So it looks like the Digital Economy bill is to pass into law and, after a hectic three days with over 14,000 tweets using the #debill tag, with it potentially draconian measures against those who persistently infringe copyright.

Whilst alterations were made in the final readings with regards the potential slowing down or even cutting off of offenders broadband the end effect appears to be the same – if you allow your internet connection to be used for illegal downloads you could be cut off.

So what measures can you take to avoid that? Well first and foremost if you have a wi-fi network in your home or office make sure it is secure. Most wireless routers these days come with security enabled as a default. Check that yours is enabled and preferably using a method called WPA rather than WEP.  WEP can be hacked in a matter of minutes by anyone with just a little bit of knowledge.  WPA is much, much harder.

The way that our computers find there way around the internet is by using special directories called Domain Name Servers (DNS). The great thing is that DNS can also be used to provide protection from certain types of website. A great way to do this is through a free service called OpenDNS. It’s quick and simple to set up and works no matter who uses your internet connection.

If you run a wi-fi hotspot then you really should be using a solution that manages users and records their details. BizKitz has it’s own solution aiirpoint that it is rolling out across the UK. aiirpoint provides a fully managed service and revenue stream for hotels, cafes, caravan sites and the like.

In all it’s our opinion that the Digital Economy Bill will enhance the internet for most users. P2P file sharing and other illegal activity have an impact on us all and as long as we take the right precautions to protect ourselves the internet should be a better and quicker place.

World famous privateer Superbike team Jentin Racing based in Gloucestershire have chosen BizKitz to update their team communications systems. With new sponsors BMW for the 2010 season it was decided that the team needed to ensure that its telephone systems were capable of handling increased call volume from suppliers and fans alike.

BizKitz were called in to undertake a review of the current setup and recommended a new Cisco system. In fact the savings from switching telecoms supplier to BizKitz will more than pay for the new system. And since more than 50% of the phone bill was spent calling mobiles, direct calling to the mobile network through a Fixed Cellular Terminal (FCT) will make a significant impact.

Alongside the Cisco system and FCT, VoIP will be used for outgoing calls leaving the landline free for incoming calls more than doubling the capacity. In addition BizKitz are providing new mobile phones for the teams’ management and fax to email services enabling them to pick up faxes whilst at the track.

Catherine Castle, Managing Director of BizKitz said “We are please that a leading privateer team such as Jentin have chosen to work with BizKitz a privateer telecoms supplier to supercharge their communications. We look forward to a long lasting and winning relationship.”

When it comes to inbound calling solutions the answer really is yes.

It’s quiet amazing what technology can achieve and how that can be applied. Not long ago you had a telephone number and it came through on one line to a single phone or phone system. If you wanted it to go somewhere else then you needed a second line and a special box that would connect the two together. After that Call Divert was introduced but that was still a somewhat limited product.

These days you can route your call just about anywhere. A simple one to one divert can be put into place instantly with changes taking immediate effect but with people wanting instant communication is that enough?

“The choices are endless and if it doesn’t exist we’ll build it.” That’s the response of our technical team and they have produced a range of products to prove it. Follow Me allows you to divert without worry – not answering your desk phone? it will try your mobile or home. And it’s intelligent too – if it gets a busy tone it sends the caller to voicemail because…  you’re on the phone.

How about a product that announces it’s a business call and which business it’s for when you answer. Great for home workers who have just one line or use their personal one mobile.

Love them or hate them IVR systems are here to stay and one of the easiest ways to make your business look bigger than it really is. IVR or Auto Attendant is where you get to select which person or department you want to speak to by choosing from different options.

They used to cost thousands and take weeks to implement yet we are now able to offer a system that is up and running in minutes and costs very little. Calls can be diverted anywhere, to multiple numbers and based on different criteria. We are able to have many levels so for example you could first choose support, then the product you need support for, next you can be asked common questions and typical solution responses given. Once you have worked through the options the final level would pass you to a support person. For many businesses this reduces the number of staff required substantially.

At the end of the day only you know what solution your business needs. If you have a need then the answers yes. Now what was the question?

Do you have a telephone system that has in-built voicemail? If so then read on and it could save you thousands.

Voicemail is the latest tool being used by fraudsters to steal thousand of pounds from unsuspecting businesses. Many systems have been left with default or easy to guess password settings and using this theives can hack into the system and route calls back out to premium numbers.

The modus operandi seems to be to hack in on a Friday evening after everyone has left for the weekend and gain access to as many lines as possible. They can then rack up thousands of pounds to premium numbers and have disappeared by Monday morning. The first time the business finds out is when they receive their bill with figures of £10,000 and more being common.

Whilst many telecoms companies, including ourselves, use anti-fraud monitoring to alert us to unusual calling patterns the bill can still run into hundreds.

This is a fairly easy crime to prevent – just make sure that all your voicemail passwords have been changed to something more complicated than 1234 or 0000 and ensure your telecoms provider uses anti-fraud control.

Welcome to Bizkitz new blog. Here we will be talking about the kind of work we do and what’s happening in the world of telecommunications.

We’re very excited by what’s coming up in 2010. Unified Communications, where telecoms meets IT in the real world is top of our list this year. Voice over IP has come along way since Skype first brought it to the masses and these days, when every penny counts, it is not only often the most cost effective solution but also has the quality of normal telephone lines.

Many of the companies we deal are using PBX systems with 4 lines. They also have a fax line and business broadband connection.

With our range of Cisco equipment they could have a brand new system with 8 handsets with full installation and training that works over their broadband connection and eliminates the need for the other 4 lines. The savings on the lines alone will pay for the new system using our 0% finance option, and this is before you add in any call savings.

So what is Unified Communications? Well at the moment you will have your phone system and your computer network. They are both completely separate. By bringing them together we reduce costs and increase flexibility. There are several parts to the system – the control box, your computers and the handsets. The control box as router, wi-fi access point, firewall and phone system complete with voicemail and fax to email. Your computers and handsets plug into this unit and it’s clever enough to know which is which. By using the one unit it ensures that when you make a phone call that takes priority over your internet browsing.

The handsets themselves have all the features you would expect – hold, transfer, directory etc. They can also have colour screens, be used as web browsers or have news feeds displayed. With some systems you can take the handset home, plug it into your home broadband and it will automatically become part of your office network just as if you were there. We have systems that integrate with your databases showing you who is calling and opening their records on your computer. Some allow you to dial from any web page or phone number displayed on your computer screen.

The list of features is endless and we hope to discuss some of them in more detail in future blogs.