Long range and durable, EnGenius’ DuraFon Pro multi-line expandable cordless phone system is just what is needed to add portable extensions to an Avaya IP Office or other PBX or VoIP phone system.  These are great rugged handsets that work perfectly for a manufacturing or warehousing floor, mechanic shops, or for a maintenance staff that is always on the go.

The DuraFon system is affordable and scalable for 4 to 32 lines and up to 90 handsets with eight expansion bases.  Outdoor expansion antennas can also be installed for campus or open land coverage.

Some product highlights include:
· 12 floors in-building penetration
· 250,000 sq. ft. of facility coverage
· 3,000 acres of property, open land coverage
· Speakerphone
· Wireless full duplex intercom between DuraFon PRO & DuraWalkie handsets
· Rugged & durable designed handsets for industrial environments
· Extended range options / Multi Location use
· 6 hours talk time, 50 hours stand-by time

Efficient Communication Solutions has installed DuraFon Pro with great success, both as stand-alone systems and in conjunction with IP Office.  Contact us today to find out more.

(Article by Charles Bressler – ECS Account Manager)

It is never “okay” to use an un-licensed contractor. If the contractor is not licensed, they will be unable to get insured and that will put you, your employees, and your property at risk. If un-licensed contractor is the lowest in cost, you should understand why. Any reputable contractor should be able to produce both a license and insurance.

Did you know that without a contractor’s license, a company cannot obtain/provide workers compensation. If they are uninsured and a worker should have an accident on your property You could be held responsible and could end up with significant medical expenses.

Another big benefit that you get when hiring a licensed contractor is that they will have a Bond and that provides an independent agency/board to complain to if things go south. Not contractor with a license is qualified, but you have to start somewhere when you hire work out.

Is it okay to use a doctor or dentist without a license? 

Is it okay to let people drive big trucks or even cars without a license?

Is it okay to let people fly planes without a license?

You should use a licensed contractor because, as a society, we have instituted rules to help us decide who is qualified to do a particular job. To not use a licensed contractor, would be to say that we should violate the very rules we/society put in place to give us some confidence that we won’t have the problems that occurred before we instituted the rules. 

In summary, using a licensed contractor gives you the greatest overall probability of success and reduces your liability. To use an unlicensed contractor reduces the overall probability of success and increases your liability.

According to the New Global Retail Theft Barometer, retail businesses lost over $112 billion dollars across the world last year.  And, according to the National Learning & Resource Center (www.shopliftingprevention.org), 13 billion of those dollars are stolen from US retailers every year, amounting to $35 million per day!

This loss comes from shoplifting (which is #1), followed by employee shrinkage, supplier fraud and other crimes.  Most stolen items are small, easy to steal and easy to re-sell.  Every type of store is a target and no one is immune. But, a store owner can take steps to deter and prevent with affordable and high tech IP surveillance cameras.

Usually just knowing a camera is there will deter a common thief, or unscrupulous employee.  And, for an owner or a manager, having the ability to review a situation any time of day from almost anywhere can be a great stress reliever.

Cameras and installation are more affordable than one might think.  Contact ECS to find out more.

(Article by Charles Bressler – ECS Account Manager)

Recently, ECS assisted a mid-size business moving from the east side to downtown Seattle.  ECS coordinated the moving of the Avaya Aura Communication Manager Servers and Gateways, as well as provided new phones, programming changes, etc.  The move of the technology went smooth and the set up at the new location happened quickly.

Unfortunately, a hitch did exist.  That hitch came in the form of their voice carrier service provider (dial-tone).  The provider had issues related to Demarc extension, available phone numbers, and installation access problems.  The worst problem they encountered was a timing issue, in that they did not have the circuits ready by the time the customer’s move in date.

The provider ended up failing to provision the circuits by the move date, and then ran out of DID numbers to offer them.  The customer was forced to move into their new space without any voice service (dial-tone).  ECS and the customer worked together to come up with a “work-around” and they managed to get reasonable temporary phone service in their new space.  This is not a typical occurrence, but it can and does happen.

Don’t fall victim to this same situation.  Here are some steps to help:

1. Use ECS as an agent to your carrier service provider.  Let ECS manage the move for you and work with the carrier service provider to ensure the move goes as smooth as possible. ECS works with Comcast, Integra, Century Link, Intermedia and others.
2. Identify your target move date as soon as possible and notify your provider or ECS as your agent early.  Installation can take weeks to complete, especially if you are porting numbers from one area to another or from one provider to another.
3. Have ECS complete an assessment of your current set up.
4. The provider will generally only bring your circuits into the building, not to your suite or telecom room.  Have ECS complete a site survey of your new building/suite to find out where the Demarc is and what it will take to extend it if necessary.
5. Create a project timeline with ECS so everyone involved is on the same page.
6. Question everything!  Really!  Don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions.  We are here to help.

