Telco Wiz, Inc.

Allworx Named ‘Best 2012 Channel Vendor’

Release date: Jan. 24, 2012

LITTLE ROCK, Ark.— Allworx, an award-winning developer of Internet Protocol-based (IP) phones and phone systems for businesses making the switch to bandwidth-based voice infrastructure, today announced that it has been recognized as a “Best 2012 Channel Vendor” in the VoIP category by Business Solutions magazine for the third time in four years.

Business Solutions magazine partnered with Penn State University and conducted a Web-based survey of VAR subscribers from mid-September 2011 through early October 2011. A total of 10,833 votes were cast and measured across seven categories including service/support, channel friendly, channel program, product features, product reliability, product innovation, and adequateVAR margin. Formerly a solution provided by PAETEC Holding Corp., which was acquired by
Windstream in December of last year, Allworx received its highest marks in the product reliability, service/support, and channel friendly categories.

“This award further validates our channel driven strategy and core value driver – an unyielding commitment to our channel and ecosystem partners,” said Chris Hasenauer, vice president and general manager of Allworx. “We are deeply committed to delivering affordable enterprise-class products and services to our customers.

“We continue to have an active dialogue with our authorized Allworx Partners, invest in their feedback, support their needs with a dedicated partner portal, provide program flexibility, and herald the best margins in the industry. It is truly an honor to be recognized as a 2012 Best Channel Vendor,” said Hasenauer.

Rating companies across 15 different product categories, Business Solutions magazine only selects the top 5 percent of vendors in each one. Along with the VoIP category in which Allworx was selected, other categories include Access Control & Video Surveillance, Data Collection & Mobility, Data Collection Label Software, ECM Hardware, General Computing, Managed Services, Network Hardware, Network Security, Network Software, Payment Processing, Physical Security, POS Hardware, POS Software, Power Protection, and Storage.

The complete list of 2012 Best Channel Vendors is featured in the January 2012 issue of Business Solutions magazine. Business Solutions magazine is available on the web at www.bsminfo.com .

Zultys Introduces MX Release 7.0 Unified Communications Software
Latest Version Is Customizable and Mobile-Ready for Android, and Includes New Enhancements for the Contact Center, Third-Party CRM Integrations and More
SUNNYVALE, Calif., February 6, 2012—Zultys, a premier provider of innovative unified communications solutions that empower businesses to collaborate effectively, today unveiled the latest major firmware release for the award-winning MX platform, MX Release 7.0 Unified Communications Software. Built on the previous release's reputation as a secure, all-in-one SIP-based IP phone system that delivers unmatched innovation, reliability and scalability, MX Release 7.0 offers capabilities for customization and mobility, as well as new functionality for unprecedented contact center collaboration. Enhancements to SIP security and existing third-party CRM integrations round out the new release, making it the premier IP phone system to meet the demands of today's business environments.
o Zultys Mobile Communicator Now Available for Android
o Salesforce.com and Microsoft Outlook Integration
o Customization for Greater Ease of Use
o SIP Security Enhancements
o Additional Benefits
"With MX Release 7.0, Zultys expands and enhances the capabilities of our all-in-one UC solution to meet the needs of today's evolving enterprises and contact centers," said Steve Francis, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Zultys. "Our commitment to delivering the features and functionality our customers demand is unwavering, and we are confident each new release demonstrates this to our channel partners and customers."
Pricing and Availability MX Release 7.0 will be available in February. Existing customers with a current software subscription are eligible for free access to the upgrade. Please visit http://www.zultys.com/ for more information.

