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Boxx Communications Ltd

Boxx Communications Ltd

Simplifying telecommunications for businesses large and small!

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Kelly Green

Connecting MK in 2020

10th February 2020 by Kelly Green

2019 was a great year for Boxx and for 2020 we have even bigger plans…

Our focus for this year is two-pronged.

  • To support businesses migrating from traditional to IP telephony in MK, ahead of the planned 2025 ISDN switch off.
  • Improving internet connectivity for Milton Keynes businesses utilising the new gigabit speed CityFibre infrastructure.

Telephony Migration

With many years’ experience in providing telephony solutions nationwide, we’ve been at the forefront of BT Openreach’s plans to replace the use of analogue telephony in favour of IP (i.e. voice solutions delivered via Internet Protocol).

We’ve have made it our mission to educate businesses about the options available, from VoIP (Voice over IP) to SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), which can bring many benefits, including cheaper calls, improved call handling, higher call quality and greater resilience.

As a leading supplier of telephony in and around our hometown of Milton Keynes, where better to start than in the local community?

Milton Keynes has a thriving business economy with expansive growth plans ahead, so it is imperative that organisations both large and small are not only aware of the upcoming changes to the telephony landscape, but also equipped to migrate in a way that best suits their business.

Providing VoIP to Milton Keynes Businesses

MK Gallery are just one of a portfolio of Milton Keynes organisations for whom we have not only implemented VoIP migration, but also utilised technology to meet their overall business objectives.

Kate Chadwick – Deputy Director (MK Gallery) quotes…

Our partnership with Boxx began with the provision of connectivity, but our relationship quickly developed, and it soon became clear that they genuinely wanted to enable us to deliver on our own business goals. As we neared a critical project deadline, the grand opening of the new MK Gallery, Boxx proactively guided us, and liaised seamlessly with our outsourced IT Partner to achieve the implementation of numerous business-critical telephony & connectivity projects in a timely manner. In addition to championing us through this milestone launch period, Boxx exceeded our expectations and have become advocates of MK Gallery and we have enjoyed working with them in positioning our new gallery firmly on the MK map.”

Delivering the Fastest Internet in Milton Keynes

Supplying Direct Internet Access connectivity solutions to UK businesses has also been an established key offering from boxx but the arrival of CityFibre infrastructure (the UK’s largest alternative provider of wholesale fibre) to Milton Keynes is enabling MK businesses to future-proof from the ground up.

With an ever-increasing dependency on digital technologies and the rise of cloud-based services, businesses are able to realise productivity improvements and increase efficiencies when full fibre connectivity is deployed in Gigabit Cities, like Milton Keynes.

We recently delivered an impressive 5 Gigabit internet solution to Milton Keynes University Hospital over the CityFibre network. Not only was this a landmark delivery for us, the solution was also a record-breaking offering from CityFibre too, clearly demonstrating our ability to work strategically with specific business objectives in mind and ‘thinking outside the boxx’ in terms of how to deliver the solutions required to achieve them.

Connecting MK

If you’re looking for faster, more resilient internet connectivity in Milton Keynes, we’d love to help you understand how you can utilise telecommunications to work more strategically to achieve business growth.

To learn more about how we’re Connecting MK, just get in touch.

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Filed Under: Connectivity, Hosted VoIP, Office News, Voice

What is IP Telephony – The terminology explained…

3rd February 2020 by Kelly Green

IP telephony is a hot topic right now because of the upcoming changes to the way telecommunications is delivered here in the UK. One of the biggest challenges that businesses face is understanding what IP Telephony is, the upcoming changes and all the associated terminology.

There are many different terms and phrases that relate to IP telephony which can have similar meanings and can be renamed depending on the supplier’s preference. This can make it very difficult to understand.

To make IP telephony easier to digest, we’ve created a glossary of terms for you that can help you make more informed decisions when migrating into the world of internet telephony.

  • Cloud/Unified Communications
  • The combined use of multiple internet-based communication methods within a business. These methods are often integrated and include voice, email, chat, conferencing, video and more. Unified Communications can be referred to as UC.

  • DECT – Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications
  • DECT is a worldwide standard that allows one or more portable, cordless phones to be connected to a base station. For example, Yealink offer DECT handsets which we can offer with our hosted solution.

