CI Gear Tech Blog: VoIP, UC, Response Point, Asterisk, 3CX

In tough economic times, many businesses are looking to cut or delay big ticket purchases like a new phone system. Enabling an older phone system to integrate with Skype can breathe new life into old technology by delivering new features and cost savings without an expensive forklift replacement. Skype gateways can do just that by seamlessly connecting your existing phone system to Skype - the world’s largest free VoIP network.

Some benefits:

Check out our Skype Gateways page.

Tags: Gateways, PBX, Phone System, Skype, VoiceGear, VoIP, VoSky

3CX Phone System recently announced their new Hotel Module, a solution aimed at hotels and hospitality environments. The hotel module was designed to perform the following functions:

• Check in and Check out of guests
• Setting of guest extensions to Do not Disturb
• Blocking of external calls
• Schedule wake up calls
• Allow housekeeping to set room status
• Track guest calls and list them upon check out for easy billing

The 3CX hotel module can be integrated with many Hotel property management systems (PMS) such as Micros Fidelio, Roommaster, Hilton and more. Alternatively the receptionist can use the system directly through the provided web interface.

The Front Desk Phone Control Application is a simple to use windows or web based application that allows the front desk clerk to perform the above operations. This application can be used separately from the PMS system, and thus requires no integration at all. For many smaller hotels this can be good enough.

Billing

The hotel module will track calls made by a guest and output the list upon checkout for easy billing. The list of calls or the total of the calls can be outputted to screen or printer. In addition the information can be sent to the PMS system via CDR or SMDR records. For each case, the exact format can be customized.

Integration options

The 3CX Phone System hotel module can integrate with PMS systems in the following ways:

1. Via the 3CX Protocol, which resembles the Mitel SX 2000 hotel API, such that you can select the Mitel SX 2000 PBX in your hotel software.
2. Via the Fidelio protocol
3. Via middleware software called Lodging Link. Lodging link integrates with numerous hotel software systems and provides transparent integration with the 3CX PBX hotel module. Supported hotel software systems included can be found here: http://www.comtrol.com/aboutus/partners/hospitality/pms
4. Exchange of data can also be done on a custom basis. In this scenario, documentation must be provided by the reseller.

Some Property/Hotel Management Systems supported by 3CX

• Agilysys
• Autoclerk
• Booking Center MyPMS
• Cenium
• Maestro for Northwind
• Fidelity Hotel Management System
• Micros Opera
• Choice Hotels International
• Brilliant Hotelsoftware
• CMS Hospitality Guestcentrix
• Fidelio-Opera
• Micros-Fidelio
• Fidelio
• ResortSuite
• Gracesoft
• Hotec Expert Hotelier Suite
• Hotel Concept
• WebPMS
• Atrium INN client server systems
• HSS Hotel Software Systems
• Innfinity software systems
• InnRoad
• MyHMS innpoints
• Full list at http://www.comtrol.com/aboutus/partners/hospitality/pms

For more information on 3CX products, visit our 3CX products page or our 3CX information site

Tags: 3CX, HMS, Hospitality, Hotel, PBX, Phone System, PMS, VoIP

The Sutus Business Central 200 or BC200 is way more than a phone system. It offers an integrated solution to small business IT and communications. The BC200 server includes: phone system, file server, email server, router, firewall, wireless access point, VPN remote access server, automated backups, VoIP and Standard phone line support and more. The BC200 is a complete IT and communication solution for up to 25 users.

Cost Savings: Compared to buying components separately, the BC200, being a single appliance, dramatically reduces the total cost of ownership including purchase, training, support, ongoing maintenance, and upgrade costs.

Simple and Easy to support: The BC200 delivers advanced management functionality for all the integrated applications in a single, workflow-based interface. The BC200 is secure and easy to support - with remote management and upgrades.

What’s required? The Business Central solution comes in a compact bundle consisting of the BC200 server/router and a PSTN gateway (The Gateway 310). The only other parts required are Polycom IP phones. The BC200 works with Windows, Mac and Linux environments. You can continue to use the email and file browsing applications you are familiar with.

Key Features

Here are some of the important features of the Business Central 200:

Phone Services

• Enterprise Class Telephone Support
• Voicemail to Email
• Auto Attendent
• Standard Phone Line Support
• VoIP Phone Line Support
• Shared Call Groups
• Custom Call Routing
• Hold, Transfer, Speed Dial, Conferencing
• Audio on Hold
• Program quick dial numbers for your Polycom phone through a web browser

Network Infrastructure

• WiFi Wireless Access Point 802.11 b/g
• 8 Port PoE 10/100 Router
• NAT + SPI Firewall
• VPN Remote Access
• Intelligent Fax Routing
• GigE 10/100/1000 Expansion Port
• Domain Controller
• Standards Based Infrastructure

Data Services

• File Server
• Email Server
• Robust, Journaled File System
• Secure file storage for users and groups
• Automated Backups
• RAID 1 (Disk Mirroring) Support
• 2 X 250Gb Hard Drives
• Intranet Server

