Web cookies (also called HTTP cookies, browser cookies, or simply cookies) are small pieces of data that websites store on your device (computer, phone, etc.) through your web browser. They are used to remember information about you and your interactions with the site.
Purpose of Cookies:
Session Management:
Keeping you logged in
Remembering items in a shopping cart
Saving language or theme preferences
Personalization:
Tailoring content or ads based on your previous activity
Tracking & Analytics:
Monitoring browsing behavior for analytics or marketing purposes
Types of Cookies:
Session Cookies:
Temporary; deleted when you close your browser
Used for things like keeping you logged in during a single session
Persistent Cookies:
Stored on your device until they expire or are manually deleted
Used for remembering login credentials, settings, etc.
First-Party Cookies:
Set by the website you're visiting directly
Third-Party Cookies:
Set by other domains (usually advertisers) embedded in the website
Commonly used for tracking across multiple sites
Authentication cookies are a special type of web cookie used to identify and verify a user after they log in to a website or web application.
What They Do:
Once you log in to a site, the server creates an authentication cookie and sends it to your browser. This cookie:
Proves to the website that you're logged in
Prevents you from having to log in again on every page you visit
Can persist across sessions if you select "Remember me"
What's Inside an Authentication Cookie?
Typically, it contains:
A unique session ID (not your actual password)
Optional metadata (e.g., expiration time, security flags)
Analytics cookies are cookies used to collect data about how visitors interact with a website. Their primary purpose is to help website owners understand and improve user experience by analyzing things like:
How users navigate the site
Which pages are most/least visited
How long users stay on each page
What device, browser, or location the user is from
What They Track:
Some examples of data analytics cookies may collect:
Page views and time spent on pages
Click paths (how users move from page to page)
Bounce rate (users who leave without interacting)
User demographics (location, language, device)
Referring websites (how users arrived at the site)
Here’s how you can disable cookies in common browsers:
1. Google Chrome
Open Chrome and click the three vertical dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies and other site data.
Choose your preferred option:
Block all cookies (not recommended, can break most websites).
Block third-party cookies (can block ads and tracking cookies).
2. Mozilla Firefox
Open Firefox and click the three horizontal lines in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security.
Under the Enhanced Tracking Protection section, choose Strict to block most cookies or Custom to manually choose which cookies to block.
3. Safari
Open Safari and click Safari in the top-left corner of the screen.
Go to Preferences > Privacy.
Check Block all cookies to stop all cookies, or select options to block third-party cookies.
4. Microsoft Edge
Open Edge and click the three horizontal dots in the top-right corner.
Go to Settings > Privacy, search, and services > Cookies and site permissions.
Select your cookie settings from there, including blocking all cookies or blocking third-party cookies.
5. On Mobile (iOS/Android)
For Safari on iOS: Go to Settings > Safari > Privacy & Security > Block All Cookies.
For Chrome on Android: Open the app, tap the three dots, go to Settings > Privacy and security > Cookies.
Be Aware:
Disabling cookies can make your online experience more difficult. Some websites may not load properly, or you may be logged out frequently. Also, certain features may not work as expected.
Proprietary hardware has always been the bane of any company’s existence. In the past when you purchased a phone system, you had to take into consideration everything you could possibly need it do, in advance. Those days are gone! We have a pre-selected list of phones that cover a wide variety of applications and many of them are from a variety of vendors such as HP, Polycom and Cisco. The prerequisite is that they be 100% SIP compliant and not a specific model or hardware manufacturer. Phones can be broken down into 4 major categories which are:
Common area phones are IP phones that are not associated with an individual user. Instead of being located in someone’s office, common area phones are typically located in building lobbies, cafeterias, employee lounges, meeting rooms, and other locations where a large number of people are likely to gather. These phones are great for security offices as well. They generally have limited functionality, and in many cases the ability to make outbound calls has preset restrictions. If you have a group of students that would be answering in-bound calls (e.g. Call Center) then this type of phone is an excellent choice.
Desk & Receptionist Phones:
Desktop phones generally have a series of Busy Lamp Field (BLF) buttons that can be programmed for a variety of functions. The ability to set BLF buttons to extensions is key for phones that will be used by people with receptionist or call routing responsibilities. A large display for Caller-ID and other information is useful for everyone. Some of the more advanced phones have built-in BluetoothTM and WiFi capabilities. At the top end you will find phones with color displays, touch sensitive color-displays and even video conferencing features.
Speakerphones:
Voice conferencing is one of the most critical elements of group communication. Excellent voice quality is essential for both voice-only calls and visual communication environments, ensuring that everyone can clearly hear and be heard to improve productivity and deliver a seamless, natural communications experience. Nobody does it better than Polycom. Our system fully supports Polycom’s VoIP line of conference room phones. You can choose the Duo for small rooms all the way up to connecting multiple 7000 series units together for clear coverage in the largest of conference or board rooms.
Wireless Phones:
Now you can implement wireless solutions in the work-place that are tied into the PBX directly. They are configured and provisioned just like any other extension. Many of the wireless systems work in a similar fashion to a unified WiFi solution. Similar to WiFi, they use their own wireless protocol and have their own access points placed around your building. Unlike cellular phones, two-way radio or paging systems, workplace wireless systems provide ubiquitous on-site coverage and support a full range of call control functions. Incoming calls are directed to the appropriate handset. Make use of standard telephone features, such as forward, transfer, conference and hold, to process calls as needed. For outgoing calls, individuals can easily connect with co-workers on-site or at off-site locations, making use of existing wire line billing plans and/or VoIP infrastructures.