Frequently Asked Questions
Q. I’m looking for a new telephone system and I’ve heard of cloud, is it right for me?
There are two main factors that determine whether or not a cloud based system would be right for your business:
Do you have structured (data) cabling in place?
Do you have a reliable broadband / internet connection?
If the answer is yes to one or both questions, you will likely be able to use a hosted/cloud system. Please contact our sales team to see find out more.
If the answer is no to both questions, a unified/hybrid system will be a better bet. Our team can advise on the solutions available to you.
Q. Whats the best type of Broadband I can have, and how do I know if it’s the right choice?
There are several Broadband products that are widely available, and Ocean Talk can supply them all. What you can have depends on where you are, so if you contact our team, they will be able to determine whats available, and discuss the costs involved. The choice of Broadband should be carefully considered and weighed up with just how important internet access is to your business. If you are looking for hosted telephony, or are heavily reliant on email to communicate with your customers, the right product, together with rapid service level with be crucial. If however these are not critical factors, a simpler product may be more than sufficient.
It’s important to us that you have what you need. Speak to our team to find out whats right for your business.
Q. Can I get my Energy as well as Telecoms through Ocean? I want to deal with one supplier!
Yes. Ocean have teamed up with Fidelity Energy, enabling us to offer highly competitive pricing on Gas and Electricity. All we need is a copy of your current bill and we’ll do the rest. You’ll receive a proposal clearly outlining the best offers available to you from the market leading energy providers. We’re independent, we deal with 21 suppliers! We go to market and find the best deal for your business!
Q. I need to record calls. Can I record calls on my new system from Ocean?
Yes. All our new systems are capable of recording calls ad-hock. This means that a call can be recorded (by pressing a button or dialing a code) and sent on to other users either directly to their extension, or as an email WAV file. Recorded calls will be emailed to your Outlook inbox. If your business needs to record and store calls for either compliance, or customer service, a full call recording platform would be required. These systems records & stores every call in an encrypted format. Calls can be easily found through a number of search criteria. We provide such platforms, compatible with all our systems.
Our cloud system provides Call Recording for an additional monthly fee. Speak to one of our team to find out more.
Q. I work out of the office quite allot. Can I still be connected to the office system?
Yes. Our systems integrate with smart phones (Unified Communications), so your are in contact wherever you are. You can also use IP technology to have a desk phone at your home, with the full system features and functionality available. Just like you’re in the office!
Q. What sort of lines do I need?
Broadly speaking there are three types of lines available in the UK, Analogue, ISDN & SIP. If you choose a hosted/cloud system, the calls are carried over your internet connection.
Analogue
An analogue line is the oldest type of line. It is exactly the same as your line at home. Whilst some businesses still use such lines for their main business use, largely now their main function is for Broadband use. A broadband circuit is carried over an analogue line.
ISDN
This type of line currently represents the bulk of lines currently used. It is a digital line, either presented over copper or fibre wiring. It provides a number of additional services over analogue lines and is the most reliable service currently available. ISDN will eventually be replaced by SIP (internet) lines. No official statement has been made in regard to the end of ISDN, but the CEO did suggest in an interview that they would like to see all lines migrated to ISDN by 2025.
SIP
SIP lines (sometimes referred to as trunks) are carried over the internet. They are very flexible and provide additional features to ISDN. To use SIP lines, your business must have a good quality internet connection. It is easy to tell when you speak to someone using SIP with a poor internet connection, because the speech quality is noticeably degraded. Many business choose to use ISDN lines for their incoming calls to ensure quality, and SIP lines for outgoing calls.
Q. I’ve been told I should have structured cabling. Is this true?
Not always, but the majority of businesses use it, and we would strongly recommend it. Structured cabling provides outlets to every possible location you may need to use for a computer, printer, telephone and anything else that may need a connection to your servers. The wiring is rated to support high data speeds and what device is connected where can be managed by the business itself, reducing costly engineering visits. Our engineers are fully trained and accredited to install structured cabling and we provide manufacturer back warranties.