improves productivity for real customers.

92% Of organizations see RingCentral AI Call Notes as important for their business after use

9 Hours saved per employee per month

84% Of organizations say AI Call Notes improved call engagement

This new AI Assistant will simplify your work!

Giving you the tools that you need to be successful.

The post New AI Assistant capabilities coming soon to RingEX! appeared first on BTS 1981.

The Hidden Costs of Analog Lines—and How to Eliminate Them

In a time when nearly everything is moving to the cloud, many businesses are still holding onto analog phone lines—often out of habit or because “it still works.” But those old copper lines may be quietly draining your budget and limiting your growth potential. Let’s break down the hidden costs of analog lines—and what you can do to eliminate them.

1. Higher Monthly Service Costs

Analog lines are typically billed individually, and the cost can range from $40 to $1000 or more per line per month. When you factor in multiple lines across departments or locations, that cost balloons quickly—especially compared to modern VoIP or SIP solutions, which can consolidate service and reduce the per-line cost significantly.

2. Limited Scalability

Need to add new lines? With analog, that often means new hardware installations, extra wiring, and long waits. It’s not just inconvenient—it’s inefficient. Digital and cloud-based phone systems scale with a few clicks, allowing your business to grow without infrastructure headaches.

3. Maintenance and Repair Expenses

Analog systems rely on outdated infrastructure that’s becoming more expensive to support. Finding replacement parts or technicians trained in legacy systems gets harder every year—and you’ll pay a premium when something breaks. Compare that to cloud-based systems, where updates and maintenance are handled remotely and included in your service.

4. Lack of Modern Features

Modern communication tools like voicemail-to-email, auto attendants, call analytics, and video conferencing aren’t natively supported on analog systems. This limits your team’s efficiency and can leave your business looking outdated to clients.

5. Security Risks

Analog systems lack the encryption and cybersecurity protocols that come standard with most modern digital platforms. This makes your communication more vulnerable to eavesdropping or tampering—especially concerning if you’re in a regulated industry like healthcare or finance.

The Solution: Modernize with BTS

At BTS, we specialize in helping businesses transition from outdated analog systems to modern, cost-effective communications platforms. Whether it’s VoIP, SIP trunking, or a fully hosted cloud PBX, we tailor solutions to your business’s needs, ensuring:

Lower monthly bills

Enhanced call features

Better scalability

Increased security

Local support from a trusted partner

Ready to Cut the Cord on Analog?

Let BTS help you uncover the hidden costs in your current setup—and show you a better way forward. Contact us today to schedule a free telecom assessment and see how much you could be saving.

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Have you been thinking of replacing your current POTS? Looking for the latest on RingCentral POTS Replacement? Look no further!

RingCentral POTS ( Plain Old Telephone Service ) Replacement solution connects traditional phones, fax machines, and specialty endpoint devices, including emergency alarms, point-of-sale systems, and security systems, to the cloud.

Below you will find some material that will help you familiarize yourself with RingCentral POTS Replacement:

1. Why RingCentral POTS Replacement?

RingCentral POTS Replacements help you simplify management with one trusted provider giving you a single pane of glass for managing all devices. Also giving you reliable connectivity and high-quality voice service to your mission-critical systems-even during outages, being able to maintain reliability and compliance.

When it is time to add new lines, equipment and sites you can easily scale up and sown as needed. Enjoy the advanced integrations and future-proofing with powerful analytics and 300+ pre built integrations. Reduce costs by paying only for what you use and continue to use your existing analog equipment.

2. How it works

You might be wondering how does it work?

RingCentral POTS Replacement works by using an enterprise-grade device that connects to your existing analog phones and specialty endpoint devices.

For example, when a fire alarm is triggered, the fire panel sends an analog signal to the RingCentral POTS Replacement device that converts it to Internet Protocol(IP). A Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) call is initiated through RingCentral to transmit emergency tones and signals. This notifies the local fire responders, ensuring prompt emergency response. RingCentral POTS Replacement helps protect your existing investments while streamlining management and reducing costs.

