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Consolidated Technologies, Inc. has a unique perspective when it comes to discussing the difference between a traditional PBX solution and a hosted service. That’s because CTI is the only converged technology provider able to offer its customers both options—customer premise solutions from Avaya and the ClearPath MVP hosted solution.
This gives our customers more flexibility when it comes to evaluating which solution might work best for their particular business needs. And with CTI's reputation as a national leader in telephony implementation, you are assured that whatever you choose will be managed and serviced by the best.
What is the ClearPath MVP Hosted Solution?
ClearPath MVP is a Voice over IP application service that provides basic and enhanced business class services. ClearPath MVP replaces traditional phone system equipment typically located at the customer site. The intelligence and call control are delivered from the carrier facility over a carrier-class network to a telephone at the user desk.
The solution offers features that include automated attendant, conference calling, voice mail and personal productivity applications such as selective call forwarding, simultaneous ring on multiple phones and “click to dial” from Outlook.
Reliability
ClearPath MVP provides these services with the highest levels of reliability and redundancy, as opposed to a traditional PBX phone system housed in your office. The core platform is located in a carrier class facility, with a powerful diesel battery back-up that you could never duplicate in a private office. This means that all critical components of the platform are housed in a secure dedicated facility and duplicated with real-time fail-over.
The ClearPath MVP service is managed end-to-end, from the IP phone on your desk to the hardened carrier facility where the platform is housed. The entire solution is supported 24/7 by our certified staff of technicians.
While traditional phone systems receive dial tone over a T1 or POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) lines, the ClearPath MVP solution delivers dial tone over a private IP Network with optional DSL as back-up. By delivering the service over a “private line” - not the Internet - the solution assures pristine call quality. Customers may also choose DSL, delivered over a different physical path to the customer premise.
This service would typically replace an organizations network of PBXs (thus, the term Hosted PBX), moving the switching intelligence from local sites into the service provider’s network.
Features and Functionality
Customers can take advantage of the same enterprise-class features found in large office phone systems – regardless of office size - without the capital expense of a premise PBX. The features that are part of the typical user package include:
- Customized auto-attendant with multiple greetings
- Dial by name directory
- Caller ID
- A Direct Inward Dial number for each user
- Voicemail for each end-user
- A rich “follow me / find me” feature set that enable users to be mobile, providing the ability to have a call ring simultaneously on both their cell phone and desk phone.
- A tool bar for your computer that enables users to control phone features.
- Easy set up of small satellite offices, or “work from home” staff who become part of the corporate
dial plan.
- Unlimited or bundled local and domestic long distance calling for each user
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While some of these features are available on traditional PBX systems, they are typically an extra cost item.
Administration
A key component of the ClearPath MVP Hosted Solution is the self-service administration available via the ClearPath web portal. The web portal provides service administration at different levels of authority so users can administer their own personal feature preferences, and managers can administer the entire organization. Users can self-configure and manage all their voice and multimedia services in real-time. Individual users can access the portal via the web, mobile phone, or wireless device. Web screens are available in multiple languages, including Asian characters.
With traditional PBX systems, many features are system-wide and controlled by a central Administrator. With ClearPath MVP, you can enable and disable many features on your own via your personal web portal. You also reap the benefits of current, up-todate technology and software without having to incur costly hardware, software, and maintenance charges.
Upgrades
A typical customer upgrades their phone system and data switches every three years, This may involve a feature upgrade each year and hardware/firmware upgrades as required by the manufacturer. ClearPath MVP Hosted Solution customers never pay for an upgrade since upgrades and feature enhancements are performed centrally.
Maintenance and Support
Traditional phone systems require a maintenance contract for the life of the lease or predicted length of service. These contracts provide replacement parts and associated labor for hardware and software failures, but typically do not cover programming. The ClearPath MVP Hosted solution, maintenance and 24x7 support is all inclusive – customers will never pay for a service call for the life of the agreement.
Cost
The cost of a technology solution – such as a business communication system - includes many factors. The most accurate picture of cost can is presented by a Total Cost of Ownership analysis when comparing the customer premise PBX system to the ClearPath MVP hosted solution.
Total Cost of Ownership typically includes:
- The one-time charges or lease charges for hardware, software and implementation
- The charges for end user features and licensing
- The charges for T1 transport for dial tone and per minute utilization when making local, regional and long distance calls
- The cost of maintenance and support over the defined life of the system.
- The cost of technology upgrades during the life of the system
- The cost of adding new users to the system.
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The one-time charges for hardware, software and implementation are significantly lower with the Clearpath MVP hosted solution compared to a premise based PBX. The customer benefits from the core telephony components being owned by the service provider and housed at a secure facility. This lowers the barrier to entry for customers desiring advanced features but concerned about the cost of the technology.
