Our Management Insights interview with the chief operating officer of NewSat, Michael Hewins, is an inspiration to all those who believe small companies can succeed in the current environment if they have the right technology.

Incredible as it may seem, the low-cap Australian-listed NewSat provides the satellite communications for the US land forces in Afghanistan.

The Australian army believes that it is better to use satellites linked to China for its Afghanistan military satellite communications.

NewSat operates satellite teleports out of Adelaide and Perth and its services have been so successful in coordinating the US Afghanistan land forces that the US military wants NewSat to go the next step and extend its satellite operation from simply operating satellite communication to owning a satellite or satellites.

Remember this is a company whose shares are at 0.7 cents and has a tiny capitalisation, although it is profitable. But with the right technology, and the US military behind you, anything is possible.

And that’s why American satellite expert Michael Hewins has come to Australia to join NewSat chief executive Adrian Ballintine – to give NewSat the management clout to take the next step.

Satellite spots are not easy to obtain and NewSat has bought seven of them.

Hewins explains how a tiny company can fund a $US300 million to $US400 million satellite from Australia.

First, you need to sign up groups who will use the satellite so you have a guaranteed source of cash flow. NewSat has contracts with major satellite users who have so far agreed to spend $US239 million on NewSat’s proposed Jabiru-1, Ka-band, next generation satellite.

NewSat says Jabiru-1 will provide superior coverage over South East Asia, the Middle East and North Africa plus Australia. It will be Australia’s first independently-owned commercial satellite. NewSat still needs more contracts but the demand is building so a second satellite is now in the pipeline.

When NewSat has sufficient contracts they will go to both the French and American satellite launching groups and select one. The French and American export banks will provide 80 per cent of the funding and, given the secure nature of a satellite’s cash flows, global institutions will provide the equity.

So a tiny company can erect a $US300 million to $400 million satellite if it has mustered sufficient customer commitments. The American military favours Australia because we are uniquely placed to operate satellites and they think it is better to have Australians running their military communications than groups linked to the Chinese.

The Australian military thinks China is better than Australia and no doubt saved a few bob on the way through. The problem for Australians is that no one can believe that a tiny local company can actually fund a satellite. By contrast, overseas groups can see that anyone providing satellite services to US land forces in Afghanistan has to be good.

NewSat is one of the few original dot.com companies that were launched in the 1990s that has survived. In its previous incarnations it had operational links with Steve Vizard and Eddie McGuire, which is a long way from satellites.

The fastest growing satellite demand in Australia will be for minerals ventures and the NBN. No one is sure how the NBN will fund its satellite. They may buy a satellite spot, use the Chinese, or follow the US military to Australia. Source

VoIP phones

VoIP phones with several advanced features are manufactured by many leading manufactures. Although these equipments come with a number of next generation features they are efficient, comfortable and easy to use.

With the increasing popularity of VoIP phone systems, organizations of all sizes are getting them installed in the offices because of the cheap communication options which they provide. The different equipments come with different features. An organization can choose an equipment for themselves as per their business requirements.

Most of the VoIP conferencing phone systems come with a wide variety of features like call waiting, call forward, call transfer, call mute, speaker, caller ID etc, in order to facilitate a smooth conferencing. Some of the latest models of VoIP phones also support Wi-Fi technology and Microsoft Windows. These phones have a good sound quality and increased standby time, as well as, talk time.

Polycom VoIP Phones are fully interoperable with leading IP PBX and Softswitch platforms, you can have a variety of end-to-end, fully integrated VoIP solutions to choose from. Check out Polycom’s VoIP Technology Partners. VoIP solutions that feature Polycom VoIP phones provide a high-quality, rich communications experience, deliver productivity-enhancing new applications, and offer significant cost savings through consolidation of network costs for voice and data, and elimination of costs of phone moves, additions, and changes.

Avaya’€™s range of digital and IP telephones deliver advanced productivity-boosting features, including a large display and up to a 100-entry call log. These cost-effective phones are the choice for any business or contact center using IP Office and bring Avaya state-of-the-art technology directly to your desktop. These telephones deliver efficient service, superior voice quality, along with cutting-edge communications features such as screen labels for call appearance/feature keys to simplify user administration.

A good quality VoIP conferencing phone definitely proves to be a cost effective communication medium for an organization. Source

Ergonomics issues has witnessed much spotlight off late, the press has labeled the modern workplace as being “dangerous”. The office employees of today-; be it time spent in huge offices or operating from household offices-; are getting to know the hard facts of health disorders originating via work.

