Gas Strategies - Voiceflex Case Study
Posted on 17/01/2012 @ 8:51 AM
Gas Strategies is a specialist professional services organisation providing commercial energy advisory services globally. They operate in all sectors of the supply chain: upstream, midstream and markets, and cover the full LNG Value Chain and gas-to-power. Clients benefit from a strong business model in which integrated service lines combine to bring powerful solutions, meeting their specific needs through Consulting, Training, and Information Services.
Ron Mark, IS Manager at Gas Strategies, explains the background as to why their communications infrastructure needed to be changed.
“We are a professional services organisation with around 40 staff and 40 Associates. Consultancy services account for approximately three quarters of our revenues with the remainder derived from providing information services and training.
The catalyst for re-examining our communications needs was a planned move to offices in a new building in Fleet Street, London. Operating globally, Gas Strategies has a secure Virtual Private Network (SSL VPN and IP Sec VPN) to provide staff working remotely from our London head office access to files and information systems. For this to work effectively, and with no degradation of service for either remote or internal staff, we need a ‘big pipe’.
Our objective was to have an infrastructure that provided easy remote access to our PBX system and to keep our existing telephone numbers. At the same time, recognising that effective communications is critical to the success of our organisation, we wanted to remove any single points of failure to ensure business continuity.
We identified that by having ISDN trunks for our main voice connectivity was a risk in that an external cable could be damaged and leave us with no service. We also needed a new PBX system that would accommodate our team working organisational structure where no-one had their own dedicated workspace but instead operated from cordless phones in a hot desking environment.
Working with our communications provider PPSNet, whom we had built a relationship with over many years, we decided to accept their recommendation that we install SIP trunks instead of ISDN and purchase an Avaya IP500 telephone system.”
To move from ISDN to SIP trunks entailed the provision of a suitable access line and here Gas Strategies discussed the merits of using either Ethernet in the first mile (EFM) or Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC). However, PPSNet established that FTTC was not available in that location and an EFM circuit providing up to 10Mbps speed was installed.
Ron mark, “The EFM circuit was big enough pipe for our voice and data requirement and as Phil Glickman of PPSNet pointed out, the EFM circuit comes with a service level agreement for fault fix and a defined synchronous speed so represented excellent value for money. There is also the option for us to increase the bandwidth should our needs increase.
Our data communications applications are centred around web access, hosted email and conferencing with either WebEx or Polycom.
The use of the SIP trunk, where we were able to continue using our existing telephone numbers, means that we now have no single point of failure for voice connectivity in that should the EFM circuit ever fail our numbers can be swiftly re-routed to any other numbers of our choosing including mobile handsets.
In addition to this we also have a basic rate ISDN service installed for back up where one channel can be used for video conferencing back up and the other channel for voice. There is also a separate DSL broadband circuit for web and email back up access.
Should the EFM circuit fail then Voiceflex, the supplier of the SIP trunks, can also route calls through to the ISDN lines.”
The timescale for the whole infrastructure implementation process was very ‘aggressive’ and completed within six weeks.
“We have a lot of time for PPSNet and their Phil Glickman. The company provides tremendous added value as they acted as the co-ordinator between all the different suppliers needed to effect the overall communications solution.”
In operation the solution is working exceptionally. The quality of voice calls is excellent and apart from some minor teething problems, which PPSNet sorted out very quickly, the service has been consistently excellent. The redundancy circuits have been tested and found to be working satisfactorily.
With regards to the 20 SIP trunks installed, we have 100 direct dial (DDI) numbers which can all be routed individually via the Voiceflex SIP exchange to any other number.
Gas Strategies now has an effective communications infrastructure that provides the functionality we sought, delivers the business continuity we need and scalability for the future. Already we are saving money by switching to SIP trunks from ISDN. We have achieved a return on investment on line rentals very quickly as they are less than half the price of ISDN and the call charges are also cheaper than before.
PPSNet have proved once again to be our tried, tested and trusted communications advisor and supplier. They handled all the interaction with suppliers including the SIP trunk vendor, Voiceflex. Phil Glickman takes the time to understand our business and what we need to the point where if I have such a supplier that provides good service and what I want then won’t look at anyone else.”
Paul Taylor, Sales Director at Voiceflex commented, “I am delighted to see Gas Strategies, on the recommendation of reseller PPSNet, are using the technology available to meet the needs of their business. Like many companies they have a voice and data requirement which is now being serviced by a single EFM circuit.”
EFM is a fantastic product and a true alternative to ISDN PRI at a very cost-effective price. With an SLA wrap of a six hour fix 24/7 it takes some beating and when you add in the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of SIP trunking it’s a winning combination.”
