Share what you know with millions of people
Focus is the best place to turn what you know into remarkable content
0
What do you believe are the technical and business challenges of migrating from a TDM based PBX voice infrastucture to an IP-PBX based solution?
What is you role in your organisation and how important are the following?.....
Vendor selection
Business Case
Capital investment
Procurement
Project Planning
Transformation time - big bang on phased
New PBX trunks
New ISDN trunks
Interworking between TDM and new IP
Dial Plan interworking
Application interworking & compatibility
Other Hidden costs
,,,,,,
Events
- Dos and Don'ts of Small Business Marketing May 29 @ 11 am PT
- Lead Nurturing 202: The Next Generation May 31 @ 11 am PT
- The Tricks to Paid Media June 6 @ 11 am PT
- Display Advertising for Brand Awareness June 20 @ 11 am PT
Related Activity
5 Answers
I am an Account Exec with Mitel Networks (www.mitel.com). I have been with Mitel for almost 12 years, and I spent the first 6 years on the Ops side as a Project Manager.
In my opinion the biggest challenge is the current network infrastructure. The transition from TDM to IP is not going to affect end users (except for giving them new apps, etc...) otherwise IP is just a different transmission method. If you have good cabling and your switches are PoE and Level 3, you are good to go.
"Hidden Costs" - If your vendor does their job the way they should. And this means the customer needs to allow the vendor to do their job. There should NOT BE ANY hidden costs. I personally will not give a quote unless I have had an opportunity to do all my due diligence. Sometimes a customer wants a price before I have had a chance to do my surveys, etc... and I respectfully decline to provide a quote unless I can do my job completely. No cutting corners!
"Project Planning" - the vendor you choose should employ standard practices. Project Management Professional (PMP) is what we use. This is BIG. Most vendors do NOT subscribe to an installation professionalism such as this. This is an area that a lot of vendors will skimp. Also, this is where a lot of cost comes in. So make sure you understand why a vendor is less expensive because it could mean they are cutting corners somewhere.
"Interworking between TDM and new IP" - for example - Mitel has a specific migration from our TDM to our VoIP systems. This is okay because features are transparent. But, most vendors will tell you that you can integrate your old TDM system with their new IP system. DO NOT DO THIS IF YOU WANT HAPPY END USERS.
As for Procurement and Capital Investment, these items are hard to comment on without speaking to your CFO/Financial folks.
Good luck!
Phil, thanks for your comments. I agree that hidden costs (technical and project management) are often ignored.
Phil sounds like the right kind of person to be selling into both the TDM as well as IP arena. As a sales person, it is imperative that attention to detail be king, alongside the customer's application. I feel that the services offered must fit the application, not the other way around.
Properly rolled out, a transition to IP via SIP, or some other protocol that allows using the Internet as the mode of transport for a call, can literally be a 100% transparant shift and it should be. The customer may choose to keep thier TDM switch, whether PBX or Key System, with virtually no change in the way they do business.
With Hosted IP there are risks and costs that must be overcome, the primary of which, in my opinion, is the soft cost of re-training or training employees in the use of the new service. How to access features via a new IP phone set, how to transfer a call etc. This is especially true if you are taking a customer from a Key System to a more PBX-like handset with soft keys instead of hard keys. Mitel does a great job of emulating key systems so if they are compatible with the providers service they can help to reduce the impact of a transition to full IP as opposed to TDM. In addition, it is imperative that someone in the company spend a substantial amount of time with the rep and install/provisioning technicians to define clearly what the call flow will be so that calls can be sent to the right place, at the right time.
There should be no hidden costs. A well desinged IP transition solution should clearly define exactly what the costs of installation will be, the cost of having someone install an on-site NID or ATA if applicable, the MRC of the product(s) bering purchased etc. When a customer gets their bill they should be able to track, line-by-line, the costs they incurred and match it directly to the proposal presented. In my opinion there is no middle ground here.
If your vendor is unwilling to guarantee the rates they are proposing I suggest you RUN THE OTHER WAY!
Good luck.
I am not from the telephony side as such but a pure 'Fax' man. Fax needs to be catered for so without having to purchase Fax software and servers, now is a great time to migrate all your fax requirements to an outsource provider such as eFax Corporate. Globally, our solution would future proof your fax network with no hardware or software to maintain and we do integrate with MFD's. This would at least cut your capital costs down for the future of fax. Guaranteed low fixed monthly costs.
Regards
Phil,
Business challenges first (because I believe they are easier). Be prepared to answer the obvious questions to management/owners. WHY?
Example - Monetary reasons, value adds, coinciding with move or new location, it's the sexy thing right now, easier to manage, etc...If you don't have those answers then you may want to ask yourself why you are looking at a IP Based PBX solution at all.
Now Technical, are you asking about Hosted VoIP or Premise based solutions? Each brings their own technical challenges.
The first question I always ask (either way) is are you going to run a single network? A lot of companies still separate there patch panels (theoretically you should not have to) with voice and data.
Second, when was your last cabling plant certification? Do you have test results for all cables to verify no one has stolen pairs? If you have a "rats nest" in your networking room and have not kept up with you original labeling schemes you are going to have a nightmare identify problems.
Third, are you running POE or power at the desktop?
Fourth, Do you have QOS currently?
Fifth, multi-locations or single site? (multi has its own set of issues)
My theme here is - INFRASTRUCTURE is going to the biggest technical challenge you will have, if you look at it last. Which ever solution (hosted, SIP Trunks or LEC) you choose the Service Provider they will have a road map to to help with implementation of their product, but the first issue with service they will point back at you. Make sure you have a reference point and you have done your due diligence.
I am speaking only from my experience for the past three years doing site assessments and legacy upgrades for Fortune 500 companies who are going to a VoIP or IP PBX solution.
My advice is either become a SME or hire one. Don't go in it alone.
Answer This Question