Who Are the Ideal Users of the Algo IP Paging and Alerting Solutions?

November 21, 2019 by Ying-Hui Chen

Algo’s IP paging and alerting solutions are designed to be used in a variety of verticals, including education, healthcare, manufacturing, transportation, and more!

During our recent webinar with Algo, Scott talked about how each of these industries can take advantage of Algo’s solutions to secure their facilities and/or communicate effectively . He also addressed some complicated set-ups like multiple networked amplifiers with Poly’s VVX phones, Algo’s 8373 and 8186 speakers (see below):

If you’d like to see some real use cases, download our webinar slides here! In the presentation, Scott showcased a few common applications such as:

Scheduled announcements
Emergency notification – ring an extension
Emergency notification – push a button
Emergency notification – 8138 strobe light

Our webinar recording is coming up! We will share out as soon as it’s ready! Meanwhile, check out the Q&A session below to get more information:

Algo IP Paging Webinar Q&A

Q: Can the video be streamed to a VMS or NVR? (Referring to the Algo8306 SIP Multimedia Intercom)

A: No, this has been done before but this is not currently supported.

Q: What product would I use as a ring alert for my Polycom (Poly) phones?

A: If you wanted to put a speaker in a ring group that could require more licensing but we do have a product the Algo 2506 Ring Detector it’s a small cord that has an RJ connection on it and that would connect to the headset jack of the VVX phone. Then there are 2 terminal screws you can wire to any of the Algo 818x speakers or strobes and it will trigger that ring event. By doing so will play an audio or visual alert. You can put multiple units on the network then use multicast to broadcast that event.

Have some questions? Contact one of our VoIP experts today at 1-800-398-8647!

What are the Alternative Options to Toshiba Phone Systems?

by Ying-Hui Chen

toshiba-direction Toshiba announced their decision to wind-down their Telecommunication Systems Division (TSD) in March 2017 and now their warranty on the Toshiba phone systems has come to an end. A lot of people are searching for alternative solutions to replace their current phone system. If you don’t have any replacement plans yet, don’t panic! Our VoIP specialists are here to give you some directions.

What are the Alternative Options to Toshiba Phone Systems?

Since Toshiba phone systems are all proprietary, switching out the system will involve replacing the entire phone system. This, understandably can seem like a daunting endeavor but seriously don’t panic! You can also see this as an opportunity to make a change for your business. Our VoIP specialists have come up with a three-step process below to help you find the best replacement option for your business.

Step One: List Out Your Requirements

Examine your business needs and list the requirements that must be met by the new phone system you are switching to.

Step Two: Plan Your Budget

How much capital expenditure do you plan to spend? Do you want to maintain your own PBX or go to the Cloud? Do you want to have custom applications? Do you have an on-site IT staff? All of these are questions that you must answer in order to assure that you are shopping for the best phone system for your business.

Step Three: Choose Your Ideal Type of VoIP System

There are basically two main types of VoIP systems available: Cloud Hosted VoIP and On-Premise VoIP.

Usually, for small to medium-sized businesses with a limited budget, a hosted VoIP system would be ideal since the service provider will provide most of the maintenance, which means you don’t need to have an on-site IT staff. Additionally, only a limited amount of VoIP hardware is required to get your system up and running, therefore, the upfront costs are relatively low.

For larger enterprises that desire customization, an on-premise VoIP system will give you more flexibility and independence. Although this option requires higher upfront costs to purchase the required VoIP equipment, it’s a great long-term investment as you own the equipment and save from the low monthly rates; however, we highly recommend checking out a hosted option as well. You will also benefit from the high scalability, customized applications, and migration support. See a variety of the on-premise solutions here.

If you are still not sure where to start or you are concerned about your specific business situation, VoIP Supply’s CloudSpan MarketPlace is a great place to direct you to the best solution. If you’re interested in moving your system to a safer and more reliable solution, fill out the form below or dial 800-305-1427 to receive a free consultation with up to 3 potential VoIP service solutions from some of the most popular service providers on the market!

