Vitelity SIP Trunking

When you use SIP trunking, you no longer make your phone calls through the twisted-pair copper-wires of the phone company.  You connect your PBX to the Internet.  Your Internet Telephony Service Provider, in this case a company called Vitelity, takes calls made on your office PBX and makes them compatible with VoIP technologies, routes them as far as they can using the Internet, and then, if necessary, back onto the POTS (Plain Old Telephone System, also known as the PSTN, or Public Switched Telephone Network) if needed, to complete the call.

People generally switch to VoIP and SIP trunking because it can save them money on their phone service versus running calls over the regular phone system.  Many companies report as much as a 70% drop in costs. There will be some up front costs because you will need specialized hardware and software to use VoIP, but you should be able to recoup your costs in short order.

Vitelity Link Service is a no-commitment, pay-as-you-go service for small and medium businesses that starts at just $35 per month for the “dial-tone”. A local phone number in most areas of the U.S., with unlimited incoming calls from the “lower 48”, costs $7.95 per month with a $1 activation fee and outgoing call terminations cost 1.44¢ per minute for calls terminating anywhere in the U.S.  Custom toll-free and V-fax numbers are also available at an extra charge. Local and toll-free numbers can also be ported over.

With phone company service, you calculated how many concurrent calls you wanted to be able to support, and got that many incoming lines.  With SIP trunking, the limiting factor isn’t lines, it is bandwidth.  An average call uses around 65kbps (65,000 bits per second). SIP trunks carry VoIP signals along with your Internet traffic, so it is a good idea to work with your ITSP to determine how many calls you can support with your available bandwidth.

Vitelity supports SIP and IAX protocols and supports several compression/decompression (codec) protocols.  In larger markets, Vitelity can bring in to your office a T-1 line (1.544 megabits/second) or enough to carry 23 average phone calls at once.

A variety of features are available through Vitelity, all on an a la carte pricing model, including:

Enhanced 411 (99¢ per call)Outbound caller ID name ($10 per number)Call forwarding (2.8¢ – 3.5¢ per minute)Enhanced 911 ($1.49/number)Virtual PRI – If you need large numbers of inbound lines (pay by the line, not the minute)Voicemail – up to 1000 mailboxesCustomer portal – An Internet-based portal to help manager your account and calls, produce usage reports, add users and more

In a review of several chat forums and review sites dedicated to this market, Vitelity earned very good marks for customer service and support.  With few exceptions, the company was praised for answering customer questions quickly and completely.  Even on those sites dedicated to complaints, Vitelity fared well. Customers felt the company gave excellent service and delivered on what it promised.

Vitelity is part of U.S. National Telecom, a Miami, Florida company traded over the counter under the symbol USNL.  Vitelity, based in Denver, Colorado, can be reached at 1-720-257-5400 or 888-89VITEL (888-898-4835).  Customer support is available by phone from 9 am to 5:30 pm MST.

Digium SwitchVox Systems

Imagine when a phone call comes in, you can look at your computer screen and the Switchvox “switchboard”  program knows who is calling, shows you their name, number and a map of where they are calling from and even brings up an automatic “Google”  page about the caller.  If you have SalesForce, you ‘ll also get that program’s file about the caller plus any comments left on the system after the last time that person called – all before you even pick up your phone.   

You can then decide to answer, transfer to another extension, send it to voicemail or record the call – or finally pick up the phone and answer!  Add to that the fact that you can do so from any IP enabled phone on your network – no matter where it is located – and you begin to see the design philosophy of the company’s premier proprietary product, the Switchvox. 

Come for the hardware lineup……stay for the awesome dance song

The Switchvox phone system comes in three sizes:

Concurrent recordings/conference call users5 recording5 conference callers10 recording15 conference callers20 recording30 conference callersRAID controller, mirrored drive, redundant power supply & optional cold spare failover

Unlike most suppliers, Digium does offer a free trial version of Switchvox.  It is downloadable from the company website and it supports up to 15 users.  But be careful – only download to a computer you don’t use for something else because the software you download will wipe your hard drive.

Support Plans

Silver – $55/user first year then $11/ userActivation plus unlimited e-mail supportGold -  $77/user first year then $17/userActivation plus unlimited e-mail and phone support (during normal business hours of 6 am to 6 pm PST)Platinum – $110/user first year then $28/userActivation plus unlimited e-mail and phone support (during normal business hours of 6 am to 6 pm PST) plus 5 after hours incidents

Beyond the above basic components, options of all sorts are available on an a la carte basis, including:

Analog phone linesEquipment maintenance and warranty plansTelephones – Mostly Polycom Soundpoint phones (from $174 to $549)Conference phonesT-1 lines

Switchvox components and systems are available direct from the manufacturer or through a variety of third-party resellers. 

