Private Solution with Traditional Phone Service View / Print (PDF File) This option places all equipment on-site and connects to a new or existing phone service. Standard Telephone Service is available in many forms. These include standard analog phone service (PSTN), ISDN or PRI (Primary Rate Interface) connections. These connections are billed through the local phone carrier (LEC) . The analog connection converts to digital via a gateway device. Connected to the standard phone service is the iPBX (Internet ready Private Branch eXchange). This piece of equipment provides all of the services available via the phones (extensions, auto-attendant, music-on-hold, voicemail, etc.). The iPBX is connected to the network in the same manner as any other piece of network equipment. The handsets are connected to the network as well, permitting combined voice and data communications. Benefits Reliability - Traditional phone service is usually 99.9% reliable and there will be at least one outage per year of indeterminate length. Voice over IP ( VoIP) is approximately 95% reliable which translates to about 3-4 outages of indeterminate length per year. Flexibility – Through the use of the external phone system interface, the existing phone connections are connected to a single location. This adds flexibility in that the phone system itself is independent of the service provider. This permits upgrades/changes to phone service without the need to modify the iPBX equipment. For instance, if you would like to try a Voice over IP carrier without committing to the technology, a hybrid solution can be implemented at no additional cost. Once comfortable with the technology, the existing phone numbers can be transparently moved to the new service without interruption. Savings on cabling – Only one CAT5e or CAT6 connection to each desktop is necessary. A desktop or laptop PC is connected to a port on the phone itself and will share the connection. The network will separate voice from data and permit clear, consistent calling while simultaneously using the computer. For new offices, this can make a sizeable difference in cable installation costs. Systems Management – As mentioned above, the existing phone connection is separate from the iPBX server therefore, troubleshooting phone system vs. voice provider issues becomes much easier. The voice provider interface has the ability to manage itself and can provide notification in case of failure. Security Systems / Stand-alone fax machines – Security systems (alarms or video monitoring) connect to the voice carrier directly without routing through the iPBX. Stand-alone fax machines can be routed this way also. Detractions Cost of Service Provider – Traditional voice providers is more expensive for service and long distance than Voice over IP. This cost may or may not be offset by the reliability of traditional phone service. Request additional information? Click Here.