Moving a loved one into senior living can be one of life’s most emotional and complex decisions. It’s a transition that often brings mixed feelings—relief, guilt, uncertainty, and hope. This guide is designed to ease that process, offering practical steps, compassionate advice, and clear insights to help families navigate the change with confidence. Whether you’re just starting to explore options or preparing for the move, knowing what to expect ahead of time can help ensure comfort, dignity, and peace of mind for everyone involved.

Assessing Your Needs

Before making the move, it’s crucial to assess your loved one’s needs and preferences. Every senior has unique requirements, which could include medical support, social engagement, or assistance with daily activities.

If possible, consult with healthcare professionals to determine the level of care needed. Touring various communities and asking detailed questions about services and amenities can also help in making an informed decision.

Choosing the Right Community

When selecting a senior living community, consider the location, cost, and lifestyle it offers. Proximity to family, friends, or familiar surroundings can play a significant role in comfort and happiness.

Financial planning is also essential, as costs can vary widely depending on the type of community and level of care. Some communities offer flexible payment plans or sliding scales based on income, which might provide additional options.

Navigating the Emotional Landscape

The emotional aspect of transitioning into senior living should not be overlooked. Feelings of grief or loss are common, especially if the move involves leaving a long-time home. Open communication with your loved one and emotional counseling may help ease these feelings.

Many find that visiting the new community multiple times before moving can build familiarity and reduce anxiety. Preparing for this emotional journey can be as critical as addressing physical or logistical needs.

Practical Tips for a Smooth Transition

Planning the logistical details of the move can alleviate stress. Start by decluttering and sorting belongings well in advance. Downsizing is an opportunity to rediscover cherished possessions or share (or offload) them with family members.

Hiring professional movers who specialize in senior relocations might ease some of the physical burdens. Once settled, customizing the new living space with personal touches can make it feel more like home for them.

Building Social Connections

Social interactions can significantly impact well-being during this transition. Participating in community events, joining clubs, or engaging in organized activities can offer rewarding social experiences.

For those initially hesitant, reaching out to neighbors or attending communal meals might introduce them to like-minded individuals. Many communities sponsor events designed to foster connections, which can become invaluable sources of friendship and support.

Maintaining Independence

Moving into senior living doesn’t necessarily mean losing autonomy. Choosing a community that offers a range of care levels allows residents to maintain as much independence as they desire while having assistance available as needed.

Encouraging self-sufficiency through available services, like transportation for errands or recreational activities, might help preserve independence and foster a sense of empowerment.

Health and Wellness Considerations

Health and wellness play crucial roles in a successful transition. Many senior living communities offer health and fitness programs tailored to residents’ needs. Engaging in regular exercise, balanced nutrition, and preventive healthcare measures may improve overall well-being.

Access to on-site medical care or assistance with medication management can provide peace of mind. Consult healthcare providers when planning for these aspects, ensuring any programs are compatible with individual health conditions or limitations.

Help Them Take The Next Step

While moving into senior living represents a significant transition for your loved one, it can be approached with careful planning and an open mind. Evaluating individual needs, selecting the right community, and building emotional resilience can contribute to a positive experience.

Opportunities for social engagement and maintaining independence are crucial aspects that can enhance quality of life. With your support and thoughtful preparation, this can become an enriching new chapter filled with growth and connection.

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is an enhanced security measure that requires users to provide two separate forms of verification when accessing resources on a network. Beyond just entering a username and password, 2FA typically involves an additional step, such as a code sent to a mobile device or a biometric scan, providing an extra layer of protection. This approach significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches.

How Does 2FA Work?

When users attempt to log in to a cloud-based or on-premise network – either as part of their job, or when using consumer software such as banking apps and ecommerce platforms – 2FA requires them to verify two pieces of information, also known as ‘factors’, from the below categories:

1. ‘Knowledge’ factor – something the user knows, most commonly a password or PIN number. Knowledge factors are also known as ‘secrets’.
2. ‘Possession’ factor – something the user owns or has access to, such as a mobile phone authenticator app, a physical device (ID card, key fob) or a token.
3. ‘Biometric’ factor – this is anything that can identify the user as being themselves through biological information such as fingerprints, speech patterns or iris patterns.
4. Timed factor – restricts login attempts to a specified time period.
5. ‘Location’ factor – where the authentication attempt originated from, verified by methods such as IP addresses or GPS information obtained from a laptop or mobile phone.

IT administrators can specify which of the above factors are required, prior to a user being granted access to a network. In general, most 2FA platforms ask for the first three – location and timed factors are usually reserved for internal IT networks and remote working policies.

2FA vs. Standalone Passwords

2FA is deployed with the sole purpose of preventing unauthorized access to a computer or network system. If your organization is content with relying solely on a username and password to authenticate users, you need to revaluate your security procedures. The logistic considerations are insignificant next to the prospect of a data breach. Companies who fail to enact robust 2FA authentication procedures run the risk of exposing their IT infrastructure and financial assets to cyber criminals looking to exploit lax security protocols.

Passwords, when used in isolation, are markedly less secure than requiring several methods of authentication. Usernames are relatively easy to guess, and follow a standard ‘firstname.surname’ or email address format. Passwords should, in theory, be a lot harder to crack, but in practice there are several methods that cybercriminals use to take advantage of unsecured login information.

Password Complexity

Passwords should be of an appropriate length (usually a minimum of 8 characters) and contain a complex string of alphanumeric information, including uppercase and lowercase letters, and special characters.

Users often forego standard practice and use the same password across multiple private and public platforms. This can cause data breaches to escalate from relatively minor intrusions involving personal email accounts, to large scale instances of corporate theft, using the same password information across multiple platforms.

Social Engineering

Hackers use all manner of methods to gain access to a user’s password, including ‘social engineering’, whereby users are contacted directly by cyber criminals posing as someone else (such as a manager at work or a member of a law enforcement agency), and fooled into handing over passwords and sensitive information.

Password Cracking

Passwords are essentially small pieces of data, and as such can be disassembled or accessed just like any other string of data, albeit in a much more complicated way. Hackers use highly specialized, sophisticated software to gain direct access to a user’s password.

Poor Off-Boarding Procedures

When employees leave your organization, it is essential that they do not retain access to your IT assets. All too often, companies fail to change a former employee’s password, which can lead to all manner of problems, not limited to IP theft, data breaches and reputational damage.

