Uncategorized Archives - Connaught Communications

Navigating the ISDN Switch-Off: A Guide to Seamless Transition with Connaught Converged Solutions

What is an ISDN?

ISDN, or Integrated Services Digital Network, has been a stalwart in telecommunications since its introduction by BT in 1986. However, all good things must come to an end, and the traditional phone lines are reaching their final chapter. The ISDN switch-off, scheduled by BT to be completed by 2025, marks the shutdown of this time-tested network.

Why is this happening?

Advancements in communication technology have rendered ISDN obsolete. While some improvements have been made over the years, they pale in comparison to the flexibility and speed offered by Internet Protocol (IP) based communications. BT’s decision to phase out traditional phone lines aligns with the global shift towards faster, more efficient, and internet-based communication methods.

When Do I Need to Act?

The clock is ticking. All traditional phone lines will be switched off by 2025. However, the transition is already in motion, with ISDN lines no longer available for purchase from September 2023. The complete switch-off is dated for December 2025.

Important Dates & Deadlines:

ISDN lines no longer available for purchase

December 2025: Complete ISDN switch-off

While some regions have already ceased new line orders,
waiting until your local exchange is switched off is an option. But why wait
when you can take control of the situation now?

Who are Connaught Converged Solutions?

Connaught Converged Solutions is your trusted ally in navigating the ISDN switch-off. As experts in telecommunications, we understand the intricacies of this transition and offer tailored solutions to ensure your business stays connected. We have over 30 years of experience so you can relax knowing you are in good hands.

Why Choose Connaught Converged Solutions?

Expert Guidance: Our team of express provide clear, concise guidance, ensuring you are well-informed every step of the way.
Seamless Transition: We specialise in making transitions smooth and seamless. With Connaught Converged Solutions, you can upgrade to Internet Protocol (IP) lines effortlessly, minimizing downtime and disruption.
Future-Proof Solutions: Our services go beyond the immediate switch-off. We offer future-proof solutions that align with the ever-changing landscape of telecommunications, ensuring your business stays ahead of the curve.

How To – Install Xelion webchat on WordPress

Web chat makes it easy for you to stay connected with your site visitors.

They can connect with you instantly and conveniently, and your team can direct queries to the right person quickly so that you never miss an enquiry.

Webchat tools are widely available, but it can be difficult to find one that will integrate well with your existing systems and doesn’t require a lot of time or money.

Xelion 8 has you covered.

One login, one solution, one license

This easy how to guide will show you how to integrate Xelion webchat with your WordPress site so you stay connected.

The Xelion 8.2 update includes a customisable webchat feature where you can connect your softphone to your website easily, without additional subscriptions. For a one off set up fee of £95, you can chat to site visitors in real time, for the length of your Xelion contract.

In a few simple steps you can:

Respond to online queries via your softphone
Assign chats within your team
Receive ratings and feedback on your chat service to help improve customer service

Here’s how to integrate Xelion webchat on WordPress and get live chat working for you.

Download the Xelion webchat plugin

The first step is to log into your WordPress dashboard. You will have to have an administrator account to make changes.

TOP TIP: Before installing any new plugins it is recommended to make a backup of your site.

Search for the Xelion webchat official WordPress plugin and install it on your WordPress site. You can do this by going to “Plugins” in your WordPress dashboard and clicking on “Add New.” Search “Xelion” and click “Install Now” once you find it. After the plugin is installed, activate it by clicking on the “Activate” button. This will enable the webchat functionality on your site.

You will now find the plugin on the left side of your WordPress dashboard.

Contact Connaught Support for your credentials

It will prompt you to enter your API authentication credentials – at this point, send Connaught Support an email with the following information

A) Let us know who you would like to receive webchat notifications in your webchat team (name and extension number)

B) Request the following credentials:

a. Host
b. Tenant
c. Gateway
d. Token

Customise your webchat

Once you have the API information, you can enter this in, and begin to personalise your webchat.