Zultys adds Android client for its IP PBX
The new client offers presence, access to company directories, call log and secure IM
By Mikael Rickna$?s, IDG News Service
January 31, 2012 08:05 AM ET
Add a commentPrintZultys has upgraded the software in its MX family of IP PBXs and added a Mobile Communicator client for Android-based smartphones, the company said on Tuesday.
Zultys first offered a mobile client for BlackBerry OS, and then in 2010 the iPhone.
"At the time when we were releasing the iPhone client, we were getting demand for Android as well," said Steve Francis, chief marketing officer at Zultys.
Developing for BlackBerry and the iPhone was straightforward, but the fragmentation of the Android phone market made it a bigger development task, according to Francis. However, that work has now been done, he said.
To continue reading, register here to become an Insider. You'll get free access to premium content from CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, and Network World. See more Insider content or sign in.

Zultys has upgraded the software in its MX family of IP PBXs and added a Mobile Communicator client for Android-based smartphones, the company said on Tuesday.

Zultys first offered a mobile client for BlackBerry OS, and then in 2010 the iPhone.

"At the time when we were releasing the iPhone client, we were getting demand for Android as well," said Steve Francis, chief marketing officer at Zultys.

Developing for BlackBerry and the iPhone was straightforward, but the fragmentation of the Android phone market made it a bigger development task, according to Francis. However, that work has now been done, he said.

Related Content
The Mobile Communicator for Android offers a presence indicator, allowing users to see if their colleagues can talk or chat. The client also provides access to corporate directories and call logs, and gives users the option to be contacted with a single number. Users get call handling features, including hold and transfer, as well.

"It is a perfect substitute for your desktop phone. I can see the presence of everybody that I call, so I know whether they are on the phone or not, and then IM them," said Neil Lichtman, CEO at Zultys.

The communication between the smartphone and the IP PBX is encrypted.

The Mobile Communicator client costs US$99 per mobile license and is compatible with Android version 2.2 or higher. A client for Android 4.0 is currently in testing, according to Zultys.

Today, the installed Zultys mobile user base is a 50-50 split between Apple and Research In Motion, but the challenges RIM faces are becoming evident and Apple's share is growing. Looking at current sales, the iPhone is more popular than BlackBerry.

"The BlackBerry still has its loyal fans out there, but even the loyal fans are moving on," said Francis.

So far, the company has had zero requests for a Windows Phone client, according to Francis.

In MX Release 7.0, Zultys has also improved the integration with Outlook and Salesforce.com. The Outlook Communicator now allows users to log in to different groups, for example an inbound call center group for sales or customer services. In Salesforce, users can now switch between different phone lines.

The goal with the improvements is to let users stay in Outlook or Salesforce, instead of having to use Zultys' own MXIE client to make changes, Francis said.

Users that prefer the MXIE client can now customize the look of the user interface, to better fit the way they work.

The MX Release 7.0 software update will become available in February.

Send news tips and comments to mikael_ricknas@idg.com

The IDG News Service is a Network World affiliate.

Allworx Receives 2011 INTERNET TELEPHONY Product of the Year Award
Allworx 48x IP Phone System receives second recognition for innovation from TMC
ROCHESTER, NY — Feb. 3, 2012

Allworx, a subsidiary of Windstream Corp. (Nasdaq: WIN), announced today that TMC, a global, integrated media company, has named the Allworx 48x IP Phone System as a recipient of the 2011 INTERNET TELEPHONY Product of the Year Award.

“Our focus on innovation and developing the very best telecommunication technology is evident with this Product of the Year Award for the 48x IP Phone System,” said Chris Hasenauer, vice president and general manager of Allworx. “We are committed to delivering products with advanced technology that are reliable, as well as easy to use and support.”

The Allworx 48x IP Phone System offers built-in connections to traditional phones lines, T1/PRI, and SIP services. As the IP-based phone trend continues to grow, Allworx phone systems allow small and medium size businesses to move to VoIP at their own pace.

The Allworx 48x can support up to 250 users per system. It has two T1/PRI interfaces that make it the perfect solution for medium sized businesses. The 48x also offers full support for all Allworx VoIP phones, contains energy efficient design for maximum energy cost savings, and has a solid state drive for increased reliability.

