Leveraging voice connectivity

Internet service providers (ISPs) can use their expertise in broadband access to solve voice connectivity problems. Why is this important for ISPs? A typical business spends 75% of its communications budget for voice services and just 25% for data services. ISPs that add voice services to their data networks can potentially quadruple revenues.

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But there are a new series of challenges to seamlessly integrate voice with data.  Most ISPs see voice connectivity as a daunting challenge. Voice networks are often outside of the realm of their expertise, yet voice connectivity remains one of the most critical utilities for businesses. Converged systems  save time and money for businesses compared to separate systems and offer the promise of many new communication services not available today.  

Because most companies lack the in-house resources to set-up and manage a new voice/data telecommunication system that unites telecommuters and remote offices via broadband connections, ISPs have a real opportunity to offer this solution and gain new revenues in the process.

The architecture of VoIP networks yields a rich set of capabilities exceeding those available with traditional phone systems, and does so in a manner that is friendly to the service provider, providing equal benefits for providers and users.

Because of new technology centering around voice over IP (VoIP) and managed IP Networks, a solution that is both technically sound and well suited for service providers is available. VoIP solves the users' problems of cost and operational expenses by reducing the communications infrastructure to a single, affordable, one-wire solution.  

Even more importantly, the same solution solves similar problems for ISPs: how to become a voice provider with minimal cost and without the headaches and hassles associated with traditional voice service offerings. VoIP networks make it possible to connect departments, buildings, branch offices and telecommuters by voice over the same wire and through the same broadband service provider that the company already uses for its data connection. 

These new solutions include full, service-provider-hosted PBX/Centrex functionality. Any remote IP phone (a PBX-type phone connected directly to an IP network) or any remote POTS phone connected via an integrated access device (IAD) can be made the virtual twin to those in the corporate office. 

Such solutions are very attractive for users because corporate phone systems can now  support features such as extension dialing, hunt groups and attendant services regardless of a worker's location. Small branch offices and their telecommuters and mobile workers can share many advanced voice services that are not  available from conventional small office phone systems.

For example, a branch office handling service calls could configure remote service workers to be part of a service hunt group, with all workers using the same IP connection they use for data access. No expensive equipment is required; just provide a standard IP connection such as that provided by a DSL or  cable modem and use the same type of phone used in the home today or bring home a duplicate of the office IP phone.  With this equipment,  a home office worker could have access to hunt group membership, attendant call screening, corporate voice mail and other features with nothing more than a broadband connection.

More bang for the buck The value-added benefits of VoIP networks go far beyond the availability of advanced voice services for users. These benefits include: Easy integration with both the BSP data network and a user' s local area network reduces deployment, operational and support costs. No need to invest time, money or training in telephone switch equipment. Elimination of the need for on-site telephone expertise at small branch offices. Increase revenue with new billable services for voice, and increase broadband coverage by accommodating remote offices of existing customers. The ability to manage voice usage via IP management tools. The ability to allow employees to move their office phone between offices themselves by plugging into the office LAN eliminates the expense and delays of telephone equipment vendor service calls and reduces support calls to the BSP. Savings to users often exceeding 30% on monthly phone bills because of the ability to eliminate multiple access line costs and bypass traditional fees associated with PSTN access. The ability for users to self-provision voice services (such as follow me) using a web interface, which further reduces support costs. New productivity-enhancing features such as one-number find me/follow me service (including simultaneous ringing of cell phones and office phones)

Seamless Integration

An important consideration is the ease with which such a service-provider hosted system can be integrated into existing data and public voice network. When combining complex systems such as corporate voice and data networks, added complexity directly equates to added costs.  

A solution that offers complete carrier-grade local and long-distance service that integrates seamlessly with the public network as well as legacy phone systems and voice private networks will increase ISP revenues without greatly increasing expenses. This scenario also allows the broadband IP service provider (BSP) to provide both voice and data services to a customer's multiple branch offices, reducing billing requirements while increasing their service coverage to these new sites. With this solution, users get consistent feature-rich voice and data services for all branch offices provided via a common bill.