Security

• NAT
• Stateful Packet Inspection Firewall
• Secure IMAP Client Support
• Secure SMTP Email Support
• Single Services Sign On
• Robust Reboot and Recovery

Here are some interesting product reviews to check out:

Dec 2008: ITBusinessEdge – Sutus Product Review

Nov 2008: GetConnected – Sutus Product Review

Nov 2008: ISP-Planet - A Small Business VoIP Box

Sutus Business Central BC200 is available through CI Gear. For more product information or to purchase a BC200, visit:

http://www.cigear.com/sutus-phonedatanetwork-system-c-156.html

Tags: Asterisk, Backup, BC200, Business Central, Email, File Server, Firewall, Gateway 310, PBX, Phone System, POE, Polycom, RAID, Router, Sutus, Switch, VoIP, VPN, Wi-Fi

3CX just announced the release of Version 7.1 of their software phone system for Windows. The main feature with v7.1 is the inclusion of 3CX Personal Phone Assistant for ALL users.

3CX Phone System for Windows 7.1 includes 3CX Assistant, a desktop utility that drastically improves phone usability and user productivity. 3CX Assistant offers extension users an easy way to transfer, divert, launch or park calls - via “drag and drop” rather then via a cryptic phone interface. In addition 3CX Assistant offers unified communications features such as extension status (presence) of other users and Call Queue information. It works in tandem with existing IP phones, soft phones and analog phones!

3CX Assistant features at a glance:

• Transfer, Divert or Park calls with a mouse click or via “Drag and Drop”
• See status of other extensions and avoid “Telephone Tag”
• Notification upon receiving a new voice mail message
• View number of callers in a Queue
• Pick – up calls waiting in the Queue
• See which agents are logged on or on a call
• Login/Logout to/from Queues
• Set user status to away/available

To get your 3CX license, go to our 3CX product page

Tags: 3CX, Drag and Drop, HUD, Microsoft, PBX, Phone Assistant, Phone System, Windows

For decades, a handful of giant manufacturers have maintained a virtual monopoly in the SMB phone systems market. This has resulted in expensive, proprietary technology that was difficult to manage and costly to maintain. By some estimates, only a third of small businesses have implemented phone systems for these reasons. This leaves the majority of this segment underserved!

Introducing the software pbx or phone system. A software phone system is an application designed to perform all the features of a purpose built pbx but built to run on standard computer hardware. Since software phone systems can be installed on commonly available computers, much of the cost associated with proprietary phone system hardware has been eliminated, which means software phone systems save you money!

Most phone system solutions available today are based on Voice over IP (VoIP). This does not mean that these systems will not connect with traditional phone services. In fact, the majority of phone systems available today support both traditional phone lines as well as VoIP.

Here are the 4 key ingredients required to build your own phone system.

1- Computer Hardware

2- Phone System Software

3- Phones

4- Gateways

Computer Hardware

Selecting suitable computer hardware is an important factor since your new phone system will depend on a reliable platform to run on. If your phone system project is for play, any reasonably equipped computer will do. If your phone system implementation is intended for business use, it would be wise to check with your software provider for recommended hardware products. For mission critical enterprise applications, a hardened server is highly recommended.

Software

Selection of software depends as much on personal preference as it does on features and capability. Some users are more comfortable working in a Windows environment while others are comfortable with Linux or Mac OS X. There are software based phone system solutions available for just about any platform. Most of these solutions are easy enough to install and manage and offer a plethora of features and functionality.
Since the defacto industry standard for voice communication these days is Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), software selected should support SIP.
Without delving into a detailed feature listing (We’ll save that for another article!), here are some of the more popular features that most people look for in a new phone system:

1-    Call Handling (Hold, Transfer, Conference, Forward, Park, Auto Attendant, Digital Receptionist, IVR, etc.)

2-    Unified Communication and Mobility (User Portal, Voicemail to Email, Unified Messaging, Single Number, Remote Access, Soft Phone, etc.)

3-    3rd Party Application Integration (Outlook, Salesforce / Web-based CRM, Exchange, Fax, etc.)

4-    Management (Web based Configuration, Backup/Restore, Call Logging/Reporting, etc.)

5-    SIP Trunk (VoIP) support to connect to one or more ITSPs (Internet Telephony Service Provider)

Windows based phone systems: 3CX, pbxnsip

Linux based phone systems: Asterisk, Elastix, Trixbox

Mac OS X based phone systems: pbxnsip

Phones

The phone is the interface between your end users and the system so factors such as ease of use, end user features, aesthetic appeal, call quality, ease of support should be considered when choosing phones. There are 3 major categories of end user devices that will work with your new system:
1-    Hardware IP Phone (Desk Phone, Wireless Phone, Conference Phone, etc.)
2-    Software IP Phone (PC/Mac Software Client, Smart Phone Mobile Client)
3-    Traditional Analog Phone via ATA (Analog Terminal Adapter)

There is no shortage of options when it comes to phone selection. Check with the software provider, your vendor and user forums for recommended models before deciding on what phones to order.

