Phone system and softclients

[forkies]

Hi all,

 

I have (before Covid-19 came to the UK) had on my list of things to do, to investigate having a phone system where our staff can have a softclient on their laptops/computers to be able to make and receive calls. This to work alongside normal desk phones for offices.

 

At current we have a NEC SV8100 phone system which works and does what we need(ed) but now the HT is asking about being able to introduce call recording and to do this we need to upgrade to the SV9100 at least due to the SV8100 being end of licensing/support by NEC. So that brings me on to the whole using softclients for staff to be able to make parental calls from anywhere including at home, which would have been great with what is going on.

 

Does anyone have this currently implemented and if so what systems/services are you using, would be interested to hear from you and if you don't mind giving me costings or rough costings or PM me those?

 

I had a quick look at MS Teams as we are using this now but looks like it is 1 expensive and 2 will require either special handsets or a service bus integration with a phone system so best to look at all options out there.

 

TIA,

Tom

[mavhc]

FreePBX, MicroSIP, total cost £0

[MS2011]

I would like to Setup FreePBX or MicroSIP and play around. Does anyone have step by step guide how to do.

 

Thanks

[Chris_Cook]

3cx is also worth a look.

[markwilfan]

We use 3cx. Chopped over last July. Only just fully rolled out the phone client but has worked really well for my team and the trust. Few issues with one way audio sometimes and random cut offs but so many things being battered on the internet at the moment it's hard to work out I'd user end or server end at fault. Hosted at lead mat school. Currently serving 2 out 3 secondaries and 1 out of 3 primaries plus central team.

 

Easy to manage and good value for money. We had an sv8100 before and hated it

[mavhc]

I would like to Setup FreePBX or MicroSIP and play around. Does anyone have step by step guide how to do.

 

Thanks

 

Install FreePBX distro, sign up to voipfone for free for testing, install MicroSIP, play about, can't find the guide I used now, but it's not too complex, don't need to open any ports for voipfone

[MS2011]

Thanks

[TechMonkey]

3cx. With a simple helpsheet staff were able to setup from home with no issues. We have it working on Smartphones using the app and Computers using the webclient, so no compatibility issues. Even our Receptionist can do everything from home as if she is at her desk.

[p858snake]

We use Skype for Business as our PABX, I believe MS is transitioning that over to Teams in the long run.

 

Having a look at this MS doc it appears UK is a supported country for doing it

 

Not a school, but for example almost all of our staff are softphones, Windows app & headset for most (and iOS/Android as well), and we only have physical handsets in selected locations such as our shared meeting rooms.

 

There are many other VOIP based providers as well.

 

Just a reminder to check when we are looking at hosted solutions vs self hosted is that many hosted solutions I noticed many will require each extension to require a DID attached which is where the costs rise.

[localzuk]

We're 3CX users here too. Total work needed to get it to work externally? Downloaded the client and opened the config file it sent me as a user. Done.

 

Firewall ports were already in place to use the SIP trunks we have.

[mavhc]

Once you get it working Gamma do channels with 7000 free mins for about £8/month, see other posts on here.

 

For external access security is the real issue, FreePBX has a specific firewall written for it, or use a vpn. The UCP web interface has a webrtc softphone built in, otherwise any sip client will do.

 

Can connect to ldap for address books, email voicemail as mp3 etc.

 

I use the OSS Endpoint manager to make the config files, best to pick a phone that's supported by that unless you want to edit php, or pay for the closed source module, or make the config files yourself.

 

I got grandstream as they do gigabit phones for about £40, although the config files aren't great, xml in name only. Hardware is good though, the phone I use was thrown over a hedge into a dual carriageway by a student.

[Simcfc73]

I installed Freepbx using these helpful videos

 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVS6ejD9NLZvjsvhcbiDzjw

[john]

Using teams is quite easy you have 3 ways:

 

Direct Routing where you buy a box plug your ISDN / PSTN / SIP into it and that pipes it to Microsoft so one off purchase cost for the box and its support from the VAR and then you just do the MS Licenses as normal and pay the phone bill. Users need phone system licenses from Microsoft these are optional at some levels and included in others.

 

You can get Carrier Direct Routing where its the same thing as above but your provider does the hard work for you so they run it on SIP and a big managed device for many customers so means you dont have a box on site etc...

 

You can get MS Calling Plans where you port your numbers to Microsoft (in the UK this is COLT on behalf of Microsoft) and then buy a plan a user that needs calls and that includes minutes per user (but they are agrigated over the pool of users EG 100 users with domestic calling plans with 200 minutes = 100x200)

 

Devices you can get desk phones, ensure you buy Teams ones that are very new and run Android OS not the Skype ones that work with teams such as the Poly VVX as these will stop working in a couple of years and Poly have already said no updgrade route to Teams Devices. You can use the softclient of Teams on laptop / mobile phone etc and then if on a mobile you use the headsets etc you have for that phone. Headsets etc for Laptops etc you can buy from the MS List they start around £20 a device for Teams Certified but generic stuff does work with it, we have staff just using apple headsets on laptops and they are working ok you can tell its not a Teams Headset as it lacks some quality but its perfectly servicable. My MD is using his Airpods via his Apple stuff and works fine (they are not on the list) but work fine for audio he is happy and hes clear enough.

 

As others have said it does depend on your needs, how many minutes, supportability, functionality etc... as whilst many above mentioned are free you should assess the true value of free if for example you use Asterisk are you all famikar with Linux?

 

If so could be fine but if only 1 of you is and your off sick how would the team cope with fixing Linux issues? Not saying don't look at free or use free but ensure its evaluated correctly with the appropriate safeguards around supportability given voice is still very important for education, phones down for a day whilst somoene learns linux may be a cost too far so you may buy in support services / get an Asterisk appliance etc... so very much a don't not look at them but ensure you go through all the boxes and ensure management know and keep it in mind with staff turnover / changes etc...

[MatthewL]

Personally I would look at a hosted system rather then trying to host one, yes you rely on your internet but then you do for everything else so would expect you to have a redundant connection. Maybe use the second connection to route VOIP out then when it fails over its used for both.

 

We are over about 30 sites on a hosted system, mix of VOIP handsets on desks to a softphone which we run a number of call centres though. No poking holes for VOIP traffic to come back in on the firewall just your outbound stuff. Works for us, not sure how many suppliers offer this but its the way I would go in the future, resilience already in place at their end hoepfully rather than your site been the single point of failure unless you have a second centre which I suspect unlikely in education.

[mavhc]

Hosted Gamma Horizons has gone offline more than my FreePBX server in the past year