What’s new this month? As more businesses transition to remote working environments, personal collaboration and communication security have become the focus. This brings us to September’s big highlights, Grandstream’s GUV Series and Ribbon’s EdgeMarc 6000 SBCs. Let’s dive in!
Grandstream’s GUV Series
You can’t miss out on Grandstream’s latest addition, the GUV Series. This series focuses on personal collaboration and includes two headsets and a USB-based web camera. The GUV Series is designed to work with major UC platforms such as Teams, Zoom, WebEx, Grandstream’s IPVideoTalk, GS Wave Desktop, and more!
The GUV Series also supports Grandtream’s GXP IP Phones, GRP Series of Carrier-Grade IP Phones, the GXV Series of IP video phones. Learn more details here!
USB 2.0 port for plug-and-play connections
Supports 1080p Full HD Video at 30fps
Compatible with all major third-party platforms, apps and softphones
Ribbon EdgeMarc 6000 Series Session Border Controllers (SBCs)
The next new hardware we are excited to introduce is the EdgeMarc 6000 Series SBCs. These session border controllers are ideal for cloud communications. It can easily connect to several digital and analog legacy systems.
Better yet, the EdgeMarc 6000 Series grows with your business! It can be scaled up to 300 concurrent sessions and allow users to run several virtual network functions (VNFs).
300 concurrent session capacity
Controlled through the EdgeView Service Control Center
Were you using Skype for Business? Since July 31st, 2021, Microsoft has moved their Skype for Business Online customers over to Microsoft Teams. Let’s see what options you have for upgrading from Skype for Business Online to the Teams:
Four Options of Microsoft Teams – One is Free!
There are four options of Microsoft Teams including one free version. Each plan has varying costs.
The free version of Teams includes the basic functionalities without advanced features such as administration features and support.
VoIP Service Providers with Microsoft Teams Integration
VoIP Supply works with multiple service providers and most of them have great integrations with Microsoft Teams. Here are some options:
Sangoma Switchvox for Teams enables Click-to-Dial feature directly from Microsoft Teams. Simply click a contact’s phone number or extension and make the outbound call through your main Switchvox phone extension.
Broadvoice B-Hive and Microsoft Teams work seamlessly with Microsoft Teams to bridge the gaps for remote work. These two platforms work together to provide you with great collaboration features and access to advanced calling features such as auto attendant, call routing, CRM integration, workflows, and more. Broadvoice also provide SMS/MMS texting services for your team to stay connected at all times. Read this article to learn more!
Nextiva and Microsoft Teams fuse together to empower your business. Streamlined operations and extended flexibility to reach out to more contacts are just a few of the benefits you can take advantage of.
RingCentral for Microsoft Teams: Use Teams on the web or through the Teams desktop app with RingCentral Microsoft Teams. Users can make RingCentral voice calls, send SMS and initiate video meetings within Teams interface. You will also be able to make outbound calls, schedule meetings, and host meetings without leaving Teams.
Give our VoIP experts a call at 1-800-398-8647 today to learn more about Teams integration.
SMS, also called texts, stands for short message service. It’s a messaging service that can contain up to 160 characters.
Why SMS? Some businesses rely on the SMS service for marketing campaigns and/or business notifications such as sales reminders, promotions/special pricing alerts or emergency alerts, important notification messages, and more. As more businesses are transitioning from traditional analog lines to VoIP, the demand for texting (SMS) through VoIP also increased.
Can You Text (SMS) Through VoIP?
Great news – Yes, it can be done through VoIP! SMS through VOIP allows users to send texts through an Internet connection. In order words, you are able to send text messages to cellphones from your VoIP devices.
By texting/SMS through VoIP, your business can reach out to a broader customer base at once and save more money. While most VoIP service providers charge a fee for SMS messaging service, it’s generally much cheaper than a traditional cellphone plan. See below for a quick list of some of our popular service providers that support SMS:
Which VoIP Providers Support Texting/SMS Service?
VoIP Supply works with multiple VoIP service providers that support SMS texting service. We will work with you to find you the best solution for you. Here’s a quick look at some of our popular options:
Sangoma SIPStation provides SIP Trunk service. Customers can sign up for SIPStation service with SMS-capable numbers and SMS metered service.
Users also have the option to use their existing phone numbers for SMS. If you are using Switchvox, you can set up Switchvox with a SIPStation VoIP provider and a Switchvox SIP Phone extension to use an SMS DID. Learn more here.
Nextiva support sending and receiving SMS service. Users need to activate Nextiva business numbers for texting (SMS), create a new contact for each SMS recipient, and format the phone number to Nextiva specifications. Learn more here.
Broadvoice empowers teamwork anywhere from any device. Its service allows users to send and receive SMS text messages to any number directly through B-Hive Communicator within your desktop.
Broadvoice Communicator also includes a beta version of video calling! This feature is perfect for small team communication, allowing group chats to move to video with one simple click. The best part? No download is necessary! Learn more here.
Not sure which provider is ideal for your business? Give one of our VoIP experts a call at 1-800-398-8647 today! We will be happy to give you a free consultation with multiple quotes!