By requiring multiple forms of verification, such as linking a user’s account to an official authentication app (‘possession’ factor), firms are ensuring that disgruntled employees are provided with the fewest number of opportunities to cause havoc.

High-Profile Hacks

2FA plays an integral role in securing personal and commercial information in the era of high-profile corporate data breaches.

When a user logs into an online service, the information they enter – everything from usernames and passwords to personal information – is stored by the website. User’s have no control over how this information is kept secure by third party companies and place their trust in multinational organizations to enact robust security protocols to keep it out of the hands of opportunistic criminals.

LinkedIn Data Breach

It’s not all about password security. A hacker by the name of ‘God User’ exploited a security vulnerability in the professional networking site, LinkedIn, and stole the personal information of its user base (approximately 700 million users) in what is widely regarded as one of the biggest website hacks of all time.

While the breach did not include passwords, it contained the following information:

• Email addresses
• Phone numbers
• Geolocation records
• Genders
• Social media details

All this information can be used to guess or reset passwords across various different online platforms. Unless those platforms utilize 2FA to secure accounts, the potential for additional breaches is enormous.

An Essential Tool for the Digital Age

Enacting 2FA is the minimum that organizations can do to secure their data and protect the identity of their employees and customers. It is no longer sufficient to rely on usernames and passwords alone.

If your organization doesn’t already use 2FA, consult with your teams immediately on how best to implement it. The technology has been around for over a decade and IT staff are broadly familiar with its requirements.

In its simplest terms, email marketing is the process through which businesses send marketing information and identify prospective clients, via email. It’s used by companies to establish an authoritative voice, solicit sales, send direct advertisements for specific products or services and increase revenue through the smart application of communications technology.

How Does Email Marketing Software Work?

Email marketing platforms – also known as Email Service Providers (ESPs) – allow you to draft sales emails, either from a template or as a custom one-off email, and send them to groups of email addresses known as a ‘distribution list’.

Most providers offer an intuitive ‘drag and drop’ interface that allows you to easily create emails based on numerous style variables, font sizes, colours and images that are tailored to your branding requirements. This provide a unified look and feel, in conjunction with your standard product offering.

What Are the Common Features?

ESPs make use of a wide range of features that encompass formatting, data analysis and cross-platform integration.

Message automation

Emails are triggered by certain actions taken by prospective or existing customers and tailored to the buying process. A common application of message automation is to send a welcome email to a customer when they sign-up to a website or sales offer, containing basic product information or advice on upcoming offers and promotions.

HTML emails

Almost all ESPs offer the ability to compose emails in HTML format, allowing companies to craft highly detailed, branded emails that also incorporate cascading style sheets (CSS) and complex layouts.

Built in compliance tools

The ‘Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing’ (CAN-SPAM) Act governs the sending of commercial emails and grants the Federal Trade Commission rights of enforcement. ESPs make sure that their clients stay on the right side of the law and offer advice on prevailing legislation.

Transactional emails

A transactional email is an email that is sent to a recipient following a commercial transaction, or specific action, such as a purchase or a password reset request.

What Are The Drawbacks of Email Marketing Platforms?

Most users view unsolicited email as spam and often ignore it or mark it as junk. However, you can improve your open rates by using creative headers, clear pre-headers, and targeted distribution lists. Also, design for versatility—emails are read on desktops, mobile devices, and more, so layouts should offer a consistent look across platforms to ensure a cohesive experience for recipients.

How Can Email Marketing Be Used to Increase Sales?

Email marketing eliminates the need for physical mailouts and can reach thousands at the cost of an ESP subscription. It supports sales funnels, strengthens customer relationships, maintains client lists, and showcases brand aesthetics with customized content. This approach builds authority and brand loyalty while providing valuable insights into customer behavior. Each campaign offers data to refine sales tactics and better understand customer sentiments and buying habits.

Top Email Marketing Platforms

MailChimp

Most popular

MailChimp is the go-to ESP for thousands of businesses all over the world, from start-ups to SMEs and enterprise-level organizations. The platform offers an intuitive, drag-and-drop interface that is perfect for beginners while offering a broad range of customization features and additional coding functionality.

MailChimp adapts to a wide variety of email formats and even allows for the sending of different email templates within the same campaign.

MailerLite

Best for non-marketing staff

MailerLite sells itself on being the easiest to use ESP on the market. It benefits from a stripped-back, concise GUI while maintaining a healthy bank of pre-configured templates from which to kickstart your email campaigns. Though the platform suffers from a lack of CRM integration and minimal plug-in support, it’s remained a popular choice for businesses that don’t require complex marketing tools and just need to be able to send customized emails to their customer base.

HubSpot Marketing Hub

Best for cross-channel marketing campaigns

HubSpot is a cloud-based CRM provider who also offer an ESP service alongside their standard SaaS product. HubSpot’s major selling point is the ability to collate all marketing interactions into one concise dashboard – including email campaigns, social media activity, Google Ads and more.

ActiveCampaign

Best customer service

If it’s automation you’re looking for, ActiveCampaign stands head and shoulders above most of the competition when it comes to producing customized campaigns on a subscriber-by-subscriber basis. The platform benefits from helpful, friendly support staff and a range of integration tools across over 300 third party applications.

Moosend

Best basic option

Moosend’s email marketing plan has the distinction of containing most of the core features of most other ESP paid plans, without compromising on usability or front-end functionality. Whilst the platform offers limited third party integration, there is still widespread support for custom data fields and a useful set of automation tools.

Choosing the Best ESP

When it comes to email marketing, there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach. Each company has their own set of requirements based on how they interact with their customer base, the nature of their product offering and how diverse their CRM/eCommerce operation is to begin with.

Email marketing software is what you make of it – from sending simple one-off plain text emails, to accommodating multi-channel sales funnel activities that make smart use of data and draw on the successes (and failures) of previous campaigns.

Modern day antivirus software fulfils a variety of different functions across several platforms, including desktops and laptops, smartphones, tablets and any other Internet-connected devices. Robust, well-managed anti-malware software represents the first line of defense in the global fight against cybercrime and the proliferation of malicious software designed to extract money and sensitive data from unsuspecting users.

How Anti-Malware Software Works

Anti-malware software engages with multiple techniques to differentiate malicious files from legitimate data within a computer system.

Signature detection

Signature detection is the primary method cybersecurity companies use to identify malicious code. Once discovered and analyzed, a virus’s ‘signature’ (unique code relating specifically to that virus) is added to a huge database of similar viruses. Signature databases are updated daily, as and when new viruses appear all over the world.

