I came across a very interesting VOIP Software system today through a sponsor.  It does several things, but you can think of it as

1. Small Business PBX System
2. or VOIP Answering System
3. or Skype Add in Answering System
4. or Much Much More

CallButler (http://www.callbutler.com) has three offerings, one is a stand alone VOIP Software and Telephone Answering System.  The other offers a Skype based telephone system that configures in a Free or a Pro Version.

They both integrate with Outlook so that you can receive your voice mail and listen to it through Outlook through a very useful interface.

But the system also let you add in options that are typically only available in very expensive PBX systems.  You can setup a call flow system and phone menu option.  You can even let the system customize the responses so that your customers get personalize messages on the menu when they call your system.

With the system, you can create extensions for all of your employees.  You can sign up for an 800 number and get a number of very useful features for a fixed and relatively low price.

They do offer a very complete Skype plug in as a free version, but the Skype Pro version provides even more services. 

If your company is not looking for a skype solution, the software comes in a stand alone configuration also that gives you the full power of a PBX system in a software package that can be configured and run in under 10 minutes!

Technorati tags: skype, voip, pbx, call management system, CallButler, Skype add in, voice mail in outlook, set up phone extensions softwar, Auto-Attendant, IVR, Skype, Small Business, Voicemail, Music on Hold, Answering System, Telephone System, Windows, Text To Speech

Page Popularity for Site: 29% [?]

I just had a great little blogging experience this evening.  I came across a terrific little blog called go2tap.com.  I would describe it as a general tech and review blog with lots of interesting articles.

The top article on Tap tonight was Bubble.us Simple Flow Chart Solutions.

I tried out Bubble.us you don’t need to establish an account to start using it, just hit start.

It was fantastic.  You can create a very dynamic flow chart or org chart with the tool.  The interface is superb for a website and even as good if not better than many software tools I’ve tried.

I am going to use the tool a bit more before I do a more in depth review, but wanted to mention it now and encourage you to try it out.  I will warn you it has a learning curve that requires about 20 seconds of study (that’s a joke its very easy to learn and very intuitive!)

here is the zoomed in version

I think one of the coolest things about the feel of the program is the scroll wheel zoom and mouse positioning of the flow chart and components.  All very very fast and very very easy.

here is the zoomed out version.

Technorati tags: tap2blog, bubble.us, flowcharting, mindmapping, brainstorming

Page Popularity for Site: 13% [?]

For those bloggers out there that are interested in writing sponsored articles, I would like to share this article with you as This post brought to you by HP.

HP is sponsoring a contest working with PayPerPost related to their previous give away of an HP Camera. Blogging participants can put together the puzzle pieces brought in the form of images (like the one below)

When they have figured out the puzzle and put them all together, if they complete it first, they could win a $1000 blog article post for reassembling the picture from a previous contest where Michelle, another blogger won a HP Photosmart M527 digital camera. There are 48 puzzle pieces all together this is only number 23 so there are lots more to find yet. You too could earn $1000 working to help get the word out about HP Digital Photo Printing solutions and tools.

All you need is a good blog!

(OK, there are a few minimum requirements but anyone can meet them with a little work if you don’t qualify already, you can get there in as little as three months.)

Page Popularity for Site: 9% [?]

This might end up being the year that Apple managed to prove that they are just as capable of the poor execution of a media strategy as the next company.  They have been scrambling to deal with a public relations night mare, while attempting to clean up a financial scandal that dates back over half a decade.  The board seems to have been focused on saving Steve Jobs recognizing that Jobs is a key to their success and stock price.

However, its possible that historical actuals do not predict Apple’s future.  Steve Jobs put his name, reputation and possibly his job on the line at MacWorld when he announced the iPhone.  People had been expecting it, predicting it, savoring it, drueling at the mouth for it, and generally swarming like a mob to push Apple into a product and industry that they know little about.  So Jobs did something very atypical.  He followed the que and was allowed to be led into the murky world of vanishing profit margins sometimes known as the cell phone industry.

The fact that he followed as opposed to leading might have been mistake number one.

In the article, Why Apple shouldn’t have announced the iPhone by Karen Haslam, she describes how Apple seems to have failed to make sure the iPhone was ready for market by completing agreements with Cisco and receiving a little known thing in the wireless industry known as FCC Approval.  Thus, Apple essentially telegraphed its punch at MacWorld by telling the world what they would get in 6 months as opposed to delivering a knock out blow and taking the world by storm, like they did in 1984 with the mac and repeated in 2001 with the iPod and later the Nano.

Now, I have previously covered the problems with the iPhone in detail so I won’t redredge that dead horse.  That said its possible that the combined gaffes of telegraphing the punch, pushing a product out before it was ready and following the herd as opposed to leading the herd might be the first signal of the confidence that the markets have in Steve Jobs ability to the run Apple.

Many look at him like he is a golden child, but the world became disenfranchised with him in the late 80’s and they could do it again now.  Its possible that as Jobs ages, he may be losing the juice too.  Maybe instead of grilling Apple over the iPhone and the stock scandal, investors and the board should be grilling the company and Jobs over the lack of a viable succession plan.

The second to last time that Apple put in replacement to head the company, it was a disaster.

Technorati tags: Apple after jobs, flat footed macworld

Page Popularity for Site: 10% [?]

Now that Microsoft is soon to end an era of OS building its time to think about new brand names for the Vista replacement. Maybe if Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates head to Aruba for the winter, they will be inspired?

For the rest of us mortals that do not have our own private jets and a few extra billion dollars laying around, we could also find similar inspiration.

Our sponsor vacations.net provided a press release that informs us of their great rates and offers on their aruba all inclusive resort packages.

Maybe you can head down to Aruba with every thing paid for in full and enjoy your self in the sun like Bill Gates without a money care in the world.

Page Popularity for Site: 24% [?]