First Look: Sangoma NetBorder Lync Express

June 21, 2012 by Tom Costelloe

Sangoma Lync Express

What Is It?

The Sangoma NetBorder Lync Express Appliance is an all-in-one turnkey solution that combines a Lync Server and a Lync certified VoIP Gateway in a rack mountable 1U appliance.

What Does It Do?

The Sangoma Lync Express works as a single point of contact for your Lync Unified Communications deployment. The as a Lync appliance the Lync Express comes pre-installed with all of the software you need from Microsoft (Windows 2008 Server R2, Lync Server 2010 Standard, Hyper –V) as well as Sangoma NetBorder Express VoIP Gateway software.

It does not include Microsoft Licensing but that can be purchased separately.

As a Lync Gateway the Lync Express has both T1/E1 and FXS connectivity with the single T1/E1 port Sangoma A101DE and a 4 FXS ports with a Sangoma A20002DE. Both of these cards include a DSP Echo Cancelation daughterboard for acoustic echo control and adaptive noise reduction.

As a Unified Communications solution Microsoft Lync provides a host of benefits to both business and individual users. Some of the benefits of a Lync solution include:

Presence and Instant Messaging
Audio, Video Conferencing and Collaboration
Telephony
Integration with Microsoft products such as Exchange, SharePoint and Office

Who Is It For?

The Lync Express is targeted for any business that is looking to install a Lync solution for their business or their customers. Beyond the benefits that Lync offers its users, the Lync Express will give users one central appliance. As for size of a business size, the Lync Express is targeted towards SMB and SME with up to 100 employees.

Availability?

The Sangoma NetBorder Lync Express is currently available for pre-order with a scheduled ship date of June 29th 2012.

Starting today, enjoy Free Ground Shipping from VoIP Supply on all Sangoma Lync Express orders through July 15th.

New Patton Digital Gateways Improve on a Good Thing

June 19, 2012 by Christina Smith

VoIP Supply recently attended a webinar hosted by Patton announcing their new Smartnode 4970, 4980, and 4990 series digital gateways.

We wanted to share the good word because we recognize Patton as a tier 1 gateway manufacturer who is known for 3 prevailing things:

Fantastic quality and reliability,
Industry-BEST free post-sales customer support,
and the fact that all Patton gateways are made in the USA.

There is nothing fun or sexy about a gateway, and often they are very hard to set up and configure to do what you want them to do, but with Patton, you can call them FOR FREE and they will help you configure your gateway to work the way you want it. Once it is set up, it will work correctly and it will work for a very long time. In the end, isn’t this what you want?

The new SN4970 and SN4980 digital gateways improve upon the SN4940 and SN4950 gateways with increased memory, both RAM and Flash, and in the new models, all 4 port chassis include Lifeline relay assuring PSTN fallback in case of a power outage. Most importantly, the new SN4970 and SN4980 models are all IPv6 upgradeable to protect your investment against the future.

The Patton Smartnode 4970 digital VoIP Gateway is set to replace the very popular SN4940 VoIP Gateway by the end of the year. The SN4970 still offers 1 or 4 T1, E1, or PRI interfaces and can be licensed for 15 to 120 concurrent VoIP calls, however it improves on the SN4940 by offering IPv6 support.

Patton SN4970

The Patton Smartnode 4980 VoIP Gateway-Router replaces the SN4950. The Patton SN4980 is a VoIP Gateway and router combined offering QoS and VPN. Like the SN4950, the SN4980 comes in 1 or 4 port T1/E1/PRI models and offers from 15 to 120 voice channels. The Smartnode 4980 offers transcoding as an option upgradeable via software.

Unlike the SN4950, the SN4980 does not offer WAN broadband access. If you would like WAN access, you need to look at the SN4990. The Patton SN4990 offers VoIP Gateway and router functionality with the addition of G.SHDSL or X.21 WAN Access.

The SN4970, SN4980, and SN4990 all offer an upgraded version with a high-precision clock for high demand ISDN networks or for use in DECT environments. If a high precision internal clock is needed, the SN4971, SN4981, and SN4991 are available for shipping now as well.