Rootkit detection

A ‘rootkit’ is the method used by a virus to control the underlying operating system of the computer that it has infected. Anti-malware platforms contain rootkit detectors to eliminated the problem at its source and prevent a virus from gaining administrative control over the host device.

Consequences of Not Using Anti-Malware Software

For businesses and individuals alike, the consequences of failing to operate with a modern, feature-rich anti-malware platform are a loss of business continuity, theft of personal information and in extreme cases, monetary loss.

You may think that it will never happen to you, but history has shown us that virus attacks pay no heed to organizational size, revenue, employee number or geographical location. Ultimately, business-disrupting attacks are on the rise.

Insurance companies often require a comprehensive analysis of cybersecurity measures before paying out on business interruption plans. If your organization is found to be lacking in this regard, you could face a cancellation of your policy and significant financial damage in the event of an attack.

Key Features

Real-time protection

Most modern antivirus platforms feature real-time protection tools that scan incoming file attachments, opened files and executable programs for instances of malicious code. They alert the user accordingly.

Scheduled scanning

Antivirus scans can be scheduled at daily, weekly or monthly intervals to cater to the unique requirements of each organization and user type.

Automatic updates

Virus definitions are downloaded from a global definitions database as and when they are released, populated by the collective research of prominent cybersecurity professionals all over the world.

‘Sandboxing’

Sandboxing involves an anti-malware platform running a virtualized instance of an operating system (e.g. Windows) to ascertain the threat level of a suspicious object or program. The virtual environment is separate from the host OS and totally isolated from a company’s business network.

Managed vs. Unmanaged Anti-Malware Platforms

Antivirus software can broadly be classified into two main formats – managed and unmanaged.

Managed antivirus platforms

Managed antivirus platforms are integral to any PCI or HIPAA compliance strategies. Managed anti-malware solutions offer a centralized hub for administrative staff to perform automatic updates, install and uninstall virus software, produce reports on a per-user basis and populate a visual dashboard of anti-malware adherence across multiple sites and platforms. These days, it’s pretty much inexcusable for organizations to operate with anything other than a managed anti-malware platform, even for small organizations of 5-10 users.

Unmanaged antivirus platforms

Unmanaged platforms eschew the need for centralized management and incorporate individual installs of software that require standalone updates and user management. Unmanaged antivirus solutions are ideal for single users, easier to install and don’t require the same ongoing levels of expertise to manage them on a day to day basis. However, they are inherently less secure than their managed counterparts and are usually the choice for companies who are looking to cut corners, rather than to pay adequate attention to their cybersecurity obligations.

The Top Anti-Malware Platforms

Sophos

Best for: SMEs

Sophos are a prominent cybersecurity solutions provider who offer an extensive range of anti-malware and virus detection tools across an exclusively cloud-based and cloud-managed platform. Their ‘Intercept X’ anti-malware tool is specifically tailored to meet the antivirus requirements of US and European SMEs. Intercept X integrates with many of Sophos’ other endpoint security products and email management tools, offering a powerful one stop shop for all your cybersecurity needs.

Malwarebytes

Best for: Basic option

Malwarebytes grew from humble beginnings in a computer repair shop in Chicago to become the go-to anti-malware option for hundreds of thousands of users worldwide. The platform is renowned for its feature-rich option that provides personal users with most (but not all) of the functionality they need in a modern antivirus platform. The software also contains Adwcleaner – a browser based anti-malware tool that prevents programs from amending your default search engine or adding unwanted toolbars and menu items.

Webroot SecureAnywhere

Best for: Blocking malicious programs

Webroot consistently scores top of the tree on malware blocking tests and system resource usage. Webroot’s SecureAnywhere uses sandbox-based technology to virtualize the operating system and open a suspicious file within a bubble environment, mitigating the real-time risk of executing malicious code.

Norton Antivirus

Best for: Features

Norton Antivirus is highly popular anti-malware platform distributed by the cybersecurity multinational NortonLifeLock (formerly the Symantec Corporation). Norton AV has a reputation for its enormous array of features, industry-leading technical support, fast and efficient real-time protection techniques and cross-compatibility with other cybersecurity platforms.

How to Choose the Right Platform

Anti-malware services have become a catch-all term for any antivirus program that seeks to identify and eliminate malicious software at source, but in reality, the main distinction to be made is between a business-oriented, commercial platform, and an unmanaged instance of domestic antivirus software.

A Virtual Private Network (VPN) redirects Internet traffic through dedicated servers, allowing users to funnel their online activities through specific geographic locations. This enables access to region-locked content and adds an extra layer of privacy. Additionally, VPNs connect workstations and devices to private, commercial IT networks securely, making them valuable for businesses that need remote access to secure systems and sensitive information while protecting data from cyber threats.

How Do VPNs Work?

VPNs come in many different formats, from ‘site-to-site’ VPNs that link offices together in different regions on the same local network, to Secure Socket Layer (SSL) connections used by companies to connect remote workforces together across the globe.

Standard VPNs used by regular Internet users operate through a complex set of interactions between your computer or mobile device (the ‘client’), a VPN server and your Internet Service Provider (ISP). Your computer initiates a connection with the VPN server via the Internet. Once that connection has been established, instead of your ISP assigning you an IP address (a unique number that identifies your computer on the Internet), the VPN server allocates it instead and becomes the funnel through which data is transferred to your machine.

Modern VPN Features

1. Killswitches

A VPN killswitch is a security measures that disconnects your computer or mobile device from the Internet if your VPN connection drops, preventing your IP from being published in the event your VPN tunnel is no longer active.

2. Double encryption

Double encryption technology, as the name suggests, ensures that your data runs through two VPN servers and is encrypted twice – once when data reaches the first VPN server and again before it arrives at another VPN server, where it’s decrypted and processed.

3. Jurisdiction and location

The laws and regulations that VPN companies must adhere to is dictated by the country that the VPN service is registered in. This may not seem all that relevant for common users, but an application that resides in the U.S. will inevitably be subject to a more stringent set of laws than those that are registered in Central America or The Netherlands, for example.

4. Multiple device support

Early VPNs were only able to support workstations and servers. Nowadays, modern VPN applications are compatible with a broad range of operating systems across multiple devices – desktops, laptops, mobile phones and tablets.

5. WiFi security

You may not have thought about it before, but public wireless access points are notoriously unsecure. When your device uses a public hotspot to connect to the Internet, hackers or irresponsible companies can extract all kinds of information from the device you’re using, based on its IP address. Using a VPN provides you with anonymity and masks your identity when you’re browsing on the go.

