Brampton, ON – Meteor Telecommunications Group (Meteor), a leading telecommunications provider, is excited to announce the successful acquisition of Cable Ready Systems Ltd. (CRS), a prominent firm renowned for its groundbreaking solutions and exceptional expertise. This strategic move represents a significant milestone for both companies and reinforces Meteor Telecommunications Group’s commitment to delivering advanced network services and driving innovation in the telecommunications space.

The acquisition of CRS aligns with Meteor’s long-term growth strategy, capitalizing on the opportunity to expand our capabilities, enhance our service offerings, and provide even greater value to our customers. By combining our resources, talent, and technological advancements, we are committed to solidifying our position as a market leader.

CRS, for over 37 years, has built a formidable reputation for its relentless pursuit of innovation and ability to deliver exceptional results. We are thrilled to welcome their esteemed team, known for their deep industry knowledge and remarkable contributions, into the Meteor family. 

Throughout the integration process, Meteor remains committed to maintaining the highest levels of professionalism, transparency, and respect. We understand the importance of seamless collaboration and open communication in successfully integrating our organizations. Our teams will work diligently to ensure a smooth transition, leveraging the strengths of both companies to deliver unmatched products and services to our customers.

Over the coming months, we will focus on aligning our operations, systems, and processes to maximize efficiency and deliver a superior customer experience. Our teams will work together to unlock synergies, share best practices, and drive innovation that reshapes the telecommunications landscape.

As Meteor and CRS merge their expertise, we assure our valued customers, partners, and stakeholders that we remain fully committed to maintaining the exceptional level of service they have come to expect. This acquisition reinforces our dedication to meeting their evolving needs and exceeding their expectations.

We understand stakeholders may have questions or require additional information about this exciting development. We are committed to providing ongoing updates and clear communication to address inquiries and concerns.

This acquisition represents an extraordinary opportunity for Meteor to strengthen our market position, accelerate growth, and enhance our ability to serve our customers. We extend our deepest gratitude to our employees, customers, partners, and stakeholders for their continued support and confidence in our vision.

For media inquiries or further information, please contact:

Jeff Stevens, Director of Marketing
Meteor Telecommunications Group 

Tel: (905) 759-2651

Email: jeffs@SmartIP.ca

About Meteor Telecommunications Group:

Meteor Telecommunications Inc. is a wholly owned independent Canadian operation established in Toronto, Canada, in 1989. Meteor is a leader in providing the most comprehensive range of services over a diverse product portfolio. Meteor brings over 50 years of experience in deploying and supporting telecommunication technologies and applications in complex, multi-site enterprise environments.

Our Field and Support Engineers hold certifications across various products including AMP, Avaya, Bogen, Mitel, NEC, and Nortel.  It is this expertise that allows us to provide seamless support for even the most disparate environment, in turn allowing you to get the most significant return from your telecommunications investment. Our experience in deploying and maintaining complex, application-rich, multi-site environments gives us a unique insight and knowledge into designing solutions that are best suited for your business requirements.

We understand that our customers are not in the telecommunications business, nor do they wish to be. That is why we are intensely focused on delivering personalized care through the design, purchase, deployment and ongoing support stages of our technology and application solutions. Our objective is to deliver the type of care required so that you can focus on your core business.  When partnering with Meteor, we will become your trusted advisor in providing you with the knowledge to make the best telecommunication choices for your Company.

About Cable Ready Systems Ltd.

Cable Ready Systems Ltd (CRS), established in 1986, is a customer-focused company that provides our customers with a single point of contact for all Local Area Networks (LAN), Wide Area Networks (WAN) integration and premise wiring systems.

CRS specializes in

• Fiber Optics Installation
• Network cabling
• Voice and data-structured cabling
• Security Systems and Wiring
• Structured Cabling

Supercharge Your Business Communication: 

Discover 8 Remarkable UCaaS Advantages Today!

