Cloud Telephony
Cloud Telephony from Blue Saffron Blue Saffron combines Gamma s Cloud based Telephony service, Horizon, with a configurable IT support package to deliver an industry defining cloud operated telephony solution. Flexibility in working practice has been the key to successful service implementations. We are equally as comfortable in managing turnkey deployment as working alongside your in-house team to deliver a fully configured system. The service is delivered on a rental or operational cost model mitigating the up-front or capital investment more usually associated with deploying advanced telephony solutions of this type. Simple Pricing based on a monthly per extension fee Always-on Easier to budget, this means that we can deliver a complete solution for clients, priced on a per user or per extension per month basis, with a range of tariffs that can be configured to include bundled options such as free UK Local, national and mobile calls. Use is governed by an Acceptable Use Policy. International calls are provided at highly competitive rates. The Horizon telephony service is built on a highly resilient, highly available system and network architecture. Your phone system is always on and is always accessible, functioning independently of any local IT system or network outages. Is it for me? We profile some typical use cases later in this document but if you need the following then YES! Multi-site Low capital expenditure Operational Flexibility Easy Administration 1
How does it all work? Horizon is a Cloud based Telephony Solution. All platform infrastructure is managed within Gamma s corporate grade data-centers and calls are made with emphasis on control and administration through the web. Calls are made using a Horizon configured handset (Cisco or Polycom), softphone (Windows) or mobile device. 1 Premium Quality Handsets plus desktop and mobile clients Horizon proivides highly flexible connection options with it s optional desktop and mobile clients, and a choice of of premium handsets from a range of manufacturers. An easy-to-use web interface providing feature control and valuable user information With an experienced in-house software development team, we can provide a positive user experience for both service use and performance monitoring. 2 3 The Gamma IP network, reliable and secure We lead on quality of service, scale and reliability. In addition to the network, we can easily and quickly manage the transfer of existing phone numbers onto the Horizon platform. 4 Call Controller Platform The Broadsoft call controller platform, supports millions of business users worldwide and is the world s leading call controller platform. 2
What is required? Horizon is designed to enable phones to be automatically and securely connected to the central platform through your existing network infrastructure. Typically, where possible, we favour the provision of internet connectivity specifically configured for the carriage of voice traffic. Is It Expensive Or Difficult To Install? The phones are pre-configured and can be connected directly through your network. The Horizon service allows you to plug the phones into your existing network infrastructure. The phones are designed to automatically connect securely to the platform via any Internet connection, but in a small proportion of instances some minor configuration changes to internal network infrastructure might be required. What Changes might I need to make to my existing infrastructure? Blue Saffron will help you assess the cost and impact of any changes that may be required before making a commercial commitment. Our Assessment, Remediation and Management (ARM) process, addresses critical technical questions such as:- Plugging Phones Into Your Existing Network What is the impact on cabling infrastructure? Decommissioning Legacy Technology What are your network access options for replacing legacy ISDN30? Impact On Your Infrastructure What network capacity is required to support your users? Power to the Handsets Does your network switches support Power Over Ethernet (PoE)? Network Access What are the best business options for connectivity? 3
High quality voice The design philosophy underpinning service delivery and management means that the underlying infrastructure is optimised to deliver a high quality service consistent with a traditional telecoms experience. Compression The handsets supported on the Horizon platform support a range of well established compression techniques or CODEC s This allows voice traffic to be compressed to optimise quality. Dedicated voice bandwidth The delivery of this service can be configured to use dedicated voice bandwidth separated from general Internet traffic, this will typically include segregating the voice and Internet traffic on the LAN. Using Gamma provisioned network to deliver the voice traffic will entail that we can deliver an end to end SLA from the handset through to the Horizon call platform. Continual service monitoring Gamma and Blue Saffron combined to provide extensive monitoring and management of all core infrastructure components to deliver a fully managed and optimised service. 4