Commercial vs. Consumer VPNs

The term ‘VPN’ is a catch-all definition for any private networking solution that masks an IP address, but there are important distinctions to be made.

If you’re a business owner looking to network offices together or provide employees with VPN access to your servers from their homes to facilitate remote working, the VPN software you use will largely be dictated by what kind of firewalls and routers you use, rather than independent software applications.

Top VPN Applications

1. NordVPN

Best overall

NordVPN has risen from humble roots to become the most popular consumer VPN brand available in what has been a consistently crowded marketplace. NordVPN benefits from higher-than-average speeds across 6 simultaneous connections, with very little intermittency. The company did suffer a minor security scare when one of its Finland servers was accessed without authorisation, but since then the company has remained a popular choice for VPN subscribers all over the world.

2. ExpressVPN

Runner up overall

Founded by two Pennsylvania tech entrepreneurs, ExpressVPN seems to be in a perpetual battle with NordVPN for top spot in the consumer VPN rankings year-over-year. ExpressVPN arguably had the upper hand last year when it won several Editor’s Choice awards across several tech media platforms, but there’s very little difference between the two in terms of functionality, speed and security.

3. Surfshark

Best value

Surfshark began as a VPN service for iOS devices, but has since branched out to all major operating systems and device platforms. Surfshark’s two main selling points are its usability and price – it’s GUI is far and away the easiest to use of all the products mentioned here and its yearly subscription options make it the cheapest big-name VPN platform available, outside of free subscription models. The platform is also noted for minimal speed losses and year-on-year improvements in general connectivity.

4. ProtonVPN

Best for security and transparency

ProtonVPN was developed in Switzerland, by Proton Technologies AG – a team of computer scientists from the CERN research facility in Geneva. The company owns and operates all of its own VPN servers and is cross-compatible with all major OS platforms including Windows, MacOS, Android, and iOS. The software is renowned for its watertight security standards, high levels of transparency and open-source platform.

5. IPVanish

Best to support U.S. company

IPVanish started out as a subsidiary of the Orlando-based Highwinds Group. The company distinguishes itself by owning most of its own access points and communications infrastructure, allowing it to exercise significant control over its network with an unlimited number of simultaneous connections allowed. The platform was accused of handing over subscriber data to authorities, but has since undergone a managerial change who have pledged to upholding user anonymity.

Choosing a Provider

As with all other consumer technology platforms, how you choose a VPN provider should be dictated by what you need it for. If you’re someone who is just looking to browse Netflix from a different geographical region, then the likelihood is that you simply need a cheap, verifiable application that can get the job done, without the need for expensive security features or complex front-end functionality. Whatever your reason, VPNs are there to make the Internet more accessible and easier to use.

While free VPNs offer basic privacy, paid VPNs deliver the robust protection, speed, and features essential for today’s digital landscape. Investing in a reputable paid VPN ensures secure data encryption, consistent high-speed connections, and access to global content without interruptions. With advanced security protocols and enhanced reliability, paid VPNs are an invaluable tool for safeguarding personal information, bypassing geo-restrictions, and achieving a smooth, unrestricted online experience that free options simply can’t match.

Understanding VPNs

Paid VPNs – or ‘virtual private networks’ – are pieces of software that allow Internet users to mask their identity online and fool websites or streaming services into thinking that a request for data has originated from a different geographical region than where the user actually is.

VPN services have been developed by private organizations to combat the increasing amount of encroachment on user data by government organizations and cybercriminals, and to counteract the growing trend of region-based data access policies emanating from large, subscription-based media services (Netflix, YouTube) and SaaS providers.

Individual VPN platforms often span thousands of dedicated servers, across multiple cities and global regions, all of which require a significant amount of maintenance and development. Fast, reliable VPN services aren’t free, but they are relatively inexpensive for what they offer.

Common Features of a Paid VPN

All VPN services – free or paid – share the ability to mask a user’s IP address from their Internet Service Provider (ISP) and route traffic through a specific global region.

In addition to this, paid VPN services offer a variety of features that maintain privacy and enhance their basic offering:

Killswitches

A kill-switch works by disconnecting (or ‘killing’) your Internet connection if your VPN drops, ensuring that your IP address isn’t visible to the wider world, at point of disconnection.

Cross-platform functionality

While functionality differs between applications, paid VPN services are available on a wide range of desktop and mobile operating systems, including Windows, iOS and Linux.

Anonymous DNS

On a basic level, DNS – or Domain Name System – is a system for converting textual Internet addresses into numeric IP addresses that are recognizable across the Internet. VPN providers mask user browsing activity by offering DNS servers that convert data anonymously without identifying user activity.

Data independence

VPN platforms are independent entities who are governed by the data laws of the country they are registered in. Legislation differs from region to region, but some providers are under no legal obligation to hand over your information to the relevant authorities.

Benefits of a Paid VPN

Using a paid VPN service offers numerous benefits to Internet users who are looking to circumvent region-specific access rules and keep their information away from prying eyes and would-be criminals.

For a small monthly cost, you’re enhancing your browsing experience by increasing the amount of online services you have access to and giving yourself the best possible chance of stopping your data from falling into the wrong hands.

1. IP masking

There shouldn’t be a stigma attached to keeping your browsing habits secret online. The need for privacy does not indicate any malicious or criminal activity on the part of the user. If anything, it’s the mark of a responsible Internet user. Hackers intercept IP addresses and use them in a number of different ways – from establishing where someone lives, to gaining unauthorized access to a device or initiating a so-called DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack. A VPN service anonymizes the practice of browsing the Internet and prevents your personal information from being used against you.

2. Public WiFi protection

Public Wi-Fi hotspots are focal points for cybercriminals looking to exploit weaknesses in unsecured hardware such as routers or wireless access points. Hackers use a variety of methods to extract information from unsuspecting users including ‘evil twin’ attacks that attempt to fool the user into connecting to compromised routers, to ‘wireless sniffing’ techniques that mine the information of every device connected to the network. VPNs combat these methods by sending traffic back and forth on the Internet using private ‘tunnels’, that prevent unauthorized personnel from obtaining your information and keep your IP address private.

3. Protection from ISPs

ISPs aren’t generally interested in the browsing habits of every single customer, unless they’re compelled to investigate user activity by a law enforcement agency or they otherwise have reason to believe something untoward is going on. That being said, some users and influential tech business leaders consider it a moral imperative for browsing activity to remain anonymous, as a point of principle.