One office employee can have to work nearly 25 – 40 hrs. during a week seated on the computer operating position. Then to get back home, travel via a bus or train either standing or sitting for some duration of time in congestion. Once you have reached home complete relaxation is what one would seek but exercising is not thought of for giving the muscles some stretching.

Amongst the highly common health issues arising from such work environment is back pain, which can be comfortably prevented. In the UK, BackCare charity guesses back pain & linked illness to toll firms ten billion dollars each year via non-attendance.

Fresh ergonomic hazards are filled up in new age workplace plus there aren’t enough safeguard measures taken. Similar to IT being a dangerous source, is also has the cure. Headsets for phone like those made by Plantronics, is what is best applicable for safety which can be entailed to any workplace scenario to get better ergonomics.

Back in the 60′s it was primarily used by just the telephone operators, but it is useful in almost work scenarios today and there’s a good reason for that. As per a Medical Study carried out by Santa Clara Valley, headsets help subside shoulder, upper back, and neck tension by about forty-one percent. One more research done through H.B. Maynard & Co., Incorporation found that if headsets that are hands-free are used in phone in the office then it bettered efficiency by nearly forty-three percent. Such headsets can diminish possibilities of work originating physical hazards, more so upper body & neck injuries, he result being lesser employees’ compensation expenses.

“Dissimilar to safety for manual workers, the subject of work originating injury with regards to office work force is yet to be considered as a serious matter”, these are the views of Elizabeth Simpson SRP, MCSP EIHMS (the European Institute of Health and Medical Sciences). “Reason being such injuries originating from bad telephone habits is not visible immediately plus takes time to show complete effects. Research results show that using headsets for telephone helps lessen neck ache, headaches and back ache in people who work on the PC & phone together for less than 2 hours in a day.”

Phone handsets could bring about high work originating hazards for the neck. Placing the receiver between the neck and shoulder regularly at length could lead to distress and damage structural tissue. Well when using a headset the posture is stable and there is no frequent bending of the back to attend or place a call. So for those who are constantly connected to the phone & computer the headset is a great piece of equipment.

Disorders of the upper body which medical terms is termed as “musculoskeletal disorders,” stands for various troubles related to tedious stress damages of the nerves, muscles, tendons & holding structures. Their severity could range from infrequent to quite frequent.

Extreme disorders of the upper body have been a matter of research for a length of time now, mostly focusing on elbows, wrists, hands, arms & shoulders. There have been tons of pages written on particular hazards related to the for mentioned body parts, like wrists being affected by carpal tunnel syndrome, elbows being affected by epicondylitis, and hands being affected by DeQuervains ailment.

NIOSH in the year 1997 reviewed in excess of 230 studies work originating hazards higher side extremities. Of those eighty-nine had investigations factors leading to work related hazards concerning the shoulders & neck. The publication’s review committee gave the verdict that there being “enough matter to state – high intensity of motionless contraction, at length motionless weight or intense working stance . . . enlarged the danger for shoulder & neck upper body hazards.”

Yes, workplace ergonomics awareness is in the rise but yet it is still far away from creating a big different that it needed to address this problem. We do not know the actual numbers of suffers who might be already facing the effects of such disorders. There are a lot of new technologies that have come in this area to address and to try and eradicate this issue. Awareness can only be spread if the right knowledge is imparted to those employers who have such functioning offices. Source

Present Your Callers with a Good Communication Interface

A PBX system offers your callers a highly sophisticated telecommunication experience. Versatile call management features such as call waiting, call conferencing, auto attendant, find me follow me call forwarding, voicemail, automatic call distribution, fax mail, and voice to email ensure an excellent caller interface.

The auto attendant acts as a virtual receptionist managing business calls professionally. Callers are welcomed with appropriate greetings and offered a set of options for connecting calls to suitable departments or persons. The auto attendant is capable of handling multiple incoming calls and routing them without sending line busy signals.

State-of-the-art Call Routing for Uninterrupted Connection

Through PBX telephone system, official calls can be answered from remote locations. The find me follow me call forwarding facility redirects unanswered calls to your alternate phone numbers including cell phone numbers. Thus the system eliminates every possibility of overlooking official calls.

If the extension numbers are all busy, the callers are at once directed to the voicemail box where they can leave voice messages. This phone system is also provided with functions to transfer voice messages to your email account. Therefore the messages can be checked immediately and important business decisions taken even when you are traveling.

