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