Telecom For Dummies [Paperback]

Stephen P. Olejniczak (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 047177085X | ISBN-13: 978-0471770855 | Publication Date: April 10, 2006 | Edition: 1

• 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

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

New to telecom? Get the scoop on all the basics

Order, maintain, and troubleshoot telecom services from area codes to VoIP

So you're now in charge of all that telecommunications stuff? Don't panic — here's your secret weapon! This plain-English guide will fill you in on the products, services, maintenance procedures, and key players in the telecom world, help you choose the most economical solutions for your business, and make you look good to the boss.

Discover how to

• Decide what your company needs
• Analyze telecom carriers
• Negotiate the best deal
• Move phone numbers to another carrier
• Order toll-free numbers
• Recognize the causes of common problems

About the Author

Stephen Olejniczak is Director of Operations for ATI, a long distance company. As a manager and trainer, he has worked with service providers, sales forces, and corporate customers for 13 years.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: For Dummies; 1 edition (April 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047177085X
• ISBN-13: 978-0471770855
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #254,969 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

10 years ago, I wished that I could buy this book. I was the customer service manager of a long distance company and was suddenly responsible for troubleshooting phone problems, handling billing disputes, and training new employees on the basics of telecom. I wanted to refer my new employees, frustrated customers, and sales staff somewhere to answer their questions. Heck, I wished that someone could answer all of my questions too! Many years passed and I learned all of the bits and pieces of telecom from dedicated circuits to toll-free numbers, from provisioning to troubleshooting. I also grew to accept the fact that the book Telecom for Dummies wasn't going to magically appear on the bookstands for sale, so I wrote it myself.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An excellent starting point to understanding your phone system..., May 27, 2006

By 

Thomas Duff "Duffbert" (Portland, OR United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Telecom For Dummies (Paperback)

So where was this book when I started working for Enron Broadband??? I could have used it... Telecom For Dummies by Stephen P. Olejniczak.

Contents:
Part 1 - The ABCs of Telecom Service: A Buyer's Scoop on Telecom; Making (And Living with) Telecom Decisions; Getting Around the Telecom Neighborhood
Part 2 - Reviewing Telecom Products and Prices: Understanding Dedicated Service Requirements; Meeting Toll-Free Service, the Red-Headed Stepchild of Telecom; Getting the Non-Accountant's Guide to Your Phone Bill
Part 3 - Ordering and Setting Up Telecom Service: Ordering Regular Phone Lines and New Long-Distance Service; Ordering Dedicated Service; Ordering Toll-Free Service; Activating Your Dedicated Circuit and Toll-Free Numbers
Part 4 - Taking Care of Your Telecom System: Maintaining Your Telecom Services; Troubleshooting Switched Network Issues; Troubleshooting Your Dedicated Circuits
Part 5 - What's Hot (Or Just Geeky) in the Telecom World: Transferring Data, Not Just Voice Content; Riding The Internet Wave - VoIP
Part 6 - The Part Of Ten: Ten Acronyms and What They Really Mean; Ten Troublesome Telecom Traits to Avoid; Ten Places To Go for Hints and Help
Appendix - Making a Loopback Plug; Index

This is one of those Dummies titles that may sound a little strange at first, but quickly starts delivering the goods. The audience here is anyone who is responsible for maintaining the phone system in an organization. This could be a new technician just starting to learn the ropes, or a small business owner who needs something more than just one phone line to run their business. The author starts out with the basics of the technology and terminology, and he quickly demystifies many of the acronyms that are so common in this business. He then builds on that solid foundation to walk you through the process of determining your telecom needs and how you need to order them. And of course, when things go wrong (and they *will*), you'll have some great advice on how to troubleshoot things on your end, as well as what you'll need to know in order to help the phone company resolve things expeditiously.

Although I didn't deal directly with the network while at Enron Broadband, I built computer systems that helped people run said network. Knowing this information would have made my job infinitely easier, and I wish I had been able to have a book like this back then. I'm sure you can find all this information in other books, but I doubt it would be as clear and concise (as well as being fun to read). If you have any responsibilities for the phone system at work, this is the place to start reading...

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oustanding resource for telcom consumer, December 8, 2007

By 

Lloyd J. Quellette - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Telecom For Dummies (Paperback)

This book is an outstanding resource for non-telcom professionals specifically business consumers of telcom products. I am in the telecom biz (customer service) and bought the book because my company provided absolutely no training and I have found it an invaluable resource. I highly recommend for any consumer of telecom services or for those of us just starting out working in the telecom biz who need a basic understanding of the telecom biz.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fully covers the subject with humor!!!!, May 7, 2007

By 

Timothy J. Koehler (Superior , CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Telecom For Dummies (Paperback)

This is the guide to telecom I wish I had when I first started in the business. The very first "For Dummies" manual that I read cover to cover. Great for veteran Telecom expert as well as for a newbie in the business.