The Sustainability of Voice-over-IP

It’s been just more than one year since flooding, or the threat of flooding, brought home to Midwest organizations the need for Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Planning.  “What will we do in an emergency?” had previously been an abstract conversation.  While many organizations, especially SMB’s, did not have specific plans for a disaster the magnitude of the floods of 2008- most IT professionals knew where their organization’s technology infrastructure was most exposed and had some idea of how to minimize the effects of employee displacement.  This held true for critical applications like email and billing/customer systems.

Unfortunately, few organizations had given thought to survivability of another critical application- voice.  Many still depend on traditional telco services for delivery of their incoming voice calls.  Premise based IP voice systems allow for enormous flexibility under “business as usual” parameters.  But these systems require both power to the premise and delivery of telco calls into the system to operate.

As in many emergencies, the widespread flooding last summer left buildings without power.  This meant that premise based PBX’s were unable to operate, even to leave an automated greeting of “We’re closed due to an emergency”.  Many PBX customers using traditional telco services were left asking “Now what?”  Because the telco controlled where the incoming calls were delivered, customers had to wait for days for voicemail boxes to be built and call routing changes to be completed.

LightEdge voice customer’s had a much different experience.  Both Hosted PBX and Converged Access Voice-over-IP customers were able to make changes to the routing of their incoming calls in real time. Rather than relying on a telco to make sure their customers’ calls were re-routed properly, Hosted PBX and Converged Access users were able to make those changes on their own and dynamically through the LightEdge voice portal.  Each customer has complete control of where and when calls should be rerouted, whether that be to a different branch office, a cell phone or to an IP phone at EdgeBCC.  In fact, HPBX customers can set up “Call Forward Non-Reachable” for all phone numbers and extensions to determine, before an emergency ever occurs, what should happen in the event a device or location cannot accept calls for a completely automated solution.

Other than in-person visits, voice is the only other real time interaction you have with your customers.  What happens to your organization if you cannot answer incoming calls for one hour, one day or one week?

For more information on how to improve the sustainability of your communication systems, please contact Michelle Emerson-Russell, LightEdge Voice Specialist at 515-471-1243.

 

Hosted PBX Voice-over-IP for your Business

What is a Hosted PBX system?
A Hosted PBX (HPBX) system delivers PBX functionality as a service over a private managed broadband connection. Rather than purchasing or leasing PBX equipment to utilize on-site, now you can simply contract for hosted services and reap the benefits of advanced calling features and hassle-free management of your phone system.

• Eliminates the need for a PBX and telco lines
• All PBX "intelligence" is delivered out of a redundant central voice platform (giving a unified environment for multi-office settings)
• Calls are routed over a private, managed network to the LightEdge platform
• Hosted PBX is a converged service - voice and data traffic is managed dynamically across the same connection
• Dynamic bandwidth allocation means that you aren't limited to the number of available lines like a traditional telco-based system

How does it work?
Voice traffic is passed over your company’s data line, dynamically sharing the bandwidth with data traffic. Since the bandwidth is shared between voice and data traffic, you no longer have to pay for separate voice and a data lines. A router is set up on your site and configured with Quality of Service (QoS) so that the voice traffic always has a higher priority than the data traffic. This eliminates voice quality issues that could otherwise occur if there is a high volume of data being passed over the line. Your company uses IP desk phones that connect into your corporate LAN, and a router that handles the voice and data traffic that flows to our data center. Our BroadWorks system routes the calls and provides the advanced services. BroadWorks is the leading platform in the world for hosted business services, so you can be assured you’re getting the best platform available.

HPBX is a scalable service that allows you to easily manage how your calls are routed using an intuitive web-based interface. In addition, your phones are no longer directly tied to physical telephone lines, so groups of workers can be defined logically in software instead of by a physical connection.

The voice platform is hosted in a fully redundant, carrier-grade data center. LightEdge performs all of the operational work - running and monitoring the system, handling upgrades, increasing capacity, managing dial plans, etc. - that you would otherwise perform on your premise-based equipment. You leave behind the complexity of dealing with a voice switch, the expense of purchasing a PBX or Key System, and the worry of keeping up with the latest technology. We handle all of that while you get access to the newest and most advanced features available on the market.

Our system can reroute your calls to alternate numbers such as a cell phone using "find-me, follow-me" functionality such as simultaneous or sequential ring. Employees can manage their preferences when they are on the road by logging into a web portal. They can also integrate other phones (such as home phones and cell phones) to receive calls from their office number. Hosted PBX is a seamless way to appear at the office, when you could be anywhere in the world.

