What is Voice over IP?
Voice over Internet Protocol, or IP telephony, is a technology that enables you to make ordinary telephone calls over a computer network or the Internet. An IP system converts the voice transmitted over your telephone into digital signals and sends these signals in data packets over the Internet. It then converts them back on the other end, allowing you to speak to virtually anyone with a telephone.
Today, companies use VoIP technology for a myriad of reasons, including cost savings and feature-rich applications for businesses.
Hosted VoIP
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Star2Star Hosted VoIP
This is what most people think of as Voice over IP.
Hosted VoIP is using a cloud-based server to support end user phones or software at the customer site.
Star2Star Hosted VoIP provides:
Business continuity – you will have cloud voice mail/auto attendant and multiple failover ringing options in case of outage
Quality and reliability – 99.99% uptime service level agreements
Full coverage phone replacement for lifetime of agreement at no charge (free next day parts replacement)
Free data assessment prior to implementation
30 money back guarantee
Station-side VoIP
IP Telephones
IP Business Telephones can be used on both premised-based IP servers and hosted VoIP. Because the IP phone is connecting via the LAN to an IP address, IP phones can be moved by the end user as long as there is a Cat-5e or better cable. The phone must be configured for remote access to be utilized off-site. Use your private intranet or the Internet to extend full telephone system functionality to any location in the world.
Popular IP telephone features:
- Integrated Gigabit Ethernet switch for fastest network access (10/100 mps models also available)
- Off Hook Call Announce through speaker or handset
- Full duplex speakers and HD voice for superior sound
- Onscreen prompts that help you complete common tasks
- Programmable one-touch buttons for fast access to calling functions
- Integrated Headset Interface
Survivability Options are available
Peace of mind via a back-up system—survivability and redundancy for IP Telephones
Today’s business environments place heavy demands on PCs, firewalls, printers, and especially your telephone system. Enjoy the benefits and security of knowing that, with survivability solutions, your IP telephones will continue to operate 24/7. IP systems and servers have the ability to automatically re-register to a secondary system if the primary system fails. Plus, survivability is scalable from one IP telephone to some or to all the IP telephones in the primary system. Choose survivability for key individuals, specific departments, or all users within the system. Even voice mail will continue to operate automatically reconnecting to either system when it becomes operational again.
Trunk-side VoIP
SIP Trunking
SIP Trunking delivers fully integrated access for customer IP systems with true “all distance” calling – local, long distance, and international voice and data on a single network. SIP Trunking can be provided via the system IP card, PRI card, or analog line interface.
How It Works
The system communicates natively with a service provider over an IP circuit, carrying voice and data simultaneously. Voice is converted to data and sent along with the same circuit as the other data packets. Data gets entire bandwidth when no voice is present. Quality of Service (QoS) is managed by the service provider, with voice taking priority over data. Instead of lines coming in on rollover, SIP trunks are dynamically allocated based on usage.
It also provides:
- D.I.D. (Direct Inward Dial) numbers
- Virtual Numbers (must be supported by network services provider) – phone numbers for any city that will ring into your system as “local calls”
- Long distance savings
- High-speed data with dynamic bandwidth (guaranteed base speeds)
- Integrated router with handling routing of voice and data to your IP network
- Monthly savings
- Access to Business Direct for servicing, bill access, reporting, and tools
SIP Trunking 101
If your organization has or is considering an IP business phone system, you’ll want to take full advantage of its benefits. Success depends not only on the phone system you choose, but also on how you connect that system to the public switched telephone network (PSTN). SIP trunking allows you to connect your IP phone system to the PSTN over a broadband connection.
Top benefits of SIP trunking
In addition to the standard business services you expect, SIP supports advanced IP services such as IP contact centers, Find-me Follow-me, unified communications and the ability to have local numbers in various markets served by one central business phone system.
- Reduce communications costs.
SIP trunks use bandwidth flexibly and efficiently, so you can get more from available broadband bandwidth. You can eliminate those separate, underutilized, single-purpose analog or ISDN circuits. - Simplify the communications infrastructure.
Since SIP Trunking works over IP networks, it potentially eliminates the complexity of managing separate services such as ISDN PRI or multiple analog lines. - Get more out of available trunk bandwidth.
Unlike ISDN trunks with their fixed voice or data channels, with SIP trunking, bandwidth can be dynamically allocated between voice and data at any time. If there are lots of concurrent calls, more bandwidth can be used for voice, and if nobody is talking on the phone, all bandwidth is available for data. - Support business-grade voice quality.
Shifting voice calls onto the data network doesn’t require compromise. You can get the voice quality you expect by using a business-grade broadband connection and enterprise-class router/firewall—and configuring the router to prioritize voice traffic over data traffic.
