12 Quick FAQ’s, More to follow, Keep Reading VoIPBlogs.com for more FAQ’s
1. What is the capacity of your system?
This is an open ended question and can mean a lot of things. Capacity could mean in minutes going through the servers or stack of servers, it could mean the database capabilities, it could be the number of instances/calls registered and calling through your system, or just purely the capacity based on number of sign-ups before everything slows down. When asking hardware providers be specific. The other FAQ is "What is the scalaibility" often confused with "Capacity" scalability is how easy it is to move from one capacity to more capacity without dissruption in service.
The VocalScape basic server for example handles 3 million+ minutes per basic server install, handles up to 1000+ simultaneous calls, and that equals on average 10,000 subscribers depending on whether it's a softphone business model or ATA model and average usage. When installed in a Dell Blade stack of servers for example, just slotting in another server doubles the capacity of the system. Thus making it very scalable with virtually unlimited capacity.
Off-shoots of these questions could be about CPU etc of the server needed for the software. Answers to some of these questions are:
- CPU load – on the application servers, CPU load is a function of concurrent subscriber sessions. On a single Server with dual Xeon 2.8 Ghz CPUs, that server will support approximately 1100 concurrent sessions per second (10-15,000 subscribers). We believe dual Xeon 3.6 Ghz CPUs will provide for an increase to 15-20,000 subscribers. The logical way to configure a system is load balance multiple Application Servers so that scalability is never an issue.
CPU Load – on the database server. The database server is primarily providing data and recording data to and from the Application and Web servers and these are not CPU intensive applications.
- Persistent Connections. I believe the proper term of reference in the SIP world is Active State and Inactive state at the SIP proxy. We don’t use a SIP proxy and although all calls will emulate an Active State, SIP to SIP calls although registered at the Application Server, are not routed directly through the Application Server.
- There is no true fail-over for active calls in any telephony system. Load balancing multiple Application Servers provides scalability and redundancy and when there is catastrophic hardware failure, failover is also provided.
- There is configuration data at the application server but this is static data. Customer data, CDR activity etc is stored on the Database server.
2. Which Load Balancing solutions do you support?
Most VoIP firms do not profess to support load balancers and rely upon your expertise and choice. Load balancing will be a function of the customer’s network architecture. We have used a couple of Linux based software load balancers successfully. All of the large hardware manufactures i.e. Cisco has load balancing solutions as well.
3. List of Trunking Gateways your software has been tested on.
This may be important for softswitch business models and termination into specific routes expecially when doing ethnic targeting such as calling cards to India, calling cards to Eastern Europe, etc. We are indifferent to which gateways are used. We have internal expertise to provide configuration services at a cost to the customer for Quintum or Cisco, as long as they are using our software.
4. What are your rates?
Well most providers of technology do not have rates, or at least do not have the best rates. Companies such as ISPhone, Key West Communications, Mix Networks, Level 3, Qwest, Primus, those are the companies you need to ask for rates from. You put their rates into the rate table within your newly installed VocalScape turn-key cluster and you will be much more competitive.
5. Does your system support Least Cost Routing
It’s up to the definition of least cost routing. Have some clients go to one route, and others go to a cheaper route is no problem, having one client go from route A for 5 cents to route B because it has been entered into a table for 4 cents requires logic and scripting to do so. It’s absolutely possible, but the scripting knowledge is required within our cluster to do this or at least in most systems this is true. The first option is standard.
6. I want a calling card system how do I set it up?
Well I could right hundred blogs on this, instead just download this document explaining it to you. It’s very simple once you have read this document, ROI is in 3 – 6 months and skies the limit in scalability as mentioned and discussed above. The Complete Calling Card Infrastructure Download TheGlobalCallingCardBusinessInfrastructure.doc
7. I want to run a business like Vonage? I want a subscriber business model
This question is very common and most firms would not answer this for you to be their client, they think you should know what you need. Luckily VocalScape supplies a whole turn-key system with the ATA provisioning, sign-up, tables, and set-up to enable your ecommerce transaction account and information to be in business within 30 days. Even less time if you just want to run a standard business without customizations.
8. What are some of the business models I should run as a VoIP firm?
ATA Business Models and VoIP (These models work for Softphones too)
- DID and Voice Mail for a monthly fee and pure post paid where you take the risk and credit check your clients
- DID and Voice mail for a monthly fee, all airtime is prepaid
- DID, Voice Mail, and all you can call in the US and Canada, monthly fee and all International Airtime Prepaid
- DID, Voice Mail, all you can call in US and Canada as a 3 month, 6 month, 12 month or 24 month one time payment with International Airtime Prepaid
- No DID, just a SIP address, VoiceMail, and free IP-IP calling, Prepaid Airtime otherwise (often involving some kind of directory or presence recognition)
Calling Card Business Models and VoIP (These models work for softphones too)
- Unlimited calling in the US and Canada calling card with a monthly payment
- Unlimited calling time slots, such as between 8-6 unlimited, 2 cents a minute after 6 with a monthly payment
- Prepaid international Calling Cards based on face value (The most common model)
9. Does VoIP work over wireless?
Yes VoIP does work over wireless, but for this question there are many to come back, such as manage wireless network or unmanaged? What is the up and down load, contention of the network etc. All of these questions come with solutions to make VoIP work on a wireless network but it requires consulting and experience, which we can do.
10. Does VoIP work in Countries where Voip packets are given less priority or filtered by the ISP?
Yes, you just need to design a virtual private network for ATAs or Softphones to encrypt the voice packets so the ISP can not filter the packets. Decrypting the packet is against several federal laws, but be prepared in this case to keep a storage of all packets and the ability to provide Government Security Authorities your encryption codes upon request. With global security concerns, this is your best option.
11. Are you 911 capable?
A lot of the 911 capability comes from the C7, SS7 world with lots of features associated with these types of servers. In the pure play IP world, work arounds and dumping of databases and client information has been built in a manner that respects privacy law but enables databases of information to be passed to emergency centers enabling e911 services. Northern911, and other like services that supplied this capability to alarm companies and such of the past are becoming the intermediaries to VoIP firms to supply the translation of these services from the VoIP firm to the Telco regulating and managing the 911 services.
911 capability therefore depends on intermediaries and just routing of clients calls and information.
12. Can you supply DIDs to us?
DIDs are generally supplied by the telecommunications companies or firms with rights to distribute them, those DIDs then point through a Gateway that’s set up to provision the blocks to go to a server and the server the DIDs go to assigns and provisions the DIDs to the clients and that information is passed back to the main server…all in all yes. We can supply DIDs, Primus can, Level 3 can, and several other firms. The real question is do you want just numbers or long distance bundles such as a DID with unlimited calling for $17? That’s different than just getting DIDs and requires more from the provider. Be clear when asking this question and define your target rates.
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