Huw Rees

8x8, Inc.

huwr@8x8.com

Hosted iPBX / IP Centrex

New Telecommunications Landscape

Rapid adoption of broadband connections and IP technology are being made

• Broadband and IP can be used to provide IP Centrex / Hosted PBX services

• PBX becomes a piece of software embedded in the Network

New Service Provider Models

• Enables new service provider models. Adding voice to data and data to voice.

• No PBX hardware investment for the enterprise – voice control (hardware and software) resides at Service Provider’s premise

– Cost savings

– No hassles for small companies

– Single bill for phone and Internet

Hosted iPBX vs IP Centrex

• Is there a difference?– Maybe, but somewhat semantics– IP Centrex is a common set of services usually

without much in the way of customization– Hosted iPBX offers a “virtual PBX” with

customized services unique to each end enterprise customer.

Targeted Enterprise CustomersPotentially, virtually any type of enterprise

SMEs (10 -200 extensions)

Larger enterprises with multiple sites

Multi-tenant buildings

Branch Offices

High value proposition for distributed enterprise customers

Vertical Markets – Hotels, Healthcare, Professional Services, etc.

Typical SolutionTypical Solution

Unified Corporate NetworkHosted iPBX or IP Centrex also creates ability for larger

enterprises to consolidate multiple separate office data and telephone networks into a single unified corporate network

Market Requirements

• Carrier grade reliability/availability

• Provides features that significantly surpass current Centrex

• Integrated applications environment that allows for the development of user defined custom features (is this really true)?

• QOS

Reliability/Availability• Operating environment

– Most Service providers seem to prefer Solaris or (moving to) Linux. Windows is generally not accepted (always exceptions)

– Scalability - must scale to thousands of companies

– Reliability - everybody wants five “9s”, but do they really need this?

Typical Feature Set Voice Mail Auto Attendant 3-way Conferencing and conference bridge (n-way

conferencing) Call Forwarding (Find Me, Follow Me) Do Not Disturb Call Waiting Caller ID Call Waiting Caller ID Call Transfer (1 step, 2 step: announcement), Call Hold Hunt Groups, ring groups Fax Support Plus new CTI features such as remote receptionist and (web

based) user control, including Microsoft Outlook integration

Voice Mail Auto Attendant 3-way Conferencing and conference bridge (n-way

conferencing) Call Forwarding (Find Me, Follow Me) Do Not Disturb Call Waiting Caller ID Call Waiting Caller ID Call Transfer (1 step, 2 step: announcement), Call Hold Hunt Groups, ring groups Fax Support Plus new CTI features such as remote receptionist and (web

based) user control, including Microsoft Outlook integration

QOS• If there is a point to point IP connection,

QOS can be implemented

• If the service is entirely over the Internet, QOS is really a “best effort” – Use compressed codecs (poor man’s QOS)– Compensate at the end point with packet loss

concealment and adaptive jitter buffers– Compensate with a better business value?

Benefits over traditional PBXFor Service Providers

Additional and recurring revenues with new service offering

Retain customers as company grows

Minimal capital investments

Improved margins

For Service Providers

Additional and recurring revenues with new service offering

Retain customers as company grows

Minimal capital investments

Improved margins

For End Users

Single broadband connection for voice and data eliminates costs of PSTN link

Low capital investmentService scales with the

companyHighly customizableMoves, adds & changes

quick, easy and inexpensive

For End Users

Single broadband connection for voice and data eliminates costs of PSTN link

Low capital investmentService scales with the

companyHighly customizableMoves, adds & changes

quick, easy and inexpensive

CPE

Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) Support:

Many excellent IP phones now availableMedia Gateways (useful for fax)Soft Clients

Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) Support:

Many excellent IP phones now availableMedia Gateways (useful for fax)Soft Clients

Protocols

• SIP is king, but for a virtual PBX maybe a master slave protocol is more suitable (MGCP, SCCP)

• Does the end user care - no.

• Does the service provider care - maybe

• Answer - support multiple protocols?

PSTN gateway

SIP and MGCP

SIP

pro

xy

Med

ia S

witc

h

Web

Serv

ices

AP

I (XM

L) Support

Billing

Store front

Cu

sto

mer A

dm

in

LD

AP

Data

base

System Management

SoftSwitch(LINUX servers, JVM 1.4) Front end

(Windows 2000, SQL)

Service Architecture Overview

Endpoints

Hosted iPBXIP CentrexFeature Server

Feature Server ArchitectureExternal Applications

(billing, email, …) CTI Applications WebBrowser

OAM&PApplications

Tcl Service Customization

XML,LDAP,SNMP

TNM

LDAP

ApplicationsServers

(VM,UM,…)

VM AA IVR

SLEE

RTPMS API

Media Server

SCCP (Skinny)

Gateway/Softswitch

MGCP SIPH.323

Core iPBX ConfigurationManager

JTAPI for OA&MJTAPI

Phonelets Servlets

IP Phones, SIP Phones & Media HubsH.323, GW,

GKs

iPBX Server Software

Device Manager

Administration• Any solution needs to include at least 3

tiered administration functions– Service provider interface (allows complete

control over all virtual iPBXs or Centrex groups)– Business owner interface - allows control of a

virtual group- can set global preferences of users and dynamic MAC

– End User interface - allows self provisioning and local preferences

Enhanced Services

• IP Centrex / Hosted iPBX can offer new services like TV quality video calls– Broadband videophones with 30fps, full motion

video– Need 256Kbps+ to look “good”– Has to be plug and play– Too expensive today?

Keys to success

– How to deploy in volume – Needs to meet previous market requirements

plus • plug and play installation. • Dial tone in seconds. • Firewall/NAT traversal.

– Need distribution channel– Also, don’t forget 911