The NEC UNIVERGE SV8100 Communications Server -
An Advanced VoIP Hybrid Telephone System

The ultimate in unified communications

The UNIVERGE SV8100 is a unique communication solution for up to 500 users. Its expandability means it can work at any level, from a technically superb phone system, to a truly advanced unified communications platform. Many businesses use this system in all it's formats.

NEC boasts a wide range of easy-to-use handsets, available as VoIP and TDM variants

The NEC UNIVERGE 360 Telephone System is one of the most technologically advanced IP systems on the market and is NEC latest small to medium-sized businesses offering. It forms part of the UNIVERGE 360 portfolio, the SV8100 creates '360-degree communication' encompassing fixed, mobile and converged communication such as e-mail, presence and instant messaging. In short, it makes unified communication a reality.

The NEC SV8100 has two system size options with an SMB version that can has 3 cards slots maximum and is aimed at the smaller SMB business typically up to 24 phones and the full SV8100 system that has mulitple slots and the abilty to add additional cabinets, with the abilty to handles up to 512 digital or IP extensions.

For more information on the NEC SV8100 VoIP system, please click here

SPLICECOM MAXIMISER - A Convergence-biased VoIP Telephone System

Introducing the maximiser from SpliceCom - a business telephone system, designed and developed in the 21st Century for those requiring between 4 and 10,000 IP or analogue. Completely scalable in design and distributed in architecture, all maximiser systems are built around just four modules representing two core components – Call Server and Phone Module. One of these four modules, the 5108 Call Server – has been specifically designed to meet the needs of smaller businesses and the branch offices of larger organizations. Embracing open industry standards wherever they exist, all maximiser solutions appear to customers, employees and system administrators alike as a single system, no matter how many separate sites, homeworkers or mobile employees are encompassed. maximiser is configured and managed as a single system via a standard web browser.

Supporting rich functionality including a one number, "go anywhere, reach me any how" facility, GSM mobile extensions, multi-site hot desking, voicemail, auto-attendant, unified messaging and call recording as standard, maximiser is just at home, and more importantly proves cost-effective, for simple 4 extension "dial-tone" PBX requirements as it does in fully converged, multi-site installations.

Splicecom's VoIP backplane allows for flexible distribution of telephone system architecture and equipment. Well-suited to multi-site, multi-floor or multi-office organisations.

The Splicecom PCS-60 telecoms software allows for advanced telephony, delivered to every user via an easy-to-use desktop application.

For more information on the splicecom maximiser telephone system, please click here

AVAYA IP 500 & IP OFFICE VoIP TELEPHONE SYSTEM

Avaya IP Office is an all-in-one solution specially designed to meet the communications challenges facing the home office, small office and medium enterprise from 2 to 360 extensions.

With Avaya IP Office, you can choose the solution that is right for your business. Use it as a voice solution, employing either IP technology, more traditional telephony or a combination of both, and you can benefit from a comprehensive set of telephony features.

The all-in-one Avaya IP Office solution gives small and medium businesses the integrated features and options they want; to meet today’s communications needs, and to plan for the future. Every Avaya IP Office platform supports the same leading-edge software, telephones and applications.

Click here for the Avaya IP Office Overview pages

A typical "Block Cabling" socket. Not suitable for VoIP devices, however even the latest digital TDM telephone systems can still use this type of phone cabling with little or no requirement for change.

CAT-5E or CAT-6 structured cabling systems cater for both VoIP and TDM system technologies. The sockets support connection of computers and telephones. TDM systems will need a dedicated socket, whereas the latest VoIP phones can share a socket with the desk PC, thus reducing cabling costs.


CAT-5 cabling systems consist of a fully mapped and labeled architecture of sockets. Devices can be easily moved around.

VoIP Telephony Infrastructure -Consider your options.

Nowadays, there are two types of telephone system architecture. ie, there are two ways of connecting the desk telephone to the "box" in the comms room.

