Remote Office Recommendations

[des0906]

We're researching the upgrade options for our telecom infrastructure; this includes the replacement of our remote office key systems (Panasonic, Toshiba) with VoIP and PSTN capable phone systems. Since we're an Avaya shop we'd like to go with Avaya in this expansion, but we need solid advice and recommendations on the implementation. Anyone have information they can share on recent remote office system implementations?

Avaya 8720\Octel VMX300
"Sanity is a goal, not a guarentee"

 

[phoneguy55]

An S8300 will work fine for your remote nodes.

 

[jimbojimbo]

Several things to think about.

1. Survivability - G250 and G350 media gateways have the Standard Local Survivability (SLS) but remember that it is bare bones. Use of an S8300 gives 100% functionality and can be programmed to re-route 4 digit ext calls over PSTN when in failover (NOTE: requires DID trunks). This is a "business model" decision that should be addressed before getting started.

2. Trunking - P&P Lines as a Minimum (that's pizza & police). You need to have E911 capabilities. Additionally call capacities of failover solution should be clearly understood. Don't put a G350 with 4 analog trunks in a remote office where there are 50 Call Center agents. They will be idle during failover.

3. Devices - don't overlook analog requirements such as FAX and Modem. If required, make sure you have an additional analog port and Music-on-Hold source or customers hear dead-air on hold/in queue.

4. Does your centralized VMail have enough capacity for the remote users?

5. Is your network capable of handling the VoIP Traffice (both bandwidth and QoS). Can work around bandwidth issues with IGAR but you need to clearly define parameters before purchase.

6. There are alternatives such as the G150 or Quintim gateway. Low cost but that also means low functionality. May not be most cost effective solution is Sip Enablement Server (SES) is needed.

7. G250/G350 provide nice "all in one" package and can include WAN connectivity, and PoE data ports. Removes requirement for additional routing equipment. Can work stand alone or connect into existing data infrastructure.

If you need an account rep to talk to let me know and I can have someone call you.

James Middleton
ACSCI/ACSCD/MCSE
Xeta Technologies
jim.middleton@xeta.com