ISPs are able track the following information:

• Browsing history
• Search queries
• Purchases
• Email metadata
• Downloaded applications
• Location

While it’s true that most of this data is protected via HTTPS encryption, there is still a lot to be said for protecting your online activity by using a VPN that provides total anonymity.

4. Enhanced encryption

One of the primary features of a VPN should be to stop any attempt to intercept, read or block your Internet connection. It achieves this primarily through the use of encrypted data transfers. When you use them to connect to a website, VPNs use the following three main methods to encrypt your data and render it useless to unauthorized personnel.

5. Accessing region-specific services

If you’ve used Netflix, Amazon Prime or YouTube to stream content, you’re likely familiar with the scenario of not being able to access a movie or TV show based on the region you’re trying to access it from. VPNs fool streaming platforms into thinking that a user is from a different country than where they’re actually accessing services from, enabling subscribers to enjoy content from different global regions.

The One Drawback of All VPNs: Speed Issues

There’s no getting away from it – using a VPN can be noticeably slower than not using one. As data is transferred around multiple server ‘hops’ around the world, it slows down a user’s Internet connection to a speed less than it would be, were they to be utilizing a standard ISP Internet connection.

That said premium VPNs are so advanced that you often won’t notice speed reductions. There are multiple factors that dictate how fast your VPN connection is, from the physical distance between your computer and your chosen server to the level of encryption you’ve selected, the relative capacity of the VPN server and how many connections it reliably supports.

Drawbacks of a Free VPN

We’ll start with the one and only advantage of using a free VPN … they’re free.

That’s it.

In general, free VPNs should be avoided like the plague. Robust, secure VPN services cost money to provide and maintain. It’s impossible to know where a free VPN is compromising on security and performance, or how your data is being used.

Free VPNs rely on advertising to generate revenue. That means you’re going to be bombarded with annoying pop-ups left right and centre as you try to navigate your way around the application.

Most alarmingly, a recent study has shown that 72% of VPNs embed 3^rd party tracking software within their application, which is precisely the opposite of what a VPN should be doing!

We could go on and talk about data caps, bandwidth re-selling and their poor performance alongside streaming services, but the bottom line is that free VPNs aren’t doing what they claim to be doing.

Top Paid VPN Applications to Consider

1. NordVPN

NordVPN is the market-leader in consumer VPN services. The application consistently ranks first in speed and connectivity tests, and due to it being registered in Panama, is not subject to the same strict set of data governance laws as its major competitors. Prices are low and can fall further if you sign up for an annual plan.

2. ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN boasts an enormous number of VPN servers (3,000) across 160+ locations worldwide. When it comes to privacy and security, the company enjoys an impressive record and although it is marginally slower than NordVPN, the underlying functionality is more or less the same, making it a top choice for VPN users all over the world.

3. Surfshark

Surfshark models itself on being the easiest to use VPN service available on the market. The service is available across a staggering 32,000 global servers, servicing 65 regions. While it lacks the functionality of some of the industry’s big players, its simple, user-friendly interface has proved popular with consumers for years.

Learn More About VPNs

VPNs provide essential security, privacy, and accessibility benefits for online activity. By encrypting data and allowing safe access to global content, they enhance internet experiences while protecting personal information. Whether for privacy, streaming, or secure browsing, VPNs offer solutions to navigate the web confidently. Learning more about VPNs empowers you to make informed choices, ensuring you get the best balance of security and functionality for your online needs.

If you’ve shopped around recently for a VPN service, chances are you’ve come across the name NordVPN. Despite the proliferation of VPN platforms over the last five years or so, the Panama-based service provider has remained a popular choice for global VPN users, spanning 5,000 servers across multiple regions. Discover everything you need to know about NordVPN.

Specifications

• Encryption method: AES-256
• IP address format: Dedicated, static, or shared
• Number of server: 5,200
• Number of countries: 111
• Registered HQ: Panama
• Platforms: Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux and Android TV
• Simultaneous connections: 6

NordVPN – An Overview

NordVPN was first launched as a public service in 2012 and enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence within a relatively short period of time. Within just six years from its launch, the company had released a popular Android app, an iOS app, a Chrome extension and an application for Android TV. A year later, the platform was spread out over 5,000+ VPN servers in over 60 countries.

If there is such a thing as a “household name” in the VPN industry, NordVPN is it, which is perhaps the best indicator there is of its underlying ability as a big-name VPN service. The service is available across all major desktop and mobile operating systems (including Linux), and the Android app in particular has won praise from IoT cybersecurity organizations for its underlying functionality and levels of security.

User Experience

NordVPNs popularity has a lot to do with its usability across its various desktop and mobile applications. While things can sometimes get a little muddled in this regard – almost as if the platform becomes too smart for its own good – the service maintains a relatively simple front-end experience that presents clear choices for its users.

In line with most other applications, NordVPN gives users the chance to select a region from a list of global servers, presented in a standard list. Where the application falls somewhat short is the inability to pinpoint specific servers within a given region – a useful feature when you’ve found a server that performs well on your device. Users instead select a region, and the application decides which server to use, presumably based on load requirements and connection suitability. It’s not a game-changer, but certainly something to be considered, though it can’t be said that this alters connection speeds in any meaningful way, which is what really matters.

NordVPN also offers users the ability to scroll across a global map, to locate a connection region. While it’s a graphically neat addition, it’s hard to understand what this adds to the platform when most users just want to connect to a region as quickly as possible. When it was first introduced, NordVPNs maps were notoriously cluttered, but recent updates to the platform have grouped together multiple servers into one large ‘pin’.

Speed

This is where NordVPN really does come into its own. VPN speeds are notoriously difficult to categorize due to the number of factors that contribute towards a reliable connection, but nevertheless, NordVPN consistently performs extremely well throughout industry-wide download and upload connection tests. Most of this can be attributed to a piece of technology called ‘NordLynx’ – a relatively new VPN protocol, developed by the company themselves, specifically designed to improve connection speeds across multiple geographic regions based on the widely-available open-source VPN software, WireGuard.

Tests have consistently shown that NordLynx is fast becoming a game-changer for increasing connection speeds without compromising security. The protocol is easily installed from within the NordVPN application and – best of all – it’s totally free for NordVPN users.

