SIP Service Powered by Aastra Clearspan Delivers Affordable Virtual PBX

Session initiation protocol (SIP) powers cost-effective communications including a virtual PBX that allows organizations to leverage a subscription-based model that is scalable enough to meet their growing needs.

The SIP Service – facilitated by Internet2 and powered by Aastra Clearspan – delivers a lower total cost of ownership than equivalent cloud-based offerings and a comparable total cost of ownership with premises-based communications solutions, a new case study from Constellation Research reveals.

The SIP Service delivers a wide array of PBX services using the Clearspan Unified Communications solution from Aastra. Clearspan is a carrier-grade SIP softswitch for very large enterprises that can be leveraged by 1,500 to 100,000+ users.

Some of the key features of Clearspan include unified messaging, conferencing, fixed mobile convergence, and desktop integration. The solution seamlessly integrates with most major collaboration platforms and business processes, providing one-number reachability on any device.

According to the study, apart from the typical benefits of SIP, the cloud-based communications solution also helps preserve capital by moving to a subscription basis. It provides built-in geo-redundancy and the ability to redeploy scarce internal IT resources to focus on local institutional priorities.

Another major advantage of SIP Service is that it can be used in conjunction with the public switched telephone network (PSTN) for local off-net calling and for long distance, provided by Level 3 Communications. Organizations can stay with their existing providers to gain access to local and long distance calls by deploying an on-premises telephony gateway. They can also leverage monthly basic SIP services including voice and voice messaging starting at about $6 per user.

SIP Services has already been adopted in several universities. Some of the early adopters of this technology include Texas A&M University, Tulane University, and University of Maryland, Baltimore County with general availability to all eligible campuses beginning in spring 2013.

“Our data show that the total cost of ownership for cloud-based communications solutions is almost always higher than it is for premises-based offerings,” said Brent Kelly, vice president and principal analyst, Constellation Research, in a statement. “A notable exception is that the SIP Services offered to the Internet2 community are less expensive than all other cloud-based competitors, and it compares very favorably with all of the on-premises offerings as well.”

Edited by Jamie Epstein