LifeSize Connections Guest Invitations

June 15, 2012 by Andria D. Baunee

LifeSize Connections

…and the unwelcomed Guest

So we all have come to know and love LifeSize. In the Video Conferencing sector, this innovative manufacturer has led the way in technology and inclusive features. With the introduction of the first HD Video Conferencing System way back in the day, the UVC platform that offers software-based infrastructure products, and the cloud-based Connections desktop software, LifeSize has become larger-than-life!

The cloud-based software client, LifeSize Connections, has truly changed the landscape by offering Video Conferencing on demand. One of the greatest features available is the free Guest Invitations. Basically, you can extend an invitation for a non-accountholder to join you in a video call. They have limited features and can only conference with the person who invited them. The Guest Invitations are unlimited – send out a thousand if you want! You can have a 9-way video call with up-to two of the positions filled by your Guests.

One day I attempted to reach one of my Guests from our room-based system, the LifeSize Team 220, and I was unable to connect the conference. Frantic that something had gone wrong with our account, I reached-out to Hunter at the LifeSize support team.

After some digging and testing, we discovered that the Guest Invitation feature is not available for use with the LifeSize endpoints. I was disappointed – I use the Guest Invitation feature all the time with my LifeSize Connections account.

The good news is that there are plans on the horizon to include the Guest Invitation feature on the LifeSize endpoints. This should be developed and deployed by the end of 2012. A software update will grant you access to the feature, so make sure that your maintenance is up-to-date!

Cisco Callway Puts Your Travel Budget on a Diet

June 8, 2012 by Nathan Miloszewski

Cisco_Callway Simple, secure, and lightweight describe Cisco Callway video conferencing solutions now available from VoIP Supply.

Small and medium-sized business looking to save time and money on business travel with video communications can breathe easier knowing that Cisco Callway requires no heavy lifting. You do not have to invest heavily in video infrastructure equipment such as a gatekeeper and bridge that require on-site management by experienced IT personnel.

Instead, Cisco Callway is a subscription-based telepresence service that is part of the Cisco Collaboration Cloud as part of the growing array of video communications solutions they now offer.

Subscribe, Don’t Buy

Cisco TelePresence Callway removes the cost and complexity of deployment because it is a cloud-enabled service.

Cisco’s Callway service can be used on its own if you have existing equipment or, it works seamlessly when used in conjunction with Cisco Video Conferencing devices.

With Callway your business can:

Join up to 12 participants in a call (CiscoTelePresence Callway bridges are available for a monthly fee, and allow for customizable URIs such as [email protected]).
Videoconference with colleagues, partners, customers and extended team members outside their organization using compatible standards-based systems.
Include users on a compatible computer with Cisco Jabber Video.
Forget about counting minutes, because Callway comes with unlimited video calling and desktop sharing.
Turn their Callway video service subscription into a hosted VoIP service, with the optional VoIP Phone Out, to make unlimited outgoing phone calls for only $9/month.

Why Travel?

Callway delivers on the same exact benefits that your SMB looks to a cloud service in the first place. Garrett Smith, VoIP Supply CMO, explains how:

“Cisco TelePresence Callway delivers the benefits that a cloud service should: It is easy to use, does not require specialized equipment or resources to maintain, and brings a rapid return on investment. Because it’s so simple, businesses can easily strengthen important relationships that require that “in-person” communication experience—without all the fuss and cost of IT staff.”

Callway keeps your travel budget lean and won’t make you regret your video conferencing investment by providing:

A high-quality “in-person” experience with HD video and crisp audio.
An intelligent cloud service that’s easy to setup and eliminates the need for specialized IT expertise or additional equipment to begin video calling.
Secure videoconferencing with media encryption.
Business-class customer service provided by Cisco.

Really, How Does it Work?

Christina Smith, VoIP Supply Product Manager, has a great hands-on and in-depth look at how to set-up and use Cisco Callway; her own internal case study. Not to spoil it for you but, it turns out that Callway is very easy to use.

Click here for her blog series:

Video Conferencing has VoIP Supply Seeing Double, Business First Explains

June 6, 2012 by Nathan Miloszewski

Ben Sayers, VoIP Supply CEO, recently sat down with Business First reporter David Bertola to talk about how new iterations of a familiar technology are showing signs of growth.

Sayers spoke about video conferencing solutions, which VoIP Supply has sold for the past eight years.

What’s New?

Video communication is now practical for a business of any size because of widespread broadband internet use and the capabilities of new video conferencing devices to stream reliable, high quality video even at low internet speeds.

