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