Polycom® SoundPoint® IP 670

A premium SIP desktop phone with color display that delivers a rich voice, visual, and applications experience

• A large, vibrant color display for easier viewing and navigation
• Revolutionary voice quality with Polycom HD Voice™ technology
• Integrated Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) switch to enable bandwidth-intensive applications
• Six lines in stand-alone mode and 34 lines with three Polycom SoundPoint IP Color Expansion Modules
• A visually improved platform to enable a high level of integration with productivity-enhancing applications and business processes
• Built-in USB port to support applications, such as Local Call Recording from the Polycom Productivity Suite

Features and Benefits

• Backlit 320 x 160 pixel color display delivers a rich visual experience
• Unparalleled voice quality and clarity that makes every call efficient and productive
• Integrated GigE support that future-proofs your network infrastructure investment
• A color interface platform for accessing applications, such as the Polycom Productivity Suite and third-party applications
• Advanced SIP functionality, including shared lines, busy lamp field, and presence
• Broad and robust interoperability with a broad array of SIP call control platforms for open choices and simplified provisioning and support

 

DATE	EVENT	DETAILS
August 5	Iowa Contingency Planners	The Iowa Contingency Planners is an association of Business Continuity, Disaster Recovery and Emergency Management professionals from both the public and private sectors. Our mission is to provide business continuity, disaster recovery and emergency management related educational and networking opportunities and to provide these opportunities in a professional setting at a reasonable cost to our members.
August 13	"Risky Business" Strategies for Continuous Operations	Speakers will discuss Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery strategies related to Data, Applications and Human Resources.
October 15	Iowa IT Symposium	The 8th Annual Iowa IT Symposium is the Annual event for the Iowa CIO Forum. This full day gathering of Iowa’s top IT leaders features strategic-level presentations and best practices from industry thought leaders. Individual break-out sessions on various moderated topics are also planned for the 2009 Iowa IT Symposium.

 

Server Management

Because your servers are so vital to your business, LightEdge offers several levels of server support to ensure that your platforms are performing as expected, secure from viruses and up to date with the latest patches. Server Support Packages are available for both Dedicated and Collocated servers within LightEdge data centers. For more details on Server Management options and availability, please contact your Account Executive or call 877-771-3343.

Description		Basic	Standard	Premium
Monthly Pricing Basic is included with any Dedicated Server Purchase.		$30/monthly	$75/monthly	$150/monthly
24x7 Telephone Support Toll Free Telephone based support available 24 hours a day, 7 Days a week. 2 hour guaranteed response time.
Network Usage Reporting Bandwidth reporting for servers available via our Customer Portal.
Hardware Continuity** In the event of a hardware failure, the device or failed component will be replaced for up to 14 days with no additional cost. **Replacement will be minimum of Level 2 Server.
Basic Availability Monitoring Basic up/down testing of your server via ICMP and alerts if your server goes down. Up to 5 tests per month.
Advanced Availability Monitoring Advanced up/down testing of your server including packet loss, latency or complete up/down events. Up to 5 tests per month.
Advanced Application Monitoring Advanced layer 4 testing of application availability and response times. Custom tests can be defined in addition to basic port tests to ensure your application is functioning as it should be. Up to 5 tests per month.
Component Monitoring Component Monitoring utilizes an agent installed on your server to monitor the health of your server's hardware components including disks, RAID controllers, memory and processors.
Component Usage Reporting Component Usage Reporting monitors the utilization of RAM, CPU and Disks.  Alerts are sent out as thresholds are hit.
On-Demand Server Security Assessment At customer request, a LightEdge engineer will assess the overall server security and performance related information.
On-Demand Server Health Assessment At customer request, a LightEdge engineer will assess the overall server health including review of the Application, Security and System logs for adverse errors and trends. Issue resolution may require additional billable engineering time.
OS Patch Management Operating System Patches and Security Updates are applied on a monthly basis or as needed.
Server Anti-Virus Protection Anti-Virus software provided by LightEdge protects your servers from threats. Virus definitions are updated automatically on a regular basis.
Free Incidents The total number of customer generated "incidents" provided for the support level.		0	2	2
Additional Per Incident Support Cost The cost for a single incident (up to 1 hour) that is not included with the given Support Level.		$150/hr	$100/hr	$100/hr
Free Remote Hand Requests Includes Hard/Soft Reboot, Access Request, Cable Moves and Crash Cart services. Requests will be fulfilled 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. for Basic support plan and 24x7 for Standard and Premium support plans.		2	5	10
Additional NOC Remote Hands Support Network Operations Center remote hands support - billed in 15 minute increments.		$100/hr	$100/hr	$100/hr
Additional Engineering Remote Hands Support Network engineering remote hands support - billed in 15 minute increments.		$150/hr	$150/hr	$150/hr
Optional Services
Microsoft Application Patching Application of Microsoft recommended updates to Microsoft applications installed on the server (e.g. Exchange, SQL Server, OCS, etc.)		N/A	N/A	$25/app./monthly

