Tripping Hazards

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Tripping Hazards

Tripping Hazards

A new modern telephone system offers an infinite number of options. To do this, the system changes from the building services area to that of the IT department. As a rule, knowledge about the IP telephone system is limited. What possibilities can it offer? Which requirements must be met in-house? Which costs arise and which can be saved due to the system? How do the individual providers differ?

In the following we provide you with a catalog of questions for free use, which should support you in the selection of the telephone system and the supplier. We give you an overview of classic stumbling blocks when choosing and the typical marketing "promises" of the current providers.

Even if this list of questions is quite comprehensive, the specific requirements of your company may require other priorities or focal points. If you have any questions, need advice or are interested in a test installation, contact us. We are at your disposal for all questions about telephony.

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The most important topics when defining a telephone system are:

INDEPENDENCE - INTEROPERABILITY - PORTABILITY - SECURITY - RELIABILITY - USE OF EXISTING COMPONENTS - WIRELESS TELEPHONY - IMPLEMENTATION, CONFIGURATION AND MAINTENANCE - AVAILABILITY MONITORING - COST SAVING

Independence

VoIP technology makes a separate, proprietary telephony infrastructure completely superfluous. With the abolition of such a dedicated, complete infrastructure, the dependencies on the ICT providers should actually be eliminated. Unfortunately this is not so:

- Some providers only allow their VoIP platform to be used from their own IP network.
- Some providers tie their tariffs to a certain technology: There are favorable tariff options for ISDN for calls to the mobile networks, for which there is no equivalent with VoIP.
- Some providers bind VoIP access to a specific location.

In the dynamic ICT market, one would like to have all options in the future and therefore be able to change providers of telephone and Internet services at will - whereby it must be ensured that an important intangible asset of the company, namely its worldwide propagated phone numbers, is not blocked or even go to a loss.

Not only the connection to a provider, but also the connection to a certain location is fatal for a high availability scenario. In the event that an ISDN or Internet cable is damaged during civil engineering work, the company is particularly cut off from incoming calls. At the same time, emergency calls from the production areas are impossible. A reserve connection, typically using an alternative provider and an equally alternative technology such as mobile radio, is therefore absolutely necessary. A location or access restriction would prevent a dissimilar redundant backup system.

I.1: Is the proposed telephony access tied to a specific Internet provider or
I.2: a specific location or connection or
I.3: a specific technology?

The shared use of LAN and WAN technology, which every company has to provide for the operation of information technology, creates potential for savings. Many providers, however, insist on their own cabling and switching technology. This would result in immense costs and the operational processes would be hampered.

I.4: Can the existing cabling also be used for telephony, namely
I.5: with a strict logical separation between EDP and TC, for example through VLANs?
I.6: Can the network infrastructure be partially upgraded by your own specialist department?

The change from proprietary technology to Internet protocol also entails the change from the classic system telephone to the universal IP telephone. The prices are becoming cheaper, the choice on the market is greater, and there is no longer any dependence on product life cycles.

Unfortunately, many providers still (or maybe just anyway?) Tie their telephone system to end devices from the same company for no good reason. It would never occur to anyone to restrict the use of certain Internet services to a certain make of computer. But this is exactly what "system manufacturers" like to do and thus create dependencies from which one believes that one has actually emancipated oneself with the switch to Internet technology.

I.7: Can the end devices such as desk telephones, video telephones, softphones on notebooks, DECT wireless telephones, analog telephones, fax machines, etc. be freely selected in the system offered?
I.8: Are the system functions such as busy lamp field, telephone book, computer integration, etc. also given when a freely selected telephone is used?

Conversely, there should be the option, e.g. to change the central telecommunications system in the event of dissatisfaction without also having to exchange all end devices. From this and the previous requirement it follows that the end devices used correspond to the current international standards. Unfortunately, some system manufacturers have opted for a different approach, which in turn creates dependencies.

I.9: Do the terminals correspond to current standards and do they master SIP and RTP?
I.10: Does this also apply to the particularly complex DECT infrastructure?

Interoperability

For many companies, interoperability is a survival criterion. Therefore, every company must be open to current and future applications and protocols.

