So the organization has plans to permanently update the old PBX system, you have a large project on your hands and you are the first things you need to do, look at this plan. I must be on planning, design, implementation and support side of the voice-over-IP business for 10 years and give you an overview big picture of what the next 3 to 12 months as for you.
The first thing you need to know is what are the reasons for use. E 'important to keep the reasons for the upgrade in mind when planning and selection of the new system, for reasons to be distracted by less important during the process. Here are the most common reasons are the ones we encountered:
The old phone system goes down or break all the time. People around the age of the phone system to complain. There are potential monthly savings by switching to SIP trunking. You're improving the productivity of other companies, the hearingVoice over IP systems. There are a lot of new features that you need.
There are other advantages for the modernization of the existing telephone system that you have not thought of and occur during the process:
The old data network receives an update as part of the cost of the new phone system. It will improve the ability of business processes. There are many options and providers of customer interactions can be improved. Listener moves fast, and addedChanges.
This guide assumes that you are getting an introduction on the voice-over IP phone-based search system. The other options to get a traditional on-premise PBXs or hosted voice over IP system will not be discussed because they have a small part of the overall market, at this point.
The design upgrade VoIP
So, where do you start? Well, this is the first step in evaluating the current system of telephone and data network. Need to find out what skills todayThey have what people say the system, how and what you do not have the system, especially as the people who are big users of the PBX on the customer and help desk-side interaction with the current system and want to improve it.
From the point of view of calculation, find out what it means to have a couple of things for each position:
How many phones have analog and digital. Analog devices that can use a low-end IP phone (usually replace allbe). How many external lines have the form of voice-1-T and analog connections Number and type of data is T1 at each location. (A T1 can be used for voice, Internet, WAN, or a combination can be used). Current area of broadband network for the site and use. Current local area network switches, quantity and location, amount used for cabinet doors. Specific requirements for the ACD, IVR, call recording integration, paging and mobile applications.
If you get financial support for thisYou have to get a handle on what the current monthly expenses. Current expenditure is expenditure per month for each site:
Internet and wide area network connection costs. PBX rent. PBX monthly service costs. Average cost for additional PBX services on a monthly basis. Telephone costs, since some of them can be compensated with Single Number Reach. The cost of monthly conferences. Monthly Maintenance and support for all network hardware and software that can be replaced.
Once youcalculate the actual monthly cost you are willing to find out what is the budget for the new project. The best result, the new project could be that your new monthly costs are lower than the current cost of labor per month brought to light a new installation of equipment and all the new telephone system, when it is funded by a 3 to 5 years one dollar buyout at the end so that you have the new system. You can find this laterPlanning that will need to get new phone and wide area network connections to achieve the desired return on investment, so make sure you keep your monthly costs and the move to separate the financing of equipment, maintenance and installation.
The choice of VoIP providers and resellers
There are two ways to do next. One possibility is to determine the manufacturer of the new phone system, you want to buy, is the other possibility for a local provider that will bringwill support the design and installation of the new system to do. To get the best price and best service on the new system should go about this in a very specific way. Customers have noticed in many cases, it is better, a phone system from a manufacturer of good local dealers that a good system installation, a smooth cutover to do, so that all the features they want, and then later to support continuous. The size of the dealersYou probably want to depend on the size and needs of your company's work. I recommend that you contact your dealer enough to handle your business, but they are not overwhelmed by it and is small enough that your company is important, it is working, and bends over backwards to take care of you.
So how do you find a dealer that the right size for you? And 'where you go back to the phone system manufacturers to have some options. The leading provider of phone systemsdiscover the best source for local retailers. The leading provider of Voice over IP systems at this point in time are Cisco, Avaya, Mitel, ShoreTel and systems based on Asterisk. If you contact this poster online or through their local sales representative can be used for a recommendation from their first three distributors who would be asked to do a good job for you. After obtaining the name from sellers Dealer seek their recommendation on where to actually work, then call theRetailers and the other two. At this time should be three equipment manufacturers, resellers for these three vendors, and nine great opportunities, a local company you want to do a great job for your voice over IP to install the update.
