Voice Services
For over 150 years, the telecommunications industry has connected people and businesses to the world. From the creation of the telephone in the late 19th century to the emergence of mobile communications and Voice over IP (VoIP) 100 years later, telecommunications has evolved from a luxury enjoyed by a wealthy few, to an affordable, mass-marketed necessity of present-day life. While email and data communications services continue to grow in importance, reliable, high-quality voice communication promises to remain a necessity for years to come.
TELigence Partners offers access to a full complement of voice products, including POTS (plain old telephone service), Integrated Voice/Data, Hosted PBX/IP Centrex, Primary Rate Interface (PRI), and SIP Trunking. Regardless of the size of your business, our more than 150 years combined expertise in next-generation communications services and focus on exceeding customer expectations can help you propel it forward.
TELigence’s suite of trusted and reliable voice platform solutions supported and deployed by our expert team will advance your business to the next generation of voice communications technology.
Click below to see descriptions and benefits of some of our top voice products:
Integrated Voice/Data combines voice and data over a single connection. Voice can be combined with Internet access or MPLS WAN connections. The benefit of such dynamic connections is that the local loop resource can be dynamically allocated to support both applications without impacting voice quality. Since the local loop often represents a high percentage of the overall cost of a service, the dynamic sharing of this resource between voice and data is cost-efficient.
There are many advantages to implementing Integrated Voice/Data including:
Network productivity
Integrated Voice/Data can greatly increase network productivity. For example, voice services are typically only available during normal business hours. By making resources used for voice available during off-business hours to support remote data-backups, a company can ensure their network is being used more productively.
Lower costs
Integrated Voice/Data can reduce existing communications bills by up to 50%. The cost of Integrated Voice is currently estimated to be only 20 to 50% of the cost of a traditional circuit-based voice network. There are also cost savings associated with reduced maintenance costs and more efficient network control and management, reduced long-distance charges, and line costs.
Increased service offerings
Integrated Voice/Data systems offer access to next-generation telephony applications such as Unified Messaging and voice integration with CRM and other applications.
Increased operational efficiency
For businesses operating in multiple locations, integrating voice and data networks can help streamline operations. Different locations can be operated on the same voice system, enabling employees to take advantage of extension dialing between locations, and avoid intra-company toll calls. With Integrated Voice/Data, it’s also possible to manage voice traffic as well as the network infrastructure from one central location, making network updates and upgrades more efficient.
TELigence Partners works with its trusted technology partners to deliver your company the best rates and most dependable Integrated Voice/Data services on the market, coupled with our exemplary complimentary services and our pledge to exceed your expectations in every way. Contact us today to learn more about what TELigence Partners can do for your company.
In its basic form, a PBX or allows phone calls to a business to be routed to the intended internal recipient. In the early days, PBXs were powered by switchboard operators and required an entire room within a company (the telephone room) devoted to house the PBX infrastructure.
Over time, corporate telephone rooms became closets. Today, PBXs are as small as switches or servers fitting into a server rack as any other data device would. They can be connected via traditional telephony or SIP Trunking to the PSTN and as well as by IP connection to the IP data network. This flexible connection capability allows PBXs to link voice mail to email, to connect and cross-reference inbound caller ID numbers to CRM databases, as well as connecting applications such as Microsoft Outlook for “click to dial” (TAPI) functionality.
There are many advantages to using today’s IP Centrex PBXs either installed on your premise or hosted in the Cloud from one of our quality technology partners:
Geographic diversity & mobile workforces
Generally speaking, the more geographically diverse a company is, the more beneficial a Hosted PBX system will be in comparison to a premise-based system. With Hosted PBX, multiple offices and mobile office workers can be unified with a single cloud-based system, providing a unified auto-attendant, voice mail, and inter-extension dialing, just as if each location or worker were sitting in the same building.
Multiple location cost benefits
The unification of multiple locations is further enhanced with cost savings. When multiple offices can be operated with a single cloud PBX, there are inherent savings because there is no need to duplicate resources site-by-site.
