Author: Steve Slisar

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Gateways & ATAs IP Handsets IP PBX equipment News Small Business Phone System Plans VOIP Equipment VoIP Support

What is an upstream provider?

Post author By Steve Slisar
Post date November 15, 2013

VoIP and Internet Service Providers for small business In the world of cloud-based hosting and VoIP Business Telephone Systems an upstream provider is anyone who provides storage or switching capabilities. It’s really just another term for a wholesale provider.

One example could be your website hosting provider – they have a storage capacity that enables thousands of people to visit your website and many other customers websites and you rent a small bit of space from them.

In the world of Hosted PBX Telephone Systems we manage a call switching platform that is hosted at a Carrier-grade data centre and we connect to wholesale partners for Internet access as well as “switching” calls between carriers both locally via landline and mobile as well as internationally to landlines and cellular networks.

Each one of these providers is an Upstream Provider and they each operate their own equipment at a data centre.

It is important to understand that YOU have several upstream providers of your own. For example if you don’t use the Broadband Internet service of your telephone system provider (that avoids the public internet and connects directly with our VoIP platform) you are using what is called as the “Public Internet” and if something happens to your Internet connection it may affect your VoIP Business Telephone service.

Disruptions

An issue can occur with your Internet Service Provider (ISP) for several reasons:

They may perform an upgrade or an update to maintain, fix or improve their service and this may require the service to be shut down temporarily.
They might experience a physical calamity like loss of power or issue with the data centre building
They might experience a hardware failure of some computer equipment at the data centre

Resetting

When a disruption occurs you may need to do something on your own Router/Modem or VoIP equipment – like turn it off and then on again, ie. resetting it.

Hosted Telephone System providers work with many upstream providers (for the same services in some instances) and are able to redirect voice traffic from one to another as needed. When a problem occurs with one upstream provider we can re-route traffic to a different upstream provider and if that happens you may need to reset your equipment to ensure that it connects with the changed settings.

See your local IT Consultant

If you do experience issues with connectivity you need to make contact with the person who supports you and your local computer equipment. They will usually be able to troubleshoot the problem and deal with the relevant supplier (and speak their language).

See the advanced call handling features of modern Hosted Business Telephone Systems.

News

Quality of Service (QoS)

Post author By Steve Slisar
Post date November 20, 2012

Quality of Service which is most commonly known as QoS is a telephony term which when simplified means you configure your network to give priority to voice traffic. In it’s simplest form it works like this:

If you have some telephone calls in progress using VoIP and another staff member starts downloading a very large file that quality of the phone conversations will normally deteriorate and start to sound stuttered. When QoS is turned on or configured on your network the quality of voice calls remains excellent, but the file will be downloaded slower – priority is given to the voice traffic on your network.

This feature can be as simple as clicking on a check box but if you want some extra reading feel free to visit the Wikipedia page on QoS and you’ll sound like a networking pro in now time!

VoIP Features

Bluetooth-to-Mobile

Post author By Steve Slisar
Post date September 26, 2012

Bluetooth-to-Mobile

Many business phone users have unlimited mobile plans which are an obvious benefit when calling mobile phone numbers. With the Siemens Gigaset small business phone systems you can connect your mobile phone to your phone system and use it to make outgoing calls or even receive incoming calls. The two great features of this are that you can save money on outbound calls and reduce any potential radiation risk of having your mobile phone near your head.

VoIP Features

Transferring Calls

Post author By Steve Slisar
Post date September 26, 2012

The most fundamental requirement for an office phone system is call transfer and depending on the system you purchase you can have a Blind Transfer or Assisted Transfer in a phone system that costs only a few hundred dollars. Larger systems of course offer more functionality. If you have a business with multiple locations you can call (or transfer a call) from one office to another office that uses virion, free of charge?

VoIP Features

Call Groups

Post author By Steve Slisar
Post date September 26, 2012

Call groups are excellent for teams, where every extension rings and any staff member can pick up the phone. This functionality is available in some of our supported VoIP phone systems and Siemens IP Phones and can be easily configured by you or your IT Support Consultant.

