Voice Over IP –Technology for

Community Organisations

Introduction

Stephen GleesonTechnology Manager

Community Infromation Strategies Australia (CISA) Inc.

• VoIP – what is it?• Why is VoIP of interest?• How can my organisation use this technology?• What equipment do I need?• Gotcha's• Where to now?

What is Voice over IP (VoIP)

● Simply Voice carried over IP networks● This could include – streaming radio● But is more commonly considered as an alternative method to

carry telephone calls● Todays landscape:

● Many different standards (H323, SIP, G729, G711, RTP, GSM, G726)

● Proprietry Solutions / Open Standards

Yes but why is it different?

● Packet Based ● Speech is encoded into a digitised form● Typically compressed● Broken into small pieces and then sent to destination● Re-assembled

● CODEC – Coder / Decoder● Is this new?

● Not really – large companies and carriers have used similar techniques for many years to reduce cost of phone calls between sites

● What is different is:● Transmission via IP network

Why is VoIP of Interest?

Savings on long-distance calling: international toll bypass and transparent intra-office on-net traffic

Efficient bandwidth utilizationon IP networks

Savings from converged infrastructure: networks, wiring, end-user devices, staff

Customer empowerment: Web-based call management interface

Productivity enhancing converged apps: VM/ UM,

conferencing

mid-1990s

Present

Low value

High value

Source: Frost & Sullivan

Pyramid of VoIP Benefits Based on Chronology of Acceptance and Value

VoIP Study for Small NFP

Telstra Engin

Plan

Total Bill (for September) $580.62 $120.65Rental Charges $391.08 $89.95Local Charges $57.62 $8.70STD Charges $29.22 $6.70

Mobile Charges $64.78 $65.40 - $50 = $15.40

BusinessLine Complete/Fax + BusinessLine Plus/fax any

mobile options

Monthly 29.95 rentals no contract, With $25 worth of

free mobile calls

How Can my organisation

use VoIP

Try It● Download a Softphone (sipX, X-lite from Xten)

● Purchase a headset● Connect to a VoIP service provider (engin, freshtel, many

others)● Use a credit card and make some calls

● Purchase an IP Phone● Implement a VoIP PBX● Asterisk, sipX – both open source solutions

How Can my organisation

use VoIP

● Connect to a VoIP provider to make outgoing calls● Reduce Cost but not operationally friendly

● Replace your existing telephone system with a VoIP PBX● Voice Mail – to your email● Conference rooms● IVR system● ACD – Automatic Call Distribution● Connect from anywhere – Home, Hotel, Cafe

Network Diagram

VVVV

PSTN

Internet

IP PBX

Via ATA

What equipment do you need?

● Phone● Softphone and Headset● USB Phone (I wouldn't)● Ethernet Phone

● PBX ● Call management

● Commercial – Cisco, Nortel and many others● OpenSource – Asterisk, sipX

● Hardware to connect to PSTN● For Asterisk – Quality low end Server, UPS, and Network

interface cards (Digium)● Firewall

Use for Outgoing Calls

VVVV

PSTN

Internet

Existing PBX

• Use free softphone (X-lite, sipX) with a headset

• Start an VoIP account

• Check your Firewall

Replace current system

VVVV

PSTN

Internet

VoIP PBX • Implement VoIP PBX – OpenSource options available

• Start an VoIP account

• Check your Firewall

Network With Others

VVVV

PSTN

Internet

VoIP PBX

• Reduce Cost

• Collaborate

• Presence aware

• What about Video

VoIP PBX

Work From Home

VVVV

PSTN

Internet

IP PBX

Via ATA

Call 123

Receive Call for 123

Redirect 123

Receive Call for 123

Gotcha's

● Quality● Packetised Voice will vary in quality (latency)● ISP's do not support Quality of Services (QOS)

● Emergency Service (000)● TTY● Standards – which one to use● Security

● SIP requires controlled exposure to your network● Can your account be accessed?● Is someone listening?

Where to Now / Future?

● Its not a replacement for traditional Phone● Emergency call

● It is more● Integrate service with your website● Not just voice – exchange of data ● Login to network where ever you are – presence awareness● Integrate with your applications – CRM / Call Centre

● Standards are evolving● Carrier and Vendor support increasing

Questions

Stephen GleesonTechnology Manager

Community Infromation Strategies Australia (CISA) Inc.

email: sg@cisa.asn.auSkype: gleesos

Phone: +61 8 8212 8555

Asterisk Functionality

In additional to the tasks of a PBX system, Asterisk can also provide value added telephony services.

# Voice MailAsterisk has a built in Voice Mail system called Comedian

Mail which allows users to have multiple voice mail boxes, or folders to sort messages into, provides the ability to fast forward and rewind within a message, call the person who left the message back without having to dial the number, and e-mail attach new voice mail messages in Wave, MP3, or GSM format.

Asterisk Functionality

Conference roomsEven high end PBX system seldom offer conference room functionality as part of a base system configuration. Asterisk has native functionality to provide robust conference room capabilities.

IVR MenusAsterisk's ability to decode DTMF signals for call routing can also be used interactively to provide menu options to callers. The IVR configuration is controlled through Asterisk's flexible dialplan rules contained in the extensions.conf and extensions.ael files. Dialplan rules can be used to quickly create menus like "Press 1 for sales, 2 for support", etc or for intelligent PSTN call routing (utilizing multiple PSTN providers based on who offers the cheapest rate for the call being placed)

Asterisk Functionality

# ACDAn Automatic Call Distributor can be used in call centers to perform load balancing of incoming calls to agents answering telephone sets. Asterisk's ACD functionality canalso provide users on hold with music and updates as to their hold status such as anticipated wait time and number of people ahead of them in the queue.

# Multipath call answer race monitoringAsterisk can ring two or more PBX extensions or PSTN connected telephone numbers at once disconnecting the other call attempts when one line answers. As a useful example, the dialplan can be configured to try and reach a home telephone and a cell phone at the same time instead of making the caller wait for a traditional service like call forwarding to kick in before ultimately reaching the intended party via cell phone

Asterisk Functionality

Caller ID, Call Waiting w/Caller ID, Three-Way CallingAsterisk can offer many common enhanced POTS services (sometimes called PANS or pretty advanced network services) to the extensions connected to it. Depending on the connection to the PSTN & manufacturer of the ATA providing FXS interface to an analog telephone, or native VoIP phone being used some services may not be available. Some ATAs will allow Asterisk to set the ring cadence which can allow the called party to hear different rings for different calling parties. Some VoIP hardware phones can display visual alerts as to the presence of new voice mail, whereas most ATAs will provide an audible alert in the form of a staggered dialtone.