   (Article by Charles Bressler – ECS Account Manager)

Most companies spend quite a bit of money for their office communication systems.  Make sure every component is installed in a way that you get your money’s worth. Cabling should be done by someone who knows the correct methods of installation.

Sure, anyone can string a cable from point A to point B, but a lot more goes into a correct installation than that.  Things like bend radius, pull strength, cable length and kinking can all have detrimental effects on a cable performance.  Improper termination practices can be blamed for loss of performance, data errors and wasted time in the long run.  Performance testing should be required to prove the installation meets performance standards.

Knowing a good pathway and how to correctly support a group of cables, how far to keep them from electrical power are not only good practice, but required by law.  Having a cabling solution that will perform at a high standard for a very long time should be the goal of any installation.

Moreover, knowing the best solution to fit your needs and your budget should be at the forefront of any installation, whether Category 5e, Category 6, or 6A is in your best interest, or having fiber optic cable installed is required.

At ECS, you can be sure that your cabling is installed by a trained and experienced technician, not a couple of Bobs with a truck and a box of cable.  We work hard to find the best solution and the best price.  Get your money’s worth and have the professionals at ECS install your next cable project.

(Article by Charles Bressler – ECS Account Manager)

An uninterruptible power supply, also called an uninterruptible power source, or UPS, is an electrical device that provides emergency fail-over power when the regular input power source, typically 110VAC, fails. The on-battery runtime of most uninterruptible power sources is relatively short (only a few minutes) but sufficient to start a standby power source or properly shut down the protected equipment.

A UPS is typically used to protect hardware such as PC’s, servers, firewalls, routers, ethernet switches, telephone systems, or other electrical equipment where an unexpected power disruption could cause serious business disruption or data loss. UPS units range in size from units designed to protect a single computer without a video monitor (around 200 VA rating) to large units powering entire data centers or buildings.

A UPS:
• Should be placed between the electrical power receptacle and your electronic piece of equipment.
• Isolates your equipment from a power outage.
• Switches to battery backup when the unit senses a power outage or change in voltage.
• Gives you time to save information and shut down your equipment.

Recommendations:
• Use a UPS with any piece of electronic equipment that could be adversely affected by power problems. (these include PCs, networking appliances, phone systems, etc.)
• If a piece of computer equipment is critical, choose an on-line UPS.
• For less critical equipment, choose a standby or line-interactive UPS.

Line-interactive:
• Features an internal circuit that attempts to maintain normal voltage levels.
• Regulates the voltage without resorting to battery power.
• Helps the batteries last longer.
• Assures batteries are only used during a power outage.

On-line:
• Powers the computer or other equipment from an internal power supply 100% of the time.
• AC power from the incoming line is converted to DC, converted back to AC and then fed to the electronic equipment.
• Incoming power is continually filtered and recreated.
• Provides the highest level of protection.

Overvoltage Surge Protection Products
Tii/Porta Systems has been delivering unparalleled surge and lightning protection for over 40 years. Their protection products have always been engineered to meet the most demanding requirements for ensuring safety and reliability.

Tii/Porta Systems overvoltage surge protection product lines protect equipment, people, and property while increasing equipment reliability and reducing maintenance cost.

Building Entrance Terminals
At the point of demarcation, Building Entrance Terminals, or BETs, safeguard communication equipment from damaging electrical surges that may get onto those incoming lines.

Protector Modules
Tii-Porta Systems gas tube modules are dependable plug-in devices that guard sensitive communication and Data networks from dangerous voltage surges.

Gas Tubes
The heart of Tii/Porta Systems overvoltage surge protection technology is their proprietary two or three electrode gas tube. This heavy-duty product delivers more current handling capacity and lasts longer than almost any other two or three electrode tube.

Station Protectors
Tii’s station protectors are configured to meet your individual requirements. Their sealed Insulation Displacement Connector (IDC) “tool-less” connections reduce costly installation time and increase service reliability

Protector Panels
The Tii-Porta rack-mount protector panels are a powerful solution for your connection or protection application. They are available loaded with your choice of xDSL, Gas Tube, Solid State, or Hybrid protector modules.

Category5 and 6 Protection
Tii-Porta Cat5e and Cat6 protector packs are ideal for termination and protection of digital and analog phone systems and for protection of data network equipment.

Protector Packs
The Tii-Porta protector blocks are ideal for voice installations, PBX’s, key systems, or any communication or data networks system connected to outside plant cable.

Secondary Protection
The Tii-Porta secondary protection blocks are ideal for voice installations, PBX’s, key systems, or any communication system connected to outside plant cable.

Surge Arresters
Tii’s patented Angle Driver technology is specifically designed to protect tomorrow’s high-speed digital networks, such as Voice Over Digital Subscriber Line (VoDSL) technology, against damage caused by electrical surges.

www.tiitech.com

Allen Tel Products
Over 50 years of experience in manufacturing custom design products for the communications industry.

Allen Tel Engineering
Allen Tel  has been providing a variety of innovative designed products to the communication industry for over 50 years, in which many of these items have become industry standards. Their highly trained customer service department is available to assist ECS in answering your questions and needs.

AllenTel Company Information
Allen Tel Products is a leading supplier of complete standards compliant structured connectivity products to worldwide markets. Established in 1952, Allen Tel is a manufacturer specializing in custom communications products that are not available from other suppliers.

Allen Tel built their reputation among installers, consultants, engineers and end users by delivering innovative, high quality products. They are committed to maintaining a leadership position in the connectivity networking market. They achieve this by continually expanding their product offerings to provide complete leading edge high performance connectivity solutions. Ask ECS about their comprehensive line of connectivity products for voice and data solutions for a magnitude of networking applications.

Allen Tel also manufactures telephones for specialized applications.
These telephone sets include Courtesy Telephones, Vandal Resistant Telephones, Panel Telephones, Speaker Phones, Outdoor Telephones, Elevator and Emergency Phones. Many of their Outdoor and Elevator/Emergency Phones meet or exceed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requirements.

All Allen Tel products are designed to provide quality and installation ease, resulting in cost effective, reliable solutions in any networking environment.

Ask ECS about the versatile Allen Tel “Versatap Modular Network System” product line. This line allows full flexibility when formulating your LANS, Cabling Systems, Data Processing Networks or Telecommunications Panels. Versatap System components have a 25-year warranty. This warranty covers normal operations and functions of these products as required by EIA/TIA TSB40-A.

Allen Tel & ECS are well positioned for all of your telecommunication requirements.

www.allentel.com

About ECS
ECS, headquartered in Auburn, WA, is a team of experts ready to help businesses with the important and often complicated decision of finding the best communication solutions for their company, from voice to data. Servicing Washington & Oregon, ECS specializes in voice, data, video, & wireless.

Leviton and ECS provide a comprehensive range of low voltage cabling products and solutions to meet the needs of today’s commercial and industrial buildings.

Leveraging more than a century of experience, Leviton products help customers create sustainable, intelligent environments through its network and data center connectivity solutions. From switches and receptacles, to networking systems, Leviton solutions help customers achieve savings in energy, time and cost, all while enhancing safety.

Network Solutions
Leviton delivers network infrastructure solutions for today’s high-speed systems supporting Data Centers, Education and Healthcare facilities, Government, Mixed-Use Towers and Private Networks. Leviton designs, develops and produces telecommunications devices, including copper, fiber and power solutions for enterprise, data center and service provider networks. These performance-boosting products are used by a wide range of companies, institutions and government complexes around the globe.

Leviton and ECS are the Smart Choice for a better network!

ECS supports commercial and industrial networks with Leviton Network Solutions providing an unparalleled selection of high-performance network infrastructure products and systems. Our proven end-to-end performance keeps people connected.

We offer industry-leading performance with unbeatable service and support throughout the life of your structured cabling system. Add in the reassurance that comes from working with a stable, reliable supplier and you get far and away the highest return on investment in the industry.

www.leviton.com

For over 55 years, customers have turned to Panduit for networking products that enable them to design, deploy and maintain a robust physical infrastructure that is flexible for the business requirements of today and tomorrow.

ECS & Panduit not only understand customer challenges, we also have a profound knowledge of emerging applications and the latest technologies. 

In 1955 Panduit launched their first product, Panduct Wiring Duct, a new invention that uniquely organized control panel wiring and allowed new wires to be added quickly and neatly. Since that time Panduit has introduced thousands of problem solving new products and remained committed to providing innovative electrical and network infrastructure solutions.

Today, customers look to ECS as their Panduit trusted advisor to work with them to address even their most critical business challenges within their Data Center, Enterprise, and Industrial environments. Our proven reputation for quality and technology leadership coupled with Panduit products enables us to deliver comprehensive solutions to help our customers achieve their operational and financial goals.

ECS &Panduit can help you build a unified foundation.

Your physical infrastructure plays a key role in the integration and optimization of the critical systems that make your business operate. ECS & Panduit can help you run your business better, by utilizing a Unified Physical Infrastructure (UPI) approach to minimize risk, increase flexibility and achieve maximum performance.

www.panduit.com