Capital expenditure vs. operational expenditure
By moving your telecommunications expense from a capital cost to a variable recurring cost, significant financial benefits can be realized.
Future Proofing your PBX
With Hosted PBX, it is easy to stay up-to-date with the latest voice features and capabilities without expensive upgrades or capital costs associated with new equipment; software updates are automatic. As new system features become available, they are simply rolled out to end users, without the need to continually upgrade operating systems or firmware. All work on the system is handled by the hosted engineering team, without trunk rolls and interruption to your daily operations.
Disaster recovery built in
With Hosted PBX, there is no longer a need to configure and pay for multiple links to the PSTN. Regardless of what happens at any one of your locations, callers can always reach your auto-attendant. And once there, you have complete control as to how they are greeted and where their calls are routed. This creates the ultimate flexibility in mitigating disasters.
Low maintenance
All maintenance of the IP Centrex/Hosted PBX system is the responsibility of the TELigence Partners’-endorsed technology carrier, allowing an office manager to focus on running his or her office, rather than on hiring technicians to take care of the phone system.
Scalability
Because PBX/Centrex is software based, it is easily scalable and as a variable cost creates the ultimate flexibility for growing companies.
One number for all devices
Mobile and desk phones can share the same number for voice and voice mail. One number rings to all of their devices. With some systems it is even possible to move calls from one phone to another.
Primary Rate Interface (PRI) is also known as ISDN PRI or T1 PRI.
PRI divides a T1 digital signal into 24 channels of 64 Kbps per channel. 23 of these channels can be assigned as one telephone call each, the equivalent of having 23 separate telephone lines. The 24th “D-channel” is used for signaling between the PBX and carrier switch as well as controlling in and outbound caller ID. This service provides DID (Direct Inbound Dialing) for direct station calling with a 7 or 10-digit number. It is a popular service used for call centers, healthcare centers, multi-point offices, and campus environments that require automatic number identification (ANI) or caller ID data.
There are many advantages to using PRI:
Flexibility & low-cost telephone numbers
Businesses with a PRI-compatible PBX could begin with as little as six channels and easily add more channels as the business grows with no additional telephone lines to install. DID “number blocks” are available in 20 blocks for as little as $3, allowing for flexibility and fully expanding number assignments within a growing company.
Direct inward dialing (DID)
DID enables businesses to give clients telephone numbers that can be routed directly to individuals’ phone extensions instead of routing those calls through a receptionist or auto-attendant.
Efficiency
Digital communications are a far more efficient means to connect calls than are analog communications. Studies have shown that a digital PRI service can boost the efficiency of a network by up to 25% over analog lines. This translates into a better, more cost-effective use of a network.
Cost-effectiveness
The installation of a digital PRI network results in optimizing and reducing PBX hardware costs. For instance, a single PRI network interface card can replace twenty-four analog ports with a single digital card.
Reliability
As telephony expands into PRI emulation over SIP and other IP-based methods of connecting, IDSN PRI continues to set the standard for reliability; universal PBX standardization guarantees the service will work reliably with your PBX without issues.
SIP Trunking (or Session Initiated Protocol Trunking) converges voice with data over private networks or the public Internet to allow businesses to easily manage and adjust their voice line requirements.
When used with complementary applications, SIP Trunking is an ideal means for connecting a PBX to the outside world.
SIP Trunking offers significant benefits to enterprises including:
Improved network efficiency
SIP Trunking improves network efficiency by leveraging the use of pre-existing data capacity to support voice. With voice and data converged, bandwidth normally reserved exclusively for voice can be utilized for data needs when voice is not in use. Conversely, unused data capacity can be used to support voice, reducing global network costs.
Decreased usage costs
SIP has the potential to reduce telephone-circuit and Internet costs, and with the proper design, can deliver free calling between multiple business locations. Additionally, certain pricing models offer SIP customers a single flat rate usage charge rather than per-minute charges.
