Tag: BT

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Blog Services Support

ISDN Switch Off 2025

It’s the biggest and most important modernisation of the public phone network ever, and your business needs to check and may need to make changes to ensure a smooth transition

In 2017 BT announced it intended to Switch Off ISDN and PSTN by the end of 2025. From September 2023 new ISDN lines will not be available for purchase. Businesses must make alternative plans and migrate all ISDN / PSTN channels or they will be without a telephony service. All equipment that currently uses the PSTN will stop working: such as alarms, elevator phones, EPOS machines, door entry systems etc

There are four options, all suitable for businesses ranging in size from as few as 3 employees to many thousands of employees. All you have to do is decide which is the best fit for you

Option 1: Adapt What You Have

Extend the life of your current phone system by connecting it to the internet. This is simply done by adding hardware known as a VoIP Gateway and a link known as a SIP Trunk, which uses your existing Internet connection. It’s easy, affordable, and users notice no difference – no new cables, no new handsets, no new training.

Option 2: Blend It All Together

Mix options 1, 2, and 3 to suit your needs. For example, an on-premise system at your head office, and a cloud-based system serving your remote sites. Or connect a cloud-based unified communications platform to an on-premise VoIP Gateway or SIP Trunk-powered system. Whatever the blend, enjoy the same seamlessly-integrated user experience.

Option 3: Upgrade What You Have

Replace your installed on-premise system with the latest feature-rich digital technology known as a Unified Communications (UC) Platform; this can be installed on your site as hardware or software, fully under your control. All your telephony now on the internet, but also seamlessly aligned with your email, messaging, and chat applications via an easy-to-use, easily accessible user interface. Plus, it can all be replicated on employees’ desktop computers, laptops and mobile devices for super-convenience.

Option 4: Migrate To The Cloud

Follow hundreds of millions of organisations worldwide by replacing your on-premise system with a powerful, cloud-powered Unified Communications (UC) solution. All your calls, email, chat, and messaging now via the internet; limitless ability to add the latest new features at will; and pay monthly, only for the services you use.

Sangoma have produced a useful Webinar: “How To Prepare For The Great British ISDN Switch Off”Webinar Recording: “How To Prepare For The Great British ISDN Switch Off”

If you have any questions or need advice email or call us.

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Blog Gateways Services

ISDN Switchoff…

With the end of ISDN looming, the switch off could affect over two million businesses in the UK which will come at a cost for those affected. For many, the cost implications to replace their entire Telphone system would simply be too much, but with Sangoma’s offering, the transition from PSTN and ISDN to VoIP can provide a long-term, cost-effective solution.

Why remove a PBX that gives you everything you need? Sangoma’s Vega Gateways provide seamless connectivity to SIP providers, with no need to change any existing hardware or to re-cable your system, these gateways are designed to migrate from PSTN to SIP with minimal downtime.

Available in a range of varieties, Sangoma Vega Gateways suit businesses of all sizes from the SME to enterprise corporations. What’s more, users can benefit from advanced functionalities such as least cost routing (selecting the cheapest route for a call) and enhanced network proxy features which can help with the failover of calls from VoIP to PSTN in the event of a loss of internet connection.

If you would like more information or advice on what is the best option for your business please call or email us. Unlike many we have ISDN simulators so that we can configure your new gateway and install it with limited disruption to your business

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Blog Knowledge Base

BT outage on 20th July 2016

BT have confirmed that their recent outage has been ‘resolved and services restored’.

We can also confirm this as we have slowly seen all customer alarms clearing. As many customers are aware that we operate a 24×7 monitoring platform so saw this issue start and checked that there was nothing we could do in most cases but also contacted key customers to warn them that they might be issues.
Therefore, any issues that Customers have experienced this morning when connecting to services using BT connectivity (including quality issues) should now be resolved. In the event that issues are still occurring, please reboot equipment on the BT line such as Firewalls or Routers and retest. Nagios monitor screen

If you have any questions whatsoever please do not hesitate to contact us, Also if you are a
Asterisk / Freepbx reseller or user and would like affordable monitoring please get in touch as we provide Asterisk Monitoring from £25 per year.

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Blog

A new patent troll.

SIP Trunking

In the last few weeks a large sleeping troll has come out of hibernation and seems set on disrupting the whole voip market.

Quote

“BT is engaged in licensing an extensive range of standards related patents that address the key features of SIP Trunking providers and VOIP operators providers.

BT’s Patents address a wide range of fundamental capabilities now in widespread deployment, such as:

  • Setting up a call
  • Breaking out to other networks
  • Managing resources efficiently
  • Registering terminal to a network
  • Cost effective call completion
  • Monitoring and alerting of IP call quality”

Well that pretty much covers all of the workings of a SIP network. A full list of the patents is here  .

But its not Just BT, AT&T also have claims over SIP as well see here for a list.

It seems that some of the major patent holders see more money in the licencing of the now ubiquitous SIP protocol than maybe supplying it to customer. Which is a shame as the only ones who will make any money will be the Lawyers in the end.

More to follow on this I’m sure….