April 04, 2011

SIP Trunking and Hosted PBX: In With the New, Out with the Old? Not so Fast!

By Mae Kowalke
TMCnet Contributor

When new communications technologies with more advanced features enter the scene, there can be the temptation among businesses to adopt a rip-and-replace mentality. However, that may not be the most effective or efficient choice, and it is not always financially possible to simply trash older infrastructure.

Luckily, there are providers out there who understand the need to not declare extinct legacy equipment that’s still very functional and can continue to play a useful role. As its name suggests, LegacySIP is one such company.

LegacySIP offers a hosted PBX (News - Alert) with SIP trunking that allows businesses to save their old PBXs from extinction by overlaying advanced technology to handle remote offices, extension dialing between locations, and additional phones.

This type of setup not gives businesses the modern features they need at an affordable price; often return on investment is realized within five months and monthly phone bills are cut by 50-60 percent.

In a recent video interview, LegacySIP’s director, Claude Hayn, explained that the company’s strength lies in its focus on gateways rather than PBX replacements.

“Our devices connect legacy PBXs to SIP trunks,” Hayn said in the video.

With softphones that connect to the LegacySIP on-premises or from remote locations, the system make sit easy to create new extensions off the PBX. LegacySIP provides its own SIP trunks, connecting those to the devices it sells.

There are a lot of advantages to this approach. 

“ROI is usually reached in about four months,” Hayn said. “Customers pay about half their previous costs. And, they can get rid of their PRI, which maximizes their data connection and internet bandwidth.”

Part of what works so well about LegacySIP’s system is that it’s offered as a hands-on, managed service. The company has expertise in T1, SIP and firewall management. Stability and security is taken seriously. The gateways support multiple providers, and connect remotely to LegacySIP’s service remotely for monitoring.

Hayn described LegacySIP’s ideal client as being a small company with one or two T1 lines, or larger companies with multiple locations that have similar specs. Among branch offices, LcgacySIP’s system offers a bridge so that communication is transparent and affordable. 

Mae Kowalke is a TMCnet contributor. She is Manager of Stories at Neundorfer, Inc., a cleantech company in Northeast Ohio. She has more than 10 years experience in journalism, marketing and communications, and has a passion for new tech gadgets. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Janice McDuffee