Introduction to UCaaS: Unified Communications as a Service

In today’s fast-paced business world, effective communication is the key to success. Companies must adapt to new technologies, stay connected with clients, and collaborate with team members to thrive in a competitive market. As businesses grow and communication needs expand, it’s essential to have a reliable and efficient communication system in place. This is where UCaaS comes in. 

Unified Communications as a Service, or UCaaS, is a cloud-based solution combining various communication channels, such as voice, video, instant messaging, and collaboration tools, into a single platform. This allows companies to streamline their communication processes, enhance collaboration, and improve overall efficiency. UCaaS is designed to be scalable, flexible, and adaptable, making it an ideal choice for businesses of all sizes and industries.

In this blog article, we will explore the importance of effective business communication, how UCaaS compares to traditional communication methods, and the top advantages of adopting UCaaS for your business. We will also provide guidance on choosing the right UCaaS provider and adapting to the future of communication with this innovative technology.

The Importance of Effective Business Communication

Effective communication is crucial for any business. It helps build strong relationships with clients and team members, facilitates collaboration, and promotes a healthy work environment. A lack of effective communication can lead to misunderstandings, missed opportunities, and even conflicts within the organization.

One significant factor contributing to effective communication is having the right tools and channels in place. This allows team members to stay connected, share information, and collaborate seamlessly. With the rise of remote work and globalization, businesses must adapt to new communication technologies to meet the evolving needs of their workforce.

Moreover, effective communication can also impact a company’s bottom line. Efficient communication processes can increase productivity, improve customer satisfaction, and drive business growth. Therefore, investing in a robust communication system, like UCaaS, is essential for businesses to stay competitive and succeed in today’s market.

UCaaS vs Traditional Communication Methods

UCaaS offers several advantages over traditional communication methods, such as landline phones, email, and basic instant messaging. Traditional communication channels often operate in silos, requiring multiple platforms and systems to manage different modes of communication. This can lead to inefficiencies, disjointed workflows, and increased costs.

In contrast, UCaaS integrates various communication channels into a single platform, allowing businesses to streamline their communication processes and improve overall efficiency. Additionally, UCaaS is cloud-based, which means it is inherently scalable, flexible, and accessible from anywhere, anytime, and on any device. This makes it an ideal choice for businesses with remote or mobile workforces, as well as those looking to future-proof their communication infrastructure.

Anywhere, anytime, any device: The power of UCaaS accessibility

UCaaS is designed to provide seamless communication and collaboration experiences, regardless of location or device. This anywhere, anytime, any device accessibility is a significant advantage for businesses in today’s interconnected world. With remote work becoming more common and teams spread across multiple locations, having a communication system that can be accessed from anywhere is essential.

UCaaS allows team members to stay connected and collaborate effectively, whether they are working from home, the office, or on the go. By providing a consistent and user-friendly experience across all devices, UCaaS helps businesses maintain productivity and efficiency, even in a distributed workforce.

Moreover, UCaaS accessibility can also benefit client relationships. By enabling businesses to communicate with clients through various channels, such as voice, video, and instant messaging, UCaaS can enhance customer satisfaction and strengthen business relationships.

Simplifying Business Communication: UCaaS User-friendly Features

UCaaS is designed to be simple to use and easy to navigate, making it an ideal choice for businesses looking to simplify their communication processes. With a straightforward and intuitive interface, users can quickly adopt UCaaS and leverage its features, regardless of their technical expertise.

Some of the user-friendly features offered by UCaaS include:

• Drag-and-drop functionality: Easily add or remove users, assign roles, and manage permissions with a simple drag-and-drop interface.
• See who is available in real-time from any location on any device.
• Integration with popular applications: UCaaS can be integrated with commonly used business applications, such as CRM systems, project management tools, and productivity suites, allowing users to access all their communication and collaboration tools from a single platform.

These features not only simplify business communication but also contribute to increased productivity and efficiency within the organization.