3. Capabilities

Emergency backup

In the case of an outage, RingCentral POTS Replacements device provides a build-in battery that provides up to 48 hours of power failover and an optional LTE connection to ensure uninterrupted connectivity.

Voice features supported

• Unlimited domestic calling in the US and Canada
• Auto attendant (single level interactive voice response)
• Three-way calling
• E911
• Hunt groups
• Voicemail
• Caller ID
• Call forwarding and handling
• Call screening and blocking
• Call hold and call transfer
• Call waiting
• Music on hold
• Send and receive faxes over the cloud or to fax machines

We have all heard the saying “Work smart not harder” with RingCentral you can Simplify your management with one unified solution from one trusted vendor.

Unify your existing analog-based lines with modern collaboration tools like cloud phone system, video meetings, team messaging, powerful analytics, advanced integrations, and more, in a single app. Lower the total cost of ownership and get powerful AI conversation intelligence.

RingCentral POTS Replacement works with a broad range of analog devices, including but limited to:

• Elevators
• Security Systems
• Fire alarm panels
• Point of sale systems
• Refrigerators/freezers
• Fax machines

RingCentral Next-Gen POTS Replacement innovative solution delivers an always-on experience even during power or internet outages providing unmatched reliability no matter the conditions.

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But if you’re only using your phone to make and answer calls, you’re missing out on some next-level ways to get work done.

Here are five pro phone hacks that all RingCentral users need to know about:

1. Reply to an inbound phone call with a voice message

Whether you’re in a meeting or a noisy location, it’s not always convenient to answer a call. But if the call came from an important customer, strategic partner, or even your boss, you might want to acknowledge it.

In RingCentral MVP, you can reject an incoming call and reply to the caller with a predefined, custom voice message or text-to-speech—all with the tap of a button. Here’s how it works:

When you receive an incoming call, tap Reply with Message. You can then choose your reply from a set of preset messages or select “custom message” to enter your own.

As if that wasn’t easy enough, your caller can also respond to your message automatically. When they receive your message, they’ll have the choices such as “Press 1 – to Repeat the message”, “Press 2 – to Leave a voicemail” and so on.

• How to reply with a message

2. Set custom ringtones

Custom ringtones add color and personality to your incoming calls, but they can go much further than that. Here are some creative ways to use custom ringtones:

1. Keep loved ones first

Setting custom ringtones for the most important people in your life allows you to quickly identify when they call and prioritize what’s truly important. At the same time, you can also activate “Do Not Disturb” mode and allow only calls from certain numbers to come through.

2. Avoid or identify spam calls

Spam calls are pervasive and a huge productivity killer—especially for agents and those who answer calls often. Set custom ringtones for recurring numbers to avoid them completely, or set ringtones for your most important callers and ignore the rest.

3. Balance your work and personal life

When it’s time to unplug, you want to be completely disconnected from your work phone. Custom ringtones allow you to easily recognize if the caller is work-related or non-work-related.

4. Express yourself

Just as we decorate our office desks, we can also use custom ringtones to express ourselves. Choose a premade ringtone in RingCentral or upload your own.

• Custom ringtones for desktop
• Custom ringtones for Apple iOS
• Custom ringtones for Android

3. Switch from mobile to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto

Hybrid and remote work often means having to take calls and meetings with you on the go. But using a phone while driving carries risks. Handheld phones increase a driver’s crash risk by two to 3.5 times compared to hands-free.

RingCentral is compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so you can place calls and join meetings (audio only) while staying focused on the road.

CarPlay capabilities:

• Place a call through Voice Command
• Answer Incoming calls will show on the CarPlay display
• Send a Message or Reply to messages via Voice Command
• Receive Messages. Messages will be read by CarPlay with the option to Reply or Skip
• View Notifications

Both Apple and Android versions have their own set of functionalities unique to their apps.

• How to set up Apple CarPlay
• How to set up Android Auto

4. Forward voicemails and fax message

In RingCentral MVP, forwarding voicemails and eFax messages is just a few clicks away. This simplicity and ease of use is impactful in several ways:

1. Faster response

If you receive an urgent voicemail or eFax while you’re busy, you can forward the message to a colleague and have them address the issue first.