These advances in video conferencing technology are the catalyst behind the formation of a new division at VoIP Supply.

Video, Simplified

A video solution can be as simple as a laptop with built-in webcam that makes calls through subscription based video conferencing software.

My own simplified desktop set-up merely includes a Logitech C920 HD webcam plus a Jabra Speak 410 USB speakerphone. To make video calls I have access to Cisco Callway and LifeSize Connections software.

Bertola notes in his article, Power of Speech, that with a timely video conferencing push, Sayers says that VoIP Supply “within two years could nearly double the $21.5 million in revenues it now produces.”

Further, Sayers is confident that, “To get to $30-$35 million in two years, that’s not too aggressive.”

Read the full article here for more detail on the future of video conferencing systems in the workplace.

Cisco Callway – So Easy Even a Caveman Can Do it.. Part 2 in the series

May 23, 2012 by Christina Smith

Part 2 – Installing and using Callway with Video Hardware

Note: This is the second installment in a two part series. Click here for Part I.

If you read Part I you understand what Cisco Callway is and why it is a great investment choice over installing your own on-premise video infrastructure so, now let me tell you how easy it is to install and use.

As a product manager, I write the product descriptions on VoIP Supply.com. I read datasheets, watch tutorial videos, and find images. I sometimes help sales on compatibility of the products I manage. What I don’t do is set up phones or install PBX’s. I can tell you every speed and feed in our catalog but I don’t deploy the technology myself. That’s why we have technicians. So I was a little daunted when I decided that I was going to install my Cisco E20 and activate Callway on it. I start at 7am, a good 2 hours before any IT guys are onsite and I didn’t want to wait. I was on my own for this one.

Installing a Cisco E20 Desktop Video Conferencing Unit.

First I opened the Cisco E20 box and pulled it out. Then I plugged in the Cisco-E20 AC power adapter to the wall. Lastly I connected the Ethernet cable from the E20 to the switch by my desk. At this point the E20 was on and going through a boot up process.

Back to my PC. I agreed to the terms and conditions on a Callway Standard subscription by following the links the in the email it sent me. Once I hit ‘accept’ I was emailed my credentials. My credentials included my video telephone #, video email address, and a temporary password.

Turning back to the Cisco E20, once the boot process was over it asked me what language I wanted to proceed in. Once I choose English a configuration wizard popped up. In order, I had to complete 3 fields:

(1) Infrastructure. I had to choose from a drop down box which infrastructure I was connecting to. Luckily for me Callway was an option. I chose Callway.

(2) Username. I just got this info in my email from Callway, so I enter that.

(3) Password. Ditto. I just entered this right from my Callway email.

I then clicked CONTINUE and I was ready to make a call. VoIP Supply has a LifeSize Room 220 end point in our conference room so I dialed the address of that system and I was immediately looking at the empty conference room.

I was so proud that I had my desktop video conferencing system up and running before IT even got in.

Installing Cisco Callway Jabber

Two days a week I work from home. Just as I chose my ‘work from home days’ my boss decided that one of them was going to be the day that all our team meetings are held. So I either needed to change my work from home days or find a way to join. Since I had been using the Cisco E20 to talk to a coworker who sometimes works remotely, I decided to use video conferencing as my connection method (goodbye working all day in my PJ’s!)

I did not have budget to install a video conferencing system in my home office so instead I signed up for Cisco Jabber. Cisco Jabber is a desktop client for video conferencing. My laptop is equipped with a webcam already so I just need a microphone and speakers. I use a Phoenix Audio Duet Executive as my desktop speakerphone at home already and it is USB so I connected that to my laptop for speakers and a microphone.

Once I accepted the terms and conditions on a one year subscription to Jabber I received the email with my username, password, and a link to download the Jabber Client. I clicked on the link to download the client and was then prompted to enter my username and password. Once I entered this, the call window came up and I was ready to make calls. I now call into our weekly meetings from my Cisco Jabber account on my laptop using my webcam and Phoenix Audio Duet speakerphone.

Using Callway MeetMe Bridge

Once I was using Jabber and Callway Standard for a few weeks I got adventurous and wanted to bring more than just 2 of us on a video call. VoIP Supply then signed up for a MeetMe6 subscription allowing up to 6 of us to participate in a video call. Once I agreed to the T&C’s of the one year contract I was sent an email with a video address to call into. I can give this address to my 6 coworkers at VoIP Supply (or customers or vendors) and they can call in at any time. I can also use this bridge as a voice conference bridge which is cool because sometimes all our conference bridges through our PBX are being used. It really was that easy.