II.1: A SIP telephone number is to be made available for every employee, for example in the form sip: //gustav.gans@entenhausen.com. Is this possible ?
II.2: If so, the PBX must be able to support "foreign" protocols and codecs and, if necessary, convert them, especially CISCO "Skinny", H.323 and H.264. Is this the case?
II: 3: Even if "Skype" is not undisputed: This is starting and
II: 4: supported in depth?
II.5: In spite of considerable quality defects, "Office products" from Microsoft dominate the market and also ICT end devices. Integration of the TC functions is therefore a prerequisite for improved productivity and the avoidance of errors. Is integration in "Microsoft Office" offered for using the telephony functions and for using central and local address books?
II.6: Is it possible to connect as a "Federation Server" for Microsoft "Lync"?

II.7: What possibilities are offered to use CTI functions and the company address book from the traditional user interface of the existing systems?
II.8: Which fax interfaces to the existing systems are currently available (e.g. by connecting a special 'output queue')?
II.9: Which fax server functionalities are offered,
II.10: how many faxes can be processed at the same time and
II.11: is there a "fax to mail" gateway?

II.12: Video telephony must be continuously available for all employees, for example using a suitably equipped notebook. Is this possible,
II.13: licenses are required for this (per workstation or for the central system) and
II.14: can a video conference system be seamlessly integrated?

II.15: Are there interfaces to the building technology (door openers, intercoms, etc.)?

Portability

If the telecommunication servers are operated redundantly on their own machines, then not only INTEL infrastructure comes into question.

III.1: Is the INTEL - AMD64 standard platform supported?
III.2: Is the IBM - POWER platform supported, if necessary with IBM 'SERVER PROVEN' certification?
III.3: If "Microsoft Windows Server" is supported as the server operating system,
III.4: OSi (PASE),
III.5: Linux,
III.6: AIX?

Security

As with any monoculture, the Microsoft / Intel platforms, on which the vast majority of servers operated worldwide are based, are particularly vulnerable to malware. It has been shown that subsequently and additionally installed "protection options" increase the susceptibility to errors and - as recently in the case of "Kaspersky" - serve as attack vectors for elaborate attacks.

It should be noted that highly dangerous "viruses" like "DUCU", "STUXNET" or "Trojans" currently used by the intelligence service, as in the case of the dubious company "Hacking Team", literally find their way into the children's room via detours and spread viral from there find - at random also on your own server.

While fraudsters can use ISDN technology to cause damage that usually does not exceed a four-digit euro amount, it is easily possible with VoIP technology to cause telephone charges that significantly exceed 100,000 euros through malicious interventions.

It is fatal that American companies are forced to enter into secret agreements with the US government, including include the fact that so-called "backdoors" are built into their systems, which allow "users" such as the NSA unrestricted access to information technology systems at any time. However, the probability that these accesses will also be used by third parties in the future is very high - because such secret back doors are regularly compromised.

For the reasons mentioned above, the question of security is elementary, especially for VoIP applications.

IV.1: Is a central component from an American manufacturer used?
IV.2: Can the source code be audited by the buyer / user or by a third party?
IV.3: Which, sensibly staggered, protective mechanisms are used?
IV.4: Are there any publicly accessible error reports?
IV.5: How fast is the response time between the occurrence of a known error and its correction by the end customer?

Reliability

As a company, you must be able to rely on the telecommunications infrastructure being available at all times. Unavoidable failures must be caught immediately with a reserve system.

V.1: Are all components (power supply units, storage subsystems, adapters) designed redundantly?
V.2: Does the switchover to emergency operation take place automatically?
V.3: Are the telephones already connected to a replacement system as a precaution and registered there?
V.4: How is emergency telephony guaranteed in the event of a power failure, in particular
V.5: for emergency calls,
V.6: for emergency telephones in the production area
V.7: at critical points like elevators?

V.8: Is there a possibility, after a 'Disaster Recovery', e.g. to install a backup on replacement hardware after a fire or lightning damage?

Use of existing components

Classic two-wire cabling is still used in many companies. Among the classic ISDN telephone systems, so-called UP0 system telephones could be operated on a two-wire line each.

