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Hosted Switch
- Thread starter audra87
- Start date
mikeydidit
IS-IT--Management
This should get you started. This is not something new by no means. Basically someone else supplies your dial tone. Several methods IP or supplied on copper lines incoming to you. This means they have the Responsibility of also maintaining their equipment. This also means should they have an equipment failure or the link or lines coming to you fail. You don't have any communications. At least with your PBX you could still have internal communications. Also have backup trunking plans in effect so you could have lines for incoming and outgoing calls.
If i sounds like i lean towards having a PBX instead of relying on someone else. I do.
It boils down to
1. Are you in a position that loosing communications is not that important? If so this may be for you.
2. Will the money you save be worth the risk? This one depends on what type of business your in.
I was once told that a "good deal" has to be a good deal for both you and me. Is it?
When is the last time you helped someone, just because you were able to?
For the best response to a question, read faq690-6594
- Thread starter
- #3
Nice to see this thread, I am in the exact same position as Audra87, Once I finally won Avaya CCE and IVR over the bolt on 3rd party system battle, the execs threw a hosted solution in the mix, I am none to happy about it so have been researching hosted pros and cons for a month. Any other arguments against I would be interested in hearing, Thanks !
- Thread starter
- #5
hi, anyone have additional pros and cons on this? We currently have an Avay 8730 / 350 seat call center using CMS and Datel product. We use CCE and click to call / have VOIP phones and remote users (4621 sets) we have eCAS call accounting system and OnviSource Call Recording system.
Now, if we were to go to a hosted switch, where would all these sytems go? Would we be able to utilize anything? I know that we would get our dialtone from somewhere else, but would we have any control over these other features and apps? What about adding agents and skills as new business comes in Who would do that?
HELP, i'm being asked to get all the PROs and CONs but know nothing more that what mikeydidit wrote, which again, i thank you for
Now, if we were to go to a hosted switch, where would all these sytems go? Would we be able to utilize anything? I know that we would get our dialtone from somewhere else, but would we have any control over these other features and apps? What about adding agents and skills as new business comes in Who would do that?
HELP, i'm being asked to get all the PROs and CONs but know nothing more that what mikeydidit wrote, which again, i thank you for
imagine a large WAN pipe going to a hosted pbx provider. they provide all the support like a hosted server (exchange, citrix, etc). if you have a problem, you call the NOC of the company that hosts your pbx. some allow you to make changes to the programing on your own, some don't. you can have them host all of the other servers (CAS, CDR, call recording) if they do that.
you have web interfaces or applications that connect to the PBX and other servers to pull reports and/or add & change configs.
the larger and cheaper the data pipes get, the more you'll see hosted solutions. i've come to the realization that in 5 years or less, my current employer will go with a hosted solution. they are getting the exchange, 4 x citrix, and other application servers hosted in 4 weeks.
you have web interfaces or applications that connect to the PBX and other servers to pull reports and/or add & change configs.
the larger and cheaper the data pipes get, the more you'll see hosted solutions. i've come to the realization that in 5 years or less, my current employer will go with a hosted solution. they are getting the exchange, 4 x citrix, and other application servers hosted in 4 weeks.
- Thread starter
- #7
ok, so would this be recommended for a 350 seat call center? We have had no downtime in the 6 years i've been here, except when the generator blew
so, would or should i expect to have the same level with a hosted?
If i were have lots of MACS, would it be done YESTERDAY, as i'm expected to do it?
so, would or should i expect to have the same level with a hosted?
If i were have lots of MACS, would it be done YESTERDAY, as i'm expected to do it?
it depends on how much you trust the pipes and company that hosts your pbx.
i have the same amount of users you do in a health care environment across multiple sites (S8300LSP/G700s with the PPN being an S8300/G700 stack with an crappy Audix LX, VX Tracker, Taske, 4600 sets, etc).
would i do it? not with the data circuit providers my employer has now. i don't trust them with what i've seen since i started working here.
as far as MACs, it depends on the host company if you get any admin access at all. our data circuit provider won't even let us have any kind of access to the Cisco routers they manage that are in our sites, not even a view login.
i have the same amount of users you do in a health care environment across multiple sites (S8300LSP/G700s with the PPN being an S8300/G700 stack with an crappy Audix LX, VX Tracker, Taske, 4600 sets, etc).
would i do it? not with the data circuit providers my employer has now. i don't trust them with what i've seen since i started working here.
as far as MACs, it depends on the host company if you get any admin access at all. our data circuit provider won't even let us have any kind of access to the Cisco routers they manage that are in our sites, not even a view login.
- Thread starter
- #9
- Thread starter
- #10
mikeydidit
IS-IT--Management
For the reliability aspects, think of it like this.
The Avaya servers offer 999.99% reliability. Can you say the same about your network (email or using the web) from your site now?? Now also add (as PBX Tech) put it, a large pipe (probably fiber) into your place that feeds your dial tone and circuits. What happens when someone running a backhoe cuts the fiber or your provider has an equipment failure? Not only do you not have circuits (Ok being without trunking would be bad enough) but now you don't even have internal communications. You can (and should if it's really important to you to not loose service) have backup trunks on your switch. Its not hard to do on your PBX and doesn't cost that much for a piece of mind.
What sort of backups do they offer with their hosted service? Its a lot to consider and should be thought about before looking at the $$$ rather than service. How much will that cost if your call centre if it goes out of service? Will you really save money??
When is the last time you helped someone, just because you were able to?
For the best response to a question, read faq690-6594
The Avaya servers offer 999.99% reliability. Can you say the same about your network (email or using the web) from your site now?? Now also add (as PBX Tech) put it, a large pipe (probably fiber) into your place that feeds your dial tone and circuits. What happens when someone running a backhoe cuts the fiber or your provider has an equipment failure? Not only do you not have circuits (Ok being without trunking would be bad enough) but now you don't even have internal communications. You can (and should if it's really important to you to not loose service) have backup trunks on your switch. Its not hard to do on your PBX and doesn't cost that much for a piece of mind.
What sort of backups do they offer with their hosted service? Its a lot to consider and should be thought about before looking at the $$$ rather than service. How much will that cost if your call centre if it goes out of service? Will you really save money??
When is the last time you helped someone, just because you were able to?
For the best response to a question, read faq690-6594
mikeydidit, you are absolutely correct. it's all about up time and saving money. as the manager of the phone network, you want up time. senior management wants to save money.
who will senior management believe when it comes time to choose, the telecom manager or the vendor that promises to save your company big bucks? what's funny is when the hosted pbx goes down for whatever reason and senior management comes to the telecom manager and he says, 'I called them and they have no ETA for a fix.'
there's a reason businesses like Bank of America, Home Depot, Met Life, et al choose to not have a hosted pbx solution. it's called 'making money' not saving it.
who will senior management believe when it comes time to choose, the telecom manager or the vendor that promises to save your company big bucks? what's funny is when the hosted pbx goes down for whatever reason and senior management comes to the telecom manager and he says, 'I called them and they have no ETA for a fix.'
there's a reason businesses like Bank of America, Home Depot, Met Life, et al choose to not have a hosted pbx solution. it's called 'making money' not saving it.
- Thread starter
- #14
thanks for this HELPFUL information PBXtech and mikeydidit. This is what we are trying to put out there, but of couse, when the HOSTED people talk to them, it's the greatest thing going for between 30 and 100 $$s a seat. I just CANNOT believe that this could possibly be correct, but i need to PROVE them wrong. Again, you guys gave me some good amo
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