Demo Yealink’s New T5 Series VoIP Phones at No Cost!

November 20, 2019 by Ying-Hui Chen

Yealink’s new T5 Series is designed to provide the best possible personalized collaboration experience for businesses of all sizes. Since many of our customers are interested in trying these professional desk phones, we’re now offering FREE demos! Call our VoIP experts at 1-800-398-8647 to apply for your demo at no cost today!

About the Yealink New T5 Series IP Phones

The new T5 series includes the T53, T53W, T54W, T57W, T58A (with or without camera), and VP59. These professional desk phones delivers cutting-edge capabilities and affordable access to advanced features including:

Instant Content Sharing
Intercom Integration
Adjustable Display
Distraction-Free HD Communication
Built-in Bluetooth & Wi-Fi
4-time-faster chip-set can support corded-cordless technology & acoustic shield
See More Features:

Download datasheet

Learn more about the New T5 Series here!

Grandstream GDMS Guide: An Overview with Live Demo

November 19, 2019 by Ying-Hui Chen

If you haven’t heard about GDMS, you’re really missing out! Grandstream’s GDMS is a free cloud based solution that provides easy-to-use tools to manage your Grandstream devices. During our webinar with Grandstream last week, Abdel presented some key features of the GDMS and demonstrated how you can take advantage of this new platform! Let’s do a quick recap:

GDMS Key Features & Functionalities:

Encrypted provisioning using HTTPs
No limitations on the number of devices and SIP accounts
Support for all device configuration parameters
Serial number authentication of devices to ensure private rights
Device configuration with group templates and model templates
Device management by sites

In the live demo, Abdel from Grandstream showed us how to add devices, add SIP accounts, set parameters, and more actions in GDMS. You can download our presentation slides to learn more!

If you are a VoIP Supply registered partner, you can also log in to our partner portal to learn more about GDMS!

Grandstream GDMS Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: If configuring phones manually through their own web interface, is there a way to then import the configuration into GDMS?

A: Yes, download the configuration and come to GDMS and import. Once imported, you can push the configuration to update. Choose the device and push >schedule config>update.

Q: When will the GDMS support the UCM where it can pull the ext list and config from the PBX?

A: There is no exact ETA yet.

Q: When will support for GXW Gateways and HT ATA’s be available?

A: ATA is already supported. GMDS supports HT801, 802, 812, 813, 814, 181. There’s no exact ETA for the gateways. The supported devices are added based on priority.

Q: Is there a timeframe for the GXP1760W to be added to the GDMS?

A: No, we have to wait for the next release. They might be added in the future.

Q: Will GDMS Be replacing zero-config within the UCM line?

A: These two are different things. GDMS does local configuration updates. You can have them both at the same time. When you have a conflicting config but different value, the last one will override the previous one. They do the same thing but different portocal. Zero config and GDMS can exist at the same time.

Q: Is GDMS free?

A: Yes it is. Click here to create a FREE account.

Q: For firmware, is there a way to filter by compatibility (for example, only push new firmware to phone which is used on a 3CX system if it’s officially supported?)

A: Yes, when you go to the Firmware page in GDMS, you have two options – official and custom firmware. If you have a firmware you have been using and you don’t want to upgrade it, you can go to custom firmware tab to upload and then you can select the specific phones you want to upgrade.

Q: Is there a mobile app for the GDMS?

A: Currently, we do not have an app for GDMS. Grandstream is planning to have an app for GDMS in the foreseeable future.

Q: Is there any port to be opened on the firewall for the GDMS to communicate with the Handsets on site?

A: GDMS uses HTTPS port number 443.

Q: Can PBXs ( all UCM) be configured using the GMDS. The question is more: Do you have a list of officially supported firmwares depending on pbx providers?

A: We currently do not support UCMs on GDMS. This is a roadmap item but likely further in the future.

