Partner ACS7 w/ Centrex...time for VOIP now.

[vtsnaab]

Sometime back I installed this system for a friend who had (foolishly IMO) agreed to extend his Centrex contract with the telco.

The system is 100% fine and not anyplace near all its features are even in use.
It is a small office with three people who need only basic phone functions.
The most critical need besides trying to keep his accustomed main number is the hunt group functionality which centrex provided.

Unfortunately the 'push' he is getting is that the telco now wishes to exercise its 'right' to double or triple his monthly rate, so he is considering making a break from their services if it may be done somehow within reason.

So:
My thought is that since the ACS7 remains fine & perfect order is to add ATAs & VOIP via an ITSP.

2nd to that, there are lots of newer Avaya systems for sale right now that directly accept VOIP for very attractive prices with plenty of phones included - but that may be going overboard considering their minimal needs as well as that those phones (I was told...) are not generic enough for other VOIP uses.

I will appreciate helpful suggestions as to what folks think are good ideas moving forward in this matter.

Thanks.

 

[joe2938]

why not just get pots lines from another vendor, case closed

 

[vtsnaab]

Thanks for replying.

That is sort of a non-issue, really.
I had suggested switching to VOIP when the contract was due for renewal and he couldn't get his head around it back then - but now that the telco is hammering him for way more $$$, suddenly it looks pretty good to him !!

CLECs are pretty much nonexistent here in Vermont.
There was exactly ONE good CLEC years ago with decent rates, but for some mysterious reason they jacked up their rates and then vanished altogether AFAIK.

 

[joe2938]

GWI is in your area, give them a call, or maybe Fairpoint Communications

 

[vtsnaab]

Thanks for replying.
Fair(ly)Point(less) is the telco which is tripling his monthly bill right now & all he has gotten from them thus far is threats of ever higher charges;

GWI is out of Biddeford ME and does not serve Vermont at all, sadly.

 

[joe2938]

wow funny as they started out in vt, try calling comcast or time warner and they will be able to provide you with analog lines.

 

[vtsnaab]

I see that you are insisting that sticking with analog lines is what should be done...OK;
Got it.

Now - as plainly stated as possible:
WE'RE NOW LOOKING TO REPLACE THE ANALOG LINES WITH VOIP, THANK YOU !!!

I know the area & what CLECs there are...TW is not here; Comcast does not serve the area either.
There is a dinky, local cable company & Fair(ly)Point(less) & that's about it in his small town.

Here in Vermont there are funny tariffs & still lots of teeny weeny local telcos as well.

As posted in the OP=>

The most critical need besides trying to keep his accustomed main number is the hunt group functionality which centrex provided.

So:
My thought is that since the ACS7 remains fine & perfect order is to add ATAs & VOIP via an ITSP.

 

[joe2938]

I do not think your partner system can do voip, so a new system may be needed was just trying to save you some money here as the partner is a good key system, just saying

 

[vtsnaab]

Hence my mentioning adding ATAs before it - which is VERY cost effective, thanks.

 

[exsmogger]

What about Vonage or one of the other VOIP providers? As long as you have a good broadband connection it should work fine with the ACS. I used MagicJack for one of the lines on my Nortel BCM50 and it worked OK, although there were caller ID issues with them. I recently ported that number to a SIP provider as my system can handle direct SIP trunks.

Brian Cox
Georgia Telephone

http://Georgia-Telephone.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/briancox1952