Of course, two-wire cabling does not represent the state of the art, but on the other hand this technology also has advantages

- It is available and can be serviced by the building services
- They supply the end devices with power
- The maximum cable length is 2,000 m (as opposed to 100 m with standard network cabling)

This means that there is no need for sub-distributions that are complex to install and the emergency power supply is also significantly simplified due to the star-shaped topology.

If there is extensive two-wire cabling in the company, it usually makes sense to continue to operate selected areas using the previous two-wire cabling and to gradually convert the company to new network technology.

VI.1: If classic two-wire cabling is supported by the system,
VI.2: also for system telephones?
VI.3: Can existing two-wire telephones continue to be used while maintaining the system functions such as switching, telephone book, subscriber display, telephone number history, etc. pp. ?
VI.4: Loungers to the above Different arguments that allow a different assessment?

Wireless Telephony

There are three very different systems on the market:

A. Wireless telephones based on WLAN
The clear advantage is that WLAN is available in many places, so that no infrastructure is required in many places. On the other hand, there are some system-related disadvantages:

- No protected medium: In the WLAN frequency band there are only three non-overlapping usable channels and every end device, including "smartphones", notebooks, etc., can spark around them at will. The mobile communications infrastructure and DECT each use reserved frequency bands.
- "Taxi radio principle": only one device can transmit at the same time. The call quality suffers immensely when there are more devices.
- High battery consumption of the handsets
- High price of the handsets
- bad resp. "Handover" not implemented between different WLAN transmitting stations

B. Wireless telephony via the infrastructure of a cellular network provider
This is where the cell phone provider makes its infrastructure available to direct internal and external calls to compatible cell phones equipped with special software. The obvious advantage is that the infrastructure is not financed and operated by the user, but by the mobile phone provider. But here too there are inherent disadvantages:

- The spatial coverage is of course only as good as provided by the provider; there is no function in basements or other radio-protected areas. The use of so-called femtocells is justifiable in a smaller office complex, but not over a production area of 10,000 square meters and more.
- The robustness of the mobile phones leaves a lot to be desired. This may be tolerable within a typical office area, but a mobile phone is rather unsuitable for applications in production. Even with proper, defensive use, such a device can hardly be protected from dust and moisture.
- In order to guarantee minimal system functions such as toggling, telephone book and call number display, software tailored to the specific model must be installed. is not portable. Due to the short lifecycle of mobile phones, you quickly find yourself in front of an unmaintainable, diverse version and model zoo.
- The call transfer takes an extremely long time (about 10 seconds)
- There are additional ongoing fees
- With the number of handsets available here, administration is complex.

C. Wireless telephony based on DECT
DECT uses its own, globally reserved frequency bands and thus offers the best quality and most robust telephony. This is also achieved by the fact that each of the ten available channels can be used simultaneously by 12 participants through time division multiplexing.

Modern DECT system telephones are in no way inferior to modern desk telephones in terms of functionality and call quality. The connection is established without any delay, the change between the radio cells works smoothly. Thanks to their widespread use, the handsets are affordable. At the same time, there are handsets for almost every application, especially for the production area, waterproof and dustproof devices with fall protection are recommended.

Here, the entire mobile infrastructure has to be built by yourself, with the following disadvantages:
- The costs for the broadcasting stations are not insignificant.
- The facility is demanding and complex.
- In order for the change between different radio cells to function smoothly, an absolute clock synchronicity between all transmission components is an indispensable requirement. This can best be achieved using star-shaped two-wire cabling. However, since, for good reasons, many areas of the area to be covered are only connected with fiber optic cables, a DECT system should at least still be able to synchronize via the radio interface on the one hand and via special network protocols (PPTP) on the other. It is important that all three types of synchronization can be freely combined.
- Past practice has shown that the limitation (induced by the UP0 interface) to max. 4 simultaneous calls per transmitter station often causes disruptions and inconveniences. The "trick" of accommodating several independent transmitters in one housing is disadvantageous in terms of radio technology. Systems that allow 12 simultaneous calls while making maximum use of the DECT standard are therefore preferred.

VII.1: If the system offered is WLAN telephony,
VII.2: Wireless telephony on a cellular basis and / or
VII.3: DECT offered?