“I am happy to grant Allworx with a Product of the Year Award. The editors of INTERNET TELEPHONY have verified that the Allworx 48x IP Phone System displays quality and innovation plus provides real solutions in the marketplace,” stated Rich Tehrani, CEO, TMC. “I would like to congratulate the entire team at Allworx for their commitment to advancing IP communication technologies.”

2011 Product of the Year winners are published in the January/February 2012 issue of INTERNET TELEPHONY magazine, (www.itmag.com). INTERNET TELEPHONY has been the authority in IP communication since 1998™.

For more information about TMC, please visit www.tmcnet.com .

About Allworx:
Allworx develops award winning phone & network systems for small-to-medium sized businesses and sells these products through a network of Authorized Resellers. The product line includes the Allworx 6x and 48x systems, Allworx 9224 phone and Tx 92/24 Expander, 9212L, 9212, 9202, 9204G and 9204 IP phones and a series of software options. By combining the advanced features of today's VoIP systems with the key system features SMBs have grown to rely on, Allworx systems are ideal replacements for the millions of aging (TDM) PBX and key phone systems in use today. For more information please visit www.allworx.com

December 20, 2011
Allworx receives a 2011 Unified Communications Excellence Award
Allworx 48x Phone System Recognized for Outstanding Innovation by TMC
ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Allworx, a subsidiary of Windstream Corp. (Nasdaq: WIN), announced today that TMC, a
global, integrated marketing company, has named the company as a recipient of its 2011 Unified
Communications Excellence Award.
The Unified Communications Excellence Awards honor products that have unique features and have made
significant contributions in advancing technology in unified communications.
Awards are presented to companies that provided a case study of unified communications success experienced
by a client after implementing the nominated product or service. Awards are based on hard data demonstrating
the improvements that the winner’s product/service made for its client’s business.
“With proven excellence in providing solutions in the UC marketplace, we are pleased to grant a 2011 Unified
Communications Excellence Award to Allworx for their 48x Phone System,” said Rich Tehrani, CEO, TMC.
“Congratulations to the entire team at Allworx for their commitment to advancing UC technologies and we look
forward to future innovations.”
The Allworx 48x Phone System offers built-in connections to traditional phones lines, T1/PRI, and SIP services.
As the IP-based phone trend continues to grow, Allworx phone systems allow small and medium size businesses
to move to VoIP at their own pace.
The Allworx 48x can support up to 250 users per system. It has two T1/PRI interfaces that make it the perfect
solution for medium sized businesses. The 48x also offers full support for all Allworx VoIP phones, contains
energy efficient design for maximum energy cost savings, and has a solid state drive for increased reliability.
“This award is an honor and provides further proof that our efforts to deliver innovative products that are easy to
use and support are being recognized,” said Chris Hasenauer, vice president and general manager of Allworx.
“The Allworx 48x System, with its many software features, including mobile link for your iPhone, advanced multisite
software, unified messaging, and tapi driver, delivers unified communications to businesses nationwide.”
About Allworx
Allworx develops award-winning phone and network systems for small-to-medium sized businesses and sells
these products through a network of Authorized Resellers. The product line includes the Allworx 6x, 48x systems
and Allworx 9224 phone and Tx 92/24 Expander, 9212, 9212L, 9202, 9204G and 9204 IP phones along with a
series of software options. By combining the advanced features of today's VoIP systems with the key system
features SMBs have grown to rely on, Allworx systems are ideal replacements for the millions of aging (TDM)
PBX and key phone systems in use today. For more information, please visit www.allworx.com .
About Windstream
Windstream Corp. (Nasdaq: WIN) is a leading provider of advanced network communications, including cloud
computing and managed services, to businesses nationwide. The company also offers broadband, phone and
digital TV services to consumers primarily in rural areas. Windstream has more than $6 billion in annual
revenues and is listed on the S&P 500 index. For more information, visit www.windstream.com .

