Data Services Archives - Online Technology Associates

Account Security, Artificial Intelligence, Data Services

Are you using AI yet?

Photo of a Man & a A.I. Robot sitting side by side with title saying "Using AI Yet?"

If you say no, you are probably wrong.

If you have ever talked to a machine on the phone, you have definitely used Artificial Intelligence. If you have ever pressed one for assistance or entered your credit card number, date of birth, or address, you have used AI! If you have ever talked to your car, you have.

Even calling a number that is answered by a person gives away your phone number which can be matched to the other data they already have or will collect. AI is all around and is already a part of our daily lives.

Why is this important to know? The answer is complicated, but anything you tell a computer, robot, or other device, could be used in many ways, some being useful to you, like asking your car for directions, and some could be used to market goods and services to you, or worse, steal your identity! Most people have smart devices all around them, phones, smart TVs, any internet-enabled devices can spy on you.

Just keep in mind, that machines remember and store that data for good, or not-so-good purposes. So, what can you do to avoid being stalked by machines? Well, very little. But, you can constantly monitor your online accounts and social media for clues that you are being stalked or spied on. If you see something that doesn’t look right, odds are that it isn’t and needs to be shut down or at least have the credentials changed.

A good way to avoid hackers is to use two or three-factor identification where available. This is when you log into an online account and that account sends a code to your phone or email (or both) that needs to be entered into the online account to gain access. You should also be changing your passwords regularly and not using the same one for multiple accounts. There are also services that monitor your presence online for wrongdoers, which can be very useful.

Worried about the influx of AI in our everyday lives? Reach out today for a free consultation on how you can protect yourself going forward into this brave new world of AI.

Email : LCole@OTA1.com
Call: (770) 446-7199

Our Hours:
M-F: 8AM-5PM
Account Holder Emergency Support: 24/7/365

November 6, 2023/0 Comments/by Angela

Account Management, Business, Connectivity, Data Services, Financial, Phones, Secure Connections

Do You Understand Your Phone Bill?

Frustrated Woman Business Owner Not Understanding Her Phone/Internet Bill.

Most business owners do not understand what they are paying their phone and internet provider for…!

The main reason is the carriers do not want you to understand or know! We see many commercial phone and internet bills that have many pages filled with acronyms and codes but do not explain what they are for. So, what is the solution? You could call the carrier each month and ask for an explanation of every charge, or you can engage a professional to audit your bills and challenge what is not supposed to be on them. You might wonder if you would be spending more on the audit than it would save, but there are companies that will do it for free if you are a client.

Companies like OTA do telecom audits for all the products we sell and for every customer, we know the difference between a valid charge, a mandatory charge, and a made-up fee with no basis. We call this Telecom Expense Management and we have been scouring over our client’s services for a long time and have saved countless thousands for our clients! Using an independent booker for your business services has many advantages, and saving your business money is just one of the services we offer!

Reach out to Online Technology Associates today with your phone bill to see if you are overpaying for services: email us at LCole@OTA1.com, or give us a call at (770) 446-7199…we look forward to helping you out ASAP!

September 27, 2023/0 Comments/by Angela

Account Management, Artificial Intelligence, Business, Cloud, Connectivity, Data Services, Dedicated Circuits, Fiber, Financial, New Technology, Phones, Satellite Service, Secure Connections, SMS

How OTA Can Help Your Business…

In 2023, companies using cloud telecommunications will rise above 50%.

Companies like yours are moving their phone systems to the cloud every day. According to Gartner Group, 46.8% of all companies are already using a cloud provider for their phone system.

We have evaluated countless cloud providers and know that HostMyCalls is the best. HostMyCalls has over 75 years of experience providing traditional key and PBX systems and installed their first cloud phone system in 2001. This gives them more than 22 years of experience delivering hosted service – more than almost all big-name providers in the industry today. As a hosted provider focused on reliability, redundancy, and customer service, a call center will not answer your calls. Instead, their support staff will provide hands-on, personal help to your individual issues.

HostMyCalls can replace your monthly telephone bills, telephone system, and equipment maintenance costs. Their service typically provides:

No capital expense
Low or no upfront cost
Unlimited long distance (CONUS)
No ongoing maintenance agreements
Savings over your existing charges

You can learn how Online Technology Associates can solve your complex problems by watching this brief 1-minute video below:

Reach out to OTA today for a free Contract Review, and information on how to connect with clients economically:

Contact
LCole@OTA1.com
(770) 446-7199

Hours:
M-F: 8AM-5PM
Account Holder Emergency Support: 24/7/365

August 25, 2023/0 Comments/by Angela

Account Management, Business, Connectivity, Data Services, Financial

Telecom Is Complicated – Don’t Go It Alone!

There has been an explosion of new telecom options of products and services in the past few years and choosing what is right for your business, can be confusing if you aren’t well informed.

Often carriers choose to confuse consumers by misrepresenting what their products actually cost and do. One of the most prevalent misrepresentations is the “promotional offer” where carriers offer artificially low pricing that require you to purchase bundles with confusing product names and features. We see a lot of what we call, “Telecom Math” where the more features and products you order, the cheaper the price. In one carrier’s offerings, the internet alone costs more than the same internet with “mobility phone lines”, They are very vague as to what precisely a mobility line is since it is not cellular and not mobile, but ordering this vague service will cost less than internet service alone. What they don’t tell you is that these unneeded lines are free for a promotional period and then are billed at full price with no notice or option to drop them, or you lose the bundle price which makes everything much more expensive. They also do the same trick with TV service which is often not wanted, needed, or ever installed.

Next is the “no contract” gimmick. You order a service on a month-to-month basis, and at some point during that service, month-to-month magically converts to a term contract with early termination fees! In fact, there are many factors that will restart the non-contract contract by making any number of requests.

