Time is ticking for analog phone systems How to optimally prepare your business for Voice-over-IP

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1 Time is ticking for analog phone systems How to optimally prepare your business for Voice-over-IP The migration from analog or ISDN to Voice-over-IP can lead to significant changes in business communications. For private customers, the migration is generally easy to implement. Many companies, however, face far-reaching changes. Join us on our journey into the future of IP communications. Next Generation Networks at a glance Next Generation Networks (NGNs), or All-IP, are the future of voice and data communications. Both worlds are connected in a common network. Voice-over-IP (VoIP) connections are the successors to ISDN and analog connections. In other words, phone calls are made through an IP-based internet connection. A separate telephone connection or NTBAs are no longer needed. A NGN is characterized by all services using the same common infrastructure with one standardized protocol. In the future, IT and telephony are no longer two separate areas, but share the same hardware. All important standards for Unified Communications (UC) are defined by means of the Internet protocol (IP). Other protocols build on IP, such as the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) for establishing a telephone connection. For the infrastructure in your company, this means that all phones require only a single connection to the network for using the services it provides. With IP-based connections, the migration to VoIP offers great opportunities for companies to make processes much more efficient and merge the different forms of communication with each other. ISDN becomes SIP trunks SIP is the most widely used connection protocol for IP telephony. SIP trunks are usually offered by Internet service providers (ISPs) and replace all types of analog and ISDN connections. Whereas the number of lines is limited for traditional analog and ISDN, usually any number of lines and phone numbers can be booked from SIP trunk providers. This is a purely virtual service. The expansion of existing SIP trunks is usually done with a single click in the web interface of the ISP, or aphonecall.ispsprovidemoreflexible terms than analog or ISDN providers. Instead of two channels per ISDN BRI line or 32 channels per ISDN PRI line, any additional number of lines and numbers can be booked usually without signing long-lasting contracts. Page 1

2 Even blocks of 1000 phone numbers, which were so far an exclusive feature of PRI lines, can be booked with SIP trunks. For additional voice channels, no physical connections are required. Porting phone numbers of existing analog or ISDN lines towards IP telephony, is also not a problem. Since the numbers are no longer wired, they can be passed between vendors with little effort. Many SIP providers even offer this service for free. It is also possible to register foreign SIP trunks to offer local phone numbers to customers abroad, or to call abroad at a reduced rate. LAN now also does telephony VoIP uses the infrastructure of the data network (LAN) to connect and operate all devices, such as IP PBX and IP phones. NTBAs and splitters are eliminated, as well as separate cabling for the telephone system. Instead of expensive phones that are compatible with only one type of PBX, users can now choose between a wide range of IP and soft phones thanks to open standards. Devices and services can be used flexibly from anywhere in the network. In short, the user receives more performance, whereas costs are reduced. Fig.: Snom IP desk phone No need to fear the change Many companies still hesitate to switch to VoIP. Some fear the high workload, or do not want to replace their current phone system that may have been taken into operation just recently. Others expect problems with their telecommunications infrastructure, as fax machines or electronic cash terminals can not be replaced overnight. Atypicalbusinesstelecommunications environment does not only consist of the actual phone system and phones, but many other components. Door intercoms or alarm systems are often also connected to the phone system and in some cases even have their own telephone line. Migration master plan As with all strategically important projects, companies must first obtain an overview and determine the state of the existing telecommunications infrastructure. In addition to the telephone system, this includes the telecommunications periphery that has been mentioned in the previous section. The duration of ongoing maintenance and service contracts also need to be considered. If it has not been done yet, the company should create a plan for the further development of their telecommunications infrastructure. The strategic planning points to immediate and intermediate-term investment. Before the move to VoIP, a fundamental decision needs to be done: to either continue to use your current PBX hardware and build a bridge to the new technology, or to migrate completely to NGNs instead. If you would like to continue using your current hardware, additional hardware such as gateways or interface cards can translate between your ISDN phone system, analog devices, and the new VoIP connections. This allows you to use the devices of your current telecommunications infrastructure mostly unchanged. However, you get the full NGN functionality range only by completely migrating your infrastructure and devices. Fig.: beronet analog-sip gateway Page 2

