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Questions about VoIP and VoIP-PBX
Q. I am working for a small company (about 15 employees). We take calls for sales and technical supports. We have an old PBX with minimal basic functions (transfer, hold, 3 person talk, etc.). Our president is considering changing our phone system into VoIP + VoIP PBX.
A. www.asterisk.org is an Open-Source IP PBX and will cost you nothing but a PC and a couple of linecards pending your configuration. I guess the cost savings compared to a "Brand Name" could cover 1 full-time technician for up to 6 months... ;-) I use Asterisk at home and I've spend around USD 500 on it. In comparison a Cisco Call Manager with the same features and "size" is around USD 50K. Anyway, there are heaps of information regarding Asterisk here: http://www.voip-info.org/tiki-index.php?page=Asterisk These companies will sell you a complete system (TurnKey) based on Asterisk: http://www.voip-info.org/tiki-index.php?page=Asterisk+system+vendors If you want a DIY solution, here is a list of consultants that will help you for a fee... http://www.voip-info.org/wiki-Asterisk+consultants A good VoIP PBX (or Key System) will always cost more. It can be stable but this is highly dependent on implementation. If the seller does not have many years in both voice and data expect trouble. What's you network like? Do you have a QoS capable switch? Think about what you want it to do. Voice mail-yes Unified messaging-? Conference calls-yes IP trunks-? PSTN trunks-probably Fax routing (in and out)-? ACD (Automated Call Distribution)-probably A good system (sticking to major names) that can do all this and both VoIP and legacy is the Nortel BCM. I might be biases because we sell them, but we did look into many others when we were choosing a small/medium business VoIP system. Even got completely certified on the Cisco and had a 3Com on-site for over a month (what a piece of garbage). We've done that as well, only drawback is that you end up needing a router between the LANs if you want the advanced integration. Since IP phones need power, and using a brick is a pain (expecially if the power goes out), you end up with a in-line power unit for the ethernet or a PoE switch. PoE switches always support QoS. In the end it's just plain easier to get the PoE/QoS switch.
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