Ensuring business continuity in case of unexpected service loss is an essential component of any IP telephone system. In a previous blog post we mentioned various failover mechanisms that can be deployed to address different scenarios. Here, we’ll take a closer look at two in particular: backup SIP trunk or ITSP, and failover servers. You may be surprised to discover how easy and affordable they are to set up – especially when compared with the costly alternative of service interruption.
Topics: IP PBX, QoS, Business Telephone System, VoIP, Total Voice Solution, Business Continuity
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Open source with open access vs. open source:
Make sure you know which one suits you and your customer.
Open source telecommunications systems are not all created equal. All are open source in the sense that they are built using publicly and freely available code like Asterisk. However, not all of them allow access to the root programming level, which allows you to modify or customize aspects of the code to suit specific requirements or preferences. If a system restricts root-level access, certain features may be customizable, but don’t count on having much leeway. Be sure you know which one best suits your customer.
Topics: Customer Service, IP PBX, Business Telephone System, VoIP, SIP, Total Voice Solution
These features absolutely must be in your IP PBX suite offering
When proposing IP voice solutions to small businesses, certain applications and features are so essential that the customer won’t even consider purchasing a system without them. According to a study of more than 200 small businesses conducted by SoftwareAdvice, the phone system applications most often cited as “required” are:
Topics: Customer Service, IP PBX, Business Telephone System, VoIP, SIP, Total Voice Solution, Software Integration, Trends, Mobility (including remote work)
We consider session border controllers (SBCs) to be a best practice in most enterprise contexts because of the improved security, control and overall VoIP system functionality they lend.
So what exactly are SBCs and why do you need one?
Topics: SIP Phones, QoS, Business Telephone System, VoIP, SIP, Total Voice Solution, Network Security
National telephone operators have been investing less in maintaining traditional PSTN networks and paying more attention – and money – to building out their mobile and Internet protocol (IP) networks. AT&T launched its Project Velocity IP in 2012 with the intention of expanding its wired broadband IP network to reach 75% of its customer locations in three years. In Europe, British Telecom and Deutsche Telekom both have their sights set on all-IP. DT’s website says, “The network of the future is an integrated, all-IP network.”
A common reason some businesses still cling to their PSTN lines even when they’ve switched to a VoIP (voice over IP) phone system is to have a failover option. Here we look at some other failover mechanisms that don’t require a PSTN line, as well as the key benefits to switching to all-IP.
Topics: IP PBX, Business Telephone System, VoIP, SIP, Total Voice Solution, Software Integration, Trends
Topics: IP PBX, Business Telephone System, VoIP, SIP, Total Voice Solution
Some businesses do a good job of securing their data network (local area network or LAN) but forget to secure their wireless network. Despite all the pains they took to secure their LANs, their network is as vulnerable to entry as a locked car with the windows rolled down. Wi-Fi network security is a common blind spot, especially for small businesses. Here we look at some basic steps companies can take to lock down their Wi-Fi networks.
Topics: VoWi-Fi, Business Telephone System, Network Security
The quality and reliability of telephone calls placed over the Internet (voice over Internet protocol – or VoIP – calls) keep getting better, and often callers cannot tell the difference between calls placed over an IP network and a traditional phone line. That said, VOIP calls do sometimes get dropped and here we examine a few of the causes and tips for troubleshooting them.
Topics: SIP Phones, IP PBX, Business Telephone System, VoIP, SIP
One hesitation some companies have in moving over to a full IP business telephone system revolves around concerns over using the 911 emergency call service. Do companies really need a back-up PSTN line to make emergency calls? How reliable is emergency dialing over the Internet?
Topics: IP PBX, Business Telephone System, VoIP, SIP, Trends
Asterisk is one of the most common open-source frameworks for running IP (Internet protocol) PBXs and VOIP gateways. Here we list a few cool tricks that can be done with SIP (session initiation protocol) phone systems running Asterisk. Many other open-source and proprietary platforms allow you to do some or all of these, so ask your manufacturer’s rep about these features if you are using a different platform.
Topics: SIP Phones, Business Telephone System, VoIP, SIP, Total Voice Solution, Software Integration