The company is also the creator of “Asterisk” software, an open source program that can turn an ordinary computer into a communications portal or server.  In combination with Linux and other open-source third-party programs you can assemble a complete communications system from open-sources (non-licensed) programs. 

Both Asterisk and Switchvox are products of Digium, Inc., a privately-held company located in Huntsville, Alabama.  Digium can be contacted at 256-428-6000 or 1-877-DIGIUM1.  Customer support is available from 7 am to 8 pm M-F at 1-258-428-6000.  The company website is www. Digium.com

AireSpring Data/SIP Review

AireSpring offers a broad range of telecommunications services for customers ranging from small businesses with just a few lines all the way up to full enterprise coverage.  Product offerings extend to not just local and long distance voice calls, but also include high-volume data applications: 

High-volume local and long distanceVoIP / SIP (local and long-distance)High-bandwidth data (up to 10 Mbps)Conference CallingMultiple-location and enterprise networks 

If you have a standard PBX requiring a TDM handoff, AireSpring’s offers Dynamic X,  a T-1 line which brings together voice and data over the same line.  Instead of being forced to allocate fixed percentages of your bandwidth to either voice or data,  Dynamic X, as it name suggests, dynamically allocates your bandwidth to voice or data (across up to 16 IP addresses), giving voice calls priority when needed. 

If your PBX is IP-enabled, AireSpring offers traditional SIP trunking.  Get rid of your copper phone lines and PRI (T-1 service) completely and go exclusively over the Internet for your phone service.  Because calls go out over the Internet, AireSpring can use least-cost routing to cut your phone bills.  Trunks start at just $8 each per month.   

As with all SIP-based systems, available bandwidth will be the primary factor determining how many simultaneous calls your phone system will be able to handle.  Make sure you have enough to handle your calls plus your anticipated data needs.  

AireSpring also offers virtual DIDs (local phone numbers) as a way to reduce your use of expensive 800 numbers.  Let’s say you are based in New York, but you get a lot of 800 number calls from Chicago.  Drop the 800 number and replace it with a virtual DID in Chicago for 50¢ per month (including usage).  It works like a local number for your customers but costs you much less. 

SIP trunking is entirely Internet based, so all the features available in your headquarters are available to your entire network. You will no longer be location-dependent for your phone service. Callers won’t see a difference between an extension in your office and an at-home worker or someone calling from on the road.  And all calls between and among network users will be free. 

If you have an existing data or voice network running across multiple carriers, AireSpring’s offers a Virtual Private Network (VPN) offering Multiple Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) a technology which enables packets to be switched between carriers regardless of the transmission protocols involved.  Run all your  traffic -voice, video and data – over a single network. 

Pricing for the company’s varying product offerings is based on a number of factors, including: 

The number of concurrent calls you want your system to be able to handleThe combination you want of local, long distance, data and teleconferencingThe types of equipment you have and its locations. 

 AireSpring has negotiated deals with Tier-1 carriers and currently covers 95% of the United States.

According to the company website, the network is designed to accommodate large-volume and high-capacity users.  Partner companies include such well-known names as Verizon, Global Crossing and Qwest. 

AireSpring, is a privately-held company located in Van Nuys, California, and can be reached at 1-800-825-1055.  For support, call 888-389-2899 or visit www.airespring.com.

VoicePulse SIP Overview

VoicePulse is a supplier of VoIP Telephony services aimed mostly at the residential (SOHO) and small business market, with the ability to serve larger customers and resellers as needed.  VoicePulse services use SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) technology that routes calls over the Internet instead of traditional phone company copper lines.

VoicePulse is primarily a supplier of services.  Although it does provide routers for certain service plans, VoicePulse customers generally supply their own PBX hardware and phones.  VoicePulse’s phone service includes a comprehensive range of features, included three-way calling, caller-ID with name, call waiting with caller-ID name, call return (*69) and call transfer. 

Other features enable you to block selected calls (such as telemarketers or calls without caller-ID) and to filter which calls get through and which ones won’t.  Also included are additional features such as speed-dialing and distinctive rings.

There are five basic service plans listed on the company’s website: 

Outgoing Long Distance (50 US States) call minutesAs low as 1.5¢ / Minute (Lower 48 states only)Outgoing Local and Regional US Calls*Cost/Min. Varies (see website)Cost/Min. Varies (see website)

*See website for breakdown of what comprises local and regional calls 

** Customer is responsible for providing SIP-compliant equipment.  SIP trunking typically comes with enough bandwidth for four simultaneous calls.  Additional simultaneous call c\apacity costs $20 per call.

