VoIP suggestions

Archived from groups: comp.dcom.voice-over-ip (More info?)

Hello,

This is sort of a lengthy rant, but I would appreciate any help.

I run the IT & phone systems for our company. Our owner is bent on
moving from our Partner system to VoIP, specifically a hosted
solution. Now, I am all for VoIP, but we have a particular 'Used VoIP
Salesman' touting the cost benefits that will be realized by moving to
a hosted solution (with him).

I have dealt with SBC and know what a top tier carrier is charging.
SBC gives a great deal on Cisco equipment, but they are charging $55
per phone for basic services and $70 per phone for 'premium' services.
In addition, we would have to purchase another T1, and 2 Qos devices
for each T1 (the manufacturer escapes me now) from SBC. Our other
used ... I mean VoIP salesman ... is saying he can drastically beat these
monthly phone prices and provide a high quality solution without using
a second T1 or a QoS device for each T1 (He would use Cisco QoS, I
assume IP RTP priority, I doubt he could configure LLQ correctly).

I am just looking for suggestions, or places where I can find more
information on the 'typical' per month phone costs of a hosted VoIP
solution. Are there any websites with hosted VoIP reviews??????? I
have been unable to find anything like that, yet ...

Here is some information on our company:

30-40 users at any given time (with a growth rate of 1-2 people every
6 months);
One SBC T1;
NO remote locations (One is coming soon, but it will be local);
NO traveling salesman;
NO interstate traveling;
Possibly a need for two people to work from home (local);
Currently, local usage + long distance usage totals anywhere from
$1350 to $1600 per month;

I am in the process of gathering SMDR information on our current key
system so I can provide some tangible cost/usage information to our
'executives'.

This email address is valid, so any suggestions comments are greatly
appreciated. I do not want to get caught in a very expensive sub-par
solution.

justin_ltg@yahoo.com

Thank you for reading my post.

Justin

Archived from groups: comp.dcom.voice-over-ip (More info?)

"Nortec in MN" <Nortel@Frontier-deletethistoreply-Net.net> writes:

>VoIP would be a possible good solution for your telecommuters, but I
>wouldn't recommend it for the whole office. Digital phones are usually less
>expensive and more reliable.

What does "Digital phones" mean in this context? I would call something
like a Cisco 7960 every bit as "digital" as an ISDN phone. Am I missing
something? Are VoIP phones typically not reliable?

(I'm considering getting into a phone system deployment so I'll appreciate
some education.)

Thank you.

--kyler

Archived from groups: comp.dcom.voice-over-ip (More info?)

"Nortec in MN" <Nortel@Frontier-deletethistoreply-Net.net> wrote in message news:<G%aYc.2602$o67.1973@news01.roc.ny>...
> "Kyler Laird" <Kyler@news.Lairds.org> wrote in message
> news:hks302-9td.ln1@lairds.us...
> > "Nortec in MN" <Nortel@Frontier-deletethistoreply-Net.net> writes:
> >
> > >VoIP would be a possible good solution for your telecommuters, but I
> > >wouldn't recommend it for the whole office. Digital phones are usually
> less
> > >expensive and more reliable.
> >
> > What does "Digital phones" mean in this context? I would call something
> > like a Cisco 7960 every bit as "digital" as an ISDN phone. Am I missing
> > something? Are VoIP phones typically not reliable?
> >
>
> When talking about phones, "digital" and "VoIP" typically referrs to the way
> the phone communicates to the system (PBX/server).
>
> VoIP phones are fine and they work well when properly implemented, but the
> technology really lends it self well for remote users and interconnecting
> remote sites. IMHO, VoIP to the desktop is not a good use of the
> technology - too much overhead and cost.
>
> > (I'm considering getting into a phone system deployment so I'll appreciate
> > some education.)
> >
> > Thank you.
> >
> > --kyler



I would like to go to a hybrid system. I have been looking at Avaya
IP-Office. We only have a few extensions available on our current
Partner systems, so we are going to have to do something soon. As I
stated before our owner has VoIP on the brain for the entire office,
specifically the hosted solution. I would like to talk him out of it,
at least for a year.

Does anybody have any experience on what a per phone service cost is
for a hosted solution? I know SBC is high, but on the other hand, I
am sure this other so called consultant of ours is cutting too many
corners just to earn the business. And with our office currently
having no remote locations at this time, there is NO cost savings with
VoIP for us. Our local usage and long distance only tops out at 1600 a
month. Hosted VoIP with 30+ phones is going to put us over the 2000
mark (including an extra T1 in that price)

Does anybody have any experience with Avaya IP office???