TDM
TDM, or "Time Divsional Multiplexing" is a popular way of connecting telephones. This is the established, traditional way of wiring telephone systems, and your current set-up probably uses this architecture. Many older businesses and office buildings use this kind of cabling and are sometimes restricted by Grade I & Grade II listings.

With TDM systems, the main system is located on a wall in the office, or in your comms/server room and the telephones are "hard-wired" directly to the system with dedicated cables. The cabling in place can either be modern CAT-5/CAT-6 structured cabling, or standard, "good old" block wiring with BT-type sockets.

TDM phone systems connect via analogue or ISDN telephone lines to the local telephone exchange, which incidently is also communicating with the TDM protocols.

Although TDM is associated with older telephone systems, this architecture can deliver ALL of the latest telecoms features and functions available today. Unsurprisingly, the majority of telephone systems that we install use TDM architecture.

WARNING: Some of the newer system manufacturers don't support TDM telephones at all - the salespeople will try and convince you that TDM is "old" or "unsupported" or doesn't support the "latest technology".
That is a myth.

VoIP
IP, or Internet Protocol, is the language used by computers, networks, and the internet to communicate. More and more types of media and devices use IP to connect to each other, and it seems logical that Telecommunications should follow the same route. Hence the term Voice Over IP, or VoIP.

Indeed, since 1999 Southern Communications have been using VoIP technology in all it's formats to meet customer requirements.

VoIP phone systems are mostly designed to operate with digital ISDN telephone lines and/or SIP Trunks (see separate section). Therefore, VoIP systems usually have to convert the TDM first, in order to deliver it to the telephones/devices.

The telephones, operating with the IP protocol, connect to the computer network in the same way that your computers do. The main telephone system/server delivers the telephone calls via your network ethernet switches, effectively using the same architecture as your computers.

This then leads on to VoIP's greatest asset - mobility. Voice calls can be transferred to devices and between offices using private WANs, data connections or even the internet, thus allowing remote workers to connect and become a part of a single centralised telephone system. These data/internet VoIP calls are free*, and the savings achieved can sometimes help justify the cost of your new system. Before VoIP, connecting remote sites was hugely expensive, only used by massive corporate organisations. Now, virtually all businesses can access this telecoms technology.

* Internet VoIP calls usually require upgrading of your internet & data connections, as many standard "contended" broadband services for email and data won't also provide reliable VoIP call connection. The cost to install and rent these services should be taken into account as they can outweigh the cost of making non-VoIP telephone calls over the public network. Southern Communications can provide free telecoms advice and analysis to give you the full picture on VoIP & TDM.

NEC's SV8100 system supports VoIP, TDM, analogue and digital ISDN technologies. Advanced features such as mobile twinning give you many options, whether or not you wil be using the internet for VoIP calls. Scalable from 5 to 500 users. NEC's SMB option allows smaller businesses to use the same corporate VoIP features without patying a premium for IP Telephony.

Splicecom's Maximiser system has an advanced VoIP architecture that allows businesses to distribute telephone system components across the internet and WAN. Well-suited to muti-site organsiations, with a variety of home-worker solutions using both VoIP and TDM technolgies. Many business operations use Splicecom as thier preferred IP Telephony platform.

Voice Over Internet and VoIP. There is a difference.

Many people think that VoIP means free calls and lower phone bills. So here are two simple things you need to consider:

1. Will you actually save money with VoIP? How to work it out.

Your existing ADSL data connections are fine for email and web surfing, however they are unlikely to support VoIP traffic at the same time.

VoIP calls need to be prioritised over data, and need a constant stream of data connectivity. If you have a "contended" ADSL connection (almost everyone does), you will have to upgrade your broadband to handle the extra traffic, or in many cases businesses install a dedicated ADSL for VoIP traffic alone.

The cost to install a new line for the VoIP ADSL would be £99.00, and the cost to rent this line and an uncontended ADSL will be at least £35.00 per month.

If you are connecting to another office or home worker, the other "end" will need the same arrangement.

Is the current cost of telephone calls between the two locations less than £70.00 per month? If it is, how long would it take to recoup the £198.00 line installation fees? It's a simple calculation.