Streamlining Communication with All-under-one-window Functionality

One of the most significant advantages of UCaaS is its all-under-one window functionality, which allows users to access multiple communication channels and tools from a single interface. This eliminates the need to switch between different platforms and applications, streamlining communication processes and improving overall efficiency. With UCaaS, users can seamlessly transition between voice, video, messaging, and collaboration tools, such as screen sharing and document editing. This unified approach to communication enables teams to collaborate more effectively, reducing delays and misunderstandings and ultimately leading to better business outcomes.

Furthermore, the all-under-one window functionality allows businesses to consolidate their communication infrastructure, reducing the need for multiple systems and platforms. This can lead to cost savings, as well as simplified management and maintenance of the communication system.

Top 8 Advantages of UCaaS for Business Communication

1. Enhanced collaboration: UCaaS enables teams to collaborate more effectively by providing a unified platform for voice, video, instant messaging, and collaboration tools.
2. Improved accessibility: UCaaS is accessible from anywhere, anytime, and on any device, making it an ideal choice for businesses with remote or mobile workforces.
3. Scalability: UCaaS is designed to be scalable, allowing businesses to easily add or remove users, features, and functionalities as their communication needs evolve.
4. Cost savings: UCaaS can lead to cost savings by consolidating communication infrastructure and reducing the need for multiple systems and platforms.
5. Business continuity: UCaaS is cloud-based, ensuring that businesses can continue to communicate and collaborate even during disruptions or disasters.
6. Increased productivity: UCaaS simplifies communication processes, reduces delays and misunderstandings, and ultimately leads to increased productivity.
7. Improved customer satisfaction: UCaaS provides businesses with multiple communication channels to interact with customers, enhancing customer satisfaction and strengthening business relationships.
8. Futureproofing: UCaaS enables businesses to adapt to new communication technologies and stay ahead of the curve, future-proofing their communication infrastructure.

Choosing the Right UCaaS Provider for Your Business

Choosing the right UCaaS provider is crucial for businesses looking to adopt this innovative technology. With many options available in the market, it can be overwhelming to make the right choice. Here are some factors to consider when selecting a UCaaS provider:

1. Features and functionalities: Look for a UCaaS provider that offers the features and functionalities that meet your business’s communication needs.
2. Scalability: Ensure that the UCaaS provider can scale with your business as your communication needs grow and evolve.
3. Reliability and uptime: Look for a UCaaS provider with a proven track record of reliability and high uptime to ensure that your communication system is always available.
4. Security and compliance: Choose a UCaaS provider that meets your business’s security and compliance requirements.
5. Support and training: Look for a UCaaS provider that offers comprehensive in-country support and training to ensure that your team can effectively leverage the platform.
6. Financial Stability: Choose a company that has a proven record of supply and service over many, many years, including local support, technical staff and truck roll.

By considering these factors and conducting thorough research, businesses can choose the right UCaaS provider and maximize the benefits of this innovative technology.

Adapting to the Future of Communication with UCaaS

The future of communication constantly evolves, with new technologies and trends emerging regularly. UCaaS provides businesses with the flexibility and adaptability to stay ahead of the curve and adapt to new communication technologies.

For example, as artificial intelligence and machine learning become more prevalent in business communication, UCaaS can integrate these technologies into their platform, enabling businesses to automate routine tasks and streamline workflows. Additionally, as the Internet of Things (IoT) expands, UCaaS can provide businesses with a platform to connect and communicate with IoT devices, enabling new levels of automation and efficiency.

By adopting UCaaS, businesses can future-proof their communication infrastructure and stay at the forefront of technological advancement.

Conclusion: Supercharge Your Business Communication with UCaaS

Effective communication is essential for business success, and UCaaS offers businesses a powerful and innovative solution to enhance their communication processes. With its accessibility, scalability, and all-under-one window functionality, UCaaS enables teams to collaborate more effectively, streamline communication processes, and improve overall efficiency.

By choosing the right UCaaS provider and adapting to the future of communication, businesses can supercharge their communication and stay ahead of the curve in today’s fast-paced business world. So why wait? Discover the remarkable advantages of UCaaS today and take your business communication to the next level! 