A true enterprise-grade unified communications solution
Increased capacity – up to 5000 users
Included video conferencing platform
Wave mobile app for communicating with all endpoints
UCM Remote Connect – available cloud SBC / NAT Traversal
Built-in high-availability and hot standby
API available for integrations and interoperability (Asterisk 16)
How do you choose the UCM6300 IP PBX model that is right for you? It depends on the capacity you need. How many users do you have? How many concurrent calls do you usually handle? Any FXO/FXS needs? See the chart below to compare these four models side by side:
The UCM6300 Series IP PBX gives you up to 8 FXO/FXS ports. See the layout of each model here:
The UCM6300 series also comes with more advanced features such as:
Built-in conferencing platform
Built-in and fully included – no extra cost
Supports desktop (WebRTC), mobile (Wave app), SIP video conferencing endpoints, IP phones
2, 3, 4 and 8 rooms
10, 20, 40 or 70 video participants
75, 150, 250 or 300 audio participants
Video codecs: H. 265, H.264, H.263, H.263+, VP8
Wave Desktop – Wave Mobile App
For iOS and Android
Mobile communications hub for the UCM6300 series
Free to download and use
Communicate with any device or user integrated with the UCM6300 series
Integrate with UCM Remote Connect (Not with Wave Lite ed.)
UCM Remote Connect Service
Cloud NAT traversal service from Grandstream
Create secure remote connections between remote users/devices and the UCM6300 series
Ideal for any business with remote workers and/or multiple offices
Create secure connections between remote UCMs
Plans and specifications coming soon
Still not sure which UCM6300 model is the best for your communication needs? Call one of our VoIP experts at 1-800-398-8647 today for an evaluation! The UCM6300 series is coming soon! Stay tuned for more information.
We want to continue sharing VoIP Supply’s Refresh Program for refurbished devices because we know that there are so many businesses out there that may be in need of just that- used IP phones- but may not exactly know where they can get quality refurbished devices for fair market value.
VoIP Supply has been in the refurbished game for years now, and we are not perfect, but we are pretty close to it! We are confident that we are hard to beat when it comes to offering used devices that work great and look good.
Take a look at our 10-Step Refresh Process:
These are our featured products of the month!
The Polycom VVX 501 IP Phone is a Gigabit device with a touchscreen display. It provides all the key features a professional user would require in order to work effectively and efficiently. For example, the VVX 501 complements user’s desktop computers by displaying calendars and corporate directories right on the phone’s display. With Polycom’s HD Voice in both the handset and the speakerphone, rest assured that your calls will be crisp and clear.
Another great refurbished IP phone, also from a respected VoIP manufacturer is the Yealink T46S.
As you can see in the picture above, the T46S is a beautifully designed IP Phone with a color 4.3-inch color touchscreen display. It has a paperless design and supports up to 16 SIP accounts. The T46S supports Wi-Fi via the WF40 dongle, and Bluetooth via the Grandstream BT40 dongle.
And for our friends looking for a refurbished conference phone, the Polycom Trio 8800 is the way to go if you need a noise cancelling phone, with HD Audio that also has a familiar Skype for Business touch screen interface.
With built-in Wi-Fi and a 20 foot range, the Trio 8800 is a reliable and flexible conference phone that can be in small-to large meetings. It supports 5-way conferencing and has Polycom’s patented noiseblock.
These refurbished options make a great buy for users that want quality for less. These devices are backed by VoIP Supply’s one year warranty for your peace of mind!
Have questions about VoIP Supply’s Refresh? Give us a call at 1-800-398-8647.
Note: This article was originally written by Garrett Smith, and edited by Ying-Hui (Evy) Chen
Q: We recently purchased an IP PBX, but aren’t using VoIP to send and receive calls. I keep hearing about ‘SIP Trunking’ everywhere I turn. What is ‘SIP Trunking’ and can it help my business save money on calls?
A: If you are the proud owner of a SIP compatible IP PBX and are currently using a PSTN connection, such as a PRI or a handful of POTS lines to make and receive phone calls, it might be time to give SIP trunking a look.
Many IP PBX systems, such as Asterisk and Trixbox allow you to leverage SIP trunking, in addition to maintaining PSTN connectivity. By editing the dial plan in your IP PBX, you can dictate which types of calls you want to connect to the PSTN, and which calls you want to hand off to your SIP trunking provider for termination. Cost savings is a primary reason why SIP trunking is becoming increasingly popular with businesses of all shapes and sizes.
What is a SIP Trunk?
For enterprises wanting to make full use of their installed IP-PBXs and not only communicate over IP within the enterprise, but also outside the enterprise, a SIP trunk provided by an Internet Telephony Service Provider to connect to the traditional PSTN network is the solution.
Unlike in traditional telephony, where bundles of physical wires were once delivered from the service provider to a business, a SIP trunk allows a company to replace these traditional fixed PSTN lines with PSTN connectivity via a SIP trunking service provider on the Internet.