Scalability
With SIP the number of available “lines” is a function of available bandwidth, not physical hardware or circuits. However, the porting, moving, and addition of numbers with SIP does not happen as quickly or as efficiently as it does with PSTN. Therefore, if SIP is being utilized in conjunction with a move, new installation, or other project where there are drop deadlines, the SIP orders should be placed early and with extreme care to ensure the deadlines are met.
Universal local number portability. With SIP Trunking, local numbers from all over the US can be ported to a single location. This offers tremendous benefits for call centers and other business operations with local numbers.
Business continuity
SIP Trunking allows for automatic call rerouting to predefined failover IP addresses. This should ideally be a secondary IP gateway at the host site, so that voice is not reliant on a single internet or data connection, however, the failover IP connection can be anywhere in the world.
Maximized existing investments
SIP Trunking can be delivered with carrier-managed customer premise equipment that will connect as analog or PRI with most existing on-premises equipment.
Increasing traffic
SIP Trunking can be compressed to pump more voice traffic on the same size pipe. This change in Codec (compression) is just another example of the flexibility available with SIP Trunking.
Data Services
For over a century, the telecommunications industry has connected people and businesses to the world. For the first 50 years, telecommunications consisted of voice transmission only. Data communications first arrived on the scene in the 1960s and today, “data” in the form of Internet, Wide Area Networking (WAN), and VoIP has transformed the telecommunications marketplace. Early on, WAN communications consisted of the transmission of text and numbers between sites, however, today WAN data has evolved into intelligent MPLS networks, which are now routinely routing email, data applications, video, and voice between network sites.
TELigence Partners offers a variety of convenient data products, including Integrated Voice/Data, Private Line (Point-to-Point), Virtual Private Network (includes dynamic T1), MPLS Networking, Metro Ethernet, and Data Advisory Services.
Regardless of the size of your business, our next-generation communications services can propel you forward with new unified communications and collaboration applications, while helping you better manage your costs.
TELigence’s suite of proven data platform solutions backed by our expert team will advance your business to the next generation of data communications technology.
Click below to see descriptions and benefits of some of our top data products:
Integrated Voice/Data is a system that combines voice and data over a single connection. Voice can be combined with Internet access or MPLS WAN connections over DSL, T1, DS3, or Ethernet loops. The benefit of such dynamic connections is that the local loop resource can be dynamically allocated to support both applications without impacting voice quality. Since the local loop often represents a high percentage of the overall cost of a service, the dynamic sharing of this resource between voice and data is cost-efficient.
There are many advantages to implementing Integrated Voice/Data including:
Network productivity
Integrated Voice/Data can greatly increase network productivity. For example, voice services are typically only available during normal business hours. By making resources used for voice available during off-business hours to support remote data-backups, a company can ensure their network is being used more productively.
Lower costs
Integrated Voice/Data can reduce existing communications bills by up to 50%. The cost of Integrated Voice is currently estimated to be only 20 to 50% of the cost of a traditional circuit-based voice network. There are also cost savings associated with reduced maintenance costs and more efficient network control and management, reduced long-distance charges, and line costs.
Increased service offerings
Integrated Voice/Data systems offer access to next-generation telephony applications such as Unified Messaging and voice integration with CRM and other applications.
Increased operational efficiency
For businesses operating in multiple locations, integrating voice and data networks can help streamline operations. Different locations can be operated on the same voice system, enabling employees to take advantage of extension dialing between locations, and avoid intra-company toll calls. With Integrated Voice/Data, it’s also possible to manage voice traffic as well as the network infrastructure from one central location, making network updates and upgrades more efficient.
The purpose of installing a Private Line (or “Point-to-Point”) is to provide communications between specific locations in a highly secure environment that is 100% controlled by the end user. It is a physical line and can have many different speeds, ranging from 56K to gigabyte.