Privacy and Security

If you spoke to the company themselves, NordVPN’s biggest selling points are undoubtedly its security and privacy features. All the standard security features are present, including a killswitch that terminates an Internet connection if your VPN drop, DNS blocking and industry-standard encryption methods.

The platform is registered in Panama, well outside of the ‘Fourteen Eyes’ region of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, United States, Denmark, Netherlands, France, Norway, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Sweden and Italy. This may seem like a random assortment, but there’s an important distinction to be made. Panama has no mandatory data retention laws, meaning that unlike certain other providers, NordVPN isn’t burdened by state legislation when it comes to protecting their users’ identities, and provides the platform with the ability to operate a “no logging” policy that remains a major benefit for security-conscious users.

Streaming Functionality

Perhaps the most attractive feature for global consumers, especially those in Europe and the United States, resides in the application’s ability to transport Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime and Disney+ subscribers from region to region, allowing users to stream content that is otherwise restricted in their country of origin. Netflix in particular – despite putting a significant amount of effort into blocking global VPN services – is seemingly unable to prevent NordVPN from fooling its streaming platform into thinking someone is viewing content from a region other than where they reside.

Plans

It’s hard to agree with the common industry sentiment that NordVPN is somehow expensive. Pro tip – it isn’t. The application offers three main products across several pricing plans that offer good value:

• NordVPN: The standard VPN service
• NordPass: An online password manager
• NordLocker: An encrypted storage service

When you first purchase NordVPN, you’re given the option of a 1-month, 1-year or 2-year plan (the latter reverting to a 1-year subscription when your renewal comes around).

Pros

• A huge array of servers across multiple global regions, that provide users with a breadth of connectivity options, second only to CyberGhost.
• Unparalleled privacy parameters, in line with its location outside of the ‘Fourteen Eye’ zone.
• Industry-leading streaming service functionality that consistently outperforms its competitors across several global streaming platforms.
• A user-friendly front end that spans multiple popular desktop and mobile operating systems and reliably delivers multiple fast concurrent connections.
• An extensive knowledge base and tutorial catalogue, that provides users with everything they need to know, in terms of initial setup and ongoing use.

Cons

• The map interface doesn’t add a great deal to the overall experience of using NordVPN, despite some recent developments. Most users are simply looking to select a region from a list
• NordVPN is yet to introduce a ‘Favorites’ option that allows users to save a list of preferred servers, instead relying on a ‘Recent servers’ menu.
• Browser extensions only provide the option to connect to countries, instead of cities, which are available from the desktop application.

Learn More About NordVPN

Taking everything into account, it’s hard to look past NordVPN for a fast, cost-effective, secure VPN service that meets the needs of its users and provides a simple, efficient set of applications to facilitate multiple connections. The company is clearly invested in driving innovation in the industry, evidenced by ground-breaking new protocols such as NordLynx, and considering the hands-off relationship it has with users’ information, is far and away the best platform when it comes to data privacy. Learn more about NordVPN to discover if it’s right for you.

Remote desktop software offers a powerful way to access and manage computers from virtually anywhere. This technology enables seamless work, troubleshooting, and collaboration without needing to be physically present. With a wide range of applications available, remote desktop solutions can fit the needs of businesses, IT professionals, and individuals seeking more flexible access to their devices.

What Is Remote Desktop Software (RDS)?

Over the past two decades businesses have developed multi-site, multi-region methods of working that deviate from the traditional model of employees all sitting at their desk in a single office, to hybrid setups involving dispersed networks with ultra-fast broadband connections servicing multiple connection types across wide geographical areas.

Remote desktop software is at the heart of the global technological revolution, by allowing people to connect to servers and workstations from offsite locations and do their job from anywhere in the world, via the Internet.

Common Uses

Internal support

Internal or outsourced IT departments rely on RDS to connect to users’ machines, diagnose problems, fix faults and install or maintain commercial software. Without RDS to rely on, technical support operations involve IT staff physically visiting a user’s workstation, wherever it may be.

Access to cloud-based resources

With the rise of virtualization platforms such as Azure Virtual Desktop comes the need for an increasing number of global users to access IT assets that exist in a remote datacentre, rather than a physical computer. RDS facilitates a connection to such platforms via the Internet.

Remote working

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, RDS has played a vital role in accommodating the global shift towards work from home arrangements for millions of people. In 2021, one in four Americans (39 million) are expected to work remotely. RDS allows users to do their job from their home or any other offsite location, while remaining productive.

Different Kinds of Remote Desktop Software

There are many different ways to access a workstation or server remotely via the Internet, involving multiple connection protocols and control methods. Each RDS application is different from the next. To help you make the decision on what works best for you, we’re going to list six major RDS providers, alongside a brief description of each service, how much it costs, and some pros and cons.

1. Microsoft Remote Desktop

Not to be confused with Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP), Microsoft’s Remote Desktop app is among the most widely used RDS applications in the world. Users download a Remote Desktop assistant to their PC, which then becomes accessible from within the app.

Administrators can configure Microsoft Remote Desktop to work with any number of local and/or global security policies and is fully compatible with commercial setups involving Azure Active Directory, as a web client.

Pricing: No fee

Pros:

• Available for mobile devices
• Seamless compatibility
• Supports Linux, iOS, and Android

Cons:

• Administration is sometimes unnecessarily complex
• Logs out local users while the application is being used
• Two separate applications to facilitate a single connection

2. Chrome Remote Desktop

Chrome Remote Desktop is Google’s cross-platform RDS tool that works as an extension to the hugely popular Google Chrome web browser. Aimed primarily at personal users and small organizations, the application supports a maximum of 100 registered devices. RDS services are delivered either via a pre-authorized concurrent connection or via one-off sessions controlled by a PIN.

Pricing: No fee

Pros:

• Cross-platform support (Windows, Mac, Android, iOS, and Linux)
• Incredibly easy to use on both ends of the connection
• Works on Chromebooks without the need for HDD installs

Cons:

• Lack of comprehensive administrative features
• No option to disable the end user’s screen
• As with Google Chrome itself, it has a tendency to be memory hungry

3. TeamViewer

Since its release in 2005, TeamViewer is the go-to RDS application for more than 200 million users across the globe. It’s simplistic, intuitive interface provides a clear and concise user experience.

Connections are made through an easy-to-use authentication method. Each TeamViewer application has an associated ID and a password. Users enter the ID of the ‘partner’ device they wish to connect, along with that device’s password, and take control of the remote device.

Pricing:

• While personal use is without charge, the business, multi-user, and corporate tiers involve monthly fees.