  • Hosted Solution/Hosted VoIP
  • A hosted solution means you purchase licenses for your users but the infrastructure to run the system is hosted by a third-party provider in the cloud., For example, a Horizon license would be owned by you but hosted by Gamma.

  • IP – Internet Protocol
  • IP is a set of rules that allow for the sending and receiving of data via the internet.

  • ISDN – Integrated Services Digital Network
  • ISDN is a single telephone line that has a minimum of 2 simultaneous connections and a maximum of 30. It’s a medium between a PSTN line and VoIP system, however BT Openreach are phasing out all ISDN lines by 2025.

  • On-Premises (On-Prem) Solution
  • An On-Premises solution is the opposite to a hosted solution. You own the license with an on-premises solution, but you also must host the infrastructure to run the system. An example of this is the LG iPECS solution.

  • PBX – Private Branch Exchange
  • A PBX is a private telephony system that controls the routing and switching of calls within a business.

  • PSTN – Public Switched Telephone Network
  • PSTN is the traditional public telephone network and work on a basis of ‘a single line hosts a single connection’. They mainly work using analogue signals (rather than digital which is used in ISDN) and PSTN Lines can also host a broadband connection.

  • SIP – Session Initiation Protocol
  • SIP is a method used in conjunction with a PBX to send and receive voice calls, video calls and other media.

  • SIP Trunking
  • Internet-based telephony services on SIP is known as ‘SIP Trunking’. This allows for users to make calls over standard PSTN lines using IP Telephony and Soft Client technology.

  • Soft Client
  • Otherwise known as a Softphone, a Soft Client license enables VoIP calls from devices such as your Desktop PC or your mobile, via an app. This is an essential product for mobile/flexible workers.

  • VoIP – Voice-over Internet Protocol
  • VoIP is the technology that allows a telephone connection to occur over the internet instead on through physical telephone lines.

We hope that this list of terms has helped clarify what IP telephony is, what the advantages are and assisted you in making the right decision as to what solution is best for your business.

In the meantime, if you’re unsure about which solutions fits your business best and/or are worried about the ISDN/PSTN switch-off mentioned above, there’s no need to panic.

You can download our PDF “ISDN Switch-Off – What are the options?” below.

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ISDN SWITCH-OFF - WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS?

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Filed Under: Hints and Tips, Hosted VoIP, Voice

Top Hosted VoIP Providers…

26th January 2020 by Kelly Green

For businesses that haven't yet migrated to internet (IP) telephony but are interested in finding a cloud based ‘Hosted VoIP’ system, the vast number of solutions and service providers here in the UK, can make it hard to make the right choice for your business.

It’s important to consider not only the price, features and benefits of the cloud VoIP offerings available, but also the level of service you’ll expect from your chosen supplier, on a day-to-day basis.

That’s why we’re going to highlight some of the best UK Hosted VoIP providers, compare the benefits of choosing a local or national supplier, as well as share our favourite product choices with you...


5 Business VoIP Providers UK

National providers are telecoms suppliers who work with businesses of all sizes across the country; in some cases, internationally. Large national suppliers can offer some benefits such as slightly better rates, however they can also come with a number of downsides, including a less dedicated customer service experience.

  1. BT
  2. BT

    BT is the biggest name in the UK’s telecoms industry and the world’s oldest telecommunications company. dating back to 1846. BT operate internationally, meaning the scale of the business and their customer base is massive.

  3. TalkTalk
  4. TalkTalk Business

    Much like BT, TalkTalk is a well-known VoIP provider in the UK, however they were only founded in the early 2000s. Considering the size of their brand and customer base, their growth has been rapid.

    TalkTalk’s main focus is broadband and other types of connectivity, but they do offer VoIP solutions.

  5. Vonage
  6. Vonage

    Founded in New Jersey in 2001, Vonage is an American-based business with a HQ in London. They have a large customer base both here in the UK and globally.

    Vonage are a more business-focused VoIP provider who offer a range of different solutions. Alongside this, they also offer a number of collaborative tools to go alongside your VoIP system, including Salesforce.

  7. Virgin Media
  8. Virgin Media

    Originally called NTL:Telewest, Virgin Media was founded in 2006 and was the first ‘quadruple-play’ telecoms company, meaning they were the first to offer TV, Mobile, Internet and Fixed-line telephony.

    Virgin Media are similar to BT in terms of how they operate and what they offer, but they differentiate themselves by offering a more premium service. However, this USP does come at a higher price.

