3. VoIP between sites and home-worker / remote office using a proxy

Aim: To reduce inter-site call costs without changing the user experience, and adding in more advanced home-worker support

Many multi-site companies find that staff making calls between sites is a significant company expense. Finding a method of reducing to zero the ongoing costs of these calls would be a real benefit to the bottom line. Also, with more and more people working from home – either permanently or just occasionally – it is useful and cost effective to have home-workers able to make free calls to office based staff and use the company PSTN connection for outbound company calls (no more telephony expenses forms, and appropriate tariffs for outbound calls based on those negotiated by the company with their chosen carrier).

By inserting a Vega gateway between the PSTN and the PBX the Vega can consider how to handle every call between the PSTN and the PBX either routing the call over IP, routing the call to the PBX or routing the call to the PSTN.

With the addition of a Proxy / Media server to the system, advanced processing of calls can be accomplished. This functionality is Proxy dependent, but often includes, for example

Forked calls (presenting calls to more than 1 destination at a time) – where a desk phone (off the PBX) and the home-office phone (off a residential gateway) both ring when a call is received for that extension number

Road warrior support – where road warriors use SIP devices (residential gateways, or soft phones) as their telephone. Wherever the road warrior connects their SIP device it registers with the Proxy so that the proxy knows the current IP address of the road warrior. Any phone calls can then be sent over IP to this IP address. The road warrior can therefore ‘be in the office’ wherever they are in the world – at home, in a hotel, or even at a customer site.

Voice-mail for IP devices

Conferencing server for IP devices

Follow me, call diversion on no IP endpoint registered

Other functionality – proxy dependent

Version 2.1

16 March 2006

Page 8 of 33

Vega Gateway Scenarios.

©2005-2006 VegaStream Ltd.

 

Examples are given in best faith – ensure that you check the capabilities of systems before

 

 

deploying them, especially the functionality of devices not designed and delivered by VegaStream.

 

VoIPon Solutions www.voipon.co.uk sales@voipon.co.uk Tel: +44 (0) 1245 600560

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Polycom appendix Version March Vega Gateway Scenarios

Vega Gateway specifications

Polycom Vega Gateway serves as a crucial component in modern telecommunications, bridging the gap between traditional telephony systems and Voice over IP (VoIP) networks. As organizations transition to digital communication solutions, the Vega Gateway plays a vital role in ensuring compatibility and enhancing connectivity.

One of the primary features of the Polycom Vega Gateway is its ability to facilitate seamless interoperability between different communication protocols. It supports a range of signaling protocols, including SIP (Session Initiation Protocol), H.323, and analog interfaces, making it easy to connect legacy phone systems to modern VoIP setups. This flexibility allows businesses to gradually upgrade their telecommunications infrastructure without the need for costly complete system overhauls.

The Vega Gateway is equipped with advanced transcoding capabilities, which enable the conversion of audio streams between various formats. This is especially beneficial in multi-vendor environments where different systems may use incompatible codecs. Its ability to transcode ensures high-quality voice communication regardless of the underlying technology, thus maintaining clarity and reducing latency.

In terms of deployment, the Polycom Vega Gateway can be implemented as both a hardware appliance and a virtualized solution, providing businesses with deployment flexibility based on their IT environment. This adaptability is crucial for organizations looking to optimize their resources and scale their telephony solutions as needed.

Security is another key characteristic of the Vega Gateway. It incorporates robust encryption protocols, such as SRTP (Secure Real-time Transport Protocol), to safeguard voice communications against potential threats. Additionally, the gateway features firewall traversal capabilities, making it suitable for deployment in various network environments without compromising on security.

The gateway is also designed with ease of management in mind. Administrators can configure and monitor the device through a web-based interface or command line, ensuring that managing the system remains straightforward even for complex setups. Logging and reporting functionalities further enhance administrative oversight, allowing organizations to analyze their VoIP usage and optimize resource allocation.

Overall, the Polycom Vega Gateway is a comprehensive solution that addresses the complexities of integrating modern VoIP technology with legacy systems. With its robust feature set, diverse technological support, and commitment to security and manageability, the Vega Gateway stands out as an essential tool for organizations looking to enhance their communication strategies in an ever-evolving digital landscape.