Now, if someone with little technical hands-on background can buy, install, and use Cisco Callway video conferencing – ANYONE CAN!

Cisco Callway Part 1 – What is Callway

May 22, 2012 by Christina Smith

Cisco Callway – So Easy Even a Caveman Can Do it..

A 2 part series

As the Product Manager for Cisco at VoIP Supply I was recently challenged with getting VoIP Supply Cisco Small Business Telepresence Certified. Of course I passed all of the exams with flying colors (Yay! We are Certified!) but as many people in the IT industry know passing a test and being able to use that knowledge are two very different things. So I set out to install and use Cisco Callway myself to determine if it is really user friendly and a viable alternative to premise-based video conferencing solutions.

Part 1 – What is Callway?

Part of the Cisco SB Telepresence offering is a hosted video solution called Callway. If you have ever looked into setting up an IP video conferencing solution for your office you no doubt have been overwhelmed.

You can do point-to-point which is pretty easy but are you really going to see a fast ROI on that steep investment? For example, maybe you were quoted $8K for a single room system but then you’re going to need a friend for that room system to talk to. So, $16K later and some messing with your firewall and all you have is the ability to talk to your other location. You will get ROI from that but how long before you see ROI on $16K?

To really get the most from your video system you are going to want to:

(1) Allow for multipoint video meetings – Do you have a 3^rd location? How about customers and partners? Wouldn’t you like to talk with more than 1 of them at a time?

(2) Assure that each worker that is out of the office has access to a video meeting- Do you have remote personnel? Salespeople on the road? Work from home employees?

(3) Share data from your PC with everyone on the video call – standing at a white board isn’t always the best solution. Video of a presentation on a projector will not give you the quality that you need to be effective.

If you want or need this functionality you would have to invest in expensive infrastructure for your server closet and have someone qualified to maintain it. An MCU, multipoint bridge, and firewall traversal server are expensive, complex, and usually puts a fully functioning telepresence plan out of grasp for most small businesses.

Using hosted telepresence brings all this functionality back into the realm of the SMB. With a hosted telepresence plan, like Cisco Callway, Cisco keeps and maintains the infrastructure. You simply connect.

Callway is sold like a cell phone subscription.

(1) You choose your cell phone. In this case, you are going to choose your video endpoint. It may be a big room system connected to a 55in plasma display or it may be a webcam and speakerphone from your laptop.

(2) You choose your service package. Callway offers three levels of serve: Standard, Premium, and Jabber.

Callway Standard – offers 720p30 top resolution occupying 1.5Mbps of bandwidth.
Callway Premium – offers 1080p30 top resolution occupying 4Mbps of bandwidth
Cisco Jabber – ideal for desktop/laptop users – offers 448p30 resolution while using 768kbps of bandwidth
Add on your upgrades – If you want that multipoint experience that I mentioned above, you will need to add on a MeetMe bridge which allows either 6 or 12 parties to meet together on a video call from unique locations.

(3) Activate your service – you agree to a one year contract and sign an electronic service activation. Sounds just like something you have done at the Verizon or AT&T store doesn’t it?

(4) Once your Callway service is activated you can call anyone using the H.323 video standard including endpoints using Cisco, Polycom, Lifesize, or Aver.

Cisco-Callway-Steps

Did you notice what was missing? You will not have to have a technician come onsite and install your servers. If you are using a desktop system or Jabber there is no waiting for your IT guy to come connect you. If you are using Jabber from a laptop equipped with a webcam and microphone, literally you just sign your activation agreement , install the client from the email you receive from Callway, and then you are making calls.

Advantage of Cisco Callway

The advantage of using Callway is the speed to deployment. You can decide on video conferencing in the AM and be using it company-wide by lunch time. Another advantage of Callway is cutting-edge backend technology and hardware. Maybe your server closet isn’t in great shape or maybe your network needs a little upgrading before you can think of deploying video conferencing. Well guess what, Cisco’s doesn’t! If there is one company in the world that I would trust to host my video network it is Cisco. If you have a high speed internet connection you are equipped to connect to Cisco’s industry-leading video infrastructure and take advantage of its global reach. Call any standards-based video endpoint anywhere in the world.