2. Better customer satisfaction

Receive a question that requires someone with deeper knowledge? Forward the message to the right colleague to make sure you have everything you need to answer your customer’s question.

3. Close sales

Messages from prospects and leads might often want quick responses to their questions, and replying too slow can hurt those opportunities. Instant voicemail and eFax access allows your team to respond before potential customers lose interest in your products.

• How to share voicemails
• How to use visual voicemail
• How to forward an eFax

5. Flip from PC to mobile (and vice versa) with one click

Today’s workers are constantly on the move—taking meetings from their homes, cars, and offices. But leaving a meeting just to switch devices can disrupt the flow of the meeting, especially if you’re a critical participant.

Call Flip makes this juggling seamless by allowing you to change devices mid-call. Instead of hanging up or having to rejoin a session, Call Flip lets you start on one device and continue it on another without any interruptions to the meeting.

This allows you to take your meetings with you and remain professional—wherever work takes you.

• How to use Call Flip

Go ahead. Try them on

These phone features are available to all RingCentral MVP users today. Open your RingCentral app to try them out.

Want to learn more about RingCentral phone features? Request a demo or connect with a RingCentral specialist and see how phones play a critical role in the hybrid and remote workplace.

Originally published Nov 03, 2021, updated Jan 27, 2022

Link to Original Article

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One of the most startling statistics to emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic had nothing to do with communicable illnesses but rather with communications between businesses. In 2020, from March to June, Microsoft Teams use grew by 894%. That’s more than Zoom, in case you were wondering. And, between 2021 and 2022, the number of Teams users rose from 145 million to 270 million. Microsoft Teams has become the de facto communications platform for over one million organizations in just a few years.

This is, of course, good news for Microsoft. And it’s also good news for businesses already paying for Microsoft Office and essentially got a business-class collaboration platform for free, at least initially. But for companies who continued to rely on traditional telephony and vertical industries where video collaboration wasn’t the norm, Teams had some of them feeling left out.

Now fast forward to today, and these customers face the prospect of evaluating Teams phones, taking on E3-E5 licensing and SIP-trunking costs, and they are finding that Microsoft Teams is not free anymore. It’s a significant incremental uplift in expense for existing capability. Simply put, there isn’t an excellent way to tie legacy voice systems and Teams together without spending much money on additional phone licenses or introducing extra layers of complexity for paying for two phone/collaboration systems until now.

Mitel Delivers New Tools for Teams

For clients who have previously decided to adopt Microsoft Teams, Mitel recently announced a series of tools and applications that seamlessly integrate Mitel’s enterprise-class telephony features with the MS Teams platform for a single, robust communications and collaboration solution. For example, suppose Teams users choose to activate the phone licenses available on Teams. In that case, they can now enjoy direct routing that connects with Mitel endpoints through certified session border controllers (SBCs), providing a unified telephony framework (albeit with fewer features) that can be controlled from the Teams environment.

Suppose Teams users don’t wish to purchase Microsoft phone licenses. In that case, they can still integrate their telephony system with Teams through Mitel’s Telephony-only client available in MiCollab and enjoy all the robust telephony features that Mitel offers. This is part of Mitel’s MiCollab offering and can be turned on with a simple toggle switch. In addition, Mitel Assistant is available for free on the Microsoft app store and delivers Mitel softphone capabilities to Teams users’ desktops as a floating app. Mitel Assistant allows you to make and transfer calls, search directories, set speed dials, import contacts, activate three-way conferencing, and more from your Teams screen.

Mitel also offers presence integration between Teams and Mitel telephony users, allowing Teams users to see whether a colleague is on a PBX-based phone call – even if that colleague doesn’t have a Teams client. A user’s phone status is visible from their Outlook emails and can help determine direct routing by routing calls to the next available user.

With these Mitel tools co-existing with Microsoft Teams, a uniquely elegant hybrid solution evolves, taking advantage of premise or private cloud solutions from Mitel’s MiCollab with a cloud-based collaboration solution in Microsoft Teams.

