| Business communications has always been a | | | | training and learning on phone and messaging |
| challenging arena for management....subject | | | | systems- Cost-effectively implement unified |
| to cost, function, reliability, and other | | | | messaging- Improve security- Reduce systems |
| pressures and concerns. The emergence of | | | | downtime and improve performanceAdditional |
| VoIP technology....and specifically | | | | benefits for call centers.....- Virtualize |
| application to PBX systems via IP based | | | | call centers, allowing more flexibility in |
| protocols....has provided an enormous | | | | the center's configuration....either helping |
| opportunity for companies to reap many | | | | consolidation efforts, or providing |
| benefits.Many companies today have multiple | | | | enterprise capabilities to telecommuting call |
| office locations around the country or around | | | | center workers- Improve customer support |
| the world. Currently, each office uses its | | | | services and reduce abandoned calls and call |
| own PBX system and inter-office phone calls | | | | times- Improve customer satisfaction and |
| are routed through the PSTN and charged long | | | | reduce customer turnover via improved call |
| distance and international rates by carriers. | | | | center servicesCost considerations....- VoIP |
| Most companies also employ workers on a part | | | | telecommunication hardware and software- IP |
| time basis who work from their homes. Those | | | | phone sets or soft phones- Network upgrades |
| workers get reimbursed for telecommunication | | | | for possible quality of service and |
| expenses they incur while performing their | | | | performance upgrades- Implementation labor |
| duties. It just makes business sense for | | | | and professional services- On-going support |
| companies to explore alternatives to | | | | and administration labor- Support and |
| consolidate their telecommunication systems | | | | maintenance contracts- Increased support |
| and reduce costs.The answer.....purchase a | | | | calls and potential user downtime losses on |
| Voice-over-IP enabled PBX system and deploy | | | | initial deployment- IT Training- User |
| it in a Virtual Office setup.Voice-over-IP | | | | Training- Write-off, write-down and disposal |
| (VoIP) is a fairly new technology for | | | | costs for existing telecommunication |
| transporting voice calls over the Internet | | | | assetsPotential project risks......- Quality |
| which allows users to realize substantial | | | | of service/performance- User training and |
| cost savings on long distance and | | | | adoption- Administration and support skill |
| international calls. Besides cost | | | | levels and resources- Proprietary vs. open |
| effectiveness, VoIP enabled PBX systems (or | | | | systems interoperabilityHow Does The Solution |
| IP PBX) offer easy integration with existing | | | | Work?Inter/Intra office calls.......Caller A, |
| telecommunications systems and are | | | | who is located in the corporate headquarters, |
| characterized with low operating costs as | | | | wants to make a call to Caller B, who is |
| their upgrade is done through software | | | | located in the corporate headquarters or in |
| updates rather than more expensive hardware | | | | any of the company's offices worldwide.Caller |
| replacement. Additionally, the technology | | | | A picks up his VoIP device (IP phone, phone |
| simplifies the communication infrastructure | | | | with adapter or softphone) and dials Caller |
| (no need for separate voice and data cables) | | | | B's extension.The VoIP PBX server searches |
| while offering high scalability.Virtual | | | | its internal database and obtains call |
| Office models are used by companies that want | | | | routing information about Caller B The VoIP |
| to consolidate their communications, reduce | | | | PBX server routes the call to Caller B's VoIP |
| costs and achieve more cohesive corporate | | | | device.If the destination number is |
| images. To implement the model, a company has | | | | unreachable, the system forwards the call to |
| to install a single IP PBX system in its | | | | Caller B's voicemail.As soon as Caller B |
| headquarters and distribute to employees IP | | | | picks up his VoIP device the conversation |
| phones or regular phones with VoIP adapters. | | | | starts.During conversation Caller A's VoIP |
| Employees can make intra-office and | | | | device convert voice to digital packets and |
| inter-office phone calls through dialing PBX | | | | send them to Caller B's VoIP device and vice |
| extensions. Such calls are routed through the | | | | versa.Both A and B can use traditional PBX |
| Internet and are practically free. Company | | | | functionality, like call on hold, caller ID, |
| customers, on the other side, can dial a | | | | call forward, etc. Calls are freeOutbound |