How Cloud Telephony can make life easier Horizon is ideal for any size of business and is highly-effective for organisations that have more than one site. The system is capable of serving companies with hundreds and indeed thousands of employees. We illustrate typical Horizon use cases below: Dynamic businesses that want flexibility Businesses with employees who are regularly on the move or out of the office will never lose calls as each user can simply instruct the system, at the click of a mouse, to determine where calls should be sent: be it their desk, their mobile (or both) or a colleague. And if they miss a call they can pick up their voicemail no matter where they are. Ideal for multi-sites The service is administrated and operated centrally so you don t need an expensive system on each site. Horizon connects branch offices together, calls are free between locations and mobiles and staff can share common dial plans and directories. Organisations that prefer outsourcing and Opex Hosted on your behalf, there are no expensive maintenance or running costs and you only pay for what you use. Organisations that need business continuity solution In the event of business disruption the services can be rapidly moved across to a backup plan that can include, for example, diverting calls to different locations without loss of functionality and without expensive call forwarding costs. Improving customer relationship contact Put calls on hold, play marketing messages or music on hold, move calls seamlessly between users and offices, your customers will get the best experience when calling your business. Training and monitoring Horizon provides a cost-effective way to record calls. This centralised feature means calls can be recorded from any location, both inbound and outbound and configured simply with a few clicks of a mouse. 5
Cloud Telephony: The Benefits Horizon is a fully featured PBX based on cloud technology, a single administrative interface delivers a consistent, advanced features across your entire organisation independent of physical location. One phone system regardless of location Multiple offices? Multiple locations? Users working from home? Regardless of location these users will all appear as part of the same telephony system. This negates the need to deploy systems at each location. Users can be conveniently organized by location, department or groups. Work from anywhere The features of the platform enable users to work remotely, with complete control over where calls are delivered and how they are managed. Home-workers can connect over most standard internet arrangements. This functionality also extends to mobile users who can connect via a softphone on a laptop, support is also offered for a softphone app for tablets and smartphones. Simplify your IT Horizon is designed to deliver a complete feature rich and versatile telephony solution for the single office and extension, through to multi-site offices requiring multiple extensions. Expensive and independent phone systems become a thing of the past. Whilst the service works over most Internet connections for best results common practice dictates a dedicated voice connection which can be provisioned as part of the service. Lower Call Charges Calls can be transferred between Horizon and supported locations at no incremental cost. Additionally home-workers can access and make calls from their home environment reducing monthly expense. Advanced Call Management The solution delivers all the call management features you would expect from a traditional on-site telephony system and much more. There are additional services such as call recording, auto-attendant, call queue management, desktop assistant, hunt groups, disaster recovery options, twinning and end-user profiling all providing important functional compliments. Further applications are being developed as the service continues to evolve but you don t have to worry about upgrading the technology it is done for you, just one of the many benefits of a cloud based solution. Lower cost of ownership Handsets are delivered pre-configured so no time and energy expended on setup. Administration is simply managed through your own web portal. Independent managed phone maintenance contracts are consigned to history. Predictable pricing A single subscription per extension and based on a selectable tariff, outbound calls to 01, 02, & 03 numbers along with mobile can be bundled into the monthly subscription. International call rates are highlycompetitive. Fraud Protection This service also includes supplements such as a Fraud Management Systems which help to protect against fraudulent activity such as hacking or excessive unauthorised call spends. 6
In built disaster recovery leveraging gamma s resilient service infrastructure The Horizon platform is located in UK data centres, a fully resilient (N+1) format that is underpinned by an extensive network. Managed as a full end-to-end solution the service delivers a high quality consistent end-user experience. Advance User Features, Allow your employees to manage their calls more effectively A control panel accessible via the web or dial-in enables your users to administer and control telephony features include an array of calling and network features. How might Horizon impact my costs? Typically when preparing a business case for Horizon deployment hard cost reduction is amongst the top requirements. Increased employee productivity and business continuity also feature highly. In the over whelming majority of cases some cases clients do indeed secure an operational cost saving. Key contributions to this are: 1 Reduced calls costs, UK local, national and mobile charges can be included in the fixed monthly extension fee (acceptable use policies apply). 2 Simplified management of the technology environment, no PBX switchboard maintenance or hardware support costs. 3 Eliminating the need for expensive ISDN rental and PBX phone system at 4 each location. Central self-service administration reducing the overall cost burden of managing the phone system estate. 7