News

How to Set Up a DX800 VoIP Phone System

Post author By Steve Slisar
Post date March 23, 2012
1 Comment on How to Set Up a DX800 VoIP Phone System

The line between IT Consultant and Telephone Technician has been blurring over the last 5 years as VoIP starts to show up in more and more offices. The latest VoIP Phone System for small business from Siemens enables you to configure your phone using a web interface so your local IT Consultant can now do it for you.

Our Support HelpDesk have created this training video to show you just how easy it is to configure this small business phone system.

Tags small business phone system, voip phone system

News VoIP Call Rates

Mobile calls for free?

Post author By Steve Slisar
Post date February 17, 2012

Someone asked us the other day if they can use VIRION VOIP to make calls to mobiles for free. Does any one else have the same question? We’ve found the next best thing! Connect your mobile phone to your phone system.

They say there is no such thing as a free lunch and the same applies to phone call costs…phone calls cost money. Whether you are a wholesaler, aggregator, retailer or customer, there is a cost per call. Why? Because the mobile carriers paid billions in licence fees to operate a mobile network in Australia. The only variable is “how do you charge”.

If you are looking for mobile call cost savings there is some good news.

Do you own a mobile phone? Does it have BlueTooth connectivity? Are you on a great business plan or a CAPPED plan?

If your answer is yes, then the new DX800 Gigaset small business telephone system from Siemens enables any handset on your phone system to call out using your mobile. In other words you can still use your phone system handsets but be speaking on the office mobile phone.

This also means that calls coming into that mobile phone can now be answered by anyone in the office too. Now that is a handy way to save money isn’t it?

Take a look at the other great reasons to get a Siemens DX800 small business phone system through VIRION’s partner network.

News virion business voip phone systems

45% reduction in calls to mobile numbers

Post author By Steve Slisar
Post date January 13, 2012

Sometimes we make announcements at the virion business grade VoIP blog to inform our customers and prospective customers about new services or price reductions.

Today we reduced the price of calls from our VoIP service to Australian mobile numbers. The rate has been reduced to 18c per minute and customers should be aware that this rate is available with no other minimum commitments, including:

There is no flag fall on each call
Calls are only charged by the second, so if you only speak for 10 seconds, you only pay for 10 seconds
You get this rate without having to go on a “bundled” service

For the best price for a completely new Siemens VoIP telephone system, with full onsite support, remote setup support and fantastic call rates, visit our VoIPPartners.com.au website.

This price reduction applies to all customers on the VoiceCloud Platform.

IP Handsets

Cisco SPA509G 12-line IP Phone

Post author By Steve Slisar
Post date February 24, 2011

Full-featured 12-line business-class IP phone supporting Power over Ethernet (PoE)

Monochrome backlit display for ease of use, aesthetics, and on-screen applications
Connects directly to an Internet telephone service provider or to an IP private branch exchange (PBX)
Cisco HD Voice for unsurpassed voice clarity and enhanced speaker quality
Easy installation and highly secure remote provisioning, as well as menu-based and web-based configuration
Supports up to two Cisco^® SPA500S Expansion Module, adding up to 64 additional buttons*
Supports both Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and Smart Phone Control Protocol (SPCP) with the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series for Small Business

Part of the Cisco Small Business Pro Series, the SIP-based Cisco SPA509G 12-line IP Phone with Programmable Keys (Figure 1) has been tested to ensure comprehensive interoperability with equipment from voice over IP (VoIP) infrastructure leaders, enabling service providers to quickly roll out competitive, feature-rich services to their customers.

With hundreds of features and configurable service parameters, the Cisco SPA509G addresses the requirements of traditional business users while building on the advantages of IP telephony. Features such as easy station moves and shared line appearances (across local and geographically dispersed locations) are just some of the many advantages of the SPA509G.

The Cisco SPA509G 12-line IP Phone with Programmable Keys also supports productivity-enhancing features such as VoiceView Express and Cisco XML applications when used with the Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series in SPCP mode.