3 However, the local network (LAN) must first meet some basic requirements. All network devices should support Quality of Service (QoS) in order to transmit voice packages prioritized and without delay. The option to power your devices via Power over Ethernet (PoE) as well as setting up different virtual networks (VLANs), is also useful and leads to a leaner infrastructure. Naturally, analog and ISDN phones must be replaced by IP phones. Planning stage Generally, a deadline should be defined for the migration towards VoIP. As it may still require a longer time frame, thorough planning and pre-configuration are essential. It is highly advisable to not rush into dismantling your old phone system. An example for the worst possible case would be to instantly and completely replace the old phone system with the new IP PBX on a Friday afternoon, and to directly start into daily business on Monday morning with the new technology, thus risking total failure. Besides all technical challenges, the involvement and training of employees is critical as well, in order to gain their acceptance and understanding. New technologies inevitably lead to changes in business processes. For these reasons, a so-called soft migration should be planned in advance and eventually carried out, in which both the old and new phone systems coexist for a transitional period. Soft migration In case of a soft migration, both current and new PBX are operated in parallel for a transitional period. This allows to first test the functionality of the new system in a small part of the company, without affecting the daily business telephony. After the initial test and pilot stage, all departments telecommunications are gradually migrated. Each department should be trained in the new PBX and IP phones in order to use them effectively. At the end of the soft migration, all proprietary system phones are replaced by IP phones. The new IP PBX is connected through a gateway to your analog or ISDN connection, or your old PBX. Further required analog and ISDN devices such as fax machines or alarm systems are also connected through gateways to the new PBX phone system. Crash course IP PBX Modern IP phone systems are implemented in software practically without exception. When talking about modern IP phone systems, most manufacturers speak of PBX (Private Branch Exchange) or IP PBX. Since IP phones, SIP trunks and other services are registered at the PBX through the local network (LAN) or the Internet, the location of the PBX is initially irrelevant. An IP PBX running on a server in a data center, is called cloud or hosted PBX. Alternatively, an IP PBX can be operated locally within the company as a so-called in-house PBX. Both solutions have individual advantages and disadvantages. However, the choice between a hosted or in-house PBX should be made at the very beginning if you plan to acquire a new phone system, as it has far-reaching consequences. Hosted/Cloud PBX In this case, the PBX software is installed on an external server and only accessible via internet. Depending on the provider, you have different access and configuration rights. The pricing models usually are user-based and differ greatly. Also, the cloud PBX provider usually takes care of the maintenance, and in many cases a particular SIP trunk is predetermined. Page 3

4 The main advantage of hosted PBX is the central location of the IP PBX. IP phones can be registered to the PBX independent of their location. This way, employees in home offices or in branch offices around the world, can be easily integrated. The initial costs for hosted PBX are often lower as less own hardware is required on site, and the costs are incurred on a monthly base. However, this may become more expensive in the long term. Hosted solutions also provide less control as the PBX is located outside the company and internet service providers (ISPs) often can not be freely selected. In addition, even internal calls between employees are routed through the Internet, and therefore require a fast internet connection. In-House/On-Premise PBX If you prefer full control over your IP PBX and free choice of your ISP, inhouse or on-premise solutions are the best choice. In this case, the PBX is located on site, as you are used to from your traditional phone system. The initial costs of an in-house PBX are higher, but the monthly costs are much lower in return. Also SIP trunks can be booked from any provider, which is often not possible for hosted solutions. Internal calls are routed via the local network and therefore do not require any internet bandwidth. Virtual or Server Hardware In-house solutions distinguish between virtual solutions and PBX with own, dedicated server hardware. A virtual PBX can be set up easily on a server within a virtual environment, such as VirtualBox, VMware or HyperV. This way, no additional hardware is required and costs are lowered. However, a failure of the server implies also a failure of the telephone system. Here, dedicated PBX hardware is beneficial. The software runs on a dedicated server, that generally has been optimized for operation as a telephone system. Fig.: Snom IP desk phone and Askozia web interface Askozia IP phone systems Software PBX with an incredibly fair pricing AskoziaPBX is an innovative IP PBX phone system, that was specifically designed for the needs of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs). It provides professional telephony utilizing all modern communication technologies. Page 4

5 The AskoziaPBX software is the core of the Askozia product family. Askozia supports VoIP, as well as analog and ISDN connections and devices. The intuitive web interface allows you to easily set up and manage the whole system, and match it with your specific business requirements. User-friendly pricing Askozia comes without any hidden costs and does not limit your telephony experience by additional license fees per phone, user or channel. Software add-ons for AskoziaPBX AskoziaPBX is built modularly. The PBX can be extended by means of optional software modules, to provide further telephony features. These additional software add-ons are simply activated with license keys. The Call Flow Editor is Askozia's most popular add-on and allows to create call flows via drag-and-drop. Even complex interactive functions can be implemented easily, such as custom IVR menus (press 1 for...) and ACD call queues. This way, the Call Flow Editor perfectly synchronizes the PBX with your business processes. Fig.: Askozia Call Flow Editor Askozia Hosted and Inhouse Askozia supports both hosted and inhouse scenarios, and can be easily integrated as a software PBX into virtual environments such as VirtualBox, VMware, or Hyper-V. For in-house scenarios, full control of the PBX and free choice of telephone providers, Askozia offers complete solutions including hardware. Telephony Server The Telephony Servers are Askozia's complete solutions. AskoziaPBX is pre-installed and the server works out of the box. Telephony Servers are available as pure VoIP solutions or hybrid PBX with additional analog or ISDN interfaces. The systems are low-energy consuming. Depending on the equipment, the average consumption is only 6-18 watts. Partner network Askozia has an international network of resellers, hosting and installation partners to support companies in realizing telecommunication projects. Page 5

6 Fig.: Telephony Server with VoIP and analog ports About Askozia Askozia started out in 2007 by developing AskoziaPBX, a highly intuitive telephone system firmware for embedded appliances. Over the years, Askozia has evolved into an international developer of realtime IP communication technologies and PBX software for service providers, SMBs and system integrators worldwide. Askozia uses open standards for interoperability and no proprietary lock-in. The pricing is fair and excludes licenses limiting the numbers of users, phones or phone lines. All solutions can be used on-site or in the cloud, with IP phones of your choice and can be configured and managed through the most intuitive user interface. No matter if you have questions regarding the installation, configuration or operation of AskoziaPBX, our support team has your back and offers you conditions well-matched with your business needs. Learn more about how Askozia can boost your business at askozia.com Page 6