In business, it is very important to have good relations with clients and partners. Of course, the best you can do is to always stick to your promises and deals terms, be honest and try to satisfy all needs they have. But it is also important to demonstrate them from time to time that you evaluate them.

Calling cards may serve well to such a need. Coming up with giving various branded souvenirs as presents seems to be a good idea. But those keychains, coffee cups, T-shirts etc. are, well, very ordinary. People use them as presents too often. They are impersonal and you end up just as another one in the long list of companies bringing keychains, T-shirts etc.

Calling cards are something different. First - they are useful. Their usability is maybe one of their most powerful advantages. You don’t need a keychain if you have 100 more, do you? But a calling card is always a superb gift as it is useful. And it is great for branding. Customizable calling cards can be purchased from almost every calling cards provider and we shouldn’t tell you how many guys there are to print everything you wish on this small piece of plastic. Second - though calling cards make up a temporarily present (account money expires sooner or later), they are unique.Even when account turns empty, people remember you. As you’ve treated them with something original and, once again, very useful. They may have hundreds of keychains and coffee mugs, but they’ll remember your gift as it differs significantly from everything else.

Two years ago, Siemens Business Services, SAP and Intel Corporation teamed up to develop a joint RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) package for first-time users. Now, Siemens Communications and Intel are reuniting to form a brand-new technology relationship.

The two industry behemoths have agreed to work collaboratively to create open unified communications solutions based on VoIP. The partnership includes an agreement to jointly fund and cooperatively conduct research focused on secure wireless networks and real-time open unified communications in the short term as well as work together longer term to create comprehensive vertical industry collaboration solutions to drive business process optimization for key market segments such as telecommunications service providers, financial services and digital healthcare.

Additional components of the agreement call for the two companies to establish joint market development efforts focused on the enterprise and service provider sectors. The overall goal of the joint effort is to demonstrate real time communications solutions for business process optimization using Intel architecture such as Intel dual-core technology and carrier class Rack Mounted Servers (RMS) from Intel and the HiPath 8000 and OpenScape from Siemens. The first step is to demonstrate the OpenScape platform running applications such as Personal Portal, Unified Communications, Video and Voice Conferencing and Mobile Clients. Intel and Siemens expect to present findings and display the first wave of technology solutions developed at the Intel lab to selected customers by the fourth quarter of 2006.
According to Gordon Graylish, vice president of the sales and marketing group and general manager of Europe, Middle-East and Africa (EMEA), “As a result of this collaboration, enterprise customers will be able to avail themselves of unified communications based on the industry’s highest performance and most cost effective architecture.”
The partnership arrives on the heels of Intel’s announcement to restructure the company. As a result of the restructuring, the company expects to generate savings in costs and operating expenses of approximately $2 billion in 2007. In 2008, Intel expects savings from this restructuring to grow to approximately $3 billion annually.
The savings are a combination of non-workforce related steps and a significant reduction in Intel’s workforce. The company’s employee population will decline to approximately 95,000 by the end of this year, resulting from workforce reductions, attrition and previously announced actions. The workforce will decline to approximately 92,000 by the middle of 2007 – 10,500 fewer than the company’s employee population at the end of the second quarter of 2006.
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Cindy Waxer is a Toronto-based freelance journalist specializing in business and technology. She has written for publications including TIME, Fortune Small Business, Business 2.0, Computerworld, Canadian Business, and Workforce Management. To see more of her articles, please visit Cindy Waxer’s columnist page.