This is a strategy that Microsoft promotes within one of its other entrenched products (Microsoft SQL Servers), as referenced by Rohan Kumar, Corporate VP for Azure Data, in a TechCrunch article, in which Kumar says, “…while the migration of on-prem workloads is happening, Microsoft’s customers are all moving at very different speeds and some, for a multitude of reasons, may never move to the cloud at all.”  In Mitel’s eyes, the parallels with unified communications are strikingly similar.

Making Teams More of a Team Player

Microsoft Teams is great for many things, from video meetings to sharing documents. But many businesses still need high-quality telephony applications to run their business. Schools and universities, for example, rely on mass notification via mobile devices to protect students, staff, and parents during emergencies. Financial services companies must maintain inbound contact centers supporting call recording and other advanced telephony features. Retail businesses need to connect workers on the sales floor to customer service applications via telephone to help customers in real-time.

Let’s look at two industries to see how Mitel plus Microsoft Teams can help businesses run better.

Healthcare

Consider a network of healthcare facilities. They use Teams for video collaboration between facilities, but what about emergencies where a doctor or nurse needs to respond when they’re not near a laptop? Telephony services can provide the critical link to life-saving answers in seconds. Or what about mobile service workers who are responsible for things like security and cleaning? Telephony apps keep them connected to colleagues with maximum efficiency.

Hospitality

Another sector that can benefit from a telephony-enhanced Teams environment is the hospitality industry. Hotels may use Teams for internal meetings or drive customer engagement, but telephones still play a critical role in their daily life. Guests rely on in-suite phone services to contact staff and receive messages. Cleaning staff can use those same phones to indicate when a room is clean and available for guests. Combining those communications with Teams enables hotels to stay connected to colleagues and customers from one platform.

Those are just some ways Mitel is committed to helping customers improve teamwork in a hybrid world. Phone calls, SMS notifications, and contact centers still play a vital role in many organizations, but most businesses don’t want to manage two separate communications and collaboration platforms. With Mitel, they don’t have to because the telephony functionality can be integrated with their overall communications experience, whether they’re collaborating in Teams and need to make a phone call from their laptop or desk phone or browsing the web and want the simplicity of click-to-dial automatically from any phone number.

Link to Original Article

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To begin, please tell us a little about yourself and your agency.

Business Telecommunications Systems (BTS) was started in 1981 by my parents to provide enterprise class telephone systems, paging systems, and voice and data cabling. As the industry changed, so did BTS, and 43 years later, we are now one of the most respected communications companies in California offering a complete range of communication solutions. We are a solutions-oriented company with an award-winning service and support team, and we’re dedicated to continuing our tradition of quality products and a commitment to excellence.

BTS specializes in multi-site system environments, with current customers ranging from 1 to 60-plus site systems, with an average 95 percent customer renewal rate each year. BTS has consistently received several customer satisfaction awards year after year.

I started working at BTS right out of college along with my now-husband, who has been with the company for over 20 years. Other members of my family also work at the company.

What do you like about working with AireSpring?

I like working with the people at AireSpring, specifically AireSpring Regional Channel Manager Gabriel Valderrama. He’s responsive and really knows what he’s talking about. He has a way with customers, so whenever I have an issue with a particularly difficult customer, I get him on the phone. He helps put things into perspective. I’ve worked with other carriers in the past who don’t provide the level of customer service that AireSpring does, and I’ve been hesitant to bring salespeople into the call, but with AireSpring, I don’t hesitate to involve them and their expertise.

Along with the great team and outstanding customer service, AireSpring’s pricing is always fair, and the quotes are easy to access, which makes it easy to sell a range of solutions, especially as the industry grows and changes. We primarily rely on AireSpring for our voice and data for on-premises solutions, because even though the UCaaS side of our business is growing, we still have a robust customer base for on-premises solutions. The project management team at AireSpring is fantastic—extremely organized, in communication with customers, and always keeping us aware of what’s happening with our projects.

What would you say is the secret to being a successful technology advisor/sales agent in today’s marketplace?

Having a customer-focused approach is key to being a successful technology advisor. Building a relationship with customers where you can establish trust is important too. They need to be assured that we have the depth of knowledge to address any of their needs.