The Cisco SPA509G uses standard encryption protocols to perform highly secure remote provisioning and unobtrusive in-service software upgrades. Remote provisioning tools include detailed performance measurement and troubleshooting features, enabling network providers to deliver high-quality support to their subscribers. Remote provisioning also saves service providers the time and expense of managing, preloading, and reconfiguring customer premises equipment.

For more information visit the Cisco SPA509G product website.

Gateways & ATAs IP PBX equipment

Quintum Tenor Series BX ISDN to VoIP MultiPath Switch

Post author By Steve Slisar
Post date February 8, 2011

The NET Tenor series BX MultiPath Switch offers enterprises using ISDN Basic Rate Interface (BRI) lines an easy, cost-effective way to capitalize on the power of Voice over IP (VoIP). The Tenor integrates VoIP gateway functionality with its unique intelligent call routing, MultiPath architecture, and QoS support all in one solution.

Advantages:

2, 4 or 8 BRI S/T ports

Up to 16 VoIP channels

MultiPath and Gateway configurations

Overview:

The NET Tenor Series BX MultiPath Switch offers enterprises using ISDN Basic Rate Interface (BRI) lines an easy, cost effective way to capitalize on the power of Voice over IP (VoIP). The Tenor integrates VoIP gateway functionality with its unique intelligent call routing, MultiPath architecture, and QoS support all in one solution.

Enterprises can benefit from a variety of valuable applications such as PBX extension, remote office connectivity, long distance consolidation and call centers. BX Series products can support either 2, 4 or 8 BRI lines.

All NET Tenors offer a complete SIP-based VoIP solution for the branch office or for service provider customer premise equipment, providing full survivability in the event that access to the central and/or hosted IP PBX is lost. Because it delivers a complete solution in a single device – and because it offers such easy, scalable implementation and management – the Tenor significantly reduces the total lifecycle cost of VoIP deployment, while optimizing service reliability. Tenor also offers PSTN connectivity and legacy equipment integration for both analog and modem based devices.

Quintum Tenor series AF VoIP MultiPath Switch

Post author By Steve Slisar
Post date February 8, 2011

This information is directly from the Vendors website.

The NET Tenor AF Series gives small businesses, SOHOs and branch offices with analog voice infrastructures an easy, cost-effective way to capitalize on the power of Voice over IP (VoIP). Tenors offer a complete survivable branch office solution providng support for integrating analog endpoints and the PSTN, while offering back-up call processing support for all SIP and analog calls.

TENOR SERIES GATEWAY ADVANTAGES:

2, 4, 6 or 8 Analog line and trunk interfaces
Up to 8 simultaneous VoIP calls
Available in MultiPath or Gateway configurations

Overview

NET’s Tenor Series switching/gateway solutions are deployed worldwide to provide highly reliable, easy-to-implement VoIP connectivity in a full range of enterprise and service provider environments. These highly adaptable solutions work with traditional PBXs, legacy analog equipment, IP PBXs and IP phones, and SIP-based communications environments. They are perfect for deploying VoIP in small enterprises, SOHO or remote offices of larger enterprises, where analog and modem-based devices are common.

BRANCH OFFICE VOIP ACCESS SOLUTION FOR IP PBXS AND IP CENTREX

Request a Quote for VoIP phone system

Post author By Steve Slisar
Post date February 8, 2011

Telephone systems in general are technical products to understand so rather than scratch your head and look at all the available IP telephony equipment and what they can do, tell us a little about your business and your requirements (this will take you less than 15 minutes) and one of our consultants will contact YOU to recommend a solution for your business.

You can then study the VoIP telephone system equipment recommended and understand more about how the phone system will be installed, the costs and the extra new features of VoIP.

Request a Quote now.