When you’re looking for long distance phone plans there are many different choices and choosing the best option can be daunting at times. In this article we will talk about the different options you might have when looking for long distance plans and some of the pros and cons of each option. One of the most common types of long distance phone plans is traditional switched long distance. This type of service requires you to have local phone service and choose a long distance carrier. Then you must go through a sign up and verification process to begin using the service. Then, you have 10 10 long distance services (dial arounds). These days, cell phones give you free long distance as part of your service. However, these calls do count against your airtime. So, be careful and make your long distance calls accordingly or during off peak times. VOIP is another great option for unlimited domestic long distance and this type of service generally has some pretty decent international long distance rates. However, by far, the best long distance rates are available through pre-paid long distance phone plans. The only catch is that you have to make sure and select a good service to avoid hidden charges and fees and there are many to choose from. Pre-paid long distance phone plans can be used from any phone and even have many convenient features such as, pinless dialing, speed dialing, online call detail, etc. These days there are so many options as mentioned above that it can be confusing. But, based on years of research in this area, quality pre-paid long distance phone plans are generally your best bet. … continue reading

The Internet is a good source of prepaid phone cards, as most sites give you information and rates for calling to and from various countries. You can buy online, get the pin number by email and start talking. Your prepaid balance is reduced as you go on making calls, until your amount is entirely used up. Most of the card dealers sell their cards online through websites that specialize in international calling cards.

In these days of information overload, taking a simplistic look at what you need to know when purchasing a prepaid phone card is the best way to go. The three basic factors to consider when purchasing a prepaid phone card are;

1. The total cost of using the card
   2. Features offered by the card
   3. Reputation for the company selling the card
2. Let’s break these three factors down quickly. The total cost of using the card includes the rate per minute for domestic or international calling, and any additional fees or surcharges for using the card. Generally speaking a lower rate per minute typically increases the chances of a hidden surcharge. If the rate per minute seems too good to be true it probably is. However, rates per minute for making International calls can be substantially lower when using a prepaid phone card. Calling card marketing plans are very focused, so shop around and find the best rate plan for your calling needs. Look for hidden surcharges like connection fees, 3 minute rounding, and monthly maintenance fees that all add to the total cost of using the card.

2. Some calling cards today offer great features that make them very convenient to use. They include Pin-less dialing, auto recharge, and speed dial to name a few. Pin-less dialing allows you to register your PIN, when you call back for future calls the system recognizes your phone number or ANI in the phone world, which allows you to make calls without entering your PIN number. Auto recharge allows you to set up a pre determined recharge on your card. I.E. at 2.00 recharge my card back to $20.00 this way a call is never interrupted at an inconvenient time. Speed dial allows you to register frequently called numbers for quick convenient dialing.

3. There are many options today in buying prepaid calling cards. With choice comes risk. Although I am somewhat biased as a Product Manager for a major Telecommunications company I think the reputation of the company you buy from is important. Many companies come and go in this business. Shop the major Telecoms as your basis for determining what is a good deal. Then ask yourself is it worth the risk for this rate? Will this company be in business next week? We see many companies offering cards below our cost, and we sell them the time on our lines for the long distance?? Generally speaking the major retailers that sell cards use the major Telecommunications companies as the backbone for the long distance time on the card. Shop around and find the best plan for you and don’t forget the reputation for the company. MCI offers great low rates on phone cards without hidden fees. We offer features that make our cards easy to use. Look for our cards at major retailers near you.

Everybody wants to make cheaper phone calls and save on his phone bill. VoIP is the best alternative for people that wish to save on their phone bills. VoIP companies offer a great alternative to the traditional phone companies. If you are making a lot of long distance calls VoIP is definitely your best choice. … continue reading

Using a prepaid phone card offers many advantages over more traditional calling means with consumers "jumping on board the bandwagon" and making the switch.

Going online has opened up even more avenues for shoppers to save. STI phonecards have been one of the online trendsetters, not just offering a prepaid phone card service but also excellent advice in purchasing cards online. If you are still "a little wet behind the ears" when it comes to using prepaid cards then the following tips will give you plenty of reason to switch from more expensive traditional methods.

