beronet GmbH the VoIP Experts www.beronet.com Friedrichstr. 231 10969 Berlin FON:
Page 2 of 8 All IP Reconversion: Challenges and possible approaches for owners of classic PBX Systems...... Introduction All IP is the new buzzword of the telecommunication industry. But what will the consequences of replacing ISDN networks with ALL IP networks, especially for owners of classic PBX systems? Short reminder: All IP is a complete IP based access which will soon be converted from Analog or ISDN to IP / SIP. This is meant to unify and thus simplify the transmission of information data of all types like data, voice and video. Sooner or later this could mean that calls may no longer be possible via ISDN. One possible solution is Medium or long-term migration to a VoIP provider. VoIP offers many possibilities: Contents Introduction Actual Situation Compatibility of the existing PBX System Bandwidth Strategy of Action Conclusion The beronet VoIP-Gateway About beronet Cost saving for maintenance, administration by using and current telephone equipment Higher compatibility between different manufacturers More features for an efficient communication Faster installation of new workplaces When migrating to a new VoIP provider the following 3 challenges need to be considered: Compatibility with the existing telephony system Capacity of the used internet terminal / internet connection Further use of older devices and special services This Whitepaper discusses these challenges and provides possible solutions. Actual Situation A classic telephone system is connected via analog or ISDN to the telephone provider. In addition to internal system telephones there are often additional analog devices such as Fax devices, cash card terminals, remote maintenance modems, alarm systems or intercoms. beronet GmbH the VoIP Experts www.beronet.com Friedrichstr. 231 10969 Berlin FON:
Page 3 of 8 Compatibility of the existing PBX System Before getting started it is important to identify which kind of telephone system exists and whether it is compatible to the chosen VoIP provider. In the case of hybrid and VoIP systems the compatibility is generally higher, but incompatibilities can never be excluded completely. VoIP and Hybrid Systems VoIP systems use internal and external VoIP. This ensures a high compatibility to the different VoIP providers. A connection to the ISDN network is usually made via an ISDN Gateway. VoIP TC System ISDN VoIP beronet Gateway VoIP VoIP systems use both internal and external VoIP, so they are compatible with both VoIP providers and VoIP system telephones. A connection to the ISDN network is usually made via ISDN Gateways. Hybrid systems often use ISDN for the external connections and VoIP for the system telephones. There are also hybrid systems that support external VoIP providers. Hybrid TC System ISDN ISDN VoIP The ISDN connection in the hybrid system is made directly, as with classical ISDN TC Systems. The system telephones are connected via VoIP. VoIP providers are partially supported. beronet GmbH the VoIP Experts www.beronet.com Friedrichstr. 231 10969 Berlin FON:
Page 4 of 8 Most of the new VoIP systems can be easily connected to the common VoIP providers. If this is not the case, a so called Session Boarder Controller must be used. The Session Boarder Controller acts as an intermediary between the VoIP system and the VoIP provider. ISDN Systems Pure ISDN systems but also some hybrid systems are not designed to be connected directly to a VoIP provider. Apart from the complete replacement of the entire system there is a far more elegant and advantageous solution: a VoIP Gateway is added to the classic telephone system which enables the connection to the VoIP provider. The VoIP Gateway simulates the ISDN connection and mediates between the ISDN telephone system and the new VoIP provider. ISDN beronet Gateway beronet GmbH the VoIP Experts www.beronet.com Friedrichstr. 231 10969 Berlin FON:
Page 5 of 8 Bandwidth The necessary bandwidth is determined by identifying whether the VoIP provider supplies the telephone and the data service via the same internet connection. In this case, the required bandwidth has to be calculated for both the telephone and data service. A single hight quality voice channel has a constant bandwith demand of nearly 80 kbits/s. This adds up to 1 MBIT for 12 simultaneous calls. For certain data services a dynamic bandwith demand is available - especially in the case of HTTP and FTP. When using such services, there are basically ways to avoid the degradation of voice quality: The usage of a so called Traffic Shaper The Traffic Shaper can prioritize the data services lower than the voice services. Such components are generally part of modern firewalls. beronet Gateway The separate usage of an internet connection only for voice services This has the advantage that the data services do not need to be restricted and the voice service always has secured bandwidth. Moreover, one of the lines can be used for both services in case of failure of one of lines as a failover solution. beronet Gateway beronet GmbH the VoIP Experts www.beronet.com Friedrichstr. 231 10969 Berlin FON:
Page 6 of 8 Special Services and devices Fax devices or Fax servers can be connected directly with the VoIP provider via an ISDN or analog converter. It is therefore necessary, that the analog converter as well as the VoIP provider support the Fax Over IP protocoll T.38. Analog modem connections for remote maintenance purposes can also under certain circumstances be transferred via VoIP. Therefore the VoIP provider as well as the analog converter should be able to use the so called clearchannel mode. This type of connection is, however, rarely transferred over a long distance through the Internet. In this case it is recommended to use the remote maintenance via an analog or ISDN line. If this is not possible, the service should be replaced by an IP remote maintenance service. Other services like cash card terminals via analog / ISDN, Video over ISDN, X25 or X75 can in general not be transmitted via VoIP. The only solution is to continue using the analog / ISDN line or the restructuring to an IP based service. Strategy of action The herein discussed problems require a clear stategy of action. First of all it should be determined which kind of telephone system is present, which kind of special services are used and what kind of bandwidth requirements exist - for data as well as for voice applications. A VoIP account should be requested, from a service provider for testing VoIP purposes. This account can be used to check the compatibility for hybrid or VoIP systems. If ISDN systems are used, a VoIP Gateway is needed. The account information of the telephone provider can be configured in the VoIP Gateway and then checked. The VoIP Gateway can then experimentally be connected to the ISDN system in order to test if the complete system is functioning correctly. After the basic compatibility has been tested, other services like Fax or modem remote maintenance services should also be tested. It is recommended to include a test phase before the complete migration process. In order to do so, a VoIP Gateway is placed between the telephone system and the telephone provider. http://www beronet beronet GmbH the VoIP Experts www.beronet.com Friedrichstr. 231 10969 Berlin FON:
Page 7 of 8 Rules can now be defined in the Gateway for outgoing calls which allow a Least Cost Routing via the VoIP provider. All calls from mobile phones or international calls can therfore be transmitted via VoIP. Incoming calls are still effected via ISDN. For incoming calls a block of test numbers can be requested from the VoIP provider before the final migration. In this way both outgoing and incoming conversations can be tested in the real environment. After the test phase the migration to the new VoIP system can be performed in a structured way. Conclusion An ISDN VoIP adapter is required to be able to operate a classic telephone system with a VoIP provider. This adapter can take the form of a VoIP Gateway. Since each customer has individual requirements the VoIP Gateway should be compatible with common VoIP providers and PBX systems. Furthermore it should have the necessary durability and flexibility to ensure a long product life or provide high adaptability. Therefore the Gateway can be easily adapted to a large range of customer requirements. When selecting the right VoIP Gateway, a simple installation also plays a crucial role. The beronet VoIP-Gateway We could easily install the beronet Gateways in our Cisco Unified Communications Manager environment thanks to the user friendly Web GUI. The beronet Gateways offer a great cost-performance ratio. The flexibility of beronet allowed us to quickly get applications especially developed for our particular needs. Nicolas Nguyen, Director of Development Infrastructure Orange beronet Gateways are modular and can be assembled with up to 2 modules. For beronet Gateways you can choose between digital ISDN (BRI/PRI), Analog (FXS/ FXO) as well as GSM modules. All modules can be connected in any possible combination with the beronet Gateways. The beronet Gateways is the best solution and can be optimally adapted to a variety of customer requirements. The advantages of the beronet Gateways at a glance: For every Scenario the suitable Module: Analog, ISDN, GSM, Hybrid Compatible with: beronet GmbH the VoIP Experts www.beronet.com Friedrichstr. 231 10969 Berlin FON:
Page 8 of 8 About beronet beronet is a company based in Berlin and has been Europe s leading manufacturer of ISDN, analog, hybrid and GSM VoIP access technologies since 2002. The world s first cloud managed beronet Gateways and Appliances can be easily administrated. beronet assures its clients and certified partners a first class support. beronet GmbH the VoIP Experts Friedrichstr. 231 10969 Berlin FON: Mail: www.beronet.com Author: Christian Richter, CEO of beronet GmbH, long-time expert in the field of VoIP Communications Copyright and Legal Notice Copyright 2015 beronet GmbH. All rights reserved. No part of this document may be copied, in any way, without written approval from beronet GmbH. All trademarks mentioned are registered trademarks of the particular trademark holder. The information contained in this document has been gathered with greatest care. However the possibility of incorrect details cannot be completely excluded. beronet GmbH does not accept liability for any errors and their consequences. beronet GmbH the VoIP Experts www.beronet.com Friedrichstr. 231 10969 Berlin FON: