Please see the following press release for details.

All-Aboard Telecom Inc. Achieves Select Certification from Cisco Canada

[Burlington, Ontario] – May 12th 2011 – All-Aboard Telecom Inc. announced today it has achieved Select Certification from Cisco. The Select Certification recognizes Cisco® resale channel partners that focus on meeting the technology and services needs of small businesses.

“By reaching the Select Certification level from Cisco, we are now able to bring forward a number of new tools, products and services to our Small and Medium size business clients to help them stay connected.”
-Christopher Allsop, President

“The Cisco Select Certification was created in response to customer demand for channel partners capable of designing and implementing Cisco solutions purpose-built for small businesses,” said Andrew Sage, vice president of Worldwide Small Business Sales at Cisco. “With the Select Certification, All-Aboard Telecom Inc. has made an investment in obtaining the training, skills and knowledge necessary to play a pivotal role in meeting this growing demand.”

To earn Select Certification, All-Aboard Telecom Inc. fulfilled the training and exam requirements for the Cisco Small Business Specialization. All-Aboard Telecom Inc. also met the personnel, training and postsales support requirements set forth by Cisco.
The Cisco Resale Channel Program provides a framework for channel partners to build the sales, technical and Cisco Lifecycle Services skills required to deliver Cisco solutions to end customers. Through the program’s specializations and certifications, Cisco recognizes a channel partner’s expertise in deploying solutions based on Cisco advanced technologies and services. Using a third-party audit process, the program validates channel partner qualifications such as technology skills, business best practices, customer satisfaction, and presales and postsales support capabilities — critical factors for customers choosing a trusted channel partner.

About All-Aboard Telecom Inc.
All-Aboard Telecom Inc. is a telecommunications solutions provider, specializing in the small and medium business market. Our emphasis is on providing solid telecommunications solutions and customer service to businesses looking to start up or expand their operations. Founded in 2007, our emphasis has always been on finding the right solution for the client to keep them connected.

Press Contact:
Christopher Allsop
All-Aboard Telecom Inc.
416 477-2566 ext 200
callsop@allaboardtelecom.ca

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Cisco, Cisco Systems and the Cisco logo are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems Inc. in the United States and certain other countries.

Even though Bluetooth headsets are the best choice to go hands free, here is an option for those that Don’t want to go hands free.  The video demonstrates how a toy Star Trek communicator can be turned into a Bluetooth speaker phone, and provides a web site to learn how to build it yourself.

Geeky, Yes.  Cool, Absolutely!

"Black's premium locations provide an established network across Canada for the distribution of TELUS' wireless products, which nicely complements our extensive network of dealers and stores. In anticipation of our clients' evolving needs and as more wireless devices have imbedded high quality photo and video capability, there is a natural link between TELUS and Black's."
-Joe Natale, executive-vice president and
president, TELUS Consumer Solutions
While there is an obvious need for wireless data devices if you plan to send digital photos while on the go, the list of synergies between the two companies seems rather short.  Until more cameras start being released with wireless data cards built right into them, this will still be two separate product lines being carried in 1 location.

With the announcement of Telus migrating to a Long Term Evolution (LTE) data network in the new year, they may be strategically planning ahead with products designed to take advantage of the network, however the number of cameras that have been released that offer any kind of wireless data transfer are quite slim.  More likely this is an attempt by Telus to keep up with Bell, who recently purchased "The Source" chain of consumer electronic stores.

While the idea of increasing the number of locations in which you can purchase a product seems like a good idea, it will also serve to water down the existing locations.  Many retail malls and locations that currently have a Blacks Photography probably have a Telus dealer or corporate store nearby.  Time will tell whether this is a great opportunity to merge consumer electronics and wireless data products, or just a case of "keeping up with the Jones". for Telus.

The focus of Wind, according to their press release and their new website, is they want to encourage dialogue with their customers and promote a stronger focus on customer service.  In an industry that has come under fire for poor customer service skills, this strategy could prove to be extremely effective.  There is already quite a bit of excitement in the consumer market for more choice in wireless providers.  A marketing plan geared towards open discussions with the customer and listening to their needs may be exactly what the market needs.

