TDS: If pandemic or other disasters hit, virtual business office deliver business continuity

Virtual offices can also lower overhead expenses and increase employee productivity.

For more information contact:

Cindy Tomlinson, Associate Manager – PR

TDS Telecommunications Corp.

608-664-4471 / cindy.tomlinson@tdstelecom.com

(Dec. 3, 2009) — If a pandemic hits, or H1N1 predictions become reality, virtual offices will be critical to business continuity. When a child is sick, and parents must stay home to care for them, a virtual office makes it possible for parents to stay home to care for their child and get their work projects done.

Even if there aren’t any health pandemics or natural disasters, according to TDS Telecommunications Corp. (TDS®), virtual offices can also help lower facility costs and provide employees the flexibility to spend more time with customers. Tools available to help virtual business offices control costs and increase revenue and employee productivity include online collaboration tools, VoIP (Voice over IP), and managed services.

Online collaboration tools enable businesses to conduct virtual meetings which can be recorded and then posted on internal or external Web sites for customers or employees to watch anytime from anywhere.

VoIP provides enterprise-class phone capabilities and more easily connects satellite offices together. Not only do VoIP systems deliver ROI, these systems also offer increased productivity and operational efficiencies, greater mobility (features include simultaneous ring, call forwarding, and email notification of messages) and call control.

Managed services include security, file storage, and backup. Adding managed network security services, like routers and firewalls, to existing hardware and software layers provides businesses with some of the greatest level of data security. Using an off-site, online, data backup service provides easy access and retrieval of data 24/7/365. It also delivers extra layers of security automatically supplied by the network provider.

Virtual tools may be the answer for businesses looking to do more with less. Learn more at http://www.tdsbusiness.com/ROI or call 1-866-9-TDSBIZ (1-866-983-7249).