As with most suppliers of VoIP, there is an entire laundry list of services and features available at an extra cost.  With VoicePulse, that list of extras includes phone numbers, activations, conference-calling capabilities (free with Business Unlimited only), virtual numbers (local numbers in another area code) and more.  Check the website carefully to be sure what will cost extra and what is included.

VoicePulse also offers custom “solutions” for such applications as large offices (20+ users), call centers, colleges and universities, and a wide variety of wholesalers / resellers of VoIP services.

VoicePulse is a privately-held company headquartered in North Brunswick, New Jersey.  They can be reached at 732-339-5100.  Customer service can be reached at the same number on weekdays between 9 am and 5 pm EST.

BroadVox SIP Overview

Broadvox is a supplier of low-cost SIP telephone service, which saves you money by routing calls over the Internet instead of over the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), also known as the phone company. By using its own, proprietary network instead of the phone company’s twisted-copper wires, you get much higher quality calls at a lower price.

You can gradually migrate your phone service from old-style Time Division Multiplexing (TDM) technology to the newer digital Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) used in Broadvox’s Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) systems. In this new method, your phone call gets converted into data packets, and it travels the Internet the same way as a YouTube video or a spreadsheet.

Broadvox’s basic product is called Go!Anywhere, and it allows unlimited local and long distance

calling, with what the company says will be a roughly 70% savings over the traditional telephone company. You can use your existing equipment or get an Internet-Enabled PBX system. The basic service costs $35 per concurrent call session, with a minimum of 3 sessions required. Prices drop for all services if you contract for more than 1 year of service. Incoming phone service is available for an additional fee, in increments of 5,000 minutes, starting at a little over 3 cents per minute. Or for 3.5 cents per minute a la carte.

The company also offers two variations of the program, one called Go!Local, which features unlimited local calling with the option of adding long-distance. Go!Domestic is a plan for call or contact centers that use T-1 lines. It eliminates the local component of incoming calls, reducing the cost per minute.

To all three of the above programs, the program offers the ability to add extras, such as enhanced local numbers, with which you can customize the outgoing caller ID information, virtual numbers, directory listings and local number portability.

Finally, Broadvox offers wholesale call origination and termination services for resellers.

The company has an extensive group of partner companies with which it works to provide the best possible level of service. Hardware partners include such well-known names as Alcatel / Lucent and Cisco. It also works with more than 35 vendors of IP phones, PBXs and other equipment, to be sure that their equipment is compatible with its networks.

Broadvox is a privately-held company headquartered in Dallas, Texas with it Network Operations Center in Cleveland, Ohio. It can be reached in Dallas at 213-646-8000 and in Cleveland at 216-373-4600.

Shoretel PBX Phone Systems

Shoretel offers VoIP hardware and systems designed for companies with multiple locations.  With built-in “N+1 redundancy”, Shoretel systems are designed to keep working even if you experience a failure in your network.   

The company offers three main system components – switches, phones and software – designed to work together to create a phone system oriented toward companies with geographically-dispersed operations – sales offices or manufacturing plants, for example – that need seamless phone communications. 

The Switch Is The Thing 

At the heart of Shoretel systems are its voice switches.  Available in capacities from 30 to 120 phones (analog trunking), 30-90 phones (BRI trunking) and 220 phones (digital – PRI – trunking) the switches are scalable, enabling systems as large as 10,000 users.  The overall architecture, according to the company, incorporates n+1 redundancy (every connection has at least one alternate) to keep your phone system up and running, even in the event of a network failure.   

Each switch operates as an independent call processor, even when separated from its servers.  As you mix and match switches, all functions remain integrated, including voicemail and auto-attendants.  Shoretel call this a “distributed architecture”. 

The Phones Are Another Thing 

Shoretel offers phones ranging from basic to full featured. 

At the high end is the model IP 565g, which feature eight buttons, six lines, a color display, full-duplex speakerphone and bluetooth for use with a wireless headset.  The IP 565g also includes integrated 10/100/1000 Ethernet and full VPN connectivity, enabling it to be used outside of company firewalls with a high degree of security.   

Shoretel offers additional phones with fewer features at lower prices.  At the low end of its offerings the IP 110 is a single-line phone suitable for a waiting room or lobby. 

