Small and medium-sized businesses in Brisbane now have the opportunity to explore the latest developments in telecommunications services and products in a hands-on environment.
Telstra's Business of the Future - Today demonstration centre has opened at Samsung Communications, Macgregor, in an effort to make new-age developments accessible and less of a "mystery" to business owners.
Telstra's program manager for the centres, Natarsha Holmes, says small and medium-sized businesses need to take advantage of available communications equipment in order to remain efficient.
"Convergence of the phone, computer and the Internet are powerful reasons why local business needs to update its knowledge," she says.
"The centre takes the mystery out of technology for the small and medium business owner."
Federal member for Moreton, Gary Hardgrave, says it is an endorsement of Brisbane and its growth prospects that Telstra should look to invest and locate the centre there.
"Sixty-seven percent of the IT jobs in Australia are being created in Queensland," Hardgrave says.
"(And) the growth of small business in the Macgregor area has been dramatic.
"We are not only seeing a steady increase in the number of small businesses established but we are also seeing a boost in the number of businesses operated from home."
The centre will showcase advances in the mobile office environment, including business globalisation via the Internet and the latest in business communications systems.
Clients are guided through their options, enabling them to design an integrated communications solution that meets the needs of their business.
Packages include the ability to integrate phone and computer systems, allowing the computer screen to act as a control switchboard.
This set-up also allows recording of calls for quality control and training purposes.
A database to record incoming calls may also be established, to allow analysis of advertising methods.
For example, Samsung Communications managing director Stephen Plant says he has different numbers for the Yellow Pages, for billboard advertising and for other areas, and by reading a breakdown of incoming calls he is able to establish the effectiveness of each advertising method.
The centre will have trained staff available to spend anywhere between two to eight hours with a client and examine their entire business, offering value-added services through partners such as Rogers Consulting, a personality profiler.
"Visitors are able to gain a better understanding of how the Internet, data and videoconferencing applications can help increase business efficiency and sales whilst reducing their costs," Plant says.