 

Jeff Springborn, LightEdge COO, Featured on EMC Webcast

Experts: CIO moving more into business, process optimization

By Linda Tucci, Senior News Writer, 21 May 2009 | SearchCIO.com

What's in a name? If the role of the CIO changes, will the title change, too?

At the sixth annual MIT Sloan CIO Symposium yesterday, CIO aliases came tripping off the panelists' tongues. Alan Trefler, CEO at Pegasystems Inc., the Cambridge, Mass.-based business process management software provider, said he thought the "I" in CIO was indicative of one big problem with IT these days. Information is historical, about memory, about what happened, Trefler said. The CIO needs to become the "process optimization person" (a C-POP?, hopefully not a CPOO!), someone who can change the fabric of how companies do business.

Technology writer Wade Roush said what companies really need is a Chief Simplicity Officer, someone who can commoditize IT services that offer no competitive advantage and free up IT staff for business projects. Indeed, as utility computing moves to the cloud, CIOs will spend less time running IT and focus instead on figuring out how IT can run the business.

How Government's Driving Cloud Computing Ahead

Posted by John Foley on July 6, 2009 Byte and Switch

Cloud computing may still be emerging as an IT delivery model, but U.S. government agencies are forging ahead with plans to adopt cloud services or build their own. The attitude among government technology decision makers seems to be that the benefits outweigh the risks and that the risks can be mitigated with planning and careful implementation.

VoIP Penetration Steadily Increases

Given the number of products or services offered by the typical company, it's hard to expect a customer service representative (CSR) to have innate knowledge of every inquiry that may flow into the contact center. Unfortunately, the people who are topic experts often aren't CSRs, and when CSRs reach out to them, they tend to be hard to get hold of at the moment they're needed. As a result, many companies have long desired a seamless connection between their personnel -- unified communications (UC) -- in order to improve the customer experience. According to a new report from Campbell, Calif.–based information technology consultancy Infonetics Research, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and hosted UC offerings may bring those desires closer than ever to realization, with worldwide revenue for hosted UC services expected to double between 2009 and 2013.

How does the Six Sigma methodology benefit IT?

25 Jun 2009 | SearchCIO.com

The Six Sigma methodology, while not new, is becoming more relevant to IT organizations as IT becomes more process and service driven.

Six Sigma is about people and processes. The Six Sigma methodology helps CIOs shift their focus from an internal view to an external view of how the IT architecture is affecting customers.

Within an organization, Six Sigma has the potential to improve the quality and reduce the costs of IT operations. In addition, Six Sigma can connect measurement systems to strategic objectives and help companies focus on the initiatives that will drive the most value for the customer.

Solid governance model key to IT outsourcing contract success

By Rachel Lebeaux, Associate Editor, 30 Jun 2009 | SearchCIO.com

Governance models are increasingly placing responsibility for IT outsourcing contracts under the sphere of the IT department rather than procurement, experts agree, as companies look to improve results and put the right person or team at the helm of the outsourcer relationship.

Positioning IT outsourcing contracts in procurement's sphere might lead to lower-cost arrangements, but they're more likely to be lower quality as well.

"With procurement, it becomes an issue of squeezing the life out of the service providers and not really focusing on anything strategic," said Phil Fersht, a research director at Boston-based consulting firm AMR Research Inc.

Gartner: Future IT security jobs to focus on risk management strategy

By Linda Tucci, Senior News Writer, 01 Jul 2009 | SearchCIO.com

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD. -- What does the future of information security threats and technologies look like, and how will that affect roles and staffing in the IT or IT security organization? If experts at the Gartner Information Security Summit here are correct, IT security jobs will become less about security technology and much more about risk management strategy, as threats either max out, in one scenario, or become so complex that security jobs will change nonetheless.

Indeed, for dyed-in-the wool techies, the fun's done. Maturing technologies and services will co-opt much of the hard technical work of protecting the enterprise, and the demand for low-level proficiency will largely be filled overseas in cheap labor markets, they said.