Phil Glickman, Director of PPSNet, was full of praise regarding his association with Voiceflex, “Selecting to work with Voiceflex on this project proved to be a wise decision as at every turn we received a level of support and service from them that we would expect to provide to our own customers.”
Ron Mark, IS Manager at Gas Strategies, explains the background as to why their communications infrastructure needed to be changed.
“We are a professional services organisation with around 40 staff and 40 Associates. Consultancy services account for approximately three quarters of our revenues with the remainder derived from providing information services and training.
The catalyst for re-examining our communications needs was a planned move to offices in a new building in Fleet Street, London. Operating globally, Gas Strategies has a secure Virtual Private Network (SSL VPN and IP Sec VPN) to provide staff working remotely from our London head office access to files and information systems. For this to work effectively, and with no degradation of service for either remote or internal staff, we need a ‘big pipe’.
Our objective was to have an infrastructure that provided easy remote access to our PBX system and to keep our existing telephone numbers. At the same time, recognising that effective communications is critical to the success of our organisation, we wanted to remove any single points of failure to ensure business continuity.
We identified that by having ISDN trunks for our main voice connectivity was a risk in that an external cable could be damaged and leave us with no service. We also needed a new PBX system that would accommodate our team working organisational structure where no-one had their own dedicated workspace but instead operated from cordless phones in a hot desking environment.
Working with our communications provider PPSNet, whom we had built a relationship with over many years, we decided to accept their recommendation that we install SIP trunks instead of ISDN and purchase an Avaya IP500 telephone system.”
To move from ISDN to SIP trunks entailed the provision of a suitable access line and here Gas Strategies discussed the merits of using either Ethernet in the first mile (EFM) or Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC). However, PPSNet established that FTTC was not available in that location and an EFM circuit providing up to 10Mbps speed was installed.
Ron mark, “The EFM circuit was big enough pipe for our voice and data requirement and as Phil Glickman of PPSNet pointed out, the EFM circuit comes with a service level agreement for fault fix and a defined synchronous speed so represented excellent value for money. There is also the option for us to increase the bandwidth should our needs increase.
Our data communications applications are centred around web access, hosted email and conferencing with either WebEx or Polycom.
The use of the SIP trunk, where we were able to continue using our existing telephone numbers, means that we now have no single point of failure for voice connectivity in that should the EFM circuit ever fail our numbers can be swiftly re-routed to any other numbers of our choosing including mobile handsets.
In addition to this we also have a basic rate ISDN service installed for back up where one channel can be used for video conferencing back up and the other channel for voice. There is also a separate DSL broadband circuit for web and email back up access.
Should the EFM circuit fail then Voiceflex, the supplier of the SIP trunks, can also route calls through to the ISDN lines.”
The timescale for the whole infrastructure implementation process was very ‘aggressive’ and completed within six weeks.
“We have a lot of time for PPSNet and their Phil Glickman. The company provides tremendous added value as they acted as the co-ordinator between all the different suppliers needed to effect the overall communications solution.”
In operation the solution is working exceptionally. The quality of voice calls is excellent and apart from some minor teething problems, which PPSNet sorted out very quickly, the service has been consistently excellent. The redundancy circuits have been tested and found to be working satisfactorily.
With regards to the 20 SIP trunks installed, we have 100 direct dial (DDI) numbers which can all be routed individually via the Voiceflex SIP exchange to any other number.
Gas Strategies now has an effective communications infrastructure that provides the functionality we sought, delivers the business continuity we need and scalability for the future. Already we are saving money by switching to SIP trunks from ISDN. We have achieved a return on investment on line rentals very quickly as they are less than half the price of ISDN and the call charges are also cheaper than before.
PPSNet have proved once again to be our tried, tested and trusted communications advisor and supplier. They handled all the interaction with suppliers including the SIP trunk vendor, Voiceflex. Phil Glickman takes the time to understand our business and what we need to the point where if I have such a supplier that provides good service and what I want then won’t look at anyone else.”
Paul Taylor, Sales Director at Voiceflex commented, “I am delighted to see Gas Strategies, on the recommendation of reseller PPSNet, are using the technology available to meet the needs of their business. Like many companies they have a voice and data requirement which is now being serviced by a single EFM circuit.”
EFM is a fantastic product and a true alternative to ISDN PRI at a very cost-effective price. With an SLA wrap of a six hour fix 24/7 it takes some beating and when you add in the flexibility and cost-effectiveness of SIP trunking it’s a winning combination.”
Phil Glickman, Director of PPSNet, was full of praise regarding his association with Voiceflex, “Selecting to work with Voiceflex on this project proved to be a wise decision as at every turn we received a level of support and service from them that we would expect to provide to our own customers.”
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