  9. RingCentral
  10. Ring Central

    Similar to Vonage, RingCentral is a US-based VoIP provider with a UK HQ in London. They were originally founded in 1999 and their main HQ is now in Belmont, California.

    RingCentral focus on supplying mid-sized and enterprise businesses with their own Hosted VoIP and collaborative solution.


Local Hosted VoIP Providers

Choosing the best UK VoIP provider for your business is just as important as choosing the right solution. Working with a telecommunications company that is local to you comes with a whole host of customer service benefits.

Often, local businesses have a smaller customer base than the larger national providers mentioned above, including here at Boxx. This means that we’re able to offer a more personalised, dedicated service, with the ability to visit customers on-site, even at short notice and give our customers their own account manager, who truly understands your business objectives can be reached each and every time you need to make contact...


5 Providers of Hosted VoIP in Milton Keynes:

  1. Entropie
  2. Entropie

    Entropie are located in Wolverton, just outside of Milton Keynes and they offer a broad range of telephony and connectivity solutions to small, medium and large businesses.

    ACS 365
  3. ACS 365
  4. Based in Northampton, ACS 365 offer a range on office solutions, ranging from Hosted VoIP and Internet Connectivity to cyber security and interior design.

  5. CMC Communications
  6. CMC Communications

    Similarly to ACS, CMC offer a range of business solutions, such as PCs, graphic design support and IT Financing. Alongside this, they also offer Hosted VoIP solutions – specifically Horizon.

  7. GenX Solutions
  8. Gen X Solutions

    Located in Central Milton Keynes, close to us, GenX are a small telecoms provider who specialise in IT, VoIP, Internet Connectivity and Web Design.

  9. Local IT Support Providers
  10. With IT & telecommunications overlapping more than ever before, many of these are now offering Hosted VoIP as an additional service. Mirus IT, Aztech IT and TidyTech Solutions are all examples.


Our Favourite Solutions

As an independent telecommunications company, we have built relationships with many UK VoIP suppliers and will always chose the best VoIP solution for each customer and their business. For 2020, the following are proving to be our most popular Hosted VoIP solutions.

Gamma Horizon

Gamma – Horizon

Gamma are a well-established telecoms company with their Hosted VoIP solution. Horizon is an easy-to-use, portal-based system that is scalable to fit any size of business.

Horizon is accessible via handsets, desktop client or mobile app and comes with a whole hosted of benefits, including voicemail setup, auto-attendant and on-hold messaging capabilities, call diverts, call forwarding and much more.

Collaborate is an add-on to Horizon that provides instant messaging, video conferencing and screen sharing for a complete unified communications experience.

HV.Select

Digital Wholesale Solutions (DWS) – HV.Select

DWS, previously known as Daisy, have been a leading telecoms supplier since 2001 and have recently released their new Hosted VoIP platform – HV.Select.

HV.Select is a feature rich VoIP service which comes with a host of functionality options, similar to Horizon. Each individual user of HV.Select also gets access to a desktop and mobile app too.


At Boxx, we pride ourselves on being a top Hosted VoIP Milton Keynes provider. Some of the Milton Keynes based businesses we supply with these Hosted VoIP solutions include Mercer & Hole, Interact Medical and MK Gallery.

At the end of the day, choosing the right solution and the best provider will be the one that fits your overall business objectives the best.

Hopefully, this guide can give you some clarity on Hosted VoIP UK Suppliers, but if you’d like to talk through the options, we’re always happy to help.

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Filed Under: Hints and Tips, Hosted VoIP, Voice

How to make your business more profitable in 2020

20th January 2020 by Kelly Green

Effective communications and having systems or solutions in place to enable this, are now critical to every business irrespective of size or industry. It enables organisations to respond more successfully to the demands of:

  • An increasingly dispersed and mobile workforce
  • Rising customer and employee expectations
  • The need for increased collaboration with suppliers, partners and customers
  • Rapid pace of change across markets and society
  • Threats from competitors

An outdated phone system can therefore hinder efficient communications and in turn create problems within a business that affect profitability.