Wind Mobile highlights 4 areas that it will focus on in its launch:

• A dialogue with its customers to help determine everything from what phones to carry to who they should hire
• Simplicity in customer service in everything from the bills you read to the people you interact with at the company
• Control of your wireless experience.  Wind Mobile wants you to feel like you have a say in the company and its products
• Value for the customer.  Wind Mobile has stated they will not charge their customers for services that they are not charged (Highlighting the System Access Fee as an example)

Currently, there is no news about any of the actual price plans, products or services that Wind Mobile will offer, except that we know they will be offering their phone services on a next generation HSPA network that is the next evolution of GSM technology.  They are currently in a major push for hiring so expect to see their services offered by the end of this year or early into 2010.

As more people purchase smart phones instead of traditional cell phones, the strain on the network will increase. This move to higher speeds will allow system resources to handle more phones and deliver better service to them. Multimedia intensive applications should speed up significantly.

The greatest benefit for consumers will be the for those that use mobile internet cards for their laptops and netbooks. Browsing on your computer from a wireless USB dongle through this expanded network should closely mirror the expected level of service from your home internet package.

In related news, Rogers Wireless and MTS AllStream have entered into an agreement where the two companies will share the costs of deploying the HSPA+ network in Manitoba. This will benefit MTS AllStream customers as they will now be given roaming access to the Rogers Wireless HSPA+ footprint across Canada and also be part of the Rogers Wireless roaming agreement overseas.

This is perhaps the first round of the coming Wireless Wars in Canada as new companies prepare to open up their doors and networks while existing companies rally to keep their customer base. MTS AllStream currently operates with a CDMA voice and data network, which offers phones not compatible with the GSM/HSPA+ network. Many companies, including Bell and Telus have signalled they will begin rolling out HSPA networks in the coming months which will be compatible with GSM.

Stay tuned as the Wireless Wars starts to heat up this fall!

For a limited time, All-Aboard Telecom will be running a promotion on our Hosted PBX phone service.  Sign up a new account on our Hosted PBX for Small Business solution and you can purchase a Linksys SPA942 VoIP enabled phone for only $99.

Small businesses now have a solution to stay connected with their clients with a Hosted PBX phone service from All-Aboard Telecom.  Phone systems help manage your incoming and outgoing calls and presents a professional image to your clients.  A PBX phone system can also help reduce your overall costs while maintaining an effective communications strategy for your business.

Some of the features included in the package are:

• Caller ID
• Find Me/Follow Me
• Voice Mail with e-mail and SMS notification
• Unlimited North American Calling
• Professional Auto-Attendant
• Call Forwarding
• Single number point of contact

Plus many other Features!!!

Here is how the promotion works: Sign up for our Hosted PBX phone service for at least a 6 month period and receive a Linksys SPA942 VoIP enabled phone for only $99 (plus applicable taxes).  We only have a limited number of phones we can do this deal with so sign up quickly to take advantage of this offer.  If you sign up before July 31st 2009, we will waive the setup fees! ($50 value) For more information, download the flyer here.

Satisfaction Guarantee: If you are not satisfied with your phone service within 30 days of activating, you may cancel your service and return the phone in working order for a full refund on your purchase price of the phone.

Helping small business stay connected!

If you are just starting out in business or if you use your cell phone exclusively as your primary business line, contact All-Aboard Telecom to find out full details about this offer  and see hour our Hosted PBX service can help your business stay connected.

The summer is a great time to venture away from home and explore the world around you. As many people become more reliant on wireless technology to stay in touch, they may find it necessary to take their phones with them when they travel.

Many will come to the unfortunate realization that roaming while traveling can be quite expensive. Roaming rates in many countries can be quite high for voice and data rates often still charge by the kilobyte, making even the smallest access by your data device quite pricey.

Here are a few things to know if you take your phone with you when traveling:

Travel in Canada
If you already have a phone plan from a Canadian provider, then chances are you will not incur any roaming charges. What you will be charged is long distance for your phone calls. Here’s generally how it works: if you have a Toronto phone number on your cell phone and you are checking out the west coast in Vancouver, your outgoing calls to locations in Vancouver will be considered local calls and you will only be charged for your airtime. Calls made back to Toronto (or anywhere long distance from Vancouver) will incur your regular airtime charge as well as long distance. Receiving calls is the most costly. When you receive a call, no matter who it is that is calling you, your phone bill will show a long distance charge. This is because the incoming call is being routed through the local Toronto exchange and is then forwarded to you long distance to Vancouver. This is especially problematic if someone in Vancouver is trying to call you. They will have to pay the long distance charge from Vancouver to Toronto, and you have to pay the long distance charge from Toronto to you in Vancouver. The easiest way to avoid long distance charges in this scenario is to use tour caller ID and call the incoming number back. If it is a Toronto phone number calling you, determine how important it is to answer the call, and consider sending it to voicemail. If it is too important to miss the call, just realize you could be paying anything from $0.12 to $0.30 per minute in long distance depending on your plan.