Under “Appearance” you can edit the colour and size of your chatbox as well as where it appears onscreen.

Under “Welcome Page”, you can choose the text that appears when a visitor opens the chatbox, as well as any forms you would like completed upon entry.

Under “Enquiries” you can edit the script to reflect your organisation’s most common questions using prompts such as “General Enquiry” “Quote Request” or “Make a Complaint”. You can edit the responses to each option here too, such as “An operator will be with you shortly” or “Great – I’ll put you through to someone now”.

How to use your Xelion webchat

When a visitor enters the information to start a chat, Xelion 8 will alert all users set up for message alerts.

Press the green button to accept the chat and start a conversation. The visitor will see “our agent “Employee Name” has been assigned to you”.

Throughout the chat, messages will appear in Xelion.

You can also re-assign a chat to another member of the webchat team by pressing the Re-assign button at the top right corner.

When the visitor ends the chat, you will no longer be able to send messages. They will receive an option for feedback and rating—which should appear at their top of screen.

Now your colleagues can see your call status, contacts are available instantly and your calendar is linked for better productivity.

We have lots of how to videos to help you get the best from your telephony system, as well as resources such as user guides and FAQs.

If you’d like more insight into Xelion from our expert engineers or attentive account managers, get in touch.

Call us on 0800 652 7681, email enquiries@connaughtltd.co.uk or click below to book a call with one of our sales consultants.

How To – Teams & 365 Integration with Xelion

Looking to streamline your login processes?

Want to log into Xelion with your Microsoft ID and sync your calendar and contacts?

Xelion 8 has you covered.

One login, one calendar, one license

This easy how to guide will show you how to integrate Xelion with Microsoft Teams and 365.

The rollout of Xelion 8 brought an easier way for you connect your Microsoft 365 and your telephony. You can now log in to Xelion with your existing Microsoft login details as well as:

Sync your contacts for easier calling
Connect your Teams status to avoid meeting interruptions
Update your status for clear availability

Connecting couldn’t be easier, so you can streamline your setup in three simple steps

Connect your Microsoft Azure

The first step is to find your unique Microsoft Azure Tenant ID. You can do this in the Microsoft Azure Active Directory Centre via this portal.

Your tenant ID will appear in the Overview section and will allow Xelion to identify your Microsoft credentials. Copy this for the next step.

Connect your Xelion

Once you have your Tenant ID, the next step is to enter this into your Xelion admin console.

Log into the admin console with your Xelion credentials.

Under “Server Settings and Trunks”, click the Authentication Tab.

Paste the Azure tenant ID into the Open ID identifier field and then click on the globe icon.

Logging into the 365 account will provide authentication and place a tick in the “Approved” box.

The final step is to create a group in the Azure Active Directory. Create a group (Security type) named either “Azure_AD_SSO_Xelion” or “Xelion”. Once done, you can add any users you wish to be able to log into Xelion with their Microsoft details.

Start the sync

The final step to integrate Xelion with Teams and 365 takes place in Xelion.

In the Xelion Admin Tool, head to Administration and MS Exchange settings.

On the Version 2 tab, select the “Activate Link” box, and the elements you would like to have sync-ed. This can be Contacts, Appointments and Team Status.

In your Xelion softphone, open up a “Settings” tab and click the Microsoft tab. From here you can click “Start” to sync those elements.

Now your colleagues can see your call status, contacts are available instantly and your calendar is linked for better productivity.

We have lots of how to videos to help you get the best from your telephony system, as well as resources such as user guides and FAQs.

If you’d like more insight into Xelion from our expert engineers or attentive account managers, get in touch.

Call us on 0800 652 7681, email enquiries@connaughtltd.co.uk or click below to book a call with one of our sales consultants.

Safety and energy savings with Paxton

Increasing costs combined with worsening climate conditions mean that it’s time to get the best possible benefits from our procurement.