There are many advantages to having a Private Line including:
Security
Private Lines offer dedicated bandwidth for high-priority business applications, such as voice and video traffic, using trusted architectures for exceptional performance. Point-to-Point is completely controlled by the end user's routing and switch infrastructure, and in this capacity is the most secure means for interconnecting locations.
Instant data transmission
Securely and quickly transmit important private data. Private Line offers the lowest latency and highest packet delivery.
Full regulatory compliance
Private Lines are compliant with government privacy regulations and are therefore frequently favored in the banking, financial, and healthcare sectors.
High-resolution video transmission
The low latency of Private Line Point-to-Point easily supports resolution video files from one place to the other without loss of video quality.
Flexibility
Private Line services are protocol-independent and can carry IP, voice, data, and video as Layer 2 or Layer 3 traffic. All transmission protocols are dictated and controlled by customer-managed equipment.
Reliability
Private Line architecture most often carries the highest service level agreement commitments from carriers and as such is more reliable and consistent than VPN.
A VPN or “virtual private network” is a private network that exists within a public network such as the Internet. By using encryption and other security measures, a VPN encodes all the data sent through the Internet, so the VPN is virtually private.
VPNs allow employees to securely access their company’s intranet while outside of the office. They also securely and cost-effectively connect remote offices of an organization, creating one connected virtual network.
VPNs offer businesses many advantages:
Lower costs
VPNs eliminate the need for expensive private WAN circuits. VPNs are managed by client routers or firewalls and do not involve carrier facilities and support. They are therefore more flexible and are easily established and managed by a company’s IT resources.
Scalability
The cost of traditional leased lines can increase exponentially as an organization grows. VPNs that utilize the Internet avoid this problem by simply tapping into the geographically-distributed access already available.
Improved network QoS and performance
Internet download speeds and quality of service (QoS) can be dramatically improved by using a VPN connection.
Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) is a standards-approved technology that accelerates network traffic flow and facilitates its management. MPLS tags identify data streams within a private WAN and those distinct data streams can be given routing priority based on assigned importance. As an example, voice services can take priority over data services, and enterprise data needs can take priority over browsing. Most of TELigence Partners’ managed WAN networks are MPLS.
There are numerous advantages to implementing an MPLS Network:
Lower costs
Because MPLS allows for meshed network routing between multi-site networks, an MPLS network can be built to deliver the quality of Point-to-Point routing without the high cost of Point-to-Point circuits.
Security
As a Layer 2.5 technology, MPLS allows shared network resources with private routing for customers’ data. Furthermore, it has some of the scalability and cost advantages of Layer 3 public Internet, but it also has additional security and efficiencies that make it ideal for deploying large-scale, IP-based, private network services.
Scalability & flexibility
MPLS converges multiple technologies into a single Internet Protocol network. Many types of traffic can be carried via MPLS routing. Additionally, it allows for automatic configuration of the network and setup of tunnels or label-switched paths and is less resource-intensive to configure than circuits.
Quality of Service (“QoS”)
As well as moving traffic more quickly, MPLS’s attributes make it easy to manage network quality of service.
Reach
Many carriers have MPLS NNI interconnects, which allow for MPLS to be built using multiple carrier networks for cost‑effectiveness.
Improved traffic routing
Unlike with IP routing, network elements can simply read the MPLS label and move the packet along to the next step in the pre-determined path, allowing for greater reliability and predictability of traffic within the network.
Improved disaster recovery
MPLS can be pre-programmed to alternately route traffic from one path to another in case of system or location failure.
A Metropolitan-Area Ethernet, Ethernet MAN, or Metro Ethernet network is a metropolitan area network (MAN) that is based on Ethernet standards. It is commonly used to connect subscribers to a larger service network or the Internet. Businesses can also use Metro-Ethernet to connect their own offices to each other.
