Generally speaking, a Hosted PBX refers to a voice solution where the call control equipment resides in a service providers location, which business customers connect to via voice-over-internet-protocol (VoIP).

More plainly, a business customer can choose to pay a service provider to provide all of the necessary equipment to run a telephone system. End users connect to the service via the internet (usually). VoIP phones can be used from the office, at home, or any where there is a reliable internet connection. The end-user does not have to pay a large one-time price for all of the processing equipment, but must pay a never ending monthly charge and generally must purchase all of the phones.

Here are some pros and cons of a Hosted PBX:

One big thing to consider when going with a hosted solution is the company behind the product. You need to be sure that they will be around for the long haul and have the finances to succeed. There have been several cases where service providers have gone out of business, seemingly overnight, leaving there customers stranded. In 2007 SunRocket suddenly closed shop leaving 200,000 customers scrambling to find service.

VoIP has many forms and is here to stay. It can be made to work right and to save your company a lot of money. If you think a hosted solution may be right for your business, contact me and let me help!

Larry Nazworth

As with any business, a medical office can make more profit AND keep patients happy by running more efficiently. At North Florida Communications we have a simple product that can help your clinic run more smoothly. The Clinic-Call system by Tech Works is an easy to use color-coded light system for staff-to-staff communication.

Each Exam Room has a 4-button keypad installed on the outside of the door. Each physician and staff member is assigned a color on the keypad. When a patient is placed in a room, the staff member presses the corresponding button, which lights a corridor light located above the Exam Room door. This light then indicates who needs to see this patient next.

For example, lets say a patient is placed in Exam Room 1 for Dr. Jones, who has been assigned the yellow light. The light begins to flash on the keypad, corridor light, and on a master room status indicator located in his office. Now, lets also assume that patients have been placed in Exam 2 and Exam 3. These lights have a “steady” yellow light on their indicators.

Dr. Jones sees the slowly flashing yellow light and knows that he needs to visit that patient first. Right before he enters the room, Dr. Jones pushes the yellow button again. This changes the slowly flashing yellow light to a fast flash, which allows staff members to know exactly which room the doctor is in.

After an examination, Dr. Jones determines that the patient needs an x-ray, so he presses the blue button, which has been assigned to the X-Ray Tech. The blue light starts to flash, alerting X-Ray. Then Dr. Jones presses the yellow button because he is done with the patient, until the x-ray is completed. This extinguishes the yellow light on Exam 1.

Now Dr. Jones can look down the hallway, or at a master status indicator to see with room he needs to go to next. The Clinic-Call system automatically starts to slowly flash the room indicator for the patient who has been waiting the longest. The cycle continues throughout the day making sure patients are cared for in a timely and orderly manner.

Should a practitioner need staff assistance, he/she can simply press the “red” button, or a help button installed inside the Exam Room. An alert will sound and the room will be indicated by a flashing red light. Help buttons and/or pull cords can be installed in other locations, such as lavatories, for emergency needs.

The simplicity of the Clinic-Call system is one of it’s greatest strengths. The easy to learn system of color coded lights provides the staff with complete information at a glance. Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. We have a demo kit that can be brought to your office to show you how easy the system is to operate and how valuable it could be to your clinic.

Larry Nazworth