While security will always be an essential measure for any premises, choosing the right products can mean energy savings, which benefit both the environment and your budget.

Here’s a guide to the easiest ways to make energy savings with your access control from Paxton.

Automatic utility switch off

Low power door handles

Appliance usage reduction

Remote control to minimise travel

Paxton applications can make a huge impact on your energy usage and budget. From wireless locks and appliance management to smart software, there are plenty of ways to save with security.

If you already have a Paxton system in place, it’s easy to add these elements in.

If you’d like some more advice on how you can save energy and money with Paxton security, why not let our technical team help you?

At Connaught we train our engineers to the highest possible standard, so you know you’re getting the best advice. We don’t use subcontractors, so you know we’re taking care of everything, and we’ve been protecting our customers for over 35 years, so you know you’re in safe hands.

Call us on 0800 652 7681, email enquiries@connaughtltd.co.uk or click here to book a call with one of our sales consultants.

AI powered security with ANPR

With a range of applications from law enforcement to commercial and domestic security, ANPR could be the best way to manage vehicles on your property.

What is ANPR and how does it work?

Automatic Number Plate Recording (ANPR) describes the connection of an AI camera to a computer. When the camera detects a vehicle, it sends a recording of the plate to the computer, which is read and checked against an internal database.

When used by organisations or individuals, the owner of the camera will be able to set lists of accepted number plates, which can trigger one of the following actions:

Unlock an entrance or exit gate
Alert a staff member
Trigger an alarm

How can ANPR benefit me?

If you’ve ever struggled to identify whether a vehicle is authorised over a camera, or had to physically leave your office to open a gate, you’ll already understand how convenient ANPR can be. Staff can save time with automatic entry and unauthorised vehicles will be unable to gain access, keeping your site protected with enhanced CCTV.

With full control over the number plate database, you can fully customise your lists, meaning that even organisations with large fleets or regular vehicle turnover can stay on top of access, and visitors can be added so keep your meeting slick and safe.

Benefits

Multilingual recognition – including English, Arabic, Chinese & Cyrillic
High accuracy – 95%+ accuracy on alphanumeric plates
Speedy scan – full scan recognition can take place in 100 milliseconds
Ultimate efficient – save time for your staff by letting AI do the work
Secure site – keep intruders out without impacting operations

If ANPR sounds like something which could enhance your CCTV setup, we can help talk you through it.

Call us on 0800 652 7681, email enquiries@connaughtltd.co.uk or click here to book a call with one of our sales consultants.

Softphones made simple

If you’re looking into cloud-based telecommunications, you’re sure to come across the terms “softphone”.

You may be wondering what a softphone is, how they differ from traditional handsets and whether you need one.

Softphones can be a real asset to your organisation. Let’s go through how they work and how they may benefit you and your teams

What is a softphone?

How do you use them?

Setting up a softphone requires three basic elements:

A laptop or computer – to install your softphone
A headset – for better call quality
An internet connection – to carry calls

Your telephony provider will support you in how to download the application to your device, and give you login details to access your personal softphone. For example, you can watch the video below to see how easy it is to download Connaught’s hosted system here.

Why use a softphone?

Features

Softphones are a good way to make the best of the features included with your telephony package. As well as basic call features (such as call transfer, hold and hunt groups) you can use your softphone to take advantage of extra VOIP functions, which differ between providers.

With Xelion, for example, your softphone will offer you the following, all included:

Video conferencing and desktop sharing, app-free
Instant messaging
Contact directory integrated with Microsoft 365
Colleague presence feature
Stop-start call recording
Call reporting and live statistics

These features are not available via a physical handset, so using a softphone is the best way to make the most of your cloud-based solution.

Cost

For all-inclusive cloud-based systems like Xelion, access to a softphone is included in the licence, so there is no additional expense, compared to purchasing a physical handset.

Supplying extra handsets to homeworking staff can be expensive. Softphones can be run from devices you already own, so you can start enjoying the benefits immediately without a large upfront investment.

Softphone updates are rolled out by your provider (Xelion provides all upgrades free of charge) and can be supported remotely, meaning there’s no additional cost to access the latest benefits, compared with upgrading or maintaining physical handsets.

Calls from VOIP systems are usually free too, so you can save money compared with traditional telephony services, where call costs can mount up quickly.

Flexibility

As you aren’t tied to a physical deskphone, softphones allow you to work from anywhere via a laptop. This means staff can make the most of agile or hybrid working – your office is wherever your softphone is!

Staff can interact via calls, instant messaging and video conferencing, for more unified communications and the presence feature means you can see at a glance which of your colleagues are available to take a call.

Contact directories attached to your softphone can bring up the caller ID, allowing you to prepare for calls ahead of answering and making calling your colleagues quick and simple.

You don't have to choose

Softphones can be twinned with your handset, allowing you to choose which you would prefer to answer, and meaning you can have a deskphone in the office and a softphone at home.

As softphones are included in your licence, there’s no reason not to take advantage of the benefits they bring, even if you use them alongside physical handsets.

If you’d like to talk through how a softphone can help you and your organisation, we’ve got you covered. Call us on 0800 652 768 for a free consultation to transform your telephony.

Unlocking Paxton Net2 software

Smart intuitive software is the perfect partner for your door access. Paxton Net2 software has features such as centralised administration and site graphics, which can help you get the best out of your access control system.

Paxton Net2 offers two levels of advanced PC-based software to support your security system up to 1,000 doors and 50,000 users; Net2 Lite and Net2 Pro.

Both options are user-friendly, and offer access to advanced features such as IP camera integration and ‘Triggers and Actions’, which allows you to set rules for notifications and alerts.

But which Paxton software is right for you?

Let's compare the two systems...

Net2 Lite is the standard level of Paxton Access Control software. Free of charge and multi-client, this solution is ideal for most sites, and comes with free upgrades. You can integrate third party readers and biometrics, meaning your security system can be more flexible.

If you’re looking for more extra features and advanced access control, including rollcall reporting, security lockdown and occupancy management, Net2 Pro might be a better fit for you. This version of the Paxton software also comes with the Paxton Connect App and Net2 Online (the online user interface).

Software Features	Net2 Lite	Net2 Pro

Free to download		One off cost
Multiple clients
Free upgrades
CCTV Integration
Site graphics
Triggers & Actions
Intruder Alarm Integration*
Entry compatible
Biometric Integration
Third Party readers
Landlord-tenant/Advanced Operator Permissions	Not included
Timesheet and timeline*	Not included
Card designer	Not included
Roll call and muster reporting*	Not included
Fire alarm integration*	Not included
Anti-passback*	Not included
Security lockdown*	Not included
Multi-zone intruder alarm integration*	Not included
Custom days*	Not included
Areas	Not included
Customisable welcome page	Not included
Paxton Connect app **	Not included
NetOnline web user interface ***	Not included
Checkpoint Control	Not included
Occupancy Management	Not included
* Not available with wireless products
** Paxton Connect app only works with Net2 Pro v6.00 or above
*** Net2Online only works with Net2 Pro v6.01 or above

Both Paxton software options give you great functionality and flexibility for your door access setup.

If you’re still unsure about which software is best for your site, why not let our technical team help you?

At Connaught we train our engineers to the highest possible standard, so you know you’re getting the best advice. We don’t use subcontractors, so you know we’re taking care of everything, and we’ve been protecting our customers for over 35 years, so you know you’re in safe hands.

Call us on 0800 652 7681, email enquiries@connaughtltd.co.uk or click here to book a call with one of our sales consultants.

Best camera types for you

Looking to implement CCTV but feeling overwhelmed by all the camera choices?

CCTV is a valuable investment for your business. When installed properly, camera surveillance can keep your staff and site secure, by providing you with real time and recorded footage of your premises onsite and remotely. Well placed and visible camera units can also act as a deterrent for anti-social behaviour.