Pros:

• Fast setup
• Simple file transfer functionality
• Enterprise/SME options for multi-workstation estates
• Allows for multiple concurrent connections to the same device (Corporate plan)

Cons:

• Lack of proxy server functionality
• Difficulties sharing large amounts of data through average broadband connections
• Requires the same version of TeamViewer on each end of the connection

4. AnyDesk

AnyDesk is a relative newcomer to the RDS market. Founded in Germany in 2014, its low cost and simplistic approach to RDS saw it become a popular alternative to TeamViewer and LogMeIn, in what was already a crowded marketplace.

Alongside its standard remote access offering, AnyDesk’s main features include file transfer, remote printing, automatic network discovery, two-factor authentication, and unattended access.

Pricing:

• While AnyDesk has a no-fee tier for personal use, their basic, corporate, and enterprise tiers have fees attached.

Pros:

• Surprisingly cheap for the features it offers
• Compatible with Linux and Android devices
• Very easy to install

Cons:

• Experiences difficulties on Android devices
• File sharing is sometimes slow
• Lacks the option to override User Access Control (UAC on Windows devices)

5. ConnectWise

ConnectWise (formerly Screen Connect), is a self-hosted RDS application used in conjunction with the powerful business software platform, ConnectWise, that is targeted at IT support professionals.

ConnectWise bought Screen Connect in 2015 and set about improving the software. Control was initially used primarily by ConnectWise’s broader subscriber base, but the application has grown in stature as a standalone service since being incorporated into ConnectWise’s CRM functions.

Pricing:

• Depending on the number of connections you require, ConnectWise offers distinct pricing plans.

Pros:

• Provides valuable oversight of multi-site and multi-user environments
• Cross-compatibility with ConnectWise’s other offerings
• Ultra-reliable connections and fast connection speeds
• Frequent and functional updates

Cons:

• Lack of a recovery option for MFA authentication
• Some issues with displaying UAC controls
• Minimal branding options, when being used as a third party platform
• No support for Android, Apple, or Chromebook applications

6. LogMeIn Rescue

The Boston-based SaaS company’s Rescue RDS product is in a perpetual battle with TeamViewer for top spot among non-enterprise users.

LogMeIn has some work to do on the control experience but it’s nevertheless remained a popular RDS choice all over the world. Pricing plans are available here.

Pros:

• Multiple ways to invite users to a remote session
• Fast, reliable auto-reconnects when a connection is lost
• Smooth file transfer functionality
• Provides unattended access, for user’s who are not at their desk

Cons:

• The UX is notoriously crowded, both from an administrative and end-user perspective
• Rather pricy compared to similar RDS platforms
• Some reports of the app’s administrative mode not functioning as it should do
• Mobile support is an additional cost

Explore Your Options!

As with many other forms of commercial software, RDS applications operate with the same underlying functionality – facilitating a connection to a remote computer – but set themselves apart in the amount of features they contain, how much they cost, and how reliable they are.

When you’re considering what RDS software to use, you’ll be faced with a multitude of potential applications and pricing options. Before deciding, it’s important to take into account the following:

1. The size of your organization.
2. The number of workstations and servers that require remote support.
3. What your connection requirements are (frequency, file transfer functions, cross-platform support etc).
4. Your budget.
5. The RDS features your support staff need to carry out their job.

RDS makes IT easier to support, and more accessible for everyone involved. It can be invaluable to your company – you just need to choose which one is the right fit.

Application Programming Interfaces – more commonly known as APIs – are a method of connecting computers and/or computer programs together to provide a service to an end user. One of the most functional APIs is what’s known as ‘Audio to Text’, ‘Voice to Text’ or speech recognition APIs. Audio to Text APIs are characterized by their ability to improve their understanding of a user’s voice over time through the use of advanced AI algorithms and huge databases of 100+ languages. Let’s explore the best options!

How Do Voice to Text APIs Work?

It’s important to note that the users themselves don’t generally interact with the API directly. It’s a back-end function. Speech recognition applications are different from speech recognition APIs. Applications (Cortana, Alexa etc.) are what the end user sees and hears. APIs are the engine behind it.

Audio to text may seem like a straightforward process to the end user, but there’s quite a lot going on in the background to produce an instant, accurate version of what’s being said.

Let’s break it down step-by-step:

1. The user talks into a microphone, which sends the audio to the application.
2. The application breaks up audio into small snippets of data called ‘phonemes’ – distinctly different units of sound, unique to each language (the English language has 44 of them).
3. The software makes in informed decision of what the user is saying, based on how the phonemes are organized.
4. The API then consults a language database to make an informed decision on what the user was likely to have said.
5. The software transmits displays the written text within an application.

The Top 5 Voice to Text APIs

Speech recognition software is highly popular and universally easy to use. Given that the technology is at the forefront of modern neural networking and AI research, products and methodologies are in a constant state of development.

Now that you understand how the software works, let’s look at the best Voice-to-Text APIs available (in no particular order). Read on to help you decide on what API is best for your organization or application.

1. IBM Watson STT API

IBM Watson STT is a well-supported, highly customizable API that draws on IBM’s experience as a leading provider of enterprise IT services. Its selling point is the number of resources that are made available to you once you start using it, from software development kits to best practice documentation.

When it comes to pricing, IBM Watson STT offers up to 100 minutes per month without charge. After that, the fees begin.

Number of languages supported: 7

2. Rev.AI

An increasingly popular speech-to-text platform that’s modelled on 50,000+ hours of transcribed speech and driven by DevOps/Agile KPIs such as ‘time to market’ and scalable CI/CD.

When it comes to pricing, Rev.AI charges per minute in a pay-as-you-go tier and an enterprise tier.

Number of languages supported: 31

3. Google Speech API

Google’s very own speech API remains one of the most popular audio to text platforms in the world, and benefits from some of the best minds in the field of AI research to develop its voice recognition features. Find Google Speech’s pricing tiers here.

Number of languages supported: 120

4. Azure AI Services

Building on their status as a leading global provider of B2B/B2C tech services, Azure AI Services (formerly known as Microsoft Cognitive Services) offers enterprise-level speech recognition within its Azure framework. While there is a lack of specialized functionality, Microsoft have pledged to continue developing their machine learning division to broaden its operational scope in the coming years. Explore its pricing plans here.