End user features – such as desktop integration with Outlook and simultaneous ringing of desk phone and cell phone – are built into the predictable “per seat” cost of the hosted solution, but require additional hardware, software and licensing when provided with a PBX.
A key differentiator that makes Clearpath MVP attractive are predictable costs over the life of the agreement. The cost of transport for dial tone and bundled or unlimited minutes is fixed on a per seat basis for the life the agreement. The predictable cost is a key factor cited by customers choosing the Clearpath MVP hosted solution.
While maintenance on hardware and software is included in ClearPath MVP for the life of the agreement, typically a manufacturers extended warranty or comprehensive maintenance package is purchased after the warranty period when installing a CPE PBX.
In the rapidly changing world of technology, manufacturers release upgrades annually. With ClearPath MVP, all technology upgrades are performed centrally by the service provider, eliminating both cost and down-time compared to a CPE solution.
Finally, when adding a new user to a PBX, customers generally require a phone instrument, two cables (one for voice and one for data), on site programming and an uplift to the maintenance package. With ClearPath MVP, a pre-programmed phone is shipped to the customer where it is plugged into the existing data network, saving time and money.
Considerations for Customer Premise (CPE) and Hosted VoIP Solutions
Businesses ultimately must choose how they desire communications solutions to be delivered, deployed and supported. The following considerations may influence your decision whether to lease or purchase a CPE system, or to contract a Hosted Solution such as ClearPath MVP:
Scalability
Customer premise based solutions scale up by adding either digital or analog ports to the PBX or IP telephones on the Local area network (LAN). Prior to adding a phone, the PBX must be programmed for that extension. Hosted solutions scale by adding pre-programmed phones shipped from the provider,to the LAN. The phone is plugged into an open data switch port and becomes live. This requires less in-house technical expertise than the CPE solution.
The Hosted solution is ideal for the multi-location business. Each location, when deployed as hosted, has connectivity to every other location with a centralized directory, uniform dial plan, free inter-office calling across the ClearPath network and centralized voice mail and features. A CPE solution generally requires deployment of a voice and data network among the HQ and branch locations, along with the cost of adding hardware /software to the HQ location and deployment of a small branch office PBX.
Productivity Applications and Mobility
CPE based PBX systems offer mobility solutions such as “find me / follow me” and the ability to ring a user’s cell phone simultaneously with their desk phone. These features are provided in a Hosted offering as well. The key differentiator is that these applications are licensed to the PBX – and generally purchased on a per user license basis. The Hosted solution provides these features for each DID as part of the per user charge making them ubiquitous, not add-on, features.
Business Continuity
Business Continuity is the ability to continue to do business even though you cannot access your physical business office. This has been at the forefront of many businesses that have faced power outages, hurricanes and transportation disruptions.
With a hosted solution, the hardware and software providing business communications reside in a carrier class hardened facility as opposed to the leased office that a business occupies. The facility assures that even if your business is disrupted, prospects and customers will still hear your greeting, be able to leave a voice mail, or reach your through your business number that can ring on your cell phone or an alternate telephone.
Administration
CPE solutions are typically administered by a designated individual that has local and remote access to the corporate LAN. The Hosted solution enables the administrator to securely access the provider’s administration port via the web, allowing administrative access from anywhere in the world. The Hosted solution also provides user access – restricted to features they are allowed to toggle on or off – via the web, thereby eliminating administrative burdens.
Technology Upgrades and New Applications
CPE voice servers typically require software upgrades annually - or more often - in the form of Service Packs. This may require server down-time and the business may incur costs for new features. As new features are introduced, upgrades are typically offered in the form of hardware and software to support them on the CPE PBX.
Upgrades in the Hosted scenario are performed centrally. As new versions are introduced and Service Packs are deployed, there is no disruption of service or down time. The end user business does not pay for these upgrades as they are part of the comprehensive Hosted solution. As new features are introduced, these features may be offered to all users from the centrally housed Hosted system.
Cost
The initial capital outlay for a Hosted solution is less than that for the purchase of a CPE PBX as the equipment consists of only the telephones and ancillary data equipment. In either case, the equipment may be leased. The Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) associated with a hosted solution versus customer premise PBX should be considered before making a decision:
- The cost of maintenance and support associated with CPE solutions
- The ability to scale a CPE solution versus a Hosted solution by adding (or subtracting) phones and predictable per user charges
- The cost of adding branch offices to a CPE solution – including hardware, software and a Wide Area network.
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If you have questions or wish a free needs analysis, please visit www.consoltech.com, or call 1-888-477-4CTI and ask for extension 5008.
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