An IP Phone system uses IP technology within the private data network of a business in a single location or across a private network. IP Telephony is the general term used to describe IP phone systems which are now replacing traditional PBX’s in businesses throughout South Africa. Most IP PBX’s are VoIP ready, enabling the advantages of VoIP without the need for additional hardware. An IP PBX includes many advanced features including IVR, voicemail-to-email, outlook integration and many more features that integrate voice and data services. Most IP PBX now support SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), which is an open standard enabling interoperability with various SIP hardware products and reducing the reliance on proprietary hardware.

An IP PBX is now available in South Africa as either an onsite, premise hardware solution or as a service that is hosted by a solution provider and accessed over the internet. A hosted PBX is also referred to as cloud telephony and offers the advantage of reducing costs of hardware on site and offering greater flexibility. Due to it being a service, it is generally billed on a monthly basis per extension/person, and in this way is very versatile and scalable. The risks of a hosted PBX are that, due to service being accessed over the internet, if connectivity goes down phone calls cannot be made. This is of particular concern in South Africa with variable connectivity quality so choosing the right solution partner that offers redundant services is critical. Who offers hosted PBX services?

Asterisk is a free, open source IP telephony software switch that can be loaded on a server and programmed for developing solutions such as IP PBX systems, VoIP gateways, conference servers and more. First created in 1999 and now with a large, global development community; Asterisk has become a leading technology in telecommunications globally. Asterisk is very powerful; incorporating all advanced IP PBX features, and has been deployed in businesses, call centers, carriers and governments worldwide. Due to software being freely available there are many solution providers that offer Asterisk but it is critical to choose an Asterisk integration partner with a credible history of successful deployments. Need assistance in find an Asterisk integrator in your area?

Associated products:
• Sangoma
• Digium
• Far South Networks

Call Centers or Contact Centers have been enjoying the benefits of IP telephony a lot longer than most other business sectors. Due to the high call volumes in call centers costs need to be kept down (VoIP), and advanced IP features are needed to maximize agent productivity. Many IP telephony solutions offer call centre features such as advanced routing, Automatic Call Distribution (ACD), agent monitoring, Call Process Analysis (CPA), Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and much more. Virtual call centers are becoming increasingly popular with hosted/cloud telephony as a service, giving call centers increased flexibility and scalability. Due to the specialized and custom requirements of many call centers partnering with the right solution provider is essential. Need advice?

Associated products:
• Plantronics
• Sangoma