Skincare Testing and Marketing Company Moves from Open Source VoIP to Hosted Unified Communications

Atlanta, GA (Vocus) February 19, 2010

Cypress Communications? adds another company to its already robust lineup of hosted unified communications customers. CuDerm Corporation, a skincare testing and marketing firm with employees who work onsite as well as remotely, transitioned from a well-known open source VoIP platform to Cypress' C4 IP? hosted unified communications solution. C4 IP was selected for its ease of use, cost advantages and expansive feature set.

"Our number one priority is to communicate effectively with our customers and vendors, and C4 IP helps us achieve that goal far better than our previous solution," said John DeRudder, vice president at CuDerm Corporation. "The open source platform we were using before C4 IP took a lot of time to manage and placed too much of a burden on our internal resources. We were sold on the idea of open source because of what we could supposedly do with it, but it proved to be too difficult. We had to hire a third-party contractor to set it up, and then we had to hire a consultant to come back in and fix issues with the original setup. Even after all of that, the quality of the service was average at best."

Ultimately, CuDerm opted to overhaul the way their employees connect and communicate. The company evaluated six providers and selected Cypress' C4 IP hosted unified communications solution.

"C4 IP is far superior to anything we used previously," DeRudder continued. "What stood out about C4 IP was the solution's ease of use and cost, as well as Cypress' reputation as a service provider. The hosted delivery model, where Cypress manages everything, was much more appealing than what we had before. There is immense value in being able to pick up the phone when we have a question or issue and knowing that Cypress will take care of it."

C4 IP comes complete with an array of capabilities, but the features that have the biggest impact on CuDerm's operations are the audio conferencing, unified messaging, call routing and soft phones.

"We now have the capabilities to hold conference calls and have people dial-in on an 800 number, which is much more professional than what we had before. The unified messaging feature is essential because it enables us to receive voicemails as email attachments that we can listen to from anywhere. Our sales personnel use the call routing feature, which is a huge time saver because they can route calls to multiple locations and devices. For our offsite employees, the soft client allows them to make and receive calls from their laptops and still be a part of the enterprise," DeRudder said.

Frank Grillo, executive vice president of marketing and customer support at Cypress Communications, added, "The prospect of open source technologies can be enticing, but the amount of technical expertise required, extensive capital investments and intricate integration creates complexities that can render them unfeasible for many of today's small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs). As a hosted solution, C4 IP comes complete with all of the hardware and software required, along with a knowledgeable provider to manage the solution from the network to the phone on each desk. Companies like CuDerm can focus on their core competencies while we provide a top-notch communications experience."

Named for its ability to help SMEs connect, communicate, collaborate and continue?, C4 IP is a hosted VoIP and hosted unified communications solution that is managed from Cypress' private network cloud to the phone on each desk. It comes complete with voice and data connectivity, IP phones, soft phones, unified messaging and an array of advanced functionality such as chat, presence, file and desktop sharing, desktop video as well as audio, video and Web conferencing.

About CuDerm Corporation

Over the past 20 years CuDerm has developed a unique line of inexpensive, compact, and easy-to-use skin testers. From universities and hospitals to R&D labs of top cosmetic and skin care companies, CuDerm's testers are the established standard for skin assessment. SEBUTAPE?, D-SQUAME? and REPLICA help your customer to determine their skin's oiliness, dryness and texture. For more information, visit http://www.cuderm.com .

About Cypress Communications

For over 25 years, Cypress Communications has been helping small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) connect, communicate, collaborate and continue? with a range of fully hosted and managed voice, data and Internet solutions. Beginning in 2006, Cypress revolutionized the communications industry with its hosted VoIP and hosted unified communications solution, C4 IP, making it easy for SMEs to take advantage of productivity-enhancing technology such as integrated audio and web conferencing, multimedia collaboration tools, presence, chat, Microsoft? Outlook integration , and more. As a Deloitte Fast 50 and Fast 500 award recipient, Cypress is recognized as one of the fastest growing telecommunication companies in North America. In 2008, the company was also named one of Atlanta's Best Places to Work. Cypress has won a total of 24 awards for excellence and product innovation to date. The company's web address is http://www.cypresscom.net.

