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Swyx launches its
first phone
Server-based IP telephony specialist Swyx has
entered new territory with the launch of its
first handset. The USB Handset P280 is the
first telephone designed and manufactured
by the company and is intended to be the first
in a series of Swyx hardware devices.
The USB-powered handset is optimised to
work with the SwyxWare software-based
unified communications solution and features
HD audio, integrated loudspeakers and a
hands-free mode.
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In a separate initiative, Swyx is rewarding
successful customer referrals with an
Apple iPad or iPod Touch. Anyone whose
recommendation leads to the signing up of a
new customer will receive an iPad for projects
of 50 SwyxWare licenses or more and an iPod
Touch for implementations of 25-49 users. To
participate, visit
www.swyx.com/products-
solutions/referral-campaign.html.
Purple patch
After several years of selling refurbished
mobile phones to consumers, Purple Gossip
is expanding its offering to include phone
repairs and dealer sales.
A sister company of printer cartridge and
mobile phone recycling specialist, The Recycling
Factory, Purple Gossip refurbishes and sells a
wide range of used mobile phones, smartphones
and tablets via its recently revamped website,
eBay and Amazon.
“The phones that we receive might have
scratched screens and cosmetic damage,”
explained Purple Gossip’s Cassandra Gonzalez.
“Where they can be refurbished they will be, for
example by replacing the screen, the housing or
the software.”
Once this has been done, the phones are
graded according to their cosmetic condition
(A, B or C) and sold with a 30-day guarantee.
Offering a huge range of devices from leading
brands, including unlocked and SIM-free models,
Purple Gossip caters for a broad spectrum of
users from older customer who just want a very
basic, simple phone to image-conscious iPhone
and iPad fans.
“We mainly sell to individuals who want a
replacement phone on a temporary basis; who
want an affordable phone; or who want to buy a
smartphone or tablet more cheaply,” Cassandra
explained.
“Demand for refurbished phones is increasing
as people look for cheaper alternatives, especially
with higher end products. Buying an iPad
brand new is very expensive, so giving people
somewhere they can buy them more cheaply is
part of our appeal.”
There is also the environmental benefit of
prolonging the life of a handset, which Purple
Gossip is enhancing with the launch of phone
repair and SIM unlocking services that will enable
customers to use their phones on other networks.
“Instead of buying something brand new, we
now give customers two options: to refurbish
their current phone and prolong the life of
the handset; or they have the option to buy
a refurbished phone that has been mended in
some way,” said Cassandra.
www.purplegossip.com
Salesforce is adding secure, cloud-based
instant messaging, presence and screen-
sharing to Chatter enterprise social networks.
Launched two years ago, Chatter.com is
a free, private and secure social network that
allows employees to connect with co-workers
and automatically receive updates on the people,
projects and files in which they are interested.
Since it was introduced, businesses worldwide
have created 150,000 active Chatter networks.
Chatter Messenger allows users to have
conversations with 1-10 people on Salesforce
Chatter and includes presence capability so that
employees can see which of their colleagues are
online in Salesforce and available to chat. Users
can carry on communicating even when they
minimise or visit another webpage by putting
Chatter Messenger into a separate browser
window.
Chatter Screensharing enables users to
share screens and presentations directly from a
chat session. Used in conjunction with Chatter
Messenger, employees can instantly launch
meetings and presentations with key teams and
groups.
In a survey of more than 5,500 customers,
Salesforce Chatter users reported a 33% increase
in employee productivity, a 34% increase in
employee engagement and satisfaction, a 29%
increase in innovation and idea generation,
a 26% reduction in email usage and a 25%
reduction in meetings.
www.salesforce.com/cloudcomputing
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TheSalesforce.com Foundation and Skills
for Growth Landmark have announced a new
apprentice programme to equip young adults
with the skills, training and hands-on experience
needed to be successful in today’s social
enterprises. The BizAcademy Apprenticeship
Programme is selecting 20 candidates for a six-
week intensive training programme, followed
by a two-year paid apprenticeship with a
salesforce.com customer or partner. Interested
candidates are encouraged to apply for the
BizAcademy Apprenticeship Programme at
www.notgoingtouni.co.uk/jobs/view/19579.
Salesforce adds IM to Chatter
Keep typing!
Meeting the needs of anyone who has replaced a notebook or netbook
with an iPad and suddenly found that they miss the convenience of
a keyboard, the KeyFolio range from Kensington Computer Products
Group combines an iPad protective cover with a notebook-size
keyboard that connects to the tablet via Bluetooth. There are a range
of styles available, with fixed or removable
keyboards, priced from £79.99 to £99.99.
www.kensington.com
Cheap and easy
CD duplication
Xerox has introduced
a simplified version of
its Disc Duplicators,
giving businesses a more
affordable means of
making multiple copies of
CDs and DVDs.
www.xeroxduplicator.
com/
magazine
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01732 759025