Also note: if you make a call via the internet to someone who doesn't have a VoIP device (eg a mobile phone), the call will "Break Out" to the public network, resulting in a call cost anyway. These break-out calls can be more expensive due to the extra routes they take.

2. What calls will you be making? Are they important?

The internet does not yet support prioritisation of VoIP telephone calls. The "soup" of data traffic slows down, speeds up and travels in all directions. VoIP calls travel directly from point-to-point at a set speed, and therefore they can lose their way when trying to traverse the internet.

For calls across the internet, we do not guarantee quality of any VoIP call connection.

So even with a dedicated, uncontended ADSL connection, you may still get cut off or sound like you're underwater. VoIP call quality is not guaranteed over the internet.

We therefore recommend that VoIP calls take place between colleagues or in informal situations. We do not recommend making business calls to clients via the internet.

We have been providing IP telephony and VoIP for business for many years. Our unbiased approach to VoIP telephony helps many businesses decide on the route for thier telecoms. If you're unsure and need to talk more about VoIP and phone systems, let us help by explaining how it all works in plain English. Give us a call or use the easy form on the left, and we'll be delighted to hear from you.

TDM and VoIP both have thier pros and cons:

NEC's SV8100 phone system supports all the latest VoIP and TDM technologies - a true Hybrid.

Splicecom's stylish and easy-to-use VoIP telephones are highly popular.

TDM

Advantages

* Existing block cabling or CAT-5 infrastructures can be re-used to minimize cabling & system installation costs

* TDM is highly reliable - direct copper cables don't tend to fail or cause issues, unless subjected to physical stress/damage.

* There are no data infrastructure costs or concerns - you don't have to consider the impact on computers.

* Existing analogue telephones and devices, eg. faxes can operate via the new system, reducing cost.

* All the latest telecoms technology is supported - computer integration, ISDN, DDI, voicemail, mobile twinning, etc.

Disadvantages

* Older "block-wired" sites generally require additional labour to increase the number of telephones, as new cables and sockets are required in each case.

* Relocation of telephones normally requires system re-programming or re-connection of telephone cables in the worst cases.

This advanced keyphone with bluetooth cordless handset is available in both TDM and VoIP formats.

Avaya's IP500 system supports both VoIP and TDM architectures, simultaneously.

VoIP

Advantages

* Remote offices and home workers can be linked via existing or low cost data connections.

* Calls are free between VoIP devices

* VoIP telephones can be relocated easily around the office. VoIP easily supports "Hot Desking" - a handful of telephones can be shared between a larger number of occasional/low-use staff, reducing hardware costs.

* VoIP softphones allow remote workers to communicate whenever they have a suitable data connection available (eg. when broadband is available in a hotel)

* Management and control of the VoIP telecoms system and architecture fits nicely within the IT policy and is IT-manager friendly.

* VoIP devices can be installed via existing LAN infrastructure. This is great when the time comes to expand. Huge savings can be made by using existing data/fibre links on site, thus avoiding long and problematic TDM cabling runs.

Disadvantages

* Cost - VoIP telephones are generally more expensive than TDM phones of the same specification. Also, more devices need to be replaced with a new VoIP system, as existing analogue devices are not supported or require expensive adapters.

* Reliability - VoIP phones are using your network architecture. If your network is not robust, don't consider VoIP. When the network is down, VoIP phones are too. This was a major stubling block in the early days of VoIP.

* QoS - "Quality of Service" is a configuration required within your existing network hardware. If your ethernet switches do not support QoS, they will require replacement/upgrade. Additional labour is also required for configuration.

* The internet is not yet ready for business-type calls.

SIP Trunks and 21CN - VoIP Lines from the Internet

NEC telephone systems have supported VoIP and SIP since 2003.

Splicecom's Maximiser system integrates with Microsoft OCS, allowing advanced VoIP applications and functions to be deployed with TDM now and via SIP in the near future.

Case Study - NEC VoIP Telephony at Russ Berrie

“...the new NEC system was up and running by 10am - no problems” - Jonathan Kemp, Business Analyst