BCT Communication Systems Inc. and BCT Security Systems

EDIT: Feel free to comment with your own suggestions. With COVID-19 announcements coming from everyone, we feel we should jump in. The medical experts have sai...d to avoid contact with others, or objects handled by others, in order to reduce the spread of the virus. We won't argue with that, but it is usually not possible for businesses (or people) to completely avoid contact with people. So here are some suggestions, some of which are related to our services, and others not. Clean your phones with a disinfectant wipe. Your hand and face touch that thing. Especially if the phone is used by multiple people. That's multiple faces. Clean your security keypads. Lots of people probably touch it. Clean your cell phones, tablets, printers, photocopiers, steering wheels, or any other employee handled equipment. Clean your debit machine keypads, shared pens (or give them away), customer area chairs/tables, or anything else a customer may come in contact with. If staff are able/required to work from home, our hosted phones can be plugged in at home and it is still their extension, and calls out as the business number. If they are using a soft phone app already, then they are good to go. Other options include forwarding extensions to cell phones for incoming calls. Avoid unnecessary in-person meetings. Have a conference call (most phones can do a 3 way conference at a minimum), have an online meeting (lots of options, some free), or even just send emails. Wave instead of shaking hands or hugging. We're as friendly as can be but we're also anti-risk and anti-pandemic. And the usual: Wash hands a little more frequently. Don't touch your face. Cough/Sneeze into a tissue or your elbow. Stay home if feeling sick. Remember, this isn't just about avoiding getting sick. It's about being a carrier and possibly passing it on to someone with a compromised immune system or the medically fragile.

Happy #CanadaDay!

Excited for the future of combining two great local companies!

TOSHIBA EXITS THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS BUSINESS! At the end of March 2017, Toshiba announced they are closing up their telecommunications portion of their company due to falling market share. What does this mean for Canadian businesses? For those companies who have purchased Toshiba communications equipment, it puts them in a difficult situation. Normally when companies like this resort to shutting down a portion of a business instead of trying to sell it off, it means there is... little hope for that part, or arm of the company. Toshiba has announced they will maintain product for a short period of time (probably a year of so) & after that customers will have to rely on the refurbished market to survive. However, because Toshiba held such a small market share, I think about 7%, the amount of refurbished equipment will be minimal at best, especially in Canada. If possible, Companies who currently have Toshiba telephone equipment (PBX or IP PBX systems) should seriously consider budgeting for a replacement system in the near future. Companies all too often forget how much they rely on there communications systems to help sustain their business. It's an important & powerful tool that is often overlooked until it's too late. BCT is an Authorized dealer for NEC & Panasonic IP PBX systems.