If you’re thinking of switching your small to medium-sized business over to voice over IP (VoIP), you may be a bit overwhelmed by all the choices you have. Migration to VoIP can be accomplished in a number of ways, and many of them involve the use of VoIP gateways. The gateways act as a “bridge” that connects old analog or ISDN phone systems to newer VoIP or SIP communications systems. The gateway accomplishes voice and fax compression/decompression, packetization, call routing, and call signaling.
There are several paths that companies can take in their migration to VoIP using a gateway, depending on their needs and their existing phone system.
beroNet has prepared an informative infographic that helps guide buyers through the best purchase for VoIP gateways.
All IP
This classic all-IP scenario allows you to keep your current telecommunications equipment and use a gateway to connect your legacy PBX (News - Alert) with a SIP trunk. The right gateway can be turned into a pure IP-PBX appliance, sometimes with just a single software update.
Soft Migration
This option is for companies ready to switch to a full VoIP telecom system. Users can test and slowly implement a new VoIP-based system while still connecting with your current PBX. This approach enables an incremental and less disruptive approach to the enterprise-wide changes.
“A soft migration is typically conducted beginning with a test phase, followed by a pilot phase and then a migration of existing accessory devices to the new VoIP system,” wrote TMC’s Laura Stotler. “This is followed by successive migration of all company departments, and finally by the deconstruction of the classic PBX, devices and infrastructure.”
Mini Appliance
This solution allows users to install a mini appliance running Asterisk (News - Alert) or ZeroConf PBX directly on the VoIP gateway. An Asterisk appliance is a computer with open-source VoIP software Asterisk installed or “embedded” along with an Asterisk GUI, and FXO and FXS ports. Zeroconf, or zero configuration networking, is a set of protocols and techniques that can be used together to create an IP network with no special configuration servers or manual operator intervention, and minimal cost.
Scenarios with Apps
There are many ways apps can be used today to switch to VoIP using APIs (application programming interfaces).
Failovers
For companies worried about quality or disaster recovery, it’s important to look for a solution that features failover to analog, ISDN or GSM. Failover switches provide this second line of communications in case of failover scenarios that require a physical reconnection of analog, BRI or PRI lines. Additionally, keep security in mind with whatever solution you choose; options such as Session Border Controllers act like a firewall for VoIP by controlling the media streams that could pose a threat to your company’s telecom security.
Edited by Alicia Young