VOIP for outgoing calls in school

[localzuk]

I am currently looking, more seriously, into implementing our own in house VOIP phone system with Trixbox and digium hardware.

 

One of the things I am wondering is are there any schools that use external VOIP providers to handle their outbound calls? Some companies provide some attractive looking packages - such as the Vonage business rates.

 

Reducing our outbound call charges would be a good thing, so if anyone has any experience of doing this in a school enironment, can you provide any info/advice?

 

Cheers

[DSapseid]

I to am investigating an VOIP system but i am looking at a full blown VOIP system costing upwards of 9k just need to get the money ok'd - so that will be never then :x

 

have you got any info on Trixbox and digium that you could pass my please.

 

Thanks and sorry for hijacking your thread :oops:

 

Dan

 

email: [email protected]

[localzuk]

Well I have used asterisk before, but Trixbox is downloadable from http://www.trixbox.org, and cards to go with it to connect to POTS lines, ISDN lines, T1 line etc are available via http://www.voipon.co.uk (as are phones themselves, mobile gateways and a variety of other wonderful things).

 

How many extensions is your system looking at having?

 

The system I am looking at implementing would cost us £6000, including the server hardware (standard server from HP), interface cards (one to allow us to make use of our analogue lines and one to replace this card when we switch them to ISDN lines), 30 extensions (including an operator handset for the receptionist and 5 funky, advanced versions of the phones for key staff) and PoE enabled switches and headsets for 10 users.

[budgester]

If you want a supported VOIP Linux based solution you could look at

 

http://www.splicecom.com

[localzuk]

We are waiting for a quote on a splicecom system provided by equations voice and data down here in somerset. We'll see what sort of prices they charge.

 

The other thing is that you can buy support for asterisk based systems from a variety of companies - eg. from digium themselves or from one of the many UK providers that are around.

 

My main problem with commercial systems is the fact that every time you want to upgrade and add a new feature or extension you end up paying more license fees. With the trixbox based system this is not so.

[DSapseid]

How many extensions is your system looking at having?

 

About 40 extensions for laptops and another 30 extensions for all the offices. Plus one wireless phone.

 

The system I am looking at implementing would cost us £6000, including the server hardware (standard server from HP), interface cards (one to allow us to make use of our analogue lines and one to replace this card when we switch them to ISDN lines), 30 extensions (including an operator handset for the receptionist and 5 funky, advanced versions of the phones for key staff) and PoE enabled switches and headsets for 10 users.

 

9k was my cheapest quote the most expensive was 15k but am awaiting a couple of others bakc to make it about 6 quotes in total!!

[windy]

Have you looked at AXON http://www.nch.com.au/pbx/index.html. Seems to work quite well and it's free to education. FREE FREE Fantastic. Nice GUI very easy to set up runs on a windows box. VOIP to Skype, link to external voip to pstn etc etc. We run it just as a little internal system, but i've had it running at home with a little FXO adaptor.

[localzuk]

DSAapeid - wow, your quotes are cheap! Down here my quotes have ranged from £12k to £60k for 30 extensions (plus a handful of wirelss)!

 

Hence my looking at a DIY system...