Alcatel Omni PCX & VoIP. Is it a good fit?

There are two types of VoIP or IP technologies available with the Alcatel Lucent Omni PCX phone system and they're often confused.  Firstly there's IP trunking which allows companies to link offices together on one platform as well as operate IP handsets either internally or for remote users.  The second type of IP is for SIP (VoIP phone lines and calls).  With the Alcatel Omni PCX it's important we distinguish between the two. 

The Alcatel Omni PCX does the first element well - IP connectivity and linking multiple sites.  The issue lies with SIP trunking (a type of VoIP phone service offered by many providers).  We're not saying it can't be done but make sure whichever SIP provider you choose has tested and implemented with the Alcatel Omni Pcx previously.  Otherwise you could buy a system that costs you time and money to get working with an unproven, untested carrier - we know this from experience.  Cisco, Avaya, LG Ericcson and Polycom seem to be the most commonly tested.   

Alcatel Omni PCX and cheap SIP phone calls (VoIP calls)

The Alcatel Lucent Omni PCX pbx can interface with any type of phone line available in Australia.  You can choose from standard PSTN and ISDN lines to advanced SIP trunking which is the ultimate type of VoIP connectivity. You can even connect GSM gateways.

This means you can start with the lines you've got but can transition to VoIP in the future.  SIP trunking is undoubtedly the best type of VoIP for SME services and it's what you should be asking about for your VoIP phone calls.  Please note carefully what said previously about ensuring the provider in question has tested and works with the Alcatel Omni PCX phone system. 

SIP services offer a dedicated data service designed only for VoIP so it's not compromised or shared with your existing internet connection.  This is the key to a stable, reliable VoIP service.  If you try and do VoIP on the cheap you'll end up with call drop outs and latency (where you experience delays in speech).  You can read more about SIP trunking and the SIP call rates.

VoIP Redundancy and how it works with the Alcatel Omni Pcx

When implementing VoIP or IP services, some Alcatel Lucent Omni PCX pbx customers still choose to keep a few traditional phone lines.  This is for redundancy.  Even though leading SIP providers guarantee 99.999% uptime,  some customers still worry about the 0.001%.  Its predominately larger companies (50+ staff) that opt for this.  Ironically, with any good SIP solution there are already failover mechanisms in place.  In the unlikely event of an outage calls will instantaneously divert to a predetermined number(s).  For some companies that still isn't good enough.  In the event of a dropout it's not the Alcatel Omni PCX phone system that fails, it's the internet connection that brings the calls to the phone system.  This is true of any IP solution.

Alcatel Lucent and IP technology for linking offices and remote workers

Having cheap IP calls has nothing to do with the actual IP smarts of the Alcatel Omni PCX telephone system.  In fact, with the exception of SIP trunking, any phone system can support VoIP calls (albeit in a more basic fashion with VoIP ATAs etc).   We're interested in the advanced Alcatel IP features that allow staff and other offices to connect and communicate seamlessly with each other.

Did you know that other sites and remote staff can connect to the Alcatel phone system just like they were in the same office.  Think about the implications of this technology....one receptionist for multiple locations, being able to easily transfer calls to anywhere FREE of charge on your IP network (just bandwidth is used).  Or how about a remote employee being able to do their job from anywhere and still be connected to the Alcatel phone system with all the system features at their disposal.  These have massive HR and productivity implications and the Alcatel Omni PCX pbx is helping businesses of all sizes to transform the way they connect and communicate.

Speak to one of our VoIP experts today and discover for yourself not only how much you can save but also how you can transform the way you and your staff communicate forever