Call Meteor Telecommunications today at 905-595-4444 for answers to any of your questions.

Our knowledge – Your Peace of Mind

This past April, Meteor Telecom exhibited at the Fabulous RC Show in Toronto. So much technology, so many exhibitors and so many attendees tells us that Business is alive and vibrant in Canada, even with some looming recession questions. From the busy activity we saw all around the show, it’s clear that many businesses in the restaurant space are working hard, expanding, reaching and upgrading. No shortage of enthusiasm here. After 3 years of challengings times, we saw such a vibrant expression of faith and hopefulness, and planning. Lots of investments are being made. And we have many discussions with folks about their communication systems and their plans and how their phone systems are integral to their existence, both now and in the future. 

Pros and Cons of Hosted Unified Communications in clear business terms?

Hosted Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) is a cloud-based communication system that integrates various communication tools, such as voice, video, messaging, and collaboration, into a single platform. Here are some of the pros and cons of Hosted Unified Communications in clear business terms:

Pros:

1. Scalability: Hosted UCaaS allows businesses to scale up or down their communication resources as their needs change. As your business grows, you can easily add more users, features, and services without worrying about the infrastructure and hardware.

2. Flexibility:
   Hosted UCaaS can be accessed from anywhere, at any time, and from any device, making it easy for employees to work remotely or from different locations. This flexibility enhances productivity and reduces downtime.
3. Reduced Cost:
   Hosted UC eliminates the need for large capital expenditures on hardware, maintenance, and upgrades. The cost is spread over a monthly subscription, which can be easily managed.
4. Easy Integration: Hosted UCaaS can easily integrate with business applications such as CRM, ERP, and other productivity tools. This integration enables businesses to automate their workflows and increase efficiency and improve their client relationships.

Cons:

1. Dependence on the Internet:
   Hosted UCaaS relies heavily on the internet connection. In an internet outage, businesses can experience downtime and disruption to their communication systems.
2. Security:
   Hosted UCaaS is vulnerable to security threats like hacking, malware, and phishing attacks. Businesses need to ensure that they have adequate security measures and policies in place to prevent these threats.
3. Limited Customization:
   Many Hosted UCaaS are designed to be a one-size-fits-all solution, which can limit customization options. Businesses may need to compromise on certain features or functionalities that are critical to their operations.
4. Support:
   Hosted UCaaS requires technical expertise to install, configure, and maintain. Businesses must ensure adequate support from the service provider to address any technical issues.

In summary, Hosted UCaaS offers businesses scalability, flexibility, cost savings, and easy integration. However, it also comes with the risks of internet dependence, security threats, limited customization, and technical support issues.

This is why it is essential to speak to a group that has the experience of over 50 years in Canada, installing and providing 24/7 support and service. Call us today for more information on Smart Talk, a Canadian-designed solution hosted in Canada on redundant Tiers 3 secured networks and Supported in Canada by Canadians.

Businesses are becoming more aware of the impact of Spyware and Ransomware

In today’s digital age, spyware and ransomware are significant threats that businesses must be aware of. These malicious software programs can result in financial loss, stolen sensitive data, and damage to a company’s reputation. Therefore, businesses must take steps to minimize the risk of spyware and ransomware attacks.

Here are some ways to achieve that:

1. Invest in robust anti-virus software: Ensure your business has installed anti-virus software that offers real-time scanning and updates. This software should be configured to run frequent scans and block any threats detected. Make sure to update the software regularly to stay protected against new threats.
2. Educate employees: Train employees to identify and avoid phishing emails, malicious websites, and suspicious attachments. Teach them to use strong passwords and enable multi-factor authentication.
3. Backup data regularly: In a ransomware attack, having a backup of critical data can save your business. It’s essential to back up data regularly and store it separately from your network.
4. Restrict access to sensitive data: Limit sensitive information to only those who need it. This can be done by setting up user permissions and restricting access to specific folders or files.
5. Keep software up to date: Ensure that all software is up to date, including operating systems, web browsers, and plugins. Updates often contain security patches that can protect against spyware and ransomware.
6. Implement a robust firewall: A firewall can prevent unauthorized access to your network and block malicious traffic. Configure your firewall to block incoming traffic from untrusted sources.