Another advantage of a PBX telephone system is that the user is not required to maintain any onsite PBX equipments since these are kept at the site of the service provider. PBX services are offered through a hosted server using high speed Internet or dedicated telephone connections. The services can be utilized at cost-effective monthly rents. Source

The biggest advantage of business phone systems using VoIP is an important one, especially in the current economy. It can save money. The efficiency of the VoIP bandwidth when compared to traditional phone systems means that monthly phone costs can be reduced. Also, the cost per extension phone is lower. Another advantage is in the flexibility it allows for. These systems can provide for more than one phone call to be carried over a single broadband connection, so extensions can be added easily. And if your business is a call center, the technology allows for an employee to work from a remote location since all that is required is a reliable Internet connection.

So how are business telephone systems integrated with a VoIP provider? There are three common methods in which to accomplish this. First, by use of an Analog Telephone Adapter you can connect your system to a broadband Internet provider to like a cable company. If you don’€™t want to connect through your computer system, dedicated VoIP phones can be purchased and connected through a VoIP service provider. Finally, a soft-phone can be connected directly to a computer. This allows for a fixed phone number that remains constant even if your company facility relocates.

Business telephone systems connected with VoIP can perform a variety of functions, including phone calls, emailing, faxing, Web conference calls, and even cell phone calling, so virtually any type of business could benefit. And there are different packages available that are geared toward large and small businesses, so you don’t have to worry about it €œfitting€ your current phone system. In these days of decreased manpower and increased need for strong customer service, the integration of VoIP with your current phone system can help you save money without skimping on service. Source

Among the amazing devises that bring voices and data throughout the world are the satellite phone systems. These wireless phone systems allow for voice and data to be exchanged over miles of territory were terrestrial instrumentation cannot reach. When work, missions, or play take individuals to the remote corners of the world, a satellite telephone would be the answer to staying in touch. Users can talk, send data, and even fax from the middle of the desert or from the highest of mountain tops. Communications are being accomplished today in places that just twenty short years ago was believed to be impossible.

In the world of technology without wires or cables, two major telephone systems have emerged. Terrestrial cellular and satellite phone systems are how families, agencies, and businesses communicate with one another. While cellular technology utilizes land cell towers for signals, satellite telephones bounce their signals off of space-born satellites. These satellites orbit the earth and are available in most constellations, at any time, making signals very reachable.

Currently, there are just a few programs available for this space age communication technology. To offer this service, a company must have more than one satellite in space, giving callers the ability to have a signal at anytime, anyplace. Some of the communications technology specialists that offer Satellite phone systems have satellite to satellite communications in space, making connections easily possible.

Because of the capability of reaching around the world and into areas where the typical cellular wireless phone systems cannot reach, those needing to use the alternative are specific groups that are, however, growing in number. Today’s technology is allowing many industries and groups to reach across the world with services and exchanges of all kinds. And, as markets and social supports become more global, the need for immediate communications becomes more prevalent. Missionaries, oil and gas workers, non-profit aid, disaster relief, government workers, and different media personnel all need quick access to communications and are markets for those that supply satellite phone systems.

Initially these extravagant communication devises were quite expensive. But, as with other technical advances, all forms of wireless phone systems are becoming more affordable. Now, there are refurbished units available on the market, reduced prices on new telephones, and even rental packages that can be acquired. Prices begin at just over $200 and calls are generally billed at long-distance rate charges. There are rental packages that start at $40 dollars per week. Interested individuals and businesses may want to explore the different options online and compare services and prices.

The world has seen the value of having instant communication at hand. During recent catastrophes, the world witnessed the effectiveness of instant and wireless exchanges. Help from countries and individuals all over the world have come to the aid of those in dire circumstances, due to the globalization of society through technology. And, as the natural disasters continue to plague many different countries and the threats of terrorism remain ever-present for all people, now it is good to know that God is in complete control. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth is removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea? Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.” (Psalm 46:1-3)

Amazing and useful, modern forms of long-distance communicating is not without its challenges, though. When using satellite phone systems, users may experience a loss, as one instrument in space attempts to reach another. Rapid exchanges, as compared to the cell phone, are not possible. Also, size is a factor for many. The larger telephone and antenna can be a detriment in some applications. But things are changing, and changing quickly, as promoters and advocates of these remote reaching liaison systems seek to get their products up to speed with the ever-popular cell telephone.

The Internet is a great place to begin researching the ins and outs of this modern technology. There are articles pro and con for the Satellite phone system throughout different mediums online. If inquiring about a purchase or rental agreement, it will be a good idea to speak with sales representatives from a couple of the major providers, getting a clear understanding of pricing structures and sales agreements. Source