Another important part of being a successful technology advisor is doing a full audit of the customer’s carrier services before we start the quoting process. It’s important to understand the customer’s history and their goals for the future, and then focus on simplifying their needs and reducing their costs. A lot of our customers have multiple sites, which comes with different carriers and designs, so we try to look at their needs holistically and present a future-proof design and solution.

What do you foresee happening in the channel in 2024? (or, What is the “next big thing” or “things” you think people should be aware of or get involved in etc.? )

Solutions related to cybersecurity are a hot topic in the channel today, especially because customers are increasingly moving their day-to-day operations to the cloud, where their data is more protected. That comes with requiring additional bandwidth for internet services. One of the next big things is also connectivity—increasing other options for bandwidth. Along with those, we also want to make sure our customers with rural sites have better ways to connect if they don’t have access to fiber, or if they need backup. Backup services are so inexpensive these days that we really try to encourage our customers to choose those as well.

What are some of your hobbies and interests outside of telecom?

My free time is spent raising my two boys Jacob, 14, and Anthony, 12, who are extremely active. We split our time between Boy Scouts, Civil Air Patrol (which is the civilian auxiliary of the United States Air Force), sports, and camping. My youngest plays soccer, and both of my sons used to play football, but we moved Jacob out of that because he wants to be a pilot in the Air Force, and we didn’t want to risk him getting hit in the head. I was also the den leader of their Cub Scout Patrol for 8 years. We really enjoy helping the boys with their merit badges. Jacob is one merit badge and one rank away from earning Eagle Scout, so we’ll be gearing up for that project very soon.

When time permits, we love to travel. My husband and I both volunteer our time with Boy Scouts and Civil Air Patrol. I also enjoy hiking, fishing, baking, and camping at the beach. We have a 13-year-old golden retriever, Maverick, who comes to work with us every day, as well as a few other animals at home, such as rabbits, a bearded dragon, a tortoise, and several fish. We also love to go on cruises when we have the time, so hopefully we’ll get to do that next year.

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1. Request for Proposal (RFP)
2. Sourcewell Contract Purchasing

Why Do Bid Requirements Exist?

Every publicly funded agency must put projects up for bid to provide companies with equal opportunity to win the agency’s business in a standardized format to ensure fairness. Agencies must also use the bidding process to document how they spend the funds they’re being given. The most common method for doing this has traditionally been an RFP. But depending on your needs, the Sourcewell cooperative purchasing contract may be a better alternative.

The Traditional RFP

The RFP process is designed to allow companies to compete fairly for available work. Investopedia defines it this way:

A Request for Proposal for a specific program may require the company to review the bids to examine their feasibility, the bidding company’s health, and the bidder’s ability to do what is proposed. The RFP may provide detailed information on the project or program but can leave leeway for the bidder to fill in the blanks with how the project would be completed or program run.

Though this process was designed with good intentions, it can present some purchasing challenges for government, education, and nonprofit agencies. In an article about the effectiveness of the RFP process, Brian Pullen of Playground, Inc. said this:

In principle, the RFP was created to solve a series of issues, with fairness, structure, clarity, and distribution being primary among them. It was created to provide an equal opportunity to any company that wished to pitch […]. The process also creates a standardized structure for creating the RFP and submitting proposals. The RFP was also created to bring clarity to the agencies pitching by making communication of the key requirements more organized upfront. Finally, having a standardized document containing all necessary information could be widely distributed, allowing many agencies to obtain and pitch it, resulting in more options.

Learn More About Mitel Offerings For Education >

What challenges do RFPs present to government, education, and nonprofit agencies?