Patton Interview Explains Why Gateways are "Set It and Forget It"

May 21, 2012 by Nathan Miloszewski

The timing was perfect when Patton dropped by the VoIP Supply office last week for a visit.

A webinar is airing on Tuesday, May 22nd that explains the symbiotic relationship between Patton gateways and 3CX VoIP phone systems. Or, rather, how to get started with VoIP.

So with the event right around the corner, it was a great chance to bluntly ask Tyler Delin, Patton’s Product Manager, “Why should customers choose Patton?” And instead of a canned response that their stuff “just works” (Well, he did say that but, more eloquently and with a deeper explanation), Delin told me more about the company than I thought I wanted to know.

The wealth of information he provided about Patton gateway performance should be a great resource in your VoIP solution search. Delin also highlights Patton’s fierce commitment to customer service and support.

Don’t forget to register for the Complete Turn-Key IP PBX Solutions webinar.

VoIP Supply: What does Patton do, and Where is Patton located?

Tyler Delin, Patton Product Manager: Patton is a family-owned-and-operated business that was started in 1984 by the three Patton brothers while students in college. Patton’s niche was making modems and connectivity products for the telecommunications industry. Over the years Patton has taken those simple beginnings and expanded into a manufacturing company that today employs more than 170 people and provides over 1,000 products, with a focus on VoIP and Ethernet extension technologies. Today, Patton equipment is up-and-running in carrier, enterprise and industrial networks all over the world. We are headquartered right outside of Washington DC in the famous “technology corridor” and we have regional offices in strategic locations across the globe, with training and technical-support centers in Switzerland, Hungary, Italy, Lebanon, India and Vietnam.

VS: Where are your gateways made?

TD: We are proud to say that all of our SmartNode Gateways are manufactured right here in the USA. Our manufacturing plant is here in our Washington DC headquarters. Our Smartware software, on the other hand, is actually developed by our team in Bern, Switzerland. So we can boast both Swiss Precision and Made in the USA. Doesn’t get much better than that Nathan!
VS: Why Patton? Can you tell us a little about what separates Patton from other gateway manufacturers?
TD: Our customers aren’t quiet about why they chose Patton. There are other great gateways out there, but time and time again they rave about the quality of this SmartNode product and our customer support. Our customers will tell you they choose our gateways because they just work. Set it up. Forget about it. It just keeps working.

On top of this, I have to say people choose SmartNode because of our customer support team. These guys are absolutely phenomenal! They go above and beyond what they are called to do. And by the way, customer support here at Patton is FREE for all of our channels, resellers and end users. Our customer support is truly unrivalled by any player in the industry.

(more…)

Trouble Transferring Calls with Cisco SPA5xx Phones

May 19, 2012 by Nathan Miloszewski

There’s a known issue for the line of Cisco SPA5xx phones. If you’re an administrator/receptionist using this phone you’ll want to be aware of this.

Turns out there’s some trouble when you try to transfer one phone call while an additional phone call is coming in on another line. The context sensitive soft key “transfer” no longer displays for the initial call because the second call coming in takes precedence and overrides the soft keys.

From the Cisco Support Community forum:

While the second call is ringing, she can no longer hit the “transfer” soft key to send the 1st call to Person B. She has to wait until the call stops ringing for the button to appear.

Again, this is a known issue, not sure if there will be a resolution, but it’s a good thing to note. There are some workarounds suggested in the support thread.

5 Myths of Hosted VoIP Service

May 18, 2012 by Nathan Miloszewski

There’s a great read I’d like to share about the myths of hosted VoIP service from Ben Rife over at the Invoip Hosted Voice Blog. Myths

The 5 Myths of Hosted Voice and VoIP debunks misunderstandings about hosted VoIP and should relieve any anxiety small businesses owners may have in switching to a hosted solution.

Here are the myths Rife hears about on a near daily basis:

1. VoIP means my calls are “free.”
2. If my internet is down, my phones are down.
3. Any internet connection will work.
4. VoIP is not reliable and sounds b-r-o-k-e-n.
5. T1’s and Analog POTS lines are here to stay.

If you’re interested in hosted VoIP, click here for up to five no obligation VoIP service quotes from industry leading VoIP providers.

Via Invoip Hosted Voice Blog