Number of languages supported: 103

5. Speechmatics API

Speechmatics is a cloud-based API that relies on intuitive front-end functionality and ultra-fast transcription speeds for high volume workloads. It is an enterprise-level application, so you’ll need to contact them directly for demonstrations and pricing. Explore their volume-based pricing here.

Number of languages supported: 31

Voice over Internet Protocol (also known as IP telephony) is a method of delivering voice communication and/or group multimedia activities over a computer network – most notably the Internet. Companies of all sizes – from sole proprietorships to SMEs and large enterprise-level organizations – use VoIP to facilitate collaboration between remote workers, keeping different personal and internal teams connected in a flexible, cost-effective way. The VoIP marketplace is a crowded one, and the technology is in a state of constant change. Here’s everything you need to know about VoIP!

How Does VoIP Work?

Just like any other interaction on a computer network, VoIP works by the transfer of information from point A to point B. Analog voice calls are converted into ‘packets’ of data that travel across the Internet.

VoIP calls can either be delivered using a telephone handset that facilitates VoIP traffic by connecting to a computer network or made directly between two computers operating specialized VoIP software through the use of standard computer microphones and speakers – commonly known as ‘softphone’ technology.

Business also make use of technology known as ‘unified communications’ that incorporates voice calls, video conferencing, group conferencing and instant messaging.

Why Is VoIP Better?

VoIP holds numerous advantages over standard PSTN telephony services, including:

Scalability

VoIP services are module based – businesses can add or subtract telephony services or purchase additional lines on a per-user or per-site basis. Standard PSTN services require the installation of physical infrastructure to accommodate extra lines and features.

Remote extensions

PSTN networks usually require the purchase of dedicated lines per extension. VOIP services deploy this feature as standard and adding an extension to an existing service is usually just a cost consideration, rather than a hardware change.

Integrated communications

Softphone platforms are designed to incorporate multiple forms of communication such as conferencing, chat, and webinars.

Common Features

Call Routing and Forwarding

VoIP platforms allow you to categorize incoming calls and route them around your company based on variables such as customer type and staff availability, allowing you to work smarter with varying workloads and the real-time demands of your operation. Calls can also be forwarded to cell phones (or any other Internet-connected device) to ensure that your customers and staff are connected whatever the circumstances.

Call Analytics

In the modern workplace, data is king. Integrated VoIP platforms offer a myriad of ways in which to interpret call data and ensure your organization is working as effectively as it possibly can when it comes to resource allocation and staff performance metrics. Call data can be displayed in real time on dashboards to drive performance or saved to management reports to inform broader staffing and resource strategies.

Auto Attendants

Auto attendants act as a virtual switchboard, funnelling calls to the correct agents based on a set of pre-defined parameters, ensuring that your customer’s queries are being dealt with by the right people, in the shortest amount of time. Auto attendants are adjustable in real time and can be configured to accommodate hundreds of agents across multiple sites. Companies can either delegate the maintenance of auto attendants to their IT/telephony provider or do it themselves to exercise granular control over call routing throughout the organization

Call Recording

Usually offered as an add-on, call recording captures voice data in the form of standard telephone calls, and saves them in a secure online repository for training, compliance and legal purposes. Staff can be granted access on a per-user basis, and call lists can be searched via multiple variables, such as call date/time, receiving agent, telephone number or source organization.

Top VoIP Providers

1. RingCentral Office

Best for: Small businesses

RingCentral Office is widely regarded as the best all-around cloud-based VoIP provider for medium-sized companies in the US, Europe and Asia. The software is backed by a 99.99% uptime guarantee and benefits from a broad range of pricing plans to cater for businesses of all shapes and sizes. RingCentral Office contains all the major functionality of a modern VoIP system and features numerous integration tools. Pricing is available here.

2. Nextiva

Best for: Those wanting high value

Founded in Scottsdale, Arizona in 2016, Nextiva’s cloud-based services are used by 150,000+ businesses all over the world through their ‘NextOS’ platform – a unified communications tool accessible via a desktop or mobile application that works alongside major commercial cloud platforms such as Google Workspace, DropBox and ZenDesk. Pricing is available here.

3. GoToConnect

Best for: Those wanting extra features

GoToConnect sells itself on being a feature rich UCaaS (unified communications as a service) platform with 100+ calling and communication tools, and video conferencing services. GoToConnect’s cloud-based platform is accessible via a web browser and requires no additional software to take advantage of the platform’s numerous features. Pricing is available here.

4. Dialpad

Best for: Softphone functionality

Dialpad boasts numerous high-ranking former Google VoIP engineers and tech figureheads who have come together to build one of the most efficient, cost-effective softphone platforms available anywhere in the world. Dialpad’s VoIP product – Dialpad Talk – makes use of cutting-edge AI technology to gauge customer reactions during a call and automate the note-taking process to ensure maximum productivity. Pricing is available here.

5. Ooma Office

Best for: No additional hardware required

Founded in Silicon Valley in 2003, Ooma quickly became one of the fastest growing VOiP providers in the US. More recently, Ooma has made the transition to cloud-based VoIP services through its Ooma Office platform, and associated smartphone application. The platform is less versatile than most other VoIP providers, given its reliance on bespoke base stations to deliver a telephony service instead of a basic Internet connection. Its saving grace, however, is that Ooma’s mobile application doesn’t require any additional hardware to access its VoIP platform. Pricing is available here.

Choosing the Right Provider

Choosing the right VoIP provider for your business can seem like a daunting task. Providers offer the same underlying set of features and it can be difficult to differentiate prospective partners in what is a perpetually crowded marketplace.

Before you start to shop around, think about what it is that you need from a prospective VoIP platform, based on the following:

Budget

Work out how many people will need to use the platform within your organization, what numbers they need to call (local, national, international) and how far your budget can stretch within a per user, per month pricing model.

Features

Consider what features your staff need in order to carry out their roles to the best of their ability. Do they require call recording? What are their video conferencing requirements? What kind of collaboration tools do your internal teams need?

Hardware requirements

The first step will be to decide whether or not to opt for physical handsets, or to operate via a softphone platform that takes the form of a desktop/smartphone application. Study what the switching/routing requirements are of different platforms, and whether you’ve got the expertise to be able to configure VoIP equipment yourself or if that job needs to be outsourced.

A Whole New World of Integrated Telephony

VoIP services have fundamentally changed the way that businesses and their employees interact with one another and the outside world.

Hopefully, this guide has familiarized you with the core functionality of VoIP as a technology and helped you to identify what to look for when going to market for a VoIP provider.