There are a number of reasonable answers to that question, but the primary advantage for many users is cost savings. For example, as a business owner, I could leverage SIP trunking to bypass expensive Long Distance or International toll charges levied by my PSTN provider. The rates for domestic and international LD are typically a fraction of what can be charged by traditional Telco operators.
Understanding that a SIP trunk is dependent upon the integrity of your data (internet) connection, it is often prudent to use SIP trunks to complement traditional PSTN circuits. This gives you the cost savings you are looking for, in addition to the fail-over and redundancy of having two call carriers available.
Actual trunk configuration will vary depending upon the make and model of IP PBX you are using.
In a nutshell, you need to configure SIP trunking using account-specific information obtained when you sign up for service with an ITSP such as Bandwidth.com.
Next, modify the dial plan in your PBX to set up specific call rules which dictate which trunks (SIP or PSTN) calls are placed on when a user picks up a phone in your office and dials an outbound call. A very simple dial plan setup would use PSTN trunks for local calls, and SIP trunks for LD or International calls. Many businesses with multiple domestic and international locations use SIP trunking for intra-office calling as well, often leveraging their existing data infrastructure.
If you are interested in getting SIP trunking in place feel free to contact one of our VoIP experts at 1-800-398-8647 and our team will be happy to share some instruction for your specific PBX platform.
Jabra headsets are very intuitive and easy to use. Today we will show you how to connect your Jabra Evolve 40 to your laptop or a mobile device.
How to Connect Jabra’s Evolve 40 to a PC
The Jabra Evolve 40 headset connects to your PC through a controller. Fully plug your headset into the controller first and then connect the controller to a USB port on your PC. Make sure your headset jack is fully inserted into the controller.
What happens when the headset is disconnected from the controller during a call? The active call will be put on hold until you reconnect the headset to the controller and manually resume the call on your PC.
How to Connect Jabra’s Evolve 40 to a Mobile Device
When connecting your headset to a mobile device, you need to remove the controller. You should simply plug your headset directly into your mobile device. Note that when the headset is connected to a mobile device, the overall call quality will be lower than when connected to a PC or tablet through the controller.
This month’s Sangoma reseller webinar is loaded with good information! We took a closer look at Sangoma’s Switchvox Cloud, SIPStation and FAXStation. If you missed the webinar or simply want to refresh your memory, here’s a quick recap:
What’s New in Switchvox Cloud 7.3.1?
Switchvox 7.3.1 is the latest version of Switchvox, which brings several new features to Switchvox Cloud. Some key features include:
Emergency dialing notifications: When a user dials 911, a notification is sent to the email address(es) specified.
Music on hold
Easy call pickup
Switchvox Desktop software: The Switchvox Desktop Softphone for Windows and macOS is now available
Question: How can a Sangoma partner benefit from selling SIPStation or FAXStation? Do we have a different price list?
Answer: You don”t have a different price list. You’re able to get recurring revenue. When you sell through VoIP Supply, you get access to SPIFFS. Currently, there is a 5X MRR SPIFF. See the details here.
Have questions? Contact one of our VoIP experts at 1-800-398-8647 to learn more!
Our tech support team at VoIP Supply offers great pre- and post-sales support plus provisioning, consultations, configuration, and installation help. We get a lot of VoIP hardware and software questions and would like to share the solutions with everyone.
Q: Is SIP calling free? How much does SIP calling cost?
One single provider for all: A traditional landline sends communications through an analog private branch exchange (PBX) system while a VoIP system transfers voice and data via a single network. There a VoIP system eliminates the need for multiple service providers. This will cut down your expenses significantly!
No long distance call fees: Since all VoIP phone calls are made through your existing Internet connection, there will be no more long distance call fees. calls equally with a monthly fee.
You will find that prices for VoIP solutions vary widely since there are so many different ways to deploy VoIP. Some general things for you to consider are:
Do you want to pay for everything up front?
Do you want a monthly recurring charge, or do you want to pay for some of the system up-front and pay the rest off monthly?
Make sure you know what your total cost of ownership (TCO) is before signing on the dotted line.
Come back for more VoIP questions and answers next time! If you have VoIP questions to ask us, please contact our VoIP experts today at [email protected] or at (866) 582-8591
Fanvil’s X2P IP Phone is one of the most popular IP phones for call center environments. The X2P comes with an innovative design, high performance, and product efficiency.
Before your X2P can provide telephony service, at least one line must be configured on it. The line configuration stores the service provider and the account information used for registration and authentication. When your X2P is configured, it will be able to register the device to your service provider with the right address and authentication. Let’s take a quick look at how this can be done!
How to Manually Configure a Line on Fanvil X2P IP Phone
To configure a line on your Fanvil X2P IP Phone, simply follow these steps:
Open the line configuration screen through the soft-menu button: Menu > Settings > Advanced Settings
Enter the correct PIN code to enter advanced settings to edit line configuration. (The default PIN is 123)
There you have it! Are you ready to learn more about the X2P? Visit our product page or call one of our VoIP experts today at 1-800-398-8647 to learn more!