The solution for you, as a business customer is to work with a professional broker, who represents you, the consumer, instead of a company rep who works for the carrier, not for you. The best part is that using a broker does not cost any extra. All carrier services include a sales commission which is either paid to their internal sales department or to a broker who represents you.

The message here is a warning to not go into this alone…We speak fluent telecom and know what you do and do not need for your particular business…Reach out to Online Technology Associates today for your free consultation!

June 20, 2023/0 Comments/by Angela

Artificial Intelligence, Connectivity, Data Services, New Technology, Wireless

AI + Telecom?

Nothing New Here: Artificial Intelligence Has Been In Telecom for Years!

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the latest trend in many areas, but telecom has used the concept for years. SDWAN (Software Defined Networks) have been around for years, but are they really AI? Well…technically, YES!

It all started with the quest for more reliability in business and residential internet circuits. The fact is that there are NO internet circuits that are 100% reliable, even though there is high demand for the highest reliability available…The solution is to stack two or more circuits, then intelligently send and receive data on a combination or selection of the available services.

SDWAN uses a device onsite that is connected to multiple circuits, usually diverse types, such as cable, copper, fiber, satellite, ETC. The onsite device combines the circuits and points the incoming and outgoing data to a SDWAN provider, which receives the traffic from a customer and resends it according to preset priorities and programming.

The result is that missing packets and down circuits are rectified by simultaneous transmission of the data so the SDWAN provider can sort it out, replace missing packets and resend it over clean fiber connections. The customer also gets to take advantage of the combined capacity through load balancing to for a larger, faster, and more reliable circuit than any of the circuits in the mix.

Customers can also choose to send critical data over the most secure and clean circuit in use – and relegate less critical traffic, such as casual surfing, social media, etc., to a cable or other less secure broadband circuit to keep the secure capacity available for more important data.

SDWAN is not just an appliance, it is a service that can ensure the most secure, clean, and reliable connections available. There are also other AI services in telecom, such as “Smart Networks” – but we will discuss that at a later time.

Got Questions? Yep, AI is a lot to ponder…Just reach out to Online Technology Associates to make sense of it all…we’re here to untangle the info and help you get the best connection for your business!

June 1, 2023/0 Comments/by Angela

Business, Data Services

Hybrid Workforce: The Challenges + How to Address Them

Many companies are now using both remote and office-based workers, known as the Hybrid Workforce, and are experiencing new challenges – Aside from lack of supervision and keeping employees on task, it is very common for technical issues to arise. Here are the most common issues and some suggestions for addressing them:

Poor Residential Internet – This is the big one since most residential Internet is not up to the task of handling business applications… Unfortunately, in most areas, there are few if any good choices. However, the common broadband cable or fiber services can be supplemented by using cellular (4G/5G) devices to connect business users only. This can be done through a number of companies that have cellular routers with ethernet ports.

In many cases, the internet is actually acceptable, but the WiFi supplied by your cable company is not. Since most homes have cables with low-voltage outlets, users use WiFi… And this is the first place to make improvements: make sure you have multiple WiFi networks, one for home business purposes, and another for everything – and everyone else!

Most cable and broadband providers equip their routers with one or more WiFi networks – BUT those networks are usually pretty weak. We advise you to turn that WiFi off, connect a separate WiFi router to the modem and place it in a place that is as close as you can get to the business users. If you have a multi-story or very large home, you may need multiple wireless access points (WAPs) to provide a good signal where you need it. If you are using VoIP phones, there are several that can connect over WiFi, so you do not need to place them near the modem or run cable.

YOU NEED SECURITY…who doesn’t – am I right? You would definitely benefit from a VPN router and firewall. There are online services, but it is much better to use a physical device on site to protect valuable information! This also can improve the integrity of the signal for data transmitted over the VPN. It is always a very good idea to connect the VPN to your office system and not just send the important data over the broadband circuit directly to the internet as this allows you to utilize your office firewall as an additional safeguard.

April 14, 2023/0 Comments/by Angela

Business, Connectivity, Data Services, New Technology, Wireless

Is 5G As Good As Promised?

5G signals are delivered on various platforms with VERY different results – Basically, 5G can be divided into three very different types:

Think of 5G as three different flashlights; the first flashlight has a broad beam but has limited strength and intensity (like a lantern). The second flashlight covers a smaller area (like a traditional flashlight) but is brighter and the third is more like a laser – very, very bright, but has a tiny coverage area…

The most popular 5G is a lower frequency (600-900MHz range) which is similar to 4G cell service. It covers an area similar to 4G, with very broad coverage, but has limited strength and bandwidth. This is what is being offered by cell carriers now.

Then there is mid-range 5G which covers a smaller area, but with more bandwidth and is stronger. It uses frequencies in the 30-250 MBPS, giving download speed higher than 4G cellular, but has coverage issues that make it impractical for the current cellular antenna network. This is well suited for fixed applications as opposed to mobile devices since it has a narrow coverage area.

Those big promises you hear about 5G are based on high band, or millimeter wave, using frequencies in the 24-54GHz range. This is more like a laser beam – very strong, has very high bandwidth, and covers a very small area. This high-frequency 5G is suited for very limited areas, often within a building that needs a local network (LAN) with a very high capacity in a small, well-defined space.

However, technology marches on! While 5G is being refined, 6G is on the way with frequencies in the sub-THz range – which is very, very high and very narrow (at least for now). The likely outcome is a network with multiple layers of frequencies for different purposes and types of users.

Want to know more about how this affects you and your options for connectivity? Reach out today for a chat: Online Technology Associates (770) 446-7199.

April 10, 2023/0 Comments/by Angela

Account Management, Connectivity, Data Services, Financial, New Technology, News, Wireless