Advantages Of Prepaid Phone Cards

• You can save a lot of money using calling cards. Phone bills can be cut by up to 50%. Companies such as STI Phone Card suggest the saving can be up to 80%.
• Prepaid calling cards are excellent as a means of saving on long distance and overseas calls. Whether for travellers who find them convenient, especially from hotels or simply calling from home, then costs can be cut significantly.
• People migrating to other countries can now stay in touch with family and friends much more cheaply today than 20 years ago.
• Prepaid phone cards eliminate the need to use money, particularly handy when you don't have any change and need to make a call urgently.

Are there any disadvantages? Sure, but these are few and far between. With some calling cards there may be hidden costs associated with phoning from public places such as hotels. Generally, you have a time limit on how long you can use your phone card. In most instances, cards will expire after three months. Balance transfer of minutes left is also usually disallowed.

Finding A Reputable Company

The phone card industry was rife with unscrpulous operators several years ago however, tighter security restrictions have helped clean it up significantly. It's strongly advised to stick with the major players when you go online. Bigger operators such as STi Phone Cards have strong security controls and stricy privacy policies.

Check a sites recommendations. Scan the web page and look for security seals and recommendations such as from the Better Business Bureau. The more you find the better the signs are the company is on the level.

It's a big plus if a company has a live customer support base. It's even better if you can get to them right away and 24 hours a day. Avoid dealing with email only companies and if you do, send them an email and and look for a response within 24 hours.

Hidden Costs

Watch out for hidden costs. This is the biggest issue with prepaid phone cards and one where many people have difficulty with. Always ask and always get it in writing. I know reading terms and conditions is mundane and boring but they are there for a reason and usually, any extra costs with a card were clearly listed in the terms and conditions.

Prepaid calling cards will save you money in the long run but perform a little due diligence initially and you'll have a happy experience using them.

Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP for short) is one of the latest discovery in the field of communication. The simple function upon which it sells itself is the factor that it uses the Internet to make calls. Endowed with several advantages, VoIP is believed to be one of the best and the most economical ways to make calls to international locations today. Moreover, quite easy to set up and use, the service can be availed easily too.

As stated earlier, VoIP lets you make domestic and international calls through the Internet, wherein you are charged for the Internet facilities you are using during the call process. In this condition, you have to pay only the local call charges and the usual Internet expenses. Thus, it makes no difference whether you are calling an international location or domestic one since the charges will remain the same. Thus, for companies operating in different countries, and for people who make a lot of international calls, VoIP is the best solution to cut down on telephone bills and save plenty of money.

Further advancements have deployed Internet telephony (prepaid phone cards) to be availed free of cost. All you need is a headset, sound card, a computer and an Internet connection. The next thing you need to do is to download any of the many VoIP software packages like Skype, Net2Phone, Gizmo and Free World Dialup. After you have installed any of these softwares, ask all your friends or people you want to chat with to install the same software. After the software has been loaded on both sides, you are free to make calls.

Not only is this service seamless, but quite economical too. Using VoIP solution assures you better voice quality than what you get on traditional calling. Moreover, VoIP enabled phones are equipped with several features like call forwarding, voice mail box, redial button and call records, which make the communication easier. Portability is another important feature attached with it. Even when you are travelling, you can make calls through Internet telephony.

Prepaid calling cards have been a rapidly-growing business, as well as an alternative mode for calling locally or overseas, for the past 10 years. In the early years, prepaid phone cards were marked with lots of problems, until things got stable today, and the choices have widened. At present, the consumer can find a lot of suppliers of prepaid calling cards, which have relatively similar rates. As the technology gets even better in the coming years, it is expected that the prepaid call card sector will play a major role in the global telecommunications business.

As early as ten years ago, few people had easy access to phone cards. Today, everyone can buy them at gas stations, supermarkets, discount stores, post offices, airports, and on the Internet. Collectors have magazines, newsletters, auctions, and on-line sites such as the Phone Card Market Report.

Prepaid Calling Cards Offer Low Rates

The significant reason why prepaid calling cards offer very low rates to call internationally or domestic is because the technology they employ is different. Firms selling phone cards use a combination of VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) and regular lines to maintain a balance between call quality and low costs.