There are many advantages to Metro-Ethernet networks, including:
Lower costs
An Ethernet interface is typically less expensive and offers higher bandwidth scalability than the more traditional handoffs such as DS3, T1, and DSL. Additionally, because the provider hands Ethernet to the end-user network they are almost always able to use current router or firewall WAN interface, avoiding the need to purchase additional equipment.
Speed & scalability
Metro-Ethernet also supports high bandwidths with fine granularity, which is not available with traditional connections such as T1, DSL, and cable. If you need 3 MB you get 3 MB, if you need 40 you get 40. There are no “fixed increments” or limitations.
Ease of use
Ethernet provides simplified networking solutions through available private WAN connections that are linked across the Metro-Ethernet network.
Cloud Services
Up until recently, increasing information technology capacity within a company has meant costly expenditures on new equipment such as servers, computers, and software, and hiring the staff to oversee its installation and management. Depending on your industry, IT costs can make up a large percentage of total capital expenditures.
Cloud services allow your company to “rent” your IT needs virtually, as the need arises, and at a fraction of the cost of purchasing and maintaining the staff to manage them. You pay only for what you use; the equipment and software are managed offsite, giving you access to resources that might never feasibly be installed and managed on your site.
You procure IT services while reducing costs and TELigence and its trusted technology partners deliver services when and where you need them.
If you need a flexible, cost-effective alternative for delivering IT services – in a way that complements your existing systems, staff, and processes – TELigence’s cloud services could be an ideal solution.
TELigence cloud services include:
Hosted email applications
Ensure the safety and privacy of your company’s email by using the latest email applications hosted securely on our SecureNet cloud.
Disaster recovery solutions
Back up your data with TELigence’s cloud services and protect your information from disasters such as floods, fires, and power surges.
Server virtualization
Save on on-site server costs while providing an additional level of assurance that your applications and information will never be lost.
Hosted desktop & desktop virtualization
Eliminate the need to update desktop hardware. This is an ideal solution for offices with many employees.
Custom-hosted application services
Our pricing is competitive with big-name service providers such as Amazon and Rackspace, but the service we provide our customers far exceeds their offerings.
Cloud storage
Cloud storage, or co-location, backs up and stores your critical data in our nationally located, secure data centers. So much safer than not backing up your data or backing it up on-site.
Cloud advisory services
Gain access to our highly knowledgeable IT staff that is ready to assist and advise you with any cloud services.
Cloud services benefits include:
Cloud services move capital equipment assets off the balance sheet, turning them into a monthly expense item. Unlike capital costs, cloud services are not a perpetual commitment – you can turn them off or on as needed. In today’s rapidly changing business environment, moving costs from fixed to variable is key to maintaining financial strength within any company. Cloud services do just that.
Cloud services take the guesswork out of capacity planning to avoid expensive overprovisioning and risky under-provisioning.
You set up and configure once then dynamically scale up or down. You can launch new services, applications, and projects rapidly and expand access, capacity, and performance on demand, while you monitor and manage your network via a web-based portal.
With unlimited cloud resources available to you, spin up servers to meet expanding needs within minutes. Add storage, RAM, processor speed, fast and slow disk storage capabilities, and much more.
Virtualized servers are supported across multiple hosts that reside in a carrier-class, fully redundant network of data centers, with facilities in Denver, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, and Vermont.
NETWATCH IT MANAGED SERVICES
With NetWatch we can remotely monitor IT infrastructure 24/7. All switches, firewalls, servers, and workstations are monitored through our remote monitoring services supported by N-Able. Hard drive, memory, and circuit board issues often show telltale signals prior to failure. Our remote monitoring identifies these issues before they cause a full network outage. The Gold Package allows TELigence Partners to proactively manage, troubleshoot, patch, and upgrade server, workstation, and operating systems.
Included in Gold Package for servers
NODEWARE HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE AUDITS & VULNERABILTY MANAGEMENT
These audits help ensure your technology is fully functional. Auditing allows us to be proactive about maintenance, so there will be less risk of downtime.