The Software is The Third Thing 

Shoretel also offers a number of software programs to enhance the usefulness of the phone systems it sells.  ShoreWare Call Manager, for example, is a computer-based program which enables users to switch and move seamlessly among video, voice and IM. Other programs include:

Contact center is a program for call centers than manages call routing, enabling you to run a contact center from multiple locations as easily as ou could a centralized call center. Converged Conferencing simplifies the use of audio conferencing, desktop and application sharing, instant messaging, virtual meeting rooms, on-line presentations, and multi-media recording by providing a unified interface.Other available programs include time tracking and billing, SalesForce Integration and more.

Shoretel products are available through a network of channel partners (dealers), so it is difficult to say what prices will be.  We did find a large purchasing consortium on the Internet, so to give you a sense of costs, here are a few excerpts (your prices may vary):

ShoreGear 90V  Analog Switch with 90 phones & voicemail boxes  $3,140.75 each

IP 565 Phone   Top of the line IP phone (silver)         509.15 each

Operator Call Manager Operator Call Manager Software Program        505.75 each 

Shoretel offers e-mail and telephone support, and makes available to its customers a variety of learning tools through “Shoretel University” including FAQs, training and reference guides and other downloadable materials. 

Shoretel is traded on the NASDAQ under the symbol SHOR.  The company, located in Sunnyvale, California, can be reached at 800-425-9385 or 1-408-331-3300 and is on the web at shoretel.com.  Customer support can be reached at 800-742-2348.

Ingate SIP Firewalls Overview

As much time as we spend worying about data security, how many of us give a lot of thought to the security of our voice communications?  If you are a lawyer, accountant or scientist, for example, you probably talk about private and confidential matters on the phone without really worrying about someone eavesdropping on your conversation. 

But once you switch to the digitally-driven SIP environment of VoIP, the possibility that your conversation can be intercepted and overheard multiplies dramatically.  Hackers using packet sniffers and such well-known tools as VOMIT (we’re not kidding – google it) can intercept and turn your private conversations into .wav files they can listen to on any PC. 

Ingate supplies products that can reduce the chances someone will overhear what you say in conversations on an IP phone.   

First and foremost they make SIP firewalls.  Many personal and corporate firewalls –  especially many of the larger corporate legacy systems don’t recognize SIP (the protocol under which VoIP runs) so those calls don’t get the protection of a firewall.  Ingate makes firewalls in 5 models, ranging in capccity from 10 to 50 users.  All firewalls come complete with all the needed software to replace your existing firewall, including full NAT (network address translation) and PAT (port address translation) and TLS (transport layer security) support for encrypted instant messaging.   

If you have a substantial investment in your firewall and don’t want to replace it, Ingate also makes the aptly-named Siparator that connects to our existing firewall. SIParators offer all the functionality of the Ingate firewall.  The Siparator examines every packet of information coming into or going out of your network and blocks those that don’t belong. 

Employees who routinely work and place calls away from your office have unique security concerns. If you now have, or want to add, employees who will work outside of the system protected by your firewall, Ingate offers a software-based VPN (Virtual Private Network) program. Using strong encryption (AES, 3DES or IDSec encryption algorithms) this module enables you to establish a secure link over the internet and between networks without having to use a dedicated line.  It can communicate with any VPN client using IPSec (Internet Protocol Security) or IKE (Internet Key Exchange).  VPN is included with all firewalls and SIParators. 

Ingate is a great company with tons of great insight and information.  We highly suggest their services. 

Finally, for even more security, Ingate offers its Enhanced Security Module.  This software add-on supports both the IDS (Intrusion Detection System) and IPS (Intusion Protection System) and encrypts all real-time communications.  It supports both TLS (Transport Layer Security) and offers SRTP (Support For Realtime Protocol), and includes encryption, authentication and replay protection. 

Keep in mind that the more layers of security you use, the greater the chance that you will introduce noticable lag into your communications.  The manufacturer can best advise you as to how to protect the security of your voice calls without slowing them down. 

Other Ingate products include a QoS (Quality of Speech) module, which enables you to monitor calls and assess how to improve the quality of transmission, and a Remote SIP Connectivity module, which allopws you to extend SIP features and performance to remote locations, even when they are behind non-SIP-aware firewalls. 

Ingate is owned by Ingate Systems AB of Stockholm, Sweden.  They can be reached at +46-(0)8-600 77 50 or at ingate.com.  In the U.S., the company is located in Hollis, New Hampshire and can be reached at 603-883-6568.  Customer service can be accessed via e-mail at support  (@) ingate.com.  Because they are located in Sweden, the company’s customer support hours are from 2 am to 11 am EST, and they can be reached at +46-13-21 08 52.