Migrating from legacy telecommunications systems to VoIP

November 29, 2010

We are in the 21th century but still more often than not, companies run outdated telecommunications systems that don’t support modern technologies and applications. For many managers the risk associated to changing a reliable phone system for a relatively unknown VoIP solution seems too high, even if they are aware of the advantages that the newer technology offers.

The main advantage of using a VoIP service is huge cost savings. Compared to traditional phone lines, you can save up to 85% off your monthly bill. Another big advantage is portability. You can get phone service anywhere broadband internet access is available, and even connect multiple phones in different locations like they were next to each other.

In order to demystify the whole process, some technical basic fundamentals should be understood. What VoIP basically does is to convert the standard telephone audio signal into digital format that can then be transmitted over the Internet. And viceversa, by converting incoming digital phone signals from the Internet to standard telephone audio. From a user experience VoIP is going to be very similar to traditional telephony once the migration is complete, but the network infrastructure differences and protocols should be understood in advance.

The goal is to allow enterprises to maintain their investment in their PBX systems as well as the expensive handsets deployed on each worker’s desk, while at the same time opening up a world of innovative IP-based applications for increased productivity. The end result is a mixed telecom environment that allows users to take advantage of the latest technological advancements, while reusing the company’s existing investment in telecommunications infrastructure.

Because there are so many possible scenarios and technologies involved, every deployed solution is going to be unique to each company. For large companies, the ideal solution must be first thoroughly researched and properly documented, the next step would be to outline a thorough deployment strategy that must be kept in line with timeframes and budgets. Deployment strategies is not just about when to cut over services to the data network to implement the migration, but also about acquiring the needed equipment, such as IP phones, gateways, traffic shaping devices, or even more importantly, obtaining adequate levels of bandwidth to the Internet or private network provider carrying the VoIP calls to and from the outside world.

We realized long ago that all these technicalities are too mind-boggling for the average user and frankly, unless your company has hundreds of employees, you need not to be involved in such a scenario that’s why RackNine has created a solution whose installation couldn’t be easier. You simply connect the RackNine provided phone to your internet router, then plug in the phone to a power outlet and you’re ready to go! It takes only a few minutes to setup. For complex phone banks, RackNine will provide you with a web interface to configure your phones or we can do it for you.

Once you receive the phones you can have them installed in minutes. All you do is connect everything and start using our VoIP service without the help of any technician. And unlike traditional phone service you’ll start enjoying the following features right away that come standard with all RackNine VoIP phones:

  • Call Waiting
  • Call Forwarding
  • Call Display
  • Voicemail to Email
  • Three Way Calling
  • Real Time Call Logs
  • Virtual Receptionist
  • Unlimited Free Extensions
  • Conference Calling
  • Black Lists

We are also able to offer your business the following upgradeable features for your core business needs:

  • Fax
  • Virtual Fax
  • Call Center Solutions
  • Predictive Dialing

Contact Us for more information