Be careful though, if you want to start this process of suppliers to contact you, phone calls are to begin, because people who are interested to know. Now you can so that you can find out who is more eager to get your business, but alsocould only indicate that only the most aggressive sellers. So be very clear what your time is expected to take your time and choose the best provider, and if you want to bug us as well at the bottom of the list. By the way, you must start this process at least six months before we have a new phone system and perform. You can go from 2 to 3 months to choose a supplier, a month to figurePrices and financing, and when you say go, it takes about two months to get the equipment then another month fully furnished and cutting the phone system again.
Manufacturers expectations
What you should expect from these producers who want to go to meet with you to determine what your needs are, you have to walk through existing systems, and to discover any special needs you have. We will try to sell you on some specific function, that their systemhas no one else has and try to get a demo of their system to see. I recommend you see the demo of their system, they do not need to buy exclusive features, then ask for a list of reference customers about the size and needs, you can call and talk to see how things went.
Definitely give this customer base and see how the traders at the design stage, the competition in price was made, as they did during theInstallation, and what their support was, as after the sale. Although this is part of, if you have the greatest impact and you can get most things for free. Would in all half the time to get some good lunch and learn about the people who might work for you, you know. You also find out who will actually do the installation for you, if they are going to come out of state, or if they are on site and made available to supportafter installation. Do not be afraid to ask this question, as it is perfectly valid, and certainly have an impact on the outcome of the project and should be a deciding factor for you.
At this point you should have a few suggestions from your suppliers and you can compare. Try some phone system provider will give you only a monthly fee with a brief description of the parts, then say, hey, this is the way it is. Since most of the providers of Voice over IPfrom the data side of the industry expect that you're going to miss a low price and line-item costs. You can then use this fund to decide what we want it or not. If you do not always have this position for the pricing and the specific part of the model and serial number of equipment and a full boil, ask its annual maintenance costs.
Annual maintenance is divided into three areas. Annual maintenance products, which provides support and exchangethe cost of hardware and software upgrade service with which you can update applications, and a local service provider contract. All three focus areas are applied. The first two are very important and should be purchased in almost all cases, local service and a contract must be purchased unless you plan to have a person qualified to operate the device after installation.
Because the system is voice over IP, one would expect to go that you can, escapeSystem of a network of new data and not on a separate network that is connected in parallel to the existing one. This means that the company, which is located in your voice should be more than IP telephony system have excellent networking skills and can demonstrate that the quality of the service, optimization of network equipment to distinguish between different types of data to understand, then the priority of voice traffic. This is easy to do on a local network, not a bit 'difficult toWide area network and difficult to do, the connection to the Internet through a firewall. If you look at this SIP Trunking try to ensure that the seller shows, where they go to the quality of service on all routes SIP voice.
A phone system VoIP Decision
So at this point you should have your position with all the proposed price, including installation and maintenance in all, have seen the demo, and have the opportunity to meet local suppliers and contactsreference to their clients and some basic questions. A real step back and asked basic questions, at this point. Ask your provider if there is something lost. Ask the dealer if the parts are designed. Ask the seller if this is the best price, then step back and ask the dealer if it was a way for the best prices from suppliers. Sometimes there is an end of the fiscal quarter or the year before the door and you can get some additional discount points orConcessions thrown in.
During the process, you've probably left out some companies to consider, because you tried to narrow the list of nine suppliers to about three. For these six producers who want to eliminate you and a good reason, so surely know they are out of the race and what they are doing in the future with other clients. For the other three, let them know that they have made their list and the period of time for the movearrives for the evaluation and the decision to play.
Go through what the decision-making process used within the organization and refers to a provider. If you are the last contract negotiations with suppliers, are the other two on the list, not calling you non-stop unless you know you set the order with someone else and they leave out of the race. This is a small industry, and there are many companies that do a good jobthis room, and I recommend next time let them know you do not make the cut in a pleasant professional, and you appreciate their hard work they have on your behalf. In the future you can ask for help, and want to ensure that they are separated on good terms.
When you start the installation with the provider of choice, be sure to work closely with their management team of the project and obtain all the information they seek, as soon aspossible. This is your installation go much easier, faster and more effective.
