Telecom for Dummies

Description

* Worldwide telecom spending was over $4 trillion in 2004, and virtually all 12 million businesses in the U.S. buy phone and other telecom services
* Our book shows people at small and medium-sized businesses how to make sense of telecom lingo and get the best deals
* Includes an overview of the major players in the telecom industry and an easy-to-understand explanation of the existing telecom infrastructure
* Helps people pinpoint the telecom services best suited to their business needs, understand billing, and troubleshoot problems
* Covers emerging industry trends, such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), and how they can help businesses cut costs

CONTENTS:

Introduction.

  Part I: The ABCs of Telecom Service.

  
Chapter 1: A Buyer’s Scoop on Telecom.

  
Chapter 2: Making (And Living with) Telecom Decisions.

  
Chapter 3: Getting Around the Telecom Neighborhood.

  Part II: Reviewing Telecom Products and Prices.

  
Chapter 4: Understanding Dedicated Service Requirements.

  
Chapter 5: Meeting Toll-Free Service, the Red-Headed Stepchild of Telecom.

  
Chapter 6: Getting the Non-Accountant’s Guide to Your Phone Bill.

  Part III: Ordering and Setting Up Telecom Service.

  
Chapter 7: Ordering Regular Phone Lines and New Long-Distance Service.

  
Chapter 8: Ordering Dedicated Service.

  
Chapter 9: Ordering Toll-Free Service.

  
Chapter 10: Activating Your Dedicated Circuit and Toll-Free Numbers.

  Part IV: Taking Care of Your Telecom System.

  
Chapter 11: Maintaining Your Telecom Services.

  
Chapter 12: Troubleshooting Switched Network Issues.

  
Chapter 13: Troubleshooting Your Dedicated Circuits.

  
Part V: What’s Hot (Or Just Geeky) in the Telecom World.

  
Chapter 14: Transferring Data, Not Just Voice Content.

  
Chapter 15: Riding the Internet Wave: VoIP.

  Part VI: The Part of Tens.

  
Chapter 16: Ten Acronyms and What They Really Mean.

  
Chapter 17: Ten Troublesome Telecom Traits to Avoid.

  
Chapter 18: Ten Places to Go for Hints and Help.

  
Appendix: Making a Loopback Plug.

  Index.