Gateway

A gateway is a device used to connect your VoIP based phone system to the public telephone network. Without a gateway, most SMB phone systems are still able to connect to the outside world using a SIP (VoIP) trunk. The SIP trunk connects your phone system to an ITSP (Internet Telephony Service Provider) who then relays your calls to and from the public telephone network. However, using only VoIP means that you are entirely dependant on your Internet connection to for phone access to the outside world.
The gateway enables you to connect analog POTS lines (Plain Old Telephone Service) or digital ISDN BRI and PRI (T1/E1) lines directly to your phone system. You can continue to take advantage of VoIP but also keep some direct connectivity to the public telephone network for reliability and failover.

Here are some of the options available when it comes to gateways.
1-    PCI Telephony Cards
2-    External Ethernet Gateways
3-    External USB Gateways

PCI Telephony Cards: There are PCI and PCIe based telephony cards available for a variety of platforms that will enable you to create your own gateway for your phone system. If you are comfortable installing hardware in your computer, this may be the simplest and most cost effective solution for you. If you’re not sure about getting under the hood of your system, this might not be the best solution for you.

External Ethernet Gateways: There are many external Ethernet based gateway devices on the market that will enable you to connect with a variety of telephony interfaces. These gateways are network devices that connect with all your phone lines and communicate with your phone system over Ethernet.

External USB Gateways: Some platforms support external USB based gateway devices that will enable you to connect with a variety of telephony interfaces. USB gateways are like peripherals that interface with your phone system on a USB port. These gateways also support a variety telephony interfaces for your phone lines and analog devices.

If you have a question or are just looking for help with planning your ideal software based phone system, feel free to comment on this post or call me at 1-866-924-4292.

Tags: 3CX, Asterisk, BRI, Elastix, FXO, FXS, Gateway, how to build, IP Phone, isdn, PBX, pbxnsip, PCI, PCIe, Phone System, PRI, SIP, software pbx, software phone system, T1, Trixbox, USB, VoIP

Last month, Sangoma launched the the NetBorder Express VoIP Gateway product line. NetBorder Express is a SIP to TDM Gateway on a card. It is a full-fledged VoIP Gateway to connect Legacy Networks to SIP and VoIP Networks.

NetBorder Express is a “ready to go” solution—much like an external gateway, but it also provides the flexibility of building your own gateway. It offers easy integration into your own application for installation, configuration and management, plus it can be installed in the same computer server.

Empowered by Sangoma’s NetBorder Express Software, NetBorder Express TDM to SIP Gateway Cards include G.168 Telco-Grade Echo Cancellation with 128 ms echo tails without call capacity reduction to provide optimum operating conditions for applications, such as Speech Recognition IVRs and International Toll Bypass. NetBorder Express cards also feature Sangoma’s award-winning field upgradeable crashproof firmware design.

NetBorder Express communicates with applications such as IP-PBXs, Speech Enabled IVRs, Conferencing Servers, Contact Center or Trunking Gateways directly with the ubiquitous SIP control protocol to reduce deployment time, complexity and cost for next generation network application deployments.

Available in one to eight ports of T1/E1, NetBorder Express Gateway Cards are an excellent value for installations ranging anywhere from 24 to 240 simultaneous calls. For larger systems, several gateway cards can be combined in the same server to support up to 960 simultaneous calls. (Analog and ISDN BRI Gateway cards are coming soon.)

Platforms
For now, this solution is for Windows only. Compatibility testing is currently being finalized with a number of industry-leading Windows-based IP PBX application developers. Watch for the news as it is released for compatibility.

A port to Linux is also being worked on so that it will also be Asterisk and other linux application compatible for those of you who are most comfortable in that market, but an ETA for this project has not been finalized.

Check out the NetBorder Express products page.

Tags: 3CX, BRI, E1, FXO, FXS, Gateway, PBX, pbxnsip, PCI, PCIx, Phone System, PRI, Sangoma, T1, Windows

CI Gear is pleased to announce that the Elastix ELX-3000 Appliance is now available. The ELX-3000 is a scalable Elastix appliance that will now join its smaller sibling, the ELX-025 to provide broader market appeal.

The ELX-3000 line has been produced by taking into consideration the different needs of a wide range of companies. It can cover needs that range from a few extensions up to 400 extensions. As a result, the line ELX-3000 is a good platform to grow with.

Elastix is an appliance software that integrates the best tools available for Asterisk-based PBXs into a single, easy-to-use interface. It also adds its own set of utilities and allows for the creation of third party modules to make it the best software package available for open source telephony.

The goals of Elastix are reliability, modularity and ease-of-use. These characteristics added to the strong reporting capabilities make it the best choice for implementing an Asterisk-based PBX.

For more information and pricing, visit the Elastix page at CI Gear.

Tags: Appliance, Asterisk, BRI, E1, Elastix, ELX-025, ELX-3000, FXO, FXS, OpenVox, PBX, Phone System, PRI, Sangoma, T1, Trixbox