IP Handsets News

Cisco SPA525G 5-Line IP Phone with Color Display

Post author By Steve Slisar
Post date February 8, 2011

Highlights

• Full-featured and stylish 5-line business IP phone supporting up to two SPA500S (32 button) expansion modules

• Enhanced connectivity, with Power over Ethernet, 802.11g Wi-Fi client mode, and Bluetooth headset support

• Graphic-rich, high-resolution 3.2-inch QVGA 320 x 240 color screen

• Simple, easy, and highly secure wireless setup with industry-standard push-button WPS and quick provisioning capabilities for mass-scale service provider activation

• Embedded SSL VPN client for secure phone connectivity to your IPPBX over any public internet connection

• Support for multimedia functions, such as playing MP3’s, displaying digital photos, viewing RSS feeds, and displaying video surveillance camera streams

• Multi feature support, such as caller ID, call forwarding, call transfer, 3-way conferencing, call parking, call history, phonebook, and built-in full-duplex speakerphone

• Supports both SIP with SPA9000 or leading third party call control platforms and SPCP Protocols with Cisco Unified Communication 500 Series

Product Features

The Cisco SPA525G 5-Line IP Phone with Color Display (Figure 1) is an excellent choice for businesses that require an enhanced user experience with a hosted IP telephony service, an IP private branch exchange (PBX), or a large-scale IP Centrex deployment. The SPA525G uses industry-leading SPA voice over IP (VoIP) technology from Cisco, with high-quality hardware providing additional connectivity via Bluetooth for headset connectivity, Power over Ethernet (PoE) (802.3af), or a Wireless-G client (802.11g).

Standard features on the Cisco SPA525G include five active lines, VLAN-capable dual switched Ethernet ports, 802.3af PoE support, a 3.2-inch QVGA color display, a full-duplex, high-quality speakerphone, a Bluetooth interface for headset connectivity, a Wireless-G (802.11g) client, a 2.5-mm stereo headset port, and a USB 2.0 host port. Each line can be configured independently to use a unique phone number (or extension) or can use a shared number that is assigned to multiple phones. The power supply for the SPA525G is sold separately. The optional SPA500S 32-Button Attendant Console adds up to 64 buttons for receptionist applications.

Read more about the Cisco SPA525G 5-Line IP Phone.

Not sure what you need? Request a customised quote

News

Finders Fee rewards customers

Post author By Steve Slisar
Post date December 20, 2010

Share the news about virion business VoIP with your business associates and you can receive a bonus credit on your account!

We’ve modified our Instant Trial Application Form so that your business associates can enter your virion phone number when they make an application to use our business grade voip services. If they become a virion customer, you will receive a bonus credit on your account. This offer is also valid for members of the Partner Program.

See finders fee terms and conditions for more details about the offer.

IP Handsets News

Cisco SPA504G IP phone

Post author By Steve Slisar
Post date December 9, 2010

Cisco SPA504G IP phone handset

This phone is the most ideal replacement for the discontinued Linksys (Cisco) SPA942

Cisco SPA 500 Series IP Phones offer a range of features including:

Full-featured business-class IP phone supporting Power over Ethernet (PoE)
Monochrome backlit display for ease of use, aesthetics, and onscreen applications
Connects directly to a hosted IP telephony service or an IP private branch exchange (PBX)
Wideband audio for unsurpassed voice clarity and enhanced speaker quality
Easy installation and highly secure remote provisioning, as well as menu-based and web-based configuration
Supports both Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) for Cisco SPA 9000, open source, and hosted telephony solutions and Smart Phone Control Protocol (SPCP) for Cisco Unified Communications 500 Series for Small Business

News

Abbreviated Dialing

Post author By Steve Slisar
Post date December 3, 2010

When someone calls your main reception number and the receptionist dials an abbreviated number like 101 to transfer the call internally to say, the accounts person, this is abbreviated dialing. Some companies use a generic naming convention like 101, 102, 103 etc, while other companies choose to use the last 3 digits of the persons direct indial number, eg. 691, 692, 693 etc.

Abbreviated dialing is configured in the cloud (contact virion support) if you have a cloud based PBX solution. If you have a PBX device in your office like the SPA9000 or a PBX from another vendor, then the configuration of abbreviated dialing is performed on that device (speak to your telephone technician).