Windstream to Aquire Paetec

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Windstream Corp. (Nasdaq: WIN) has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire PAETEC Holding Corp. (Nasdaq: PAET), based in Fairport, N.Y., in a transaction valued at approximately $2.3 billion.

• Transaction Overview

“This transaction significantly advances our strategy to drive top-line revenue growth by expanding our focus on business and broadband services,” said Jeff Gardner, president and CEO of Windstream. “The combined company will have a nationwide network with a deep fiber footprint to offer enhanced capabilities in strategic growth areas, including IP-based services, data centers, cloud computing and managed services. Financially, we improve our growth profile and lower the payout ratio on our strong dividend, offering investors a unique combination of growth and yield.”

“Both PAETEC and Windstream are built on a customer and employee-focused culture. Together, with far denser network assets, an expansive fiber infrastructure, and larger data center footprint, I believe our brightest days are ahead,” said Arunas A. Chesonis, chairman and CEO, of PAETEC.  “Our combination now creates a new Fortune 500 company with the financial strength and scale to compete and win against any other provider in the industry. I'm confident that this transaction will deliver substantial long-term value for our customers, employees, and shareholders.”

PAETEC shareholders will receive 0.460 shares of Windstream common stock for each PAETEC share owned under the terms of the agreement which was approved by the boards of directors of both companies. Windstream expects to issue approximately 73 million shares of stock valued at approximately $891 million, based on the company’s closing stock price on July 29, 2011.

Windstream also will assume or refinance PAETEC’s net debt of approximately $1.4 billion at the time of closing.  PAETEC stockholders are expected to own approximately 13 percent of the combined company upon closing of the transaction.

Significant Synergies and Tax Attributes Drive Free Cash Flow Accretion

The transaction is expected to be accretive to free cash flow per share, excluding merger and integration costs, in the first year following the closing. The transaction is expected to generate annual pre-tax operating cost synergies of approximately $100 million and capital expenditure savings of approximately $10 million, which are expected to be fully realized by the third year after closing.  Windstream expects to incur merger and integration costs of approximately $50 million in operating expense in the first year following the closing and approximately $55 million in capital expenditures over the first three years following closing.

The transaction will allow annual PAETEC net operating loss utilization of approximately $130 million in each of the first 5 years. The tax benefits will have an estimated net present value of approximately $250 million.

Enhanced Scale and Improved Business Mix

The combined company would have had $6.1 billion in total revenue and about $2.4 billion in adjusted operating income before depreciation and amortization, which excludes non-cash pension expense, restructuring charges and stock-based compensation expense, on a pro forma basis for the last 12 months ended March 31, 2011. Business and broadband revenues would have comprised approximately 70 percent of total revenue.

The new company will serve business customers in 46 states and the District of Columbia and maintain approximately 100,000 fiber route miles across the country. Windstream will offer data center services across the United States and have improved capability to serve multi-location business customers.

Strong Balance Sheet and Liquidity

Windstream will continue to have a strong balance sheet and liquidity. The transaction will be slightly deleveraging, including synergies.

Committed Financing

Windstream has received $1.1 billion in committed financing in connection with the acquisition, which financing would be required if Windstream refinances the assumed debt.

Dividend Practice

Windstream pays an annual dividend of $1 per share and its board of directors expects to continue the current dividend practice after the transaction closes.

Approvals and Anticipated Closing

The transaction is expected to close within six months, subject to certain conditions, including necessary approvals from federal and state regulators and PAETEC shareholders.

PAETEC Overview

PAETEC is a competitive local exchange carrier and provides  telecommunications services primarily to business customers in 46 states and the District of Columbia. The company operates seven data centers in the U.S. and owns approximately 36,700 route miles of fiber in portions of 39 states and the District of Columbia.

PAETEC has approximately 5,000 employees, including about 875 in the Rochester, N.Y. area. The company was founded in 1998.