Automatic installation of Microsoft application patches
TELigence Partners will take care of installing all updates and patches on servers at times that will have a limited impact on your daily operations.
Automatic installation of service packs and updates
Service packs and updates maintain your servers and ensure they are up to date. As always, TELigence will remotely install the packs and updates without disruption to your daily operations.
Unlimited remote support
Anything we can fix remotely, we will, at no additional charge to you. We will notify you after we’ve fixed the problem. This covers all needed support between the hours of 7 AM to 7 PM during normal business days.
Custom complete-care service packages
Our objective is to create a program that will work for you. This means we will deliver the anticipated support you need, within the budget we define. If there are known or anticipated needs which you do not feel are covered under the above “Gold Services” package, we can work those out with you prior to creating a final statement of work.
Consulting/Advisory
Along with TELigence’s complementary services, which are included in pre and post service procurement, we also provide a full array of premium consulting and advisory services to meet our clients’ needs.
TELigence Partners’ consultants have more than 150 years of combined experience in the telecommunications and information technology industries and are available to help your company strategize and plan for such services as PBX selection and deployment, technology planning, network design, writing RFPs for solicitation of competitive bids, as well as other services including:
Monthly bill auditing and telecommunications expense management
Telecom services change constantly. Carriers are notorious for changing billing references and adding unnecessary fees. TELigence Partners' auditing team acts as your personal watchdog to ensure services billed always match with services delivered. Our audit services typically generate more in savings than the cost of the audit, so the net result for you is reduced telecommunications costs, with easier bill payment and lower monthly bills inclusive of our fees.
Comprehensive monthly billing audit
A comprehensive monthly billing audit provides an analysis of all billed items, including voice, data, internet, and phone equipment. Through special arrangements with our technology partners, bills can be sent directly to us. If errors are discovered, we will resolve the discrepancies directly with the service provider. Only after errors are rectified and we approve the revised bill will it be forwarded to you for payment.
Managed network services
Let the TELigence Partners platform and experienced network and Microsoft engineers manage your server, switch, router, and desktop infrastructure so that you can focus on managing your business, not reacting to the next network outage.
Technology design and planning
We will design and build a three-year technology roadmap, which details the direction and associated costs for your corporation’s information technology.
Premium help desk support
TELigence Partners' professional help desk staff will provide custom support packages across multiple carrier platforms to relieve your telecommunications and IT staff from the burden of opening and managing trouble tickets to resolution.
Network analysis
TELigence Partners will perform a complete network cost analysis, detailing costs, contractual obligations, and capacity. We can then work with your carriers to find the lowest cost, best rate plans and as well with your IT team to plan for network upgrades and conversions that will save you money while improving operations.
Project management
If a company has adequate staff to cover normal daily operations, then how is it a reasonable assumption that this same staff will be able to cover both those obligations while also orchestrating moves and turn-ups of new locations? TELigence Partners helps with location moves, new location turn-ups, and build-out of cabling infrastructure. Using our project management services removes the burden from your staff so that they can focus on continuing to drive your business, even while you move operations or open new locations.
The TELigence Partners difference:
We continuously comb the telecommunications and technology landscape to stay abreast of emerging trends and companies.
We work with you to assess your telecommunications and technology needs, and then devise the best, most affordable solution drawing from our team of over 100 trusted technology partners and years of experience in the industry.
Once a custom solution has been selected, we work with your IT team and our chosen technology partner to ensure the deployment of your solution meets your expectations and objectives.
Post-installation, we verify final billing meets the originally contracted amounts.
For the term of your contract, you will be covered by TELigence Partners’ Quality Assurance Program. We will be there to assist you with any questions or problems that may arise, relieving you of the headache of technical worries and freeing you to focus on other issues.
TELigence Partners takes our work and your business very seriously. It’s our mission to design network solutions that make you happy, save you money, and improve the efficiency of your operations.
Contact us today to learn what TELigence Partners can do for you.