VoIP Case Study: @Comm
@Comm is a dynamic communication agency specialized in development and consultancy of multimedia applications. The @Comm team guides companies through the entire creative process from concept to final product on dvd, cd-rom or online.
The Challenge
When @Comm moved offices, a new telephony system was required because the cost of moving the original PBX and cabling would be far higher. @Comm was looking for maximum flexibility because they are sharing offices with another company that also uses their PBX infrastructure and because the new location is only temporary.
When @Comm's IT Manager Frank Delporte read a comparative test about Voice over IP solutions he selected Sipcat as one of the potential vendors. "Thanks to the possibility to use a single network connection for both the phone and the computer, the number of required cables was reduced by half.", says Delporte.
The Solution
@Comm selected a rackmountable Dell PowerEdge server with RAID configuration as a platform for the Sipcat system. Because there were no more available PCI slots for expansion cards, Linugen provided a dedicated 4 port ISDN gateway to connect the server to the telephone network. All employees are using Linksys SPA-942 IP phones which were selected for their build quality and built-in network switch. Additional analog telephone adapters (ATA) were installed to connect the company's fax machine and wireless DECT telephones.
Because @Comm has dedicated personnel to answer inbound calls per country, Linugen provided additional functionality in Sipcat which allows the company to route inbound calls based on a caller id pattern. This way, @Comm can easily route all inbound calls from France to the dedicated people answering the French calls. This also provides additional convenience for @Comm's customers, because they no longer have to go through an IVR system to select their language.
The Response
Linugen provided the initial configuration and a one hour end-user training to explain the most basic features of the telephones. Initially there were some problems with PSTN connectivity but they were quickly addressed by Linugen's support personnel. Ultimately it turned out to be caused by the operator, rather than the Sipcat system.
@Comm is very pleased by the resulting cost savings: "Compared to other, traditional, PBX systems we had the choice to pay the same price for less features or a much higher price for the required functionality.", says Frank Delporte who is looking forward to introduce teleworking in the company: "This system allows us to provide teleworkers an IP phone at home using their regular internet connection to the company's phone system, in a very affordable solution."