Additional Information

Stephens Inc. and J.P. Morgan Securities LLC are acting as financial advisers and Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP is acting as legal adviser to Windstream in the transaction.

BofA Merrill Lynch and Deutsche Bank Securities, Inc. are acting as financial advisers and Hogan Lovells is acting as legal adviser to PAETEC in the transaction.

 

Digital Systems v/s IP Phone Systems

Pierre Kerbage, VP of Sales North America Zultys, Inc.

Digital Systems have been around for decades. Many of these systems have proven to last 10 to 20 years in some cases, showing strong reliability in the work place. In the past few years, these legacy systems have added expandability and functionality such as T1, PRI, Automatic Call Distribution and much more and some models can scale to thousands of end points (phones) with great reliability.

IP Systems originated about a decade ago, and today, some of these systems can scale to tens of thousands of units in dozens if not hundreds of locations.

What is the advantage of an IP Phone system over a traditional systems?

Some of the IP Systems today are HYBRID: meaning that they can handle TRADITIONAL phone lines (including Analog trunks, ISDN, T1, E1 and PRI to Multiple T1 and PRIs) as well as Voice Over IP (VoIP) phone lines. So they provide the best of both world. VoIP phone lines (also called SIP: Session Initiated Protocol) are typically provided by an ITSP (Internet Telephony Service Provider), and these type of trunks can replace or augment your traditional phone lines. Each TRUNK (meaning phone line) requires roughly about 84 Kilobit of bandwidth (uncompressed) when a conversation is in session. That means that a DATA T1 (1.5 Megabits) can handle about 17 or so conversations simultaneously. Many companies find that SIP is the way to go because they cost far less than traditional phone lines, as well as provide extremely competitive rates for long distance, and some providers have plans which include unlimited long distance. And if you make calls overseas, you are in for a treat as some of these plans can provide rates as cheap as a few pennies to Western Europe or Southeast Asia. In essence, if you are paying $1000 for Long Distance a month, and you can buy a brand new IP Phone system (that costs say: $20,000), you could lease to own that system for around $460 per month, therefore SAVING the company nearly $5,000 per year and much more once you finish paying on the lease. THIS IS AN EFFECTIVE ROI that makes sense.

Having said that, many people are buying IP Phone systems today and STILL using traditional Phone lines because they either don't trust the internet or don't understand SIP Technology that well or don't have the upload bandwidth it takes to sustain these type of phone lines. But they LIKE the idea of buying an IP Phone system because it provides the FLEXIBILITY to use traditional phone lines OR VOIP Lines or BOTH.

But the appeal of IP Systems goes FAR BEYOND the fact that you can do IP Trunking.

Here are my Top Reasons why IP Phone Systems are incredibly beneficial and result in drastic cost savings and why Digital Systems are dying:

1.an EASY TO USE Programming Interface. Many people don't want to have to call the "phone guy" every time they need to make a change to their system. IP Systems provide a Graphical User's Interface, that can be launched from anywhere and make changes to the system that can take effect immediately. So making changes to the system is much easier to understand than legacy systems. This often provides tremendous cost savings for the lifetime of the phone.
2.The ability to have a Phone in your house or another location and to be able to use the office's Dial tone is beneficial too. The remote user appears as if they are working at the office. So if a call comes in - it can be transferred to that remote user (wherever they have that IP Phone plugged in) and the caller has no idea that the remote user is working from home or from anywhere in the world (where broadband is available). Working remotely can cut costs of Travel, time, gas, etc... and quickly and easily enables remote workers. Just think: no added desks, real estate, electrical, supplies, etc... etc... Teleworkers can take their office phone, plug it in, and off they go. Their extension remains the same and is totally transparent to the caller
3.If you have more than 1 Office - the ability to have 2 systems - and the ability to do an extension to extension DIAL and of course when that happens - you bypass any tolls (no long distance) not to mention the ease of talking to someone by just depressing their button or extension. Another cost saving.
4.The ability to have very flexible "find me follow me" - For example - if you are out to lunch and are expecting an important phone call - the system can easily transfer that call to your cell phone. In the case of SOME large Enterprise (yes, expensive) system, the Cell phone can even be a MOBILE EXTENSION - meaning that you can transfer BACK the caller to an INSIDE EXTENSION from your CELL PHONE (or put them on hold and them hearing your CORPORATE ON HOLD messages). Now you can DROP that expensive CALL FORWARDING (multiplied by every line you have) and drop the after hours answering service since calls can be forwarded ANYTIME ANYWHERE.
5.Some systems add features like Fax Services (Fax from your desktop or TO your desktop). Cut costs of Toner and Paper by having the fax come RIGHT TO YOUR DESKTOP in a TIF File Format and FILE that fax in a folder on your desktop or your server. Recording conversations and dropping that WAV File is also huge.
6.Some of these systems can handle call recording, allowing you to record conversations by simply pressing a key and then archiving these to an external storage area
7.How about Unified Messaging: When receiving a VOICE MAIL - that voice mail is also EMAILED to you in a WAV file enabling that Voice Mail to be SAVED forever on your desktop or server or be forwarded as a WAV file outside your company.
8.The ability to move your phone by simply unplugging it and plugging ANYWHERE on your Network where you have Ethernet (without having to reprogram a THING). Cut costs by NOT dispatching the "phone guy"
9.IP Systems cut cost of Wiring in HALF. So if you are moving to a new place and where you normally have to provide a VOICE and DATA Cable - you would NOT need to do this anymore. Most IP Phones have a 2 port switch on them - allowing you to plug your PHONE into the Ethernet Wall Plate and your PC into the back of the phone - therefore only requiring 1 Cable to the desk NOT 2. This cuts cost of cabling by 50%.
10.The EASE of use of an IP system is amazing providing you a Software interface on your PC (and some systems like the Zultys can support Linux and MACs too) so you can have full "dial from Outlook" capability, Chat, Presence (I am at Lunch) and MUCH more
11.The ability to use your LAPTOP or your Desktop as a PHONE - so if you are traveling - simply plug your Laptop into the Hotel's or your house's Internet and you are now connected to the office. Add a Headset for better sound quality and you have yourself a great communication device
12.Call Detail Reporting is often built-in to many of these systems. The ability to find out just about anything you want about incoming or outgoing calls and produce reports that can translate into TIME BILLING and providing important information on where your callers are finding you (i.e. having them dial a different Phone Number for certain add campaigns) or how about tracking what your call center is doing, or Sales reps, or who called us today? Etc.... Of course these reports can easily be exported into a multitude of formats making them easy to manipulate for many reasons.
13.Cell phone Twinning: The ability to have your cell phone function as a remote extension of your PBX and then be able to transfer that call back to any extension in your office. Imagine working from home and your cell phone rings, it is a client. You speak to the client and now they want to be transferred to your customer service dept. You use your computer to initiate that transfer in no time. What is the price of CONNECTIVITY
14.Webinars: Many of these systems today integrate or have an option to include Webinar facility like Webex. Unlike recurring costs like Webex and Gotomeeting, these are appliances that easily add to your phone system and DEFER these recurring costs.
15.How about application interface where you can make a phone call from Salesforce.com or CRM or Outlook. Or the ability to call anyone in your contact's list from outlook.

In short - IP Systems are here to stay and are definitely where EVERY Phone vendor on earth today is going. SIP is the ONLY ratified standard of telephony today. Simply putting it "If you ain't SIP, you AIN'T" and you won't connect to tomorrow's applications or phones or systems.