The BSP can provide all of the regulatory services to operate as a licensed voice carrier (i.e. 911, 411 and equal access) and, when properly configured, call quality that is indistinguishable from public network calls. In addition, branch offices can use lower-cost private dial plans to call headquarters or other branches without requiring the installation of tie lines. The solution therefore is also ideal for a competitive local exchange carrier that wants to integrate current voice and data operations without sacrificing critical LEC offerings.

Finally, and significantly, there is no need for all enterprise offices to migrate to this solution at the same time. Thanks to the dial plan and feature transparency available with the best solutions, VoIP networks integrate easily with existing voice systems at headquarters locations and non-VoIP branch offices.

Sourcing the system

VoIP networks can be installed either to connect to an enterprise's existing PBX (VoIP Business Trunking service) or to replace PBXs or existing Centrex service (IP Centrex).

In the first case, legacy PBXs or new IP PBXs at branch offices are connected to the managed IP network for all local and long-distance calls and for private network (voice VPN) calls. Telecommuters and mobile workers can use either IP phones, cell phones or standard phones to access the corporate voice network via either IP or the public network. Legacy PBXs at a company's headquarters are seamlessly integrated for private network calling.

MGCP The Media Gateway Control Protocol, developed by Telcordia and Level 3 Communications, is one of a few proposed control and signal standards to compete with the older H.323 standard for the conversion of audio signals carried on telephone circuits (PSTN ) to data packets carried over the Internet or other packet networks. --from Webopedia READ MORE FROM PROTOCOLS.COM MGCP

In the second case, branch office sites using IP Centrex seamlessly integrate with the headquarter site still using a company's legacy PBX. Telecommuters and mobile workers can use either IP phones or PSTN phones. However, in this case the IP phones are MGCP not H.323, which offer increased functionality such as twinning of home and office phones.  The IP phones operate exactly as office phones with all of the functionality previously described.

Because the service is furnished by the BSP, a VoIP network interfaces with legacy infrastructure only as needed.  Minimal equipment resides on the customer premises and in the service provider's own networks, reducing IT staff responsibilities and simplifying installation, especially for branch offices. Again, these savings are shared by users and service providers alike.

Typically, the BSP contracts with a prime vendor to supply the variety of elements needed for the system.  This vendor coordinates the supply of the gateways, routers,  IADs, IP phones and application-enhanced services that make the VoIP network operational, scalable and reliable.  

The vendor also takes responsibility for installation and ongoing support as well as the upgrade of the ISP IP network for voice, if required. By using an IP system and managed IP networks, the BSP is much more likely to find seamless integration and cooperation among services because of the proliferation of IP in voice and data networks today.

The Bottom Line

Using VoIP networks it is easy to connect all of a company's employees and offices seamlessly and uniformly, regardless of location.  Customer satisfaction will reduce churn, and new revenue derived from VoIP services will increase any service provider's  profitability. Because users will achieve seamless connectivity with headquarters and other branch locations, new broadband subscriptions may also be acquired. Additional operational costs and overhead to add voice services  remains minimal.

The opportunity for BSPs is immediate and obvious; the only thing that telecommuters need to be part of their company's VoIP network is either an IP phone or a traditional phone with IAD hookup, plus a high-speed (cable/DSL/fixed wireless) connection to the company network.  Branch offices, as they re added, can easily be spliced into the network through their single-line data connection.

With IP telephony technology ripening and package solutions becoming increasingly available, it is possible to implement a seamless communications solution that increases both service provider profitability and the quality of life for your most valued users no matter where or how far they are distributed.
Richard Barry is Vice President/Marketing and Business Development for StarVox, Inc., a San Jose-based provider of value-added VoIP services.

Visit StarVox online.

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