| single inbound number plus extensions in | | | | calls.......Caller A, who is located in the |
| order to reach the company's employees. The | | | | corporate headquarters, wants to make a call |
| latter receive the calls on their IP/Regular | | | | |
| Phones at any location in the world with | | | | to Caller B, who is a company |
| Internet connectivity.So what kind of a VoIP | | | | customer.Caller A picks up his VoIP device |
| PBX solution does your business need? - a | | | | (IP phone, phone with adapter or softphone) |
| turnkey Virtual Office solution that could be | | | | and dials the customer's number.The VoIP PBX |
| customized to meet your company specific | | | | server searches its internal database and |
| needs.My recommendation for this solution is | | | | obtains call routing |
| the highly acclaimed package from Packet8. | | | | |
| Recently 8X8, Inc's Packet8 Virtual Office | | | | information about the VoIP carrier, who |
| Solution for small and medium sized | | | | should terminate calls to Caller B's area |
| businesses received Network Computing | | | | code.The call is routed to the VoIP |
| Magazine's Editor's Choice award over | | | | carrier.The VoIP carrier terminates the call |
| competitive offerings from Covad | | | | to Caller's B number over the PSTN.During |
| Communications and Velocity Networks. That's | | | | conversation, Caller A can use traditional |
| some pretty stiff competition....and says a | | | | PBX functionality, like call on hold, caller |
| lot about Packet8's performance. The Packet8 | | | | ID, call forward, etc.Calls are charged on |
| Virtual Office solution received the highest | | | | time basis at pre-negotiated rates with the |
| overall rating for its rich feature set, call | | | | VoIP carrierInbound calls.....Caller A, who |
| management tools and low subscription | | | | is a company customer, wants to make a call |
| price.The Packet8 Virtual Office is a | | | | to Caller B, who is a company employee.Caller |
| cost-effective, easy-to-use alternative to | | | | A picks up his phone and dials the company's |
| traditional PBX systems that allows users | | | | central access number.The VoIP PBX server |
| anywhere in the world to be part of a | | | | prompts the caller to enter an |
| VoIP-hosted virtual phone system that | | | | extension.Caller A dials Caller B's |
| includes auto attendants, conference bridges, | | | | extension.The VoIP PBX server searches its |
| extension-to-extension dialing, business | | | | internal database and obtains call routing |
| class voicemail and ring groups, in addition | | | | information about Caller B.The VoIP PBX |
| to a rich variety of other business telephone | | | | server routes the call to Caller B's VoIP |
| features normally found on high-end, premise | | | | device.During conversation, Caller B can use |
| based PBX systems. Their Virtual Office | | | | traditional PBX functionality, like call on |
| reduces an organization's telecommunications | | | | hold, caller ID, call forward, etc.Calls are |
| total cost of ownership (TCO) with a minimal | | | | either free if the company uses a local |
| initial investment combined with unlimited | | | | access number or charged on a time basis if |
| local and long distance business calling | | | | the company uses a toll free one.Voice over |
| throughout the United States and Canada and | | | | IP (VoIP) technologies carry great promise to |
| Packet8's low international | | | | reduce telecommunication and networking total |
| rates.Now.....here's an overview of what to | | | | cost of ownership while empowering |
| look for when making the business case for | | | | businesses with new capabilities and agility. |
| investment in VoIP technology for a VoIP PBX | | | | When making your decision on deploying a |
| solution:* Ways to save money for | | | | Virtual Office VoIP PBX solution consider the |
| corporations.....- Eliminate or reduce | | | | strategic and tangible benefits as well as |
| intra-office toll charges- Avoiding service | | | | the costs and risks outlined above. If it |
| and support contracts on existing PBX | | | | all seems too overwhelming seek out the |
| hardware- Eliminate the need for on-going | | | | assistance of an unbiased independent advisor |
| Centrex services -- and charges- Reduce | | | | such as Business-VoIP-SolutionMichael is the |
| expansion costs via lower costs for adds, | | | | owner of FreedomFire |
| moves and changes; lower user hardware costs- | | | | Communications....including Michael also |
| Reduce the on-going costs for separate voice | | | | authors Broadband Nation where you're always |
| messaging systems- Provide productivity | | | | welcome to drop in and catch up on the latest |
| benefits for remote and traveling workers who | | | | BroadBand news, tips, insights, and ramblings |
| can be empowered with the same integrated | | | | for the masses. |
| capabilities as office workers- Reduce user | | | | |