Small business transition to VOIP

Has anyone taken a small business to VOIP ?

Any experiences, hardware/software used, providers, cost effectiveness etc appreciated.

We need to keep the current landline numbers, but want to have all outgoing calls via VOIP (got to be cheaper than BT).

So really looking for some sort setup where the main phone can have both normal line and network connection - with incoming calls on the landline and outgoing via VOIP.

All the physical lines come into the building at many different places, so it would be very difficult to plug them all into one server/router device (although this could be done if required).


I am currently thinking
- Broadband connection (router with traffic prioritisation so VOIP gets preference - maybe something like the WRT54GL with DD-WRT loaded)
- VOIP provider
- Simens C640 or similar with VOIP + landline capabilities (with VOIP setup to connect to the provider or a local server)

Local server surely has many benefits - but could be complicated to maintain. Been looking at Aterisk ... But havent quite figured it all out yet. Seems an extremely capable system - way beyond what I would need.

Having my own server can also be beneficial when I need to add other locations to the network.

You might be better off using something like asterix as a VOIP exchange. However the interface cards to link to the land lines (you didn't say how many) might be expensive. How nmany users do you have - how many incoming lines. You could then keep the existing office telephones (but again you need interface cards) to connect them, or use your network for VOIP phones but without the POTS facility. Routing then becomes transparent to the end user. You might then be able to reduce the number of landlines coming in - just inviting incoming callers to enter the extension number. The options need careful costing.

Digium® - The Asterisk Company • home

Phones are pretty mission critical - so this isn't something to be undertaken lightly. You might be better off in the long term at a commercial solution - depends on budget, size of business etc. Google will proabbly be your friend for finding commercial providers. The link above will start you off on the asterisk route.

This link is a source of line interface cards in the UK

Voip phones, ip pbx, voip pbx and Asterisk cards from UK’s voip equipment store – VoipDepot.co.uk. - VoIP Asterisk Hardware

I've setup several systems like this using SIP Trunks, If you are looking at doing this there are very few providers that actually provide this, the rest are rebadged resellers.

The services that tend to be offered are wires only where by they provide you with the ADSL (8Max usually) and you are responsible for the configuration of the router for the system.

But Sinizter, what i'm not certain is are you using a telephone switch, or are you that small you've just got normal telephone lines into the building? (and by normal i mean standard pstn connections) rather than an ISDN 2 or PRI connection.

But this is without doubt what i do for a job (development side) with the practical experience so most questions I should be able to answer.

TiG

After many years of working with PBX setups its one of the few times I would always say....

"if it 'aint broken don't fix it"

If you wanted to setup your business with VOIP I would get a provider to do it for you, that way you always have some on there to back you up when it does go wrong (and at some time it will)

If you must do it yourself look at trying to get a few ISDN lines in (you may find this hard)

2 incoming landlines at this first location. Lot of outgoing calls.

Potentially 14 locations nation wide - with potential for many more. For various reasons these are currently individual businesses on paper, with the head office controlling finances, etc. Getting a commercial provider to do the setup in this case could be unecessarily complicated, making it better to leave it as it is rather than move to VOIP.

As for backup, the landlines will remain in place, so if the VOIP stuff goes down, things can go on as normal over the landlines.

No telephone switches as these locations are spread out all over the place and each of them have 2-5 lines. Only the head office has a switch. And they all have broadband.

But with the large volume of calls going out it will be cheaper in the medium term to go VOIP. But incoming phone numbers cannot be changed, and staff at reception cant have many different devices to mess around with. There are also some volume of international calls involved, and these will be much cheaper with VOIP as well.

I am only considering the possibility/feasibility at this stage. But it has to be better than BT rates, which means within months I will have seen a cost benefit. Putting all these calls through one unlimited tariff using an asterisk solution would probably be the ideal scenario, but I might be totally off the ball here.

Asterisk also seems to handle SMS which is also something that we require.

Well the way i'd look to handle those situations is go with the main switch at the head office having the capability to be linked into a SIP Trunk, then you might be best using a soft IP phone like Xten at each sub office linking into a potential Asterix type install in the head office, all calls would then be controlled by the head office. You have the reduce cost option there. Works for the outgoing calls (which are the ones costing you money). Inbound line rental would then remain for the rest of it.

TiG