Carroll County Times Articles
Moving Your Business Office Need Not Be a Nightmare
by Mike Shelah – April 10, 2008
This is the time of year when most business owners begin to consider moving to a new location, opening another location or expanding their existing one. This transition time can be very frustrating for any business owner, no matter how savvy they may be. Over the last eight years I have helped many businesses manage their way through this very overwhelming time. Here are some important items to consider:
- If you are moving, how expensive is it to keep your telephone numbers? Don't let the phone company tell you otherwise, you can always keep your telephone numbers. You pay a small fee each month called "local number portability" which means you have ownership of that number until you decide otherwise.
- Can your current phone system be expanded to support more phone sets and/or new technology? Just because it is older does not automatically mean it can't be used. There are many telephone options on the market now, just because yours is older does not mean it can't be used. Does having a single network hold appeal to you? Maybe you are a good candidate for convergence. The Tech Council recently did a public seminar on this matter and handouts from the event are available.
- What high speed internet do I want for my new office? We need to check what is available for that specific space and budget accordingly. Do not simply ask your potential new neighbors what they use and assume it will be available to you as well. There are several reasons why your neighbor can get a specific type of service and it may not be available to you.
- If you open a second or third location how will you connect them? There are many ways the multiple location customer can interconnect their offices. You can connect by internet or by direct connection from the local phone company and there are subtle variations between these.
- If you currently use any type of telephone or internet circuit (T-1 or PRI for example). It will take up to sixty days for that move order to be completed, even if you are not changing providers! If anyone promises you sooner they are simply trying to win your business, no one can guarantee an install time. Not even Verizon.
- Does my new office space need new cabling or can I reuse what is there? Most of the time you will want some cabling done when you move in. It is important to walk the new site with a qualified cabling representative to verify if the current cabling is up to code and current industry standards.
- Will my computer network provide the necessary connectivity to run voice between locations? It is not a guarantee; most networks lack QOS or "Quality of Service." This is a protocol that makes the data packets carrying your phone service a priority. Sometimes you can add this to your current network, sometimes you need to start from scratch.
Even though this is just seven key points, asking these questions can be the difference between a smooth transition and an absolute nightmare.
About the Author
Mike Shelah is an Account Executive with Matrix Technologies and is member of the Carroll Technology Council, a non-profit organization dedicated to educating businesses, government and residents about technology issues. Questions are welcomed and may be addressed in future articles. Send questions for Mike to mikeshelah@yahoo.com.