To learn more about hosted unified communications, visit the company's UC 360 blog at http://blog.tmcnet.com/uc-360.

For more information, contact:

Heather Whitt Roberts

Cypress Communications

404-442-0034????

? 2006-2010 Cypress Communications, Inc. The Cypress Communications logo is a registered service mark of Cypress Communications, Inc. C4 IP and Connect. Communicate. Collaborate and Continue are registered trademarks of Cypress Communications. All other marks used herein are the property of their respective owners.

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No Busy Signals for 80,000 Home-Based Consultants at Fast-Growing, Direct Sales Company Thirty-One Gifts

San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) January 26, 2012

Cyara Solutions, a pioneer of next-generation premise and cloud solutions for simulating, testing and monitoring interactive voice response (IVRs) and contact center systems and applications, today announced that Thirty-One Gifts, an Ohio-based direct selling company which sells stylish and organizational products, implemented the Cyara Solution Suite ensuring the successful deployment and upgrade of their new SIP-based contact center routing platform.

Over 80,000 independent consultants call the contact center for service on web-based customer orders, resulting in tremendous end-of-the month and seasonal spikes in call volumes. Critical to the success of the business is making sure consultants reach representatives and do not receive busy signals when calling in for support. Due to tremendous company growth, IVR port capacity was increased and a new SIP-based contact center routing platform was deployed; Cyara was used to load test and validate the new platform infrastructure.

?Making sure calls were routed successfully and that we had no voice degradation was the point of the testing,? says Chuck Sunker, Manager of Consultant Support Systems at Thirty-One. During the testing phase, the company discovered only half of their port capacity was operational due to a configuration issue between their switch and carrier.

Just three days after deployment, Thirty-One exceeded the pre-test port capacity with end-of-the month calls, which would have resulted in consultants getting busy signals had they not identified and fixed the issue, says Sunker.

?I would say without a doubt after the first load test, when we found the 50 percent port capacity restraint, it was instantly justified to me that this is a great investment,? says Sunker. ?We certainly found issues that we wouldn?t have found without Cyara.?

Cyara?s automated load testing also enabled Thirty-One to identify flaws in routing logic and make tweaks which improved their calls-per-second metric says Sunker. ?Cyara proved very intuitive, had an attractive price point and gave us the control we needed in running our own testing scenarios.?

The Cyara Solution Suite provides a complete suite of products for testing speech-enabled IVRs and contact center applications from initial deployment through subsequent modifications, fine-tuning ongoing operations in production to ensure exemplary system operation and customer experience.

?Ensuring home-based sales consultants get the phone support and care they need is critical to the success of a direct sales company like Thirty-One,? says Alok Kulkarni, CEO, Cyara. ?We are extremely pleased Thirty-One Gifts chose Cyara and that our solution contributes to their ability to deliver excellent customer support to their hard-working consultants,? says Kulkarni.

About Cyara Solutions

Cyara Solutions is helping Fortune 500 companies around the world redefine their customer service through a better contact center experience. Cyara is a pioneer of next-generation premise and cloud-based solutions for simulating, testing and monitoring IVRs, Voice Biometrics, Outbound Dialers, Voice Callback and Contact Centers. Cyara performs automated load and functional testing and production monitoring of contact center infrastructure and application components, testing companies? end-to-end contact center customer and agent experience in a repeatable, automated manner. Cyara ensures exemplary system operation emulating live calls without requiring or impeding live customers or agents.

For more information please http://www.cyarasolutions.com and connect with Cyara on LinkedIn.

About Thirty-One Gifts

Thirty-One is one of the fastest growing direct-selling companies in the country and is the #1 direct-selling brand of exclusive, stylish and practical handbags, fashion accessories, totes, and organization solutions. Through the direct-sales Party Plan model, Thirty-One offers exclusive products for the home and a woman?s busy lifestyle ? all of which are available through a Thirty-One Independent Consultant in your area. Thirty-One corporate headquarters is located in Columbus, OH. For more information, visit http://www.thirtyonegifts.com.

