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As a former Intel employee, Bob Peake is used to having some ofthe finest computer and communications equipment around. So when hestarted a teleconferencing consulting company, Peak Solutions, fromhis Folsom, California, home in 1995, he made sure to furnish itwith high-quality equipment. A key component of his currentrepertoire: the new SoundPoint Pro desktop audioconferencing phonefrom Polycom.
"Communication is a very important aspect of anybusiness," Peake says. "Whether face-to-face or over thephone, if you can't be easily understood, it can causeproblems. The need for high-quality [voice] communications in mybusiness is paramount."
Unlike many systems, SoundPoint Pro combines audioconferencingand traditional phone capabilities in one sleek unit.SoundPoint Pro delivers full-duplex audioconferencing with up tothree additional remote sites, doing away with the need for outsidebridging services. A microphone on its front end eliminates anyworries about participants hearing background noises, and a360-degree conference mode can be established with just the touchof a button. Other features include 20 programmable speed dials, a99-number caller history, integrated caller ID, as well as callerID for call waiting (caller ID service required).
Since many of Peake's clients are Fortune 100 companies,generating a professional image is important. SoundPoint Proprovides him with worry-free communications. "It's reallymade it easier for me to do business on a daily basis," Peakesays.
The two-line version costs $249 while the three-line version is$299. For more information, visit http://www.polycom.com
Scan-tastic!
There's no denying scanners have become an essential toolfor homebased businesses. Yet the majority are still made withgraphic artists, Web designers or general consumers in mind. Oneexception to the rule: Epson America's Perfection 636 colorflatbed scanner ($299).
At 600 x 2,400 dpi, the Perfection 636 delivers the high-qualityoutput necessary for creating visual media for your business.Compatible with both Macintosh and Windows 95/98 PCs, thePerfection 636 delivers true 36-bit color and 12-bit grayscalescanning.
Much to the liking of homebased businesses, the Perfection 636boasts advanced technologies that make scanning accurate and easy.There's software included for quick one-button scanning.Improved OCR accuracy extracts text from color backgrounds andscans documents that contain a combination of text, graphics andphotos. Epson's Scanner Basics Guide provides directions forsetup, as well as recommended resolution and settings for a varietyof output options.
The Perfection 636 has extra processing power built in to thehardware. Adaptec's PCI SCSI interface card ensures fast scansand is easy to set up because Windows 95 and 98 automaticallydetect it.
The software bundled with the Perfection 636 keepsentrepreneurs' needs in mind, too. It includes useful programssuch as Adobe's PhotoDeluxe, Presto! PageManager, XeroxTextbridge Classic and Broderbund's The PrintShopPressWriter.
For more information, visit http://www.epson.com
Pump Up The Volume
Admittedly, Xerox's WorkCentre XD100 digital copier/printerisn't for the home office with average printing and copyingrequirements. For those with high-volume needs, however, the XD100($749) is a veritable printing and copying champion you can rely onto get the job done.
The XD100 boasts 600 x 600 dpi image resolution and prints at animpressive 8 pages per minute (ppm). And it has advanced copyingfeatures, including zoom capabilities from 50 to 200 percent.
Because it's a digital machine, the XD100 delivers enhancedimage quality. You'll notice very high output on documents thatare typically difficult to produce, such as those that containphotographs, halftones and colored backgrounds.
The XD100 comes with a three-year warranty that features on-siteservice, mail-in service, overnight exchange and self-service kits.Online and phone support come with the XD100's basicwarranty.
Visit http://www.teamxrx.com for more information.
A Matter Of Fax
If you're still unfamiliar with Internet faxing, here are afew reasons to look into it: Internet faxing reduces yourtransmission costs and fax hardware expenses, offers theconvenience of faxing from your desktop, and lets you access yourfaxes from anywhere, at anytime.
If we've got your attention, then consider NetCentric'sFaxStorm. Available through both local and national ISPs, FaxStormlets you send faxes over the Internet from either an existing faxmachine or your desktop PC. When sending a fax, the document isfirst encrypted, then sent to a FaxStorm server and routed to adestination fax machine or another computer as an e-mailattachment. To receive faxes, a private fax mailbox electronicallycaptures your incoming faxes for downloading later.
Users can also take advantage of FaxStorm's advancedbroadcast faxing capabilities to send faxes to as many as 2,000recipients.
Although pricing differs, monthly access fees are typicallyabout $4.95. To get started, you'll also pay a one-time setupfee of around $15; price-per-minute charges range from 10 to 19cents.
For more information, visit http://www.netcentric.com or callNetCentric toll-free at (888) 767-9273 for help finding a local ornational provider.
Creative Sparq
Don't look now, but there's a new addition to SyQuestTechnology's line of SparQ portable hard drives: the USB SparQ1.0GB removable cartridge drive ($249). Designed for use withcomputers that support the new Universal Serial Bus (USB)interface, the SparQ drive is another solid data backup option.
Like others in the line, the USB SparQ drive boasts a portabledesign, perfect for taking it on the road or fitting it easily oncramped home office desks. The drive is also lightweight: a mere 24ounces.
Not that it isn't a hefty solution. The USB SparQ removablecartridge drive boasts data transfer speeds of up to 6 Mbps. Andits 1.0GB cartridge capacity offers plenty of room. Cartridges cost$49 each or $89 for a two-pack. Advanced cartridge hard-driveutilities and PC and Macintosh backup utility software areincluded.
For more information on the SparQ drives, visithttp://www.syquest.com
Contact Sources
Peak Solutions, (916) 985-2269,bpeake@peaksolutions.com