First, RFPs can limit the quality of responses you receive (not necessarily the quantity). Responding to RFPs is time-consuming, so it can cause the following:

• Best agencies choose not to respond
• Businesses only respond if they see a significant benefit and/or high chances of winning the bid
• Those that do respond put little energy into their proposal

Second, and more importantly, this process is very time-consuming for agencies going out to bid. In a standard RFP process, each agency will go through the following steps:

1. Identify potential providers
2. Develop equipment and service specifications
3. Create and advertise RFP
4. Receive responses to RFP
5. Evaluate proposals
6. Award lowest bid
7. Offer a protest period
8. Have equipment delivered and installed
9. Review and maintain contract throughout its term

At a minimum, the RFP process takes three to six months but usually takes six to nine months from RFP build to installation. And even after all that, the way the RFP process is designed means there is no way to guarantee you will get the products or services that best suit your needs. Factors like cheap hardware and contract structuring barely related to your core needs may skew the final decision.

Learn More About Mitel Offerings For Government >

The Sourcewell Alternative

Sourcewell contracts eliminate these RFP challenges. They take the burden of RFPs off government, education, and nonprofit agencies. Sourcewell conducts its own rigorous RFP process and awards a vendor a national contract. Since the RFP work is already done, agencies can purchase communication technology outright through a Sourcewell contract, saving months, words, and uncertainty.

If you’re interested in a Mitel communication system, you’re lucky — Sourcewell has awarded Mitel a communications solutions vendor contract.

The purchasing process and timeline are significantly reduced for government, education, and nonprofit agencies using Sourcewell cooperative contracts. Instead of the time-consuming, nine-step process listed above, you only must complete four steps:

1. Become a member of Sourcewell (if you aren’t already)
2. Get in contact with Mitel or a trusted Mitel partner to determine your specific phone system needs
3. Indicate that you want Sourcewell pricing for procurement
4. Coordinate with your Mitel Partner (Sourcewell selling agent) for installation and implementation.

Not only are there fewer steps, but they take far less time, and most of the heavy lifting is handled by Mitel or your Mitel Partner, BTS (or the work has already been done by Sourcewell).

Sourcewell Does The Work To Help You Avoid The RFP Process

Behind the scenes, here’s the 12-step process Sourcewell goes through to make this all possible. This saves you, the education or government phone system buyer, plenty of time and money on the traditional RFP process.

1. Identify members’ needs
2. Research solutions available in the marketplace
3. Request permission from the Sourcewell Board of Directors
4. Draft a solicitation, public advertisement, and notice
5. Conduct a pre-proposal conference followed by receipt of responses
6. Evaluate proposers’ responses
7. Review evaluation results
8. Provide recommendations to the Sourcewell Board
9. Award vendor(s)
10. Post approved contract documents
11. Develop and implement a joint marketing plan with awarded vendor(s)
12. Review and maintain our contract throughout its term

See The Deep Dive Of This Process From Sourcewell >

3 Common Sourcewell Reservations

For some, the benefits of the Sourcewell process may seem too good to be true. Here are some of the most common reservations we’ve heard and the straight answers:

1. Becoming A Member Of Sourcewell Is Difficult Or Expensive.

The Truth: Membership is no-cost, with no obligation, and no liability for eligible agencies, including government, education, or nonprofit agencies nationwide.

2. I’m Not Familiar With Sourcewell And Don’t Want To Work With An Unknown Third Party.

The Truth: Sourcewell is a government agency. Regarding purchasing, city leaders get the best of both worlds – local dealer access with national buying power through cooperative purchasing.

3. The Sourcewell Process Won’t Satisfy My Bid Requirement.

The Truth: Yes, the Sourcewell contract can satisfy your bid requirements — we have all the documentation you’ll need.

Mitel Original Blog 

The post Sourcewell VS. RFP: Two Ways to Buy a Phone System appeared first on BTS 1981.