? 2011 Cyara Solutions. All rights reserved. The Cyara Solutions logo and the names and marks associated with Cyara Solutions products are trademarks and/or service marks of Cyara Solutions and are registered and/or common law marks in the United States and various other countries. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.

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SHOEBACCA.COM Announces New President of Company

Dallas, TX (PRWEB) February 9, 2011 ?

SHOEBACCA.com is pleased to announce that Lee Harris has accepted the position of President, effective March 1, 2011.

?We couldn?t be more excited about Lee coming on board,? says Tim Siemers, Director of Marketing for SHOEBACCA.com. ?We feel that Lee brings invaluable experience to our leadership team, which will act as a catalyst for our continued growth.?

Lee has over 25 years of experience in the footwear industry. He began his career at Nordstrom, working his way up from Sales to Lead Footwear Buyer. Lee then spent 13 years with adidas America, where he worked as Closeout Sales Manager, GMM for the outlet division, and later as Strategic Sales Director, where he was responsible for over $ 160 million in sales.

?SHOEBACCA.com is rapidly becoming the premier shopping destination for savvy shoppers,? says Lee. ?I look forward to the opportunity to help SHOEBACCA.com expand its business even further.?

About SHOEBACCA.com

SHOEBACCA.COM got its very humble beginnings when two community-minded brothers started selling used name-brand athletic shoes to underprivileged families at local neighborhood markets. Along with those early grass-roots efforts, they also shipped truckloads of shoes to areas all over the world, primarily to third-world countries where the need was greatest. This became the inspiration for SHOEBACCA.com, and helped set the tone for this new business and outreach program.

Officially formed in 2002, SHOEBACCA.com identified an opportunity to extend its reach by establishing itself as a reseller on eBay. After a number of successful years operating on eBay?s platform, SHOEBACCA.com launched a full-scale retail website in the spring of 2008. Through word of mouth, SHOEBACCA.com quickly became a leader in the online footwear retail market, offering thousands of styles by many of the world?s best shoe brands at competitive prices. Attention was immediately placed on growth through proper placement, innovative technologies, competitive shipping processes, and professional customer service.

?We have the latest in shoes, apparel, and accessories from household brands like adidas, Converse, Asics, Puma, Reebok, The North Face, Skechers, Keen, Sorel, and New Balance,? adds Tim. ?And you can easily find the perfect pair by using our custom filtration technology. Customers can shop and filter by gender, category, color, size, width, and brand. We make it easy to find what you are looking for with the least amount of effort.?

SHOEBACCA.com offers free ground shipping, free return shipping, 110% price matching, and unparalleled customer service. Complete satisfaction is guaranteed with our exclusive no-risk shopping experience.

Customers can sign up for the SHOEBACCA.com newsletter to receive the latest news on brands and styles, as well as exclusive discounts. Follow SHOEBACCA.com on Facebook or Twitter to receive up-to-the-minute announcements.

SHOEBACCA.com is dedicated to helping the community locally and nationally by supporting various youth organizations and charities. SHOEBACCA.com has worked with Soles4Souls, American Cancer Society Relay for Life, Salvation Army, National MS Society, The Boys and Girls Clubs of America, and many other worthy organizations. In addition, SHOEBACCA.com assembled an amazing 80-rider volunteer cycling team that has participated in events like the Bike MS Bay to Bay Tour. The team was able to raise over $ 70,000 in total donations to help this cause, and continues to ride at various charity events across the country.

SHOEBACCA.com is a full-scale online retail footwear company dedicated to helping customers and their families lead active, healthy lifestyles. With thousands of styles from the world?s most popular brands, it?s easy to find your SOLE mate at SHOEBACCA.com.