VII.4: Does the offered DECT system master the synchronization via connection cable,
VII.5: via the radio interface and / or
VII.6: via the LAN infrastructure?

VII.7: DECT: How many calls per radio cell are possible
VII.8: how many calls can be signaled at the same time?
VII.9: how many simultaneous calls can be made with the DECT system?
VII.10: Can the handsets be used at different locations without "reprogramming"?
VII.11: Is it possible to localize a mobile phone in the entire company (elementary for emergency calls)?
VII.12: Are certified emergency telephones available for the DECT system (dead man's indication, important for subsidized disabled workplaces)?
VII.13: Are conference calls possible?
VII.14: Are the company address books also available on the mobile devices?
VII.15: Are there Ex-protected and / or dust- and liquid-tight handsets?
VII.16: Is it possible to use the company-wide DECT infrastructure for data services, such as Barcode scanner, measurement data connections, etc.? Possibly. for retrofitting in existing systems?
VII.17: Loungers to the above Different arguments that allow a different assessment?

Implementation, configuration and maintenance

In order to achieve cost savings, your own IT department can quickly and easily make changes and extensions itself, as well as delegating them to the building services.

VIII.1: Occasional small-scale changes are best made using a graphical user interface. Is this available?
VIII.2: Intelligent employees with a penchant for structured work prefer simple, efficient tools for extensive tasks. Can the entire system also be controlled and documented with a (possibly machine-processed) configuration file?
VIII.3: Do changes entered via the GUI also affect the text-based one and vice versa?
VIII.4: Is an area-related rights management integrated?
VIII.5: Is the release capability ensured, ibs. 'Open Source' Systems?
VIII.6: Will the complete source code be made available to the buyer / user?
VIII.7: Is 24/7 "2nd level. Support" offered?
VIII.8: Is remote maintenance planned?

VIII.9: Which components can be centrally and integrated: Telephone system?
VIII.10: DECT subsystem (if available)?
VIII.11: Telephony terminals
VIII.12: Doorphones and cameras
VIII.13: Fax server and single fax machines
VIII.14: printer (served by fax server)?
VIII.15: Mail gateway?
VIII.16: Department affiliation and eligibility of all participants?
VIII.17: CTI configuration of the connected computer connections?
VIII.18: Update of the company-wide DNS and DHCP system?

VIII.19: Is there an automated firmware update for all end devices?
VIII.20: Does this include an 'over-the-air update' of the wireless telephones?

VIII.21: Is it possible to easily and completely back up the entire system and restore it (possibly on different hardware)?

VIII.22: Are license keys required for an urgent 'Disaster Recovery'?

Availability monitoring

IX.1: Are all external connections checked for functionality automatically and cyclically?
IX.2: Is there an error documentation?
IX.3: Is there an automatic escalation chain?
IX.4: Is the monitoring independent of the system function?

Cost saving

With the introduction of "Voice over IP", the switching of telephone or video communication no longer takes place in the switching network of a telephone system, but within the switching components of the computer network. This means that the extensive telecommunications infrastructure can be completely dispensed with. It would be logical if the associated costs were also eliminated. License and maintenance fees are questionable from this point of view.

Simple maintenance work such as replacing a desk or mobile device must be able to be carried out quickly and easily by the building services department - ideally so that the configuration specified by the user is retained. Under these conditions, it is certainly cheaper to have one or two replacement devices available at each location than to conclude and manage an expensive maintenance contract.

X.1: Are there ongoing maintenance fees for the system and / or
X.2: additional components on?
X.3: Are there any maintenance fees for end devices?

X.4: Are there license fees per desk phone,
X.5: per mobile phone,
X.6: per answering machine,
X.7: per fax connection,
X.8: per fax box (fax server),
X.9: for video telephony function,
X.11: for computer integration,
X.12: for central and switching workstations and
X.13: for comfort functions on?

In many cases, additional servers are required for a central telephone system. In addition to significant security implications and reduced reliability, high one-off costs and subsequent maintenance costs are often the result.

X.14: Are additional servers necessary?
X.15: Does this trigger one-off costs?
X.16: Are there ongoing license costs?
X.17: Who does the maintenance?
X.18: Who is responsible for data backup and configuration?