Travel in the U.S.
Taking your phone into the U.S.  is quite seamless but also more expensive than using it in Canada. Unless you have a North American calling plan that allows for travel in the U.S. You could be looking at rates anywhere from $1 or more per minute. While we currently only have a 3 or 4 main phone carriers in the whole country, our American neighbours have much more territorial providers, which means you could actually roam on a number of different providers networks while away. Try and keep local and long distance calls to a minumim, and use text messaging where you can. (Although text messaging rates are also higher when travelling out of Canada). If your trip is short term, the best advice is to be careful about using your phone and send calls to voicemail whenever possible.

Extended travel in the U.S. or International
If you will be visiting for a longer period of time, or to an international destination, consider getting a prepaid account from one of the local providers. Spending $40 or $50 on a prepaid account can be a worthwhile investment considering some roaming bills can easily reach over that even with minimal usage.

Purchasing a prepaid phone to go along with your prepaid account will vary from country to country and provider to provider, so shop around online before going to find the best package for you.

If you have a GSM phone from an existing provider, consider getting your phone unlocked. This will allow you to use a SIM card with a prepaid account in you phone, thus saving you the cost of buying a new phone. If you travel a fair bit, either unlocking your phone or purchasing a spare unlocked phone for travel will keep your costs down. You will only need to pay for the prepaid account airtime and setup.  If you are looking to get your GSM phone unlocked, visit this site.

Non carrier branded unlocked phones can range in price from $75 and up depending on what features you want. There is a great selection of both new and used phones online. Do keep in mind that not all phones will work everywhere. Make sure to do your homework first, or contact a professional to help determine what the best phone is for your needs and for where you will be traveling.

If you need to know ahead of time what your number is going to be when you travel, there are a number of companies that offer a global prepaid phone service. You can get the account set up before you leave and keep one international number wherever you travel. Compared to roaming with your existing provider you can save quite a bit of money and be able to confirm with your friends and colleagues how to reach you when you travel.

A few things to remember
When you travel with a smartphone like a Blackberry or other device, make sure you can turn the data features off. Many smartphones will continue to send and receive data while roaming, and raking up your roaming data charge without you realizing it. If you are not sure, talk to an expert or consider switching to a non data phone for the duration of your trip.

Some phones are equipped with Wi-Fi which will allow you to access some services from a wireless access point. Some phones even offer a VoIP client to allow you to make phone calls in these Wi-Fi hotspots. If your phone does not support Wi-Fi but you are taking a computer, there are a number of internet phone services that will work on your computer with internet access.

Keeping in touch when you travel can be expensive, but it does not have to be. With a little homework, the advice of an expert and some pre planning, you can enjoy your trip without worrying about a big bill at the end.

Since wireless is often free or reasonably priced at many coffee shops, they can attract many mobile workers, but they can also attract a potential hacker looking for some easily accessible information.  Webmail is one area that can be accessed by a hacker and potentially opens you up to some serious problems.  A compromised email account could lead to spam messages going out from your account to both random email addresses and those in your contact list, and more importantly, compromised information.  Someone hacking in could read your emails and access potentially important and confidential information.

Recently, the Information & Privacy Commissioner of Ontario released a paper talking about these security challenges and discusses how Gmail from Google offers a method of encrypting your communications with your webmail account by using the Secure Socket Layer (SSL) for encryption.  If you have a Gmail account, you can log into the settings screen and change the “Browser Connection” to read “Always use https” from the options.  This will force your web browser to open an encrypted connection to your email while you are at connected to it.  SSL technology is the same encryption technology used for online banking and shopping.   Currently other webmail platforms do not offer SSL encryption of their mail, however this will probably shift as many of these providers will soon want to offer this feature to stay competitive.

More businesses are transitioning over to web based email platforms every day, and it is important to understand some of the security and privacy concerns related to them.  You can read the publication from the Ontario Information & Privacy Commissioner here.