Contact:

Tim Siemers

888-446-1788

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Agents from Northern Virginia Real Estate Company Get Motivated at RE/MAX International Sales Rally

Fairfax, VA (PRWEB) January 27, 2012

The RE/MAX Central Atlantic Region recently hosted a series of networking, sales and motivational events for its membership. RE/MAX Select Properties, a Northern Virginia Real Estate Company, took full advantage of the tips and strategies presented at the recent agent rally. Together, broker/owners, agents, and staff walked away with great confidence and desire to boost business in today?s tough real estate market.

Complete with two of the most motivational and respected speakers in the industry, Craig Zablocki and Bondilyn Jolly, the RE/MAX Select Properties team was able to re-energize, re-focus and network with their colleagues at the well-attended half-day event.

Broker/Co-Owner Phyllis Stakem said, ?RE/MAX International presented a balanced afternoon with tech training as well as personal motivation. Our agents participated in a fun and informative day, learning techniques that can help them update some of their business systems.?????

Jolly, an internet entrepreneur and founder of the widely-used interactive marketing platform eMerge, covered how agents can incorporate social media tactics into their business, helping them adapt to today?s ever-changing digital landscape. Agents who commit to staying on the forefront of technology will be able to help more home buyers and sellers achieve their goals in an already challenging market.

Zablocki, an accomplished public speaker who focuses on bringing his humor to an organization, delivered an inspiring and motivational speech while urging attendees to live in the present and even more like children, uninhibited by the fear of what everyone else thinks. His message sought out solutions from the audience for today?s problems in the real estate industry, and empowered each attendee to want to continue down the path of success not only in business, but in life as well.

RE/MAX Select Properties has more than 50 Associates serving Loudoun County. To see a list of all RE/MAX Select Properties listings, to find a real estate professional and for more information on their fundraising efforts visit http://www.myselectproperties.com or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

About RE/MAX Select Properties, Inc.

RE/MAX Select Properties was founded in 1987 in Sterling, Virginia by Jim and Phyllis Stakem. It has grown to a network of over 50 Sales Associates in three offices throughout Loudoun County, VA. RE/MAX Select Properties has the highest per agent annual production of any real estate franchise in the Northern Virginia Area.

RE/MAX Select Properties is proud to help raise money and support charitable organizations like, Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Children?s Miracle Network and The Loudoun Interfaith Relief.

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?The Complete Guide to Starting a Record Company? Gets a Third Edition ? Revised and Updated

Los Angeles, California (PRWEB) January 27, 2012

Music industry veteran, Keith Holzman?s 2004 book about breaking into the label game, ?The Complete Guide to Starting a Record Company?, is now being released in a revised and updated Third Edition, with up-to-date information on social media, digital distribution, and artist contracts.

The demand for this definitive guide is due in part to its use as a text for business of music courses at colleges and universities, including UCLA Extension, where Holzman frequently taught a course on the Independent Record Label. It?s also been a valuable text at Full Sail University, Austin Community College, and the State University of New York, among others. ?It?s amazing how many musicians and entrepreneurs are launching their own labels,? says Holzman. ?Too many, however, will find themselves in financial hot water if they don?t plan sufficiently ahead.? The book stresses sound marketing and financial strategy that helps its readers avoid many common mistakes.

This indispensable text for musicians and entrepreneurs who want to start and manage their own independent record labels takes readers by the hand and guides them through the many steps involved in building a record company. It includes numerous checklists, charts, diagrams and forms, along with ?clickable? URLs for more than 100 resources.

The 239-page book is available exclusively on the web and can be ordered from http://www.RecordCompanyStartup.com as a downloadable eBook (in Adobe Acrobat? PDF format) at a special re-introduction price of $ 19.95. The PDF is readable on most platforms, including iPad.

Keith is the principal of Solutions Unlimited, a management consultant specializing in the recording industry. He?s a trusted advisor and troubleshooter, skilled in providing solutions tailored to his clients? specific requirements. A seasoned record industry executive with more than four decades of experience in all aspects of running a label, he was President of ROM Records, Managing Director of Discovery Records, Senior Vice President of Elektra Records, and Director of Nonesuch Records. He is a professional member of the Institute of Management Consultants.

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