IP Phone systems DO save money by providing lesser expensive alternatives for Local and Long Distance lines as well as 0 Toll when using them between each other, and decrease costs of Cabling as well as the need to dispatch a Phone guy every time, since they use a Graphical User's Interface allowing each person the FLEXIBILITY to manage their own end points and the ability to move their system as much as they want WITHOUT requiring a phone Guy. Finally - moving an IP System is as easy as unplugging 3 connections. No more 66 Blocks and the confusing and unattractive wire closets you sometimes see. They are often a 2 or 3U Rack Mounted appliance that EASILY travel and here again, reduce cost if you ever have to move the system. IP Systems provides ease of use, flexibility, mobility, compliance, scalability, and a drastic overall reduction of price.

Related Links:

•Products: Business VoIP Phone Systems
•Products: Zultys MX250: Business PBX Systems
•Products: Zultys MX30: Small Business Phone Systems
•Products: Business Telephone Systems
•Products: Best IP Telephony Equipment
•Solutions: VoIP PBX
•Solutions: VoIP Phone Systems Solutions
•Solutions: Call Center Solutions
•Solutions: Unified Communications
•Solutions: Multi-Site & Branch Offices Solution

VoIP Demystified

VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) phone systems can be mystifying to many people. A "system" is by definition a group of items forming a unified whole. VoIP PBX phone systems vary greatly in their features, capabilities, size, form factor, telephone carrier service connectivity, cabling, connected phone sets, etc. Although VoIP technology has evolved greatly over the past decade, such fundamentals of IP PBX systems as how they operate and what they require to perform reliably has not changed. That is the focus of this paper.

For starters, a common misconception is that VoIP means that phone calls are carried primarily over the Internet. Although that capability exists, the "Internet" as used in "Internet Protocol" has nothing to do with the World Wide Web. It really should be spelled "inter-net" — between networks. And, a definition for "protocol" is that it is just a technology rule or standard, in this case for enabling the transport of voice data packets over a network. That network can be a local area network (LAN) that is within a building, a wide area network (WAN), and yes, the Internet itself.

If using the Internet, connectivity to the IP PBX is achieved through SIP (Session Initiated Protocol) trunks (lines) and the communications are managed by an Internet Service Provider (ITSP), the equivalent of the "phone company". SIP represents another industry standard protocol, and the trunks can be a broadband T1 circuit, DSL, Cable Modem, etc.). If one uses SIP trunks, does it then preclude standard connectivity to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) using analog trunks and/or a Primary Rate Interface (PRI) circuit? No. All can coexist on the PBX opening up a new world of communications capabilities and savings including remote worker communications, inter-office system integration, least cost routing of phone calls including international calling, unified communications, effective "find me" routing of calls, lower line costs, etc.

As a result, Zultys' MX line of IP PBX systems allows our customers to be able to use a variety of trunks in the most effective way. For example, a company might use PSTN trunks for most of its inbound or local outbound calls while using SIP trunks for lower-cost long distance calls. In fact, that company may use two or more ITSPs on SIP trunks. One for domestic long distance calls, one for international calls and several that have a low rate for calls to a specific country. Moreover, the Zultys MX automatically manages these least cost routings greatly reducing communications costs. IN MANY CASES, THESE SAVINGS ARE SUFFICIENT TO PAY FOR THE PHONE SYSTEM ENTIRELY!

OK. However, can you depend on SIP trunking for providing business-level communications?

Yes. IF it is done correctly!

Briefly, the way VoIP works is that voice energy at the phone is converted to packets of digitized voice data that are transmitted over data networks and then reconverted at the destination. Each SIP conversation typically requires 84Kilobit of network bandwidth. (The use of voice compression algorithms can reduce this need.)

