SpliceCom - IP Telephony
maximiser is a business telephone system. It just happens to be constructed around a pure IP core because we had the luxury of starting completely from scratch when we were designing it. The use of this particular technology has allowed the delivery of greater scalability, flexibility and more advanced features than traditional TDM based, or IP Enabled TDM phone systems. Of increasing importance to businesses is the fact that this approach also provides an easy – not to mention cost effective – way of directly converging your telephone system with the World Wide Web, intranet and other web-enabled IT applications. This is the basis of what the Gartner Group term the Real Time Enterprise; increasing work force efficiency and reducing end-to-end business process by using web-based applications to get the right information to the right people at the right time.
maximiser uses the PCS 410, PCS 100, PCS Operators Console and PCS 50 IP Softphone for Windows and Mac OS X to deliver a sophisticated end to end pure IP Telephony solution – where and when required.
H.323 and SIP
No need to choose when you can use both at the same time with maximiser, as the 5100 and 5108 Call Servers both support H.323 and the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). These two protocols provide different alternatives for initiating, modifying, and terminating an interactive user session that involves multimedia elements – or setting up a Voice over IP telephone call as it’s more commonly known. Support for SIP, which has its roots in the IP community (it’s similar to HTTP and shares some of its design principles) from both manufacturers and service providers is growing. On the other hand, H.323 is more mature protocol and has its basis in ISDN. Both H.323 and SIP use the Real Time Transport Protocol (RTP) to carry the actual media (voice or video) stream once the call has been set-up.
maximiser allows both H.323 and SIP devices to be concurrently supported across a single system, with calls being passed seamlessly between both types of terminals. SIP Desktop Phones from Linksys, Polycom, Grandstream, Elmeg/SNOM & Safecom have been tested with maximiser, alongside SIP WiFi phones from Hitachi
H.323 and SIP Trunk services are also supported on maximiser through the use of IP Trunk Licences. Although these Next Generation trunk services are currently in their infancy, maximiser has already been successfully tested with SIP services from Gamma Telecom, VoIP Unlimited, Voiceflex/Frontier Telecom and Gradwell/Margathea Telecom. Testing has also been successfully completed with Border Gateway Controllers (BGCs) supplied by Hipcom. maximiser embraces ISDN, H.323 and SIP trunks as equals, providing true one-world communications without the need for additional Gateways, delivering both choice and future-proofing.
Migrating to IP Telephony - one step at a time
The ideal scenario for the introduction of IP Telephony is the Greenfield site. As the majority of companies don't have this “start from scratch” luxury, maximiser has been developed to integrate with your current network infrastructure, exactly as it stands, so maintaining your current investment and enabling migration to full IP Telephony at your own pace.
PBX Replacement
If you're looking to replace an existing telephone system that's run out of steam, then the investment protection offered to you by the maximiser is likely to be a key factor in your decision making process. You can install the required number of maximiser modules, Call Server, Trunk and Phone, in a single cabinet in exactly the same manner as a traditional PBX.
maximiser allows you to retain your existing investment in copper plant. By terminating your existing twisted pair cabling with RJ45 connectors they can be directly connected to the Phone modules. maximiser allows you to retain your existing investment in traditional analogue phones - but provides far greater facilities. A single connection from the 5100 or 5108 Call Server fed into your existing LAN is all it takes to further energise these phones by allowing them to utilise existing desktop PCs and laptops (Windows, Mac OS X and Linux) to run the PCS 50 Phone Partner.
The QoS LAN Switch integral to the Call Server ensures that your voice and data traffic remain on separate networks. Want to move into the world of IP Telephony? Then just connect Category 5 cables (or better) directly to the Call Server - or a LAN Switch connected directly to the Call Server - and your PCS 410s, PCS 100s SIP or H.323/H.450 compliant IP phones. This allows you to change the telephony mix and migrate to the newer voice technologies as and when it’s right for your particular organisational needs, but you can still keep your voice and data networks separate.
Utilising your Existing LAN Infrastructure
Do the LAN Switches you're currently using on your network support Quality of Service (QoS)? If the answer’s no it doesn't matter - with maximiser you still have full access to ALL the business benefits it has to offer by keeping your voice and data traffic separate. However, if you're using a structured cabling scheme for voice and data connectivity, then maximiser can deliver further cost savings and efficiencies to your organisation. You can now distribute Call Server, Trunk & Phone modules exactly where they're needed throughout your building or campus, rather than being forced to centralise them within a single cabinet - as is the case with traditional and indeed IP-enabled PBXs. Now cables for analogue extensions only need to run from the desk to the riser where the Phone Module can be located - a single LAN cable handles up to 34 concurrent phone calls between the Phone Module and the Call Server. A single connection between the Call Server and your existing LAN network allows the PCS 50 Phone Partner to be run on desktop PCs, delivering all the benefits of the PCS 410 to your analogue phone users. Again, PCS 410s and PCS 100s can be connected directly to the Call Server or via low-cost LAN switches dedicated to voice traffic - this being the case these switches do not require QoS support.
If your LAN infrastructure equipment already supports QoS, maximiser allows you to fully converge your voice & data networks. Connectivity of Call Server, Trunk & Phone modules along with PCS 410 and PCS 100 IP Phones can be overlaid on top of your existing IP network. Where the latter two devices are deployed, only one LAN cable to the desktop is now required and IP Softphones, such as the PCS 50, running on desktop or laptop PCs (Windows and Apple Mac OS X) can be utilised. The upshot of this is only one network for voice & data, far less equipment to manage and a massive reduction in the amount of cabling required.
Legacy PBX Migration
Many companies will have made significant investments in their central site PBX that they're not ready to write-off just yet. Some will have little desire to disrupt everyday operations, yet want to trial IP Telephony in anticipation of short-to-medium business needs. Others will have PBXs that cannot be upgraded to support IP in the future or the cost of an IP upgrade is deemed excessive. A few may need to bring a new branch office on-line, but not want to invest further in their current preferred, yet aging PBX solution. For all of these scenarios, and many more, maximiser can be used in conjunction with your existing telephone system.
Deploying maximiser behind your existing PBX (or fronting it) can be achieved simply via DPNSS or using PRI or BRI S Bus connection(s). This allows calls and CLI information to be automatically routed and manually transferred between switches. In situations where remote networking of maximiser to a central site PBX is required, this can be achieved over a DPNSS links, or over an existing IP WAN router infrastructure between offices with a Call Server acting as a central-site gateway. In scenarios where no data link between sites already exists, maximiser’s integral IP WAN router can be utilised to enable the transport of inter-site voice calls and data, between offices, over a single link.
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