These impacts go far beyond the direct costs of purchasing and maintaining equipment. An outdated phone system can result in:

  • Lower productivity - Time is easily wasted when equipment either doesn't work as it should, requires large amounts of manual investment or ties individuals to work in fixed loactions.
  • Missed business opportunities - Not being able to take a call whilst out-of-the-office could mean a lost sale. This just doesn't need to happen.
  • Lost customers - Poor service is considered the number one reason for customers looking elsewhere and lost/missed calls often attribute to customer experience.
  • Lost employee talent - It's reported that 75% of emplyees rank workplace flexibility as their most important benefit.
  • Increased risk - Downtime can mave major implications for businesses and out-dated systems are much more succeptable to this happening.
  • Increased admin overheads - The average IT manager earns £44k here in the UK. Just 2.5 hours per week, equates to almost £3000 lost each year.

The good news is that modernising your telephony solution can significantly boost your bottom line…

Whilst a legacy PBX is no longer a match for modern businesses, transitioning to cloud-based communications can help you unleash the potential of your business. There are many benefits of switching to a cloud-based offering, including::

  • Work smarter – Enabling access to all the information and tools your employees need, anywhere and anytime.
  • Expand your opportunities – Freeing you from the constraints of a physical location and a fixed workforce.
  • Ensure seamless experiences - Both employees and customers benefit from integrating multiple communications and collaboration services into a single solution.
  • Stay competitive – Ensuring you’re always upgraded to the latest technology.
  • Reduce your risks – Delivering built-in resilience and security.
  • Free up time – Unleash from routine admin and maintenance tasks.

Moving to a cloud-based telephony solution is easier than you think but we understand that it can seem daunting.

Why not download our ‘True Cost of an Outdated Phone System’ PDF for an easy-to-digest overview.

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THE TRUE COST OF AN OUTDATED PHONE SYSTEM

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Filed Under: Hints and Tips, Hosted VoIP, Voice

Boxx shortlisted for MKBAA 2020

13th January 2020 by Kelly Green

The highly respected Milton Keynes Business Achievement Awards is an event not to be missed and after attending the 2019 ceremony last March, we were excited to enter in 2020…

This year the MKBAA is focusing upon overall health and wellbeing of our great city, it’s inhabitants, organisations and workforce. This means that they are judging applications not just on organisations’ excellence but also on their contribution to environmental sustainability, workforce wellbeing and social wellbeing too.

Audio Cassette Tapes

We’re thrilled to have been shortlisted for the Customer Service Award, especially considering the record number of entries in MKBAA’s history being reported and are excited to attend the ceremony on 12th March 2020 at the Marshall Arena - Stadium MK.

Here at Boxx, we pride ourselves on our commitment to providing service excellence, but the next stage is not going to be easy… We’re up against some tough competition in our category, sponsored by The Holiday Inn Milton Keynes, including;

  • IMServ Europe
  • Bistro Live
  • Acorn Early Years Foundation
  • Pets 2 Places
  • MK Biergarten
  • Anita's Beauty Centre
  • Mirus IT Solutions

Good luck to all the amazing businesses that have entered each of the categories this year – All helping deliver on the vision for a healthier city!

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Is your phone system ready for 2020…?

6th January 2020 by Kelly Green

Technology NEVER stands still and the telecommunications industry is no different...

Traditional telephony delivered via the ISDN network, whilst still functional, is no longer the most reliable and cost-effective solution. It dates back to the late 1980’s and since then we’ve seen many changes in the working world;

  • Remote working, flexible working and hot-desking
  • Reliance on both fixed line and mobile telephony
  • Driving cost efficiencies through financially uncertain times
  • Business continuity and disaster recovery plans commonplace for all
Audio Cassette Tapes

ISDN can struggle to keep up with the agility required by today’s fast-moving businesses. Scalability can be slow and expensive, plus managing across multiple sites can be difficult.

In many ways, using ISDN is like driving a classic sports car;

Aston Martin DB4GT

The car represented cutting-edge technology when it was launched, however these days, it’s not as efficient as its modern counterparts. The cost to keep the classic car running is much higher than the modern car, it’s less reliable, issues take longer to resolve and it may no longer meet you basic needs.

So it’s no surprise that there are now more economical, resilient and productivity enhancing options available!

Aston Martin DBS SuperLeggera

It has also been widely reported that BT Openreach are phasing out ISDN over the coming few years with final switch off scheduled for 2025.

If your organisation is still using ISDN, now is the time to start thinking about how to future-proof your business telephony. But there’s no need to panic, there are plenty of cost-effective solutions available to you and we’re here to help you identify which is the most suited to your individual business.

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