So, here is how to roll out CORRECTLY a VoIP phone system in your Enterprise:

1.Decide if your voice network and data network should be converged onto one network or if it would be better to keep them separate.
2.If converging the two onto one network, perform a DETAILED network analysis. Will it be able to have adequate bandwidth, can it provide for a guaranteed quality of service (QoS), is your firewall VoIP-friendly, etc? An analysis by a qualified, outside firm often is a worthy investment.
3.Ensure that your network is cabled properly for the phone sets (CAT 5e is the minimum today and CAT 6 is quickly becoming the de facto cabling standard with video communications a growing requirement. Test your cable structure. Are any cables pinched or noisy? Be sure that none of your cables exceeds 100 Meters in length.
4.NEVER daisy chain switches (switch to switch) - this piggybacking causes major slow downs of network traffic, affects QoS and can cause unpredictable results.
5.Remove all network hubs.
6.Use single, layer 3. QoS, power over Ethernet (PoE) Switches.
7.Use enterprise-level antivirus software on all servers and client PCs.
8.Ensure that you have running a business class, server-based spam filter appliance or a hosted spam filtering solution. Hosted anti-spam systems have the advantage of filtering the spam before it enters into your network.
9.Monitor which users are abusing your network bandwidth e.g. are users running applications for downloading music or streaming video or audio all day?
10.Require DEDICATED BANDWIDTH for your SIP trunks. Some providers also allocate additional bandwidth dynamically when required, giving priority to voice traffic.
11.Ensure that QoS routers are used end to end - meaning the provider has a QoS router(s) on its end, as well.

The investment in this structure provides for a high ROI by having optimal and reliable corporate voice and data communications.

Now, let us look at the requirements you need for your single office, home office and traveling staff to connect to your phone system. Each one needs a SIP phone (or SIP softphone) and access to a broadband connection, of course.

Most likely this broadband connection is a consumer grade DSL or cable modem service that provides asymmetrical upload/download bandwidths, Additionally, the actual bandwidth available can vary widely depending on the number of other subscribers of the provider that are using this shared network at any particular point in time and how they are using it.

To best minimize connectivity problems with remote workers:

1.Have the worker test that Internet service provider's speed by having running any of the free test tools available on the Internet. Insist that they have the ISP correct a problem. (A service speed upgrade for the service may be needed.)
2.Have them use a modern, quality router/firewall that includes QoS functionality
3.Ensure that everyone on their network is running quality malware-prevention software on all PCs and that all PCs are current with the latest security updates.
4.Finally, the PBX must be programmed to route 911 calls received from the remote worker's phone to the proper, local 911 location for that worker.

With these preparations, you will end up with a powerful, reliable, excellent communications system.

And, excellent phone communications is the hallmark of successful companies.

Related Links:

•Products: Business VoIP Phone Systems
•Products: Zultys MX250: Business PBX Systems
•Products: Zultys MX30: Small Business Phone Systems
•Products: Business Telephone Systems
•Products: Best IP Telephony Equipment
•Solutions: VoIP PBX
•Solutions: VoIP Phone Systems Solutions
•Solutions: Call Center Solutions
•Solutions: Unified Communications
•Solutions: Multi-Site & Branch Offices Solution

About Zultys
Based on open standards, Zultys Inc., a Silicon Valley company founded in 2001, manufactures feature-rich VoIP Business Phone Systems that easily scale to thousands of users. Zultys makes your business needs our priority. Our solution supports Mac, Windows 32 or 64 Bit or Linux users and integrates features such as soft-phone, Find me-Follow me, Presence, Secure Chat, Tele-worker support, Inbound Contact Center, IVR, ACD, Call Recording, Fax Origination/Termination, Cell Phone Twinning and much more. Zultys delivers on the promise of Unified Communication from open interfaces such as SIP to rich applications and networking. Not only is our solution cost effective, it also provides the highest energy efficiency with its compact single server all-in-one design. Zultys' distributed architecture also helps companies maintain high availability, while being simple to install, manage and scale. For more information, visit us at http://www.zultys.com .

APEX Award with AllWorx! Thank you AllWorx Customers!

Zultys 6.0 release is a hit! www.zultys.com;www.telcowiz.com