1. Enhanced System Reliability: Mitel Support Agreements provide access to Mitel’s technical expertise and resources, ensuring that your communication systems remain reliable and operational. Regular updates, patches, and maintenance activities are part of the support package, reducing the risk of system failures and downtime.
2. Timely Technical Support: With a Mitel Support Agreement, organizations have access to Mitel’s technical support team around the clock. This ensures quick resolution of any issues that may arise, minimizing disruptions to business operations. Mitel’s support staff are trained to address a wide range of technical challenges, from configuration and integration to troubleshooting and problem resolution.
3. Software Upgrades and Updates: Mitel continually improves its communication solutions by releasing software upgrades and updates. With a Support Agreement in place, your organization is entitled to receive the latest features, security enhancements, and bug fixes. This ensures that your communication system stays current and can take advantage of new capabilities.
4. Proactive Monitoring and Maintenance: Mitel’s support services often include proactive monitoring of your communication infrastructure. This allows for the identification and resolution of potential issues before they escalate into major problems. Regular maintenance activities help optimize system performance and prevent unexpected downtime.
5. Customized Training and Knowledge Transfer: Mitel Support Agreements may include training sessions for your IT staff, enabling them to better manage and maintain the communication infrastructure. This knowledge transfer ensures that your team can handle routine tasks, reducing dependency on external support for day-to-day operations.
6. Cost Savings and Predictable Budgeting: By having a Mitel Support Agreement, organizations can avoid unexpected costs associated with emergency support and unplanned downtime. The agreement typically provides a predictable cost structure, making it easier for businesses to budget for ongoing support and maintenance expenses.
7. Compliance and Security: Mitel Support Agreements often include security updates and compliance measures to help organizations meet regulatory requirements. This is crucial for businesses operating in industries where data security and regulatory compliance are top priorities.
8. Access to Knowledge Base and Resources: Support Agreements grant access to Mitel’s extensive knowledge base, documentation, and online resources. This self-service aspect enables your IT team to find solutions to common issues and gain insights into best practices for optimizing your Mitel communication environment.

A Mitel Support Agreement is a valuable investment for organizations that prioritize the reliability, security, and optimal performance of their communication infrastructure. It provides peace of mind, ensures access to expert support, and helps businesses leverage the full potential of Mitel’s innovative communication solutions.

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Step 1: Assess Your Current System: Begin by evaluating your existing phone system. Identify its strengths, weaknesses, and any limitations that may impact your communication needs. Consider factors such as call quality, scalability, and support for modern features. This assessment will serve as a foundation for selecting the right upgrade solution.

Step 2: Define Your Requirements: Clearly outline your requirements and objectives for the upgraded phone system. Consider factors like the number of users, geographic distribution, integration with other tools (such as CRM or collaboration platforms), and the capacity for future growth. This will help in selecting a system that aligns with your specific needs.

Step 3: Choose a Deployment Model: Decide whether you want an on-premise, cloud-based, or hybrid phone system. On-premise systems are hosted locally either in your office building or in a data center, providing full control, but require some additional customer infrastructure and carrier services.  Cloud-based solutions offer bundled feature packages and include unlimited domestic calling at a fixed monthly rate.  Hybrid solutions combine elements of both.

Step 4: Select a Phone System Provider: Research and choose a reputable phone system provider that aligns with your requirements. Consider factors such as reliability, customer support, feature offerings, and pricing. Look for providers that offer scalability and adaptability to future technological advancements.

Step 5: Plan for Migration: Create a detailed migration plan to minimize downtime and disruptions. This plan should include a timeline, data migration strategy, employee training, and contingency measures. Inform all stakeholders about the upcoming changes and the benefits they can expect from the upgraded system.

Step 6: Implement the Upgrade: Execute the migration plan, ensuring that each step is carried out according to the schedule. Coordinate with the phone system provider to address any issues promptly. Test the new system thoroughly to identify and resolve any potential issues before fully deploying it.

Step 7: Train Users: Provide comprehensive training to users on the new phone system. This includes instruction on new features, changes in user interface, and troubleshooting procedures. Proper training ensures a smooth transition and helps users maximize the benefits of the upgraded system.

Step 8: Monitor and Optimize: After the upgrade, continuously monitor the performance of the new phone system. Gather feedback from users and address any issues promptly. Consider optimizing configurations based on usage patterns and evolving business requirements.

Upgrading your phone system is a strategic investment that can significantly improve communication efficiency and support your business growth. By carefully assessing your needs, selecting the right provider, and implementing a well-planned migration, you can ensure a seamless transition to a modern and reliable phone system.

Choosing the right phone system can be overwhelming, BTS offers complementary consulting services to help you navigate through the ever changing phone system options.

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