SIP, SIMPLE, SES, and the 4.1 Firmware

[herbiewiles]

I'm trying to read the tea leaves regarding 4.1 and support for SIP-endpoints and SIMPLE (think LCS/OCS integration).

I came across the following gem from the 4.1 Knowledge Base:

SES Line

IP Office SES lines are used for connection to an Avaya SIP Enablement Service (SES) server within an Avaya SIP for Branch network. This is a variant of TCP SIP line and requires SIP Trunk Channels licenses in the IP Office configuration for the number of simultaneous SIP and or SES calls. The SES server supports up to 1000 branches arranged in a star network configuration...The SES server acts as a SIP proxy.

I know that SES is currently the vehicle for Avaya's SIMPLE support, etc.

By deploying the SES Combo Server (without CM or anything else) are we able fully leverage SES to provide SIMPLE support for IP Office endpoints?

 

[herbiewiles]

Goofed the URL for the SES Combo Server

 

[tlpeter]

i don't see SIMPLE written down somewhere ???
Maybe i am a bit simple


ACA - Implement IP Office
ACA - Voice Services Management
______________
Women and cats can do as they please and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea!

 

[herbiewiles]

Bottom of the SES product page:

Enhances productivity with support for SIP SIMPLE-based presence and Instant Messaging (IM), allowing employees to quickly switch communications from IM to voice at a touch of a button.

 

[herbiewiles]

For that matter:

• SIP standards allow enterprises to deploy an open architecture that more easily supports the integration of multi-vendor telephony, collaboration, and application services.

• Provides a smooth migration path from TDM to SIP and from H.323 to SIP, allowing customers to deploy SIP telephony alongside existing analog, digital (DCP) and IP telephones while maximizing investment protection.

 

[olbs]

SIP Enablement Services is Linux-based software application that is deployed as a network appliance on the Avaya S8500 Server"

"The SES Combo Server combines the SES Home and Edge functions into a single S8500 server form factor. "

Still needs an S8xxx to run on by the looks, an expensive way to do it since the S8xxx would be sitting there doing next to nothing. Would rather wait with fingers crossed for 4.2.....

 

[tlpeter]

You could put in Sxxx on the main location and use ip office for the branch offices.
That is where it is designed for

ACA - Implement IP Office
ACA - Voice Services Management
______________
Women and cats can do as they please and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea!

 

[latitude12]

SES runs on the same hardware platform as CM, but is a stand-alone server. CM connects to it via SIP trunks, so it looks like IPO 4.1 will let you do the same thing.

This would give SIP end point support and allow SIP trunking between IPO and CM sites.

 

[tlpeter]

SIP end point will not be supporten on 4.1 !!!
It is on the roadmap


ACA - Implement IP Office
ACA - Voice Services Management
______________
Women and cats can do as they please and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea!

 

[latitude12]

Well, it offers SIP end points with CM... I guess the IPO implementation will be different. Re-reading the original post, it doesn't mention end points at all, so I guess that will be coming later (assuming they are taking the SES route and not adding the funtionality to IPO core software).

 

[tlpeter]

The most faults are created with assuming things


ACA - Implement IP Office
ACA - Voice Services Management
______________
Women and cats can do as they please and men and dogs should relax and get used to the idea!

 

[herbiewiles]

I'm not as familiar with the S8500 platform as I am with IPO, but in our case, we would not be purchasing a Gxxx media gateway, as, ideally, our IPO 500 would fill that role.

We've considered integration with LCS and SIP-based contact center solutions using plain old SIP-trunking. However that provides only very basic telephony options and little-to-no remote call control/presence functionality.

The vision here is to deploy an SES combo server to function as a SIP/SIMPLE gateway to the IPO--acting as the media gateway. The integration mechanism being the SES line (enhanced SIP-trunk) feature of 4.1. Plus, true SIP endpoints (like Office Communicator) can then register with the SES server and get dial-tone.

The only other option I know of is to integrate the IPO with SIP/SIMPLE 3rd-party systems is to purchase some other SIP/SIMPLE to TAPI gateway. This adds more complexity (both in licensing, deployment, and maintenance). For example, there's LCS/OCS, the SIMPLE/TAPI gateway, the TAPI server, and the IPO. I should add, we've ruled out replacing Office Communicator with Phone Manager.

Pricing may not be that far off the above scenario which what we're looking at now. Most SIMPLE/TAPI gateways I've found start at $2,000.

Plus, 4.2 may well support SIP-endpoints natively, but still may not support SIMPLE for presence and remote call control (in fact, there's a fair chance it won't).

In addition, the SES-IPO option maximizes the feature set available to 3rd party systems (LCS/OCS, call center apps, etc.).

Of course, the devil's always in the details, and I'm flat out ignorant of the implementation details of the S8xxx series.

Perhaps we should have gone Mitel. ;-) Just kidding.

 

[latitude12]

herbiewiles:

The S8xxx series are the server platforms used for ACM. However the S8500 (actually an IBM server) has a couple of other uses in the Avaya portfolio - e.g. AES and SES.

SES runs on an S8500 server but is independant of ACM. If IPO 4.1 does indeed integrate with SES then you would only need to buy the SES server (plus licenses), you would not need any form of ACM or media gateways.

As indicated by your OP and tlpeter's responses, SIP end point support is not on the roadmap for 4.1, it will come later. If IPO is to integrate with SES for trunking, my opinion (FWIW) is that they will also use it for SIP end points in a future release. The integration for end points would be along the lines of IP DECT (a dedicated line with special extensions).

 

[herbiewiles]

Thanks to all for the input!