If you’ve been looking into implementing a CCTV system, you may be unsure about which cameras you need, and where to place them to get the most out of your surveillance setup? This guide will give you an overview of the main types of camera and how to get the best out of them

This is just a few of the many options now available for your surveillance setup. If you’re still unsure about which cameras you will need for your site, why not let our technical team help you?

At Connaught we train our engineers to the highest possible standard, so you know you’re getting the best advice. We don’t use subcontractors, so you know we’re taking care of everything, and we’ve been protecting our customers for over 35 years, so you know you’re in safe hands.

Call us on 0800 652 7681, email enquiries@connaughtltd.co.uk or click here to book a call with one of our sales consultants.

5 best reporting features of Xelion

While management reporting has always been vital to monitoring investment and output, with staff working across numerous locations and flexible working becoming a new industry standard, it’s more important than ever to have access to how this affects business operations.

Building reports can be a time-consuming task for managers reporting back to Board Members. Therefore choosing the right format is key to presenting information which is easy to interpret.

Having a smart telephony system like Xelion is invaluable when it comes to offering your management team the variety of reporting they need for success.

Here are five different ways you can use Xelion to report on your telephony and when to use them

Best for real time information

Best for ease of use

Web reporting

Accessible from any web browser on any device, managers can access pre-built graphical reports to support statistics in Management Reporting stakeholder meetings. These reports are easy to read, have a variety of formats, and are pre-built to show visibility of group or user activity.

These types of reports are perfect for meetings at short notice or to supplement some of the below, more in-depth analytics.

Best for indepth analysis

Automated reports

These types of reports offer complex statistics which give managers a more in-depth understanding of call groups, as well as individual performance. Once set up is completed, these will be generated on a regular basis and emailed to key users, which saves time and ensures the right people have updated information. Managers can also access these reports via the desktop application.

Best for metric tools

Query Tool

Ideal for managers who need to access to the entire database, the Xelion Query Tool allows full, unrestricted interrogation, with exported data which is ready to be used in metric tools such as Excel, Power BI, Tableau and others. These queries can be carried out on a schedule or ad hoc and are made available to regular Xelion users with restrictions suitable for their own specific permissions.

Best for qualitative analysis

Call recording

If you’re looking for a more qualitative output, Xelion’s call recording feature allows managers to listen back to calls quickly and easily.

Ideal for staff training, it also enables you to measure against SLAs and check company protocol. This feature also protects your staff and business and can serve as a safeguarding function.

Hybrid working – interview with Katie Richards

As businesses battle to get back to a pre-pandemic normal, it seems that long-Covid symptoms aren’t the only lasting physical effects.

Before Covid, unless you worked in sales, you’d probably had very limited experience of homeworking. The odd day working from home when you were waiting for a heating engineer. Or a few hours after an offsite meeting that was closer to home than the office. Or maybe a rare day working from the sofa with a sick child in tow.

Some of us longed for the flexibility of homeworking (especially if we owned a laptop and company mobile) and some of us hated the idea of working from home without the office buzz and bustle. But whichever side you were on, when Covid hit, there was no choice.

And although opinion still varies on the pros and cons of remote vs office life, there’s no denying the time saved on commutes and meeting travel. Not to mention the benefits of teams still being able to work without coughing over colleagues (Covid or not).

The time savings and flexibility that we’ve all experienced with remote working have also been a catalyst for conversations around four-day working weeks and alternative working hours which means that hybrid working is probably here to stay.

But if Covid was the catalyst for hybrid working, technology is the enabler. So we chatted to Katie Richards, to find out how a simple thing like changing to a cloud-based phone system is enabling hybrid working and transforming businesses across the UK.

What is a cloud-based phone system and why can’t we just use our mobiles?

“A cloud-based phone system just means that you don’t need physical hardware. Calls are made over the internet so you can use any internet enabled device as a soft phone. It means anyone that’s logged in can make and take calls all from the same system. So it’s perfect for remote or home working.