By implementing these steps, businesses can minimize the risk of spyware and ransomware attacks. It’s essential to remain vigilant and stay informed about new threats and trends to stay one step ahead of cybercriminals.

Come and see us at Toronto’s Leading IT Conference and Exhibition on May 10th, 2022 at the International Centre in Mississauga. We will be in booth 304 with our partners Xentrax Inc. and Smart IP.

Learn More About it here: https://www.itechconference.ca/toronto/

Canada’s Telus is on track to retire its copper network by early 2023

CRITICAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS UPDATE

Similar to what was announced by Telus last Fall, other Major Canadian Telecom Carriers are also planning to end their support of copper facilities across their networks. Businesses large and small must now prepare to set in place critical plans to evaluate the potential impact on their businesses. Many business owners unfortunately are unaware these changes are here.

Although demands for higher speed technology i.e. Fibre Optics have created new market demands which is part is being met by Canadian Carriers’ roll-outs, positive and negation factors must be evaluated.

On the positive side, fibre to the building or curb meets consumers’ demand for high-speed internet and in the process, it has led the Carriers to recognize that copper can no longer meet consumers’ requirements and is more costly to maintain, thus the end of the copper road is here!

On the negative side, it means companies of all sizes must undertake a thorough review of the potential impact of no longer being able to rely on copper services. Moving forward relying on converged IP for Voice, Data Processing, Security, and Internet connectivity via a single piece of Fibre can be frightening – 

Listed below are but a few items to stimulate your thought process on items to consider and some potential benefits in the converged workspace.

Ideas of consideration/concern for carriers getting rid of copper

1. Fire and Security Alarm lines
2. TI over 2 pairs of copper being used for voice services
3. ADSL/HDSL services (remote office internet or other Inter-office services)
4. Off-premises extensions (OPX – Analog phones and or monitoring devices)
5. Requirements for additional internet bandwidth for supporting Voice using SIP trunks
6. Additional Security requirements to support Voice (encryption) 
7. Possible upgrades needed for existing PBXs or Key Systems to support SIP Trunks and remote IP voice
8. Potential that existing voice equipment is EOL (end of life) or EOS (end of support) which perhaps, unknowingly are in effect or shortly in the future. Financial exposure of investing in required upgrades
9. Are you contracted with the Carrier for copper service for an extended period, which may force you to use their IP infrastructure, SIP trunks, etc. as a less than favorable price point, also forcing you to upgrade at the last minute?
10. Is your IT support team ready or capable of the implications of voice requirements on your network?

Benefits of IP enabling your network to support IP voice and SIP trunks

1. Lower overall cost of Trunks (SIP) 
2. Additional lines can be added/removed quickly for seasonal peaks
3. Ability to enable usage of the trunks or add trunks from anywhere in Canada
4. Ability to roll trunks over to other offices in different time zone and in the case of adverse business conditions like fire, flood, or weather conditions.
5. In most cases LD calls across Canada are toll-free and the ability in many cases allow toll-free across the continental USA – Lowers cost!
6. IP-enabled voice infrastructure allows remote Voice, Video conference, and Presence indication of staff from anywhere, any time, on any device (Smartphone, PC, or IP telephones).
7. Allow you to engage new workers from anywhere in the world – No more distance limits!
8. Substantially lower Toll cost for calls outside of North America and literally no cost for WEB video calls.
9. Ability to support wideband audio quality not possible over copper lines
10. Ability to add remote local city telephone numbers for remote workers working in those areas to create a true local presence to clients

Is your communications system able to function without Copper?

If it isn’t or you are unsure, don’t wait. Talk to us NOW.

Our plan is to help you find alternatives to this dead end.