Advanced User Features, Allow your employees to manage calls more effectively Enable your users to administer and control their telephony, including an array of calling and network features, through a web-based control panel or a dial-in administration function. Features One Number Anywhere Description Horizon integrates your fixed and mobile capabilities so that you never miss a call. Callers need only dial one number to reach your desk phone and mobile phone simultaneously; ongoing calls can be moved seamlessly from one device to another without hanging up and a single voicemail box can be accessed from any device. Availability Profile Call Forwarding Call handling Twinning Blacklists Incoming Call Settings Users can set their profile to Available, Busy, and Out of Office Or Unavailable. This allows the user to define how inbound calls are managed for each profile; including ring an alternative number, send to voicemail, email me a notification. This can be setup and then activated or deactivated as required. All calls can be forwarded, or calls from specified numbers can be forwarded. The user can define what happens to calls when they are busy, when the call is unanswered, when unreachable. Simultaneous inbound calling. This enables the user to specify up to 4 different numbers that will simultaneously ring when their DDI is called. The user can add any number to their blacklist by simply accessing the user admin portal; Selecting a number from their incoming call list, manually adding a number or selecting a number in the existing contacts list. Each user can define their policies for inbound calls, administrators can decide which of these policies are available to the users: - Reject withheld numbers Enable music for calls on hold Present incoming caller s ID external Calls Present incoming caller s ID for internal calls Do not disturb Call Notify Sequential Ring Call History Remote Office Voicemail Conferencing Hot-desking Softphone Each user has a notification email address. The user can request notifications when receiving calls from specific numbers. The user can specify up to 5 numbers. The sequential ring parameters can be applied to either all calls from any number or from specific numbers. This provides a complete record for that phone extension over time. This application allows the user to make phone calls from any specified remote phone and have the calls billed to the business. This service also directs all calls coming to the user s business phone number to ring the remote office phone. Voicemail is provided as standard as part of the subscription, this includes a.wav sent to the users email address or voicemail can be picked up via the voice portal. N-Way calling for convenient collaboration with colleagues The administrator defines which extension can be used as a hot desk. Once enabled the user can then receive and make calls from the temporary extension. The Horizon Desktop Client lets you connect your office phone to your preferred business device, such as a laptop or PC. It works seamlessly with the Horizon service and mobile client to ensure that you can control your user account and handle calls efficiently, wherever you are. Integrator Our CRM Integrator can enable easy integration with your CRM program. It also provides interaction with key programs such as Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Lync 2013 8
Centralised Administration and Management Assigned administrators can implement policies across the whole user base regardless of location; these can be policies will define the functionality available to the users, through their own user admin panel. Feature Set Summary Description User Management Device Management Number Porting Site Management Users can easily be added or removed, there is an option for bulk upload Assign devices to users & manage phone extensions by device. Authenticated Horizon devices can be plugged & unplugged no complex configuration. A wide range of industry relationships that enable you to retain, valuable well known numbers that already in use. Each location can be defined within the platform with its their own configuration:- Creation and assignment of users for each site Creation & management of groups Manage Numbers - assign DDI s to individuals and groups Schedules: Defining open & closed hours for inbound call routing Call Barring: Define the call barring option for each site Authorisation Codes, request authorisation before making a call Call Policy: CLI presentation, this can be extension, site, company. Administration Create add and delete departments Manage your subscriptions and functionality Manage and assign numbers to the system Call Groups Call Queuing Hunt Groups Auto Attendant: Dial 1 for accounts dial 2 for sales etc. These can be set up on a company, site or department (group) basis. Call Pickup Policies: Call pickup can be again on a company, site or group (department) basis. Call Parking: Define the central policies for parking calls Management: Manage, control & distribute important inbound calls, as users become available, reducing the risk of losing valuable incoming calls. Customised messaging: Customise your welcome and hold music and set up a comfort message at timed intervals to let the caller know their call is important User breakout: Add a specific digit to the Call Queue Group to let a caller break out of the queue to leave a voicemail message Queue up to 25 calls Simultaneous Hunt Group: (See below) Instantly deliver the call to all available contacts within the Call Queue Group The system supports 5 Hunt group ring orders. It also has call forwarding options, voicemail box and time of day scheduling:- Regular: Send to the next available user Circular: Restarts the list once the last user has been called Simultaneous: Sends the call to all users Uniform: Routes the call to the user who has been idle the longest Weighted: Set your preferences using % weighting Call Transfer Call Conference Call Recording Define your policies for how calls are transferred Create conference groups Supported on both an individual & group basis. Supports on-demand facility. Users can choose to record the entire call at any time during a conversation. The whole conversation from the beginning will be recorded. Regulatory requirements need to be checked on an individual client basis to ensure compliance. Long term archiving of calls is not included. 9
Your Choice of Phone Horizon can be used with a range of handsets from a choice of manufacturers. An easy-to-use desktop client is an option. Contact Blue Saffron for a full list of compatible hardware, features and options. Some current examples include: Polycom VVX410 Mid-range business Polycom VVX500 Performance business media Polycom VVX310 Ideal entry-level for low media phone phone, best-in-class desktop to moderate call volumes 12 lines or speed dials productivity and unified 6 lines or speed dials 3.5 colour TFT communications for busy 208 x 104 pixel resolution 320 x 240 pixel resolution professionals 2 x Ethernet 10/100/1000 Polycom HD Voice up to 12 line appearances or 7KHz on all audio paths speed dials 2 x Ethernet 10/100/1000 320 x 240 pixel resolution 3.5 colour touch screen Additional expansion units and conference phones available, please contact us for more details. SoundPoint IP450 Ideal for general office use Backlit display (B&W) 2 line keys Programmable key/busy light SoundPoint IP331 and IP335 Ideal for basic telephony or warehouse/high-use areas Backlit display (B&W) only available on 335 device 1 line key SoundPoint IP650 Ideal for high-performance and features such as executive offices or receptionists Backlit display (B&W) 2 line keys Programmable key/busy light 10
SPA525G Ideal for high-performance executive offices + Bluetooth connectivity Hi-res colour display Bluetooth compatible WiFi compatible 2 line keys 3 programmable keys/ busy lights SPA502G Entry-level device for general office use Backlit display (mono) 1 line key SPA504G Ideal for general office use Backlit display (mono) 2 line keys 2 programmable keys/ busy lights Analogue converter boxes are available, please contact us for more details. SPA509G 12-line IP phone with programmable keys Backlit display (B&W) Supports up to two 32-button attendant consoles Supports PoE Cisco 302D DECT Cordless Handset Ideal for customers needing mobility High-quality sound Business-essential call features 50m indoor/300m outdoor range 11
About us About Gamma, Our Technology Partner Gamma, a London limited company, have been providing IP Telephony solutions since 2006 with many thousands of hosted telephony users and well over 150,000 SIP trunk channels. Their network carries hundreds of millions of IP minutes per month. The service is backed by a dedicated provisioning, support and development teams. Many of products are accredited to ISO27001, ISO 22301 and ISO 14001. Gamma have porting agreements with all major carriers ensuring that in the vast majority of circumstances there will be no need to sign up to new numbers. Number porting is highly automated offering full number management. Fraud management control is an implicit solution feature and works to mitigate on-going fraud risk. About Blue Saffron (BSL) Blue Saffron s (BSL) proposition is more than just IT. We know what it takes to develop a tailored, workable and effective IT and Telecommunications strategy. Equipping businesses with the means to develop and grow their IT ecosystem in line with the demands of 21st century business, integrating: Remote IT support services Cloud-based technology solutions & services Integrated telecommunications At the core of BSL s philosophy is a customer centric approach, understanding each company s unique requirements. We work with each customer engagement to deliver a bespoke, cost-effective IT infrastructure and support solution Find Out More Contact us today to find out how Blue Saffrons Horizon hosted telephony platform can benefit your business. E-mail sales@bluesaffron.com Telephone 0844 560 0202 Fax 0844 560 0203 Website www.bluesaffron.com Post Blue Saffron Limited Suite LM 1.1.1 Building 1-2 The Leathermarket 11-13 Weston Street London SE1 3ER 12