Of course, you can use a mobile device as a softphone too. Accessing a phone system in the cloud just means you don’t have to make calls from your mobile number (particularly important for teachers and schools) or have calls ‘transferred’ to you. It’s as if you are all in the same office and anyone can jump on an incoming call.”

Which platforms do you recommend?

“We love the Xelion system. It’s got so much functionality and so many features. So many of our customers have told us that having a new cloud-based phone system has transformed everything about the way they work. What’s even better is that every time Xelion release new features, customers automatically get upgraded. So it’s a brilliant way to future-proof your comms.”

So how does Xelion help with hybrid working?

“During the pandemic, the need for a phone system that could handle remote working was huge. So many organisations just weren’t set up to work in this way, especially schools and medical practices. You can access Xelion on any device that’s connected to the internet so it means you don’t have to be in an office to take calls. It also removes the need for additional mobile phones or office hardware. We were able to get organisations set up with Xelion really quickly and they were so grateful because it was bringing teams back together and helping businesses to continue trading.”

What can we expect from Xelion?

“We’re rolling out the latest version of Xelion (Xelion 8) to our customers at the moment. The app is super easy to use; it’s a really intuitive tool so we’re finding that people get the hang of it really quickly. Which takes the pressure off. You can use it for video calls too, even if people outside your organisation don’t have Xelion.

“The new version is also fully integrated with Microsoft 365 and Teams so you can sync contacts and make calls through Teams. It’s all the little time-saving features like this that can help businesses run more efficiently.

It’s great for team working too; anyone who’s on the system can see live availability based on your calendar, which makes resourcing much easier and call handling much slicker. Being able to view call data and manage call volume is helping companies work out what resource they need and when. Which comes back to that all-important flexibility which is so important for employee engagement and positive mental health.”

Sounds expensive...

“It does sound too good to be true but most of our customers actually save money. All the calls are free and you just pay a fixed fee so we make it really easy to manage costs. For example, doctor’s surgeries can reduce the cost of remote triaging because calls to patients are free.”

Whilst we’re all hoping that we’ve seen the last of lockdowns, hybrid working is probably here to stay. And whether you’re an office owl or a home bird, flexibility is probably the one thing we can all agree on.

Category: Uncategorized

Navigating the ISDN Switch-Off: A Guide to Seamless Transition with Connaught Converged Solutions

What is an ISDN?

Why is this happening?

How to integrate Xelion webchat with WordPress

Download the Xelion webchat plugin

Contact Connaught Support for your credentials

Customise your webchat

How to use your Xelion webchat

How to integrate Xelion with Microsoft 365 and Teams

Connect your Microsoft Azure

Connect your Xelion

Start the sync

Safety and savings with Paxton

Automatic utility switch off

Low power door handles

Appliance usage reduction

Remote control to minimise travel

Looking to manage vehicle entry more effectively? ANPR has you covered

What is ANPR and how does it work?

How can ANPR benefit me?

Benefits

Softphones made simple

What is a softphone?

How do you use them?

Why use a softphone?

Features

Cost

Flexibility

You don't have to choose

Unlocking Paxton Access Control software

Let's compare the two systems...

A guide to CCTV camera types and where they work best

Dome Cameras

Bullet Cameras

Turret Cameras

Pan Tilt Zoom Camera (PTZ)

Three-in-one cameras (TiOCs)

5 best reporting features of Xelion

Best for real time information

Wallboards

Best for ease of use

Web reporting

Best for indepth analysis

Automated reports

Best for metric tools

Query Tool

Best for qualitative analysis

Call recording

Sound interesting?

Is hybrid working here to stay? The long lasting effects of Covid

What is a cloud-based phone system and why can’t we just use our mobiles?

Which platforms do you recommend?

So how does Xelion help with hybrid working?

What can we expect from Xelion?

Sounds expensive...

Sound interesting?