Also, since the calling cards are pre-paid, which means you pay in advance for the amount of talk time you'll be having, there are some other costs reduced, like the ones for collections or debt retrieval. Regular phone firms use a different technology, which is far more expensive and therefore they charge higher fees, which generally reflect in your monthly bill. However, that doesn't mean that they couldn't lower their costs, but since the money is coming in, this is not an option for them in the meantime.

Prepaid Phone Cards Offer More Than Just Low Costs

And if the low call costs and quality are not good enough for people, here's another good reason for using prepaid call cards: You have control over how much you pay. With calling cards, you put a certain amount, and usually you can find calling cards for around $5, $10, $20, $50, and other denominations, on your calling card. You could use the talk time at your convenience, as well as you can check at any time the balance on the pin and if you decide to get some more, just repeat the process.

The ease of use is the main factor consumers gobble up prepaid call cards. No bills and no hassles. Customers can enjoy their calls without having a huge bill on their doorsteps every month, while having low rates and good connectivity.

Choosing which prepaid call card to purchase can be a headache sometimes. New issuers and firms continually enter the market, pricing is so competitive, and consumer protection is sometimes spotty. Consumers need to ask themselves several questions and find answers that can help them make a safe and informed prepaid card purchasing decision. For long conversations, however, a calling card may be a better option. First, the longer the call, the less the surcharge affects the overall bill. Second, depending on your phone carrier, you might be able to take advantage of special weekend or nighttime discounts. And third, you need not worry about running out of time. Prepaid call cards do provide a security advantage: When a card is lost or stolen, you lose only the balance on your card.

When you are seperated from your loved ones, missing them could be one hell of an ordeal. The stress it may bring is almost tantamount to mental torture. Distance is often the most fearsome test for relationships to withstand. What if a person has been away for too long? The tendency is that the person desserted or even both parties cope through looking for other activities with the attempt to make preoccupation forget the loneliness or homesickness a person feels.

The rigors and melancholy that these trying times could bring may be alleviated. It's as easy as getting the phone, dialing the phone number of that person and talking to that person. Calling your loved one more often and a lot longer is a surefire way to surmount that "abandoned" feeling. Also, when talking to your loved ones, you will feel like you are home again.

But, now the real problem is what if you need to be tight on your budget? Phonecards used for international calls often come with a hefty price tag. How do you deal with that when there's some tuition, utilities and other bills waiting for you to act on?

Don't be scared. This article will give you some ways for you to save on international calls.

One way for you to not pinch much from your wallet while making that awaited international call is to know what kind of phone will receive your call. Overseas calls to mobile devices such as pagers and cellphones can cost you much more than when you call to a land line phone. This is because of the system called "calling party pays" employed by several overseas carriers. Ask your honey if she can just look for a landline instead of calling her through her latest Nokia.

How about getting some help from your good old smooth operator? Not a good idea. Unless your call is for an emergency, don't let the operator sweet talk you. You'll see that what you can pay for only a few cents per minute could cost you some precious dollars after asking an operator to assist you with your call. Go PPC? No, it's not about your pubo-coccygeal muscles or those Internet marketing hype known as pay-per-click!

It's about using prepaid phone cards. Enjoy the convenience of not having to think of your bills after making that international call through the use of prepaid phone cards. Just make sure that you don't fall for the mistake of buying expired cards or those that have high connection and maintenance fee. Opt for pre-paid plans. If you're not a prepaid card person despising all the fuss on knowing first all the hidden charges, prepaid plans could be of great help for you to save your hard-earned bucks.

Websites that especially cater to those who'd really like to save on their international calls abound. Choose what will not burn much of your time and what you're most comfortable with. With these tips on how to save on your international calls, you don't have to look for other activities to just resist the temptation of making that international call. Call your family, friends, and other important persons in your life. In the next articles, I will post more about other ways to keep your wallet full, but keep your heart feels light and warm.