A Sneak Peek at Fanvil’s New XS and XU Series IP Phones

November 15, 2019 by Ying-Hui Chen

Since Fanvil released their XU Series IP phones, our team has been receiving a lot of interests and questions! In our recent webinar with Fanvil, we were able to interact with our partners and get their questions answered and we’d like to share them with all of you who may be interested.

Fanvil’s XS Series vs XU Series

Fanvil’s XS and XU series both are upgraded from the X Series IP phones including both software and hardware. Comparing to the XS Series, the XU Series comes with more SIP lines and advanced support such as PoE, IPv6, Opus, and more. Learn more about the differences here!

During the webinar, Tommy from Fanvil mentioned a ton of cool features that Fanvil’s XU Series IP phones are equipped with. I will quickly go through some of them here:

WiFi and Bluetooth

The XU Series is excellent for network environment with no or poor wiring. Simply plug the Wifi adapter into your XU Series IP phones and enable WiFi, you are ready to communicate wirelessly.

Video Preview

Fanvil’s XU Series supports IP cameras. You can set the DSS keys with the URL of your IP camera to play videos (switch between different LANs). Fanvil IP Phones can call the RTSP URL of a camera to preview the image of the camera on the screen. See how to set this up in our presentation slides.

SIP Hotspot

Fanvil’s IP phones also support SIP hotspot features. You only need to register one account and have that one account represent all the phones you have at multiple locations. When one IP phone receives a call, all client phones within its Hotspot group will ring and the first pick-up will answer the call.

And that’s not all! Downl o ad our presentation slides here to peak at more cool features and details!

Fanvil XU Series Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Are there any limitations on brand or model IP camera that will preview on the XU Series VoIP Phone?

A: The preview feature will work on all cameras that have an IP address and 264 codec.

Q: Does the X210i have all the features highlighted for the XU Series?

A: The X210i is a high-end feature phone. It has all the features that XU has and 3 times buttons, with an integrated side-car, BLF, sip hotspot, etc.

Q: What range can we expect from the built-in Bluetooth in X6U?

A: Bluetooth range depends on two pieces, the phone and the accessory. It is intended for close range use so it only comes with the standard range, 33 feet.

Q: Will there be an additional sidecar for the X6U in the future?

A: The X6U, already has 60 available keys. If one needs a sidecar beyond the capability of X6U, I would suggest the X210 model

What VoIP Phones Are Certified for Microsoft Teams

November 14, 2019 by Ying-Hui Chen

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: What IP phones are certified for Microsoft Teams?

A: The IP phones that are currently certified for Teams include Audiocodes C450HD, Yealink’s T55A, VP59, CP960 and T58 & T56 Series. See more Microsoft Teams compatible phones.

STAY TUNED

Come back for more VoIP questions and answers next time! If you have VoIP questions to ask us, please submit a technical support ticket or contact our VoIP experts today at (866) 582-8591

The Snom Wireless Conference Phones with 3-Year Warranty (Webinar Recap)

November 11, 2019 by Ying-Hui Chen

Are you thinking about going wireless like many other businesses? VoIP Supply and Snom co-hosted a webinar last week to showcase Snom’s latest wireless conference phones, the C520, the C620, and the C52 expansion speaker. If you couldn’t make it to the webinar, don’t miss out on this webinar recap!

During the webinar, we talked about how the C520 and C620 can be configured to fit different meeting room settings. From a huddle room to a training room with more than 20 participants, Snom has the wireless solution for you.

Both C520 and C620 support 3 SIP accounts and can work with the C52 expansion speaker; however, C620 is a 100% wireless solution that provides more powerful features such as 150 feet sound pickup range, and 24 hour wireless talk time. See a comparison chart below:

Download the webinar slides here! We will publish our webinar recording in a few days. Stay tuned!

What do you think about Snom’s wireless conference phones? Leave us a comment with your thoughts!

Asterisk 17.0.0 is Now Available!

November 6, 2019 by Ying-Hui Chen

Asterisk, a free and open source framework for building communications applications, recently released Asterisk 17.0.0 during AstriCon 2019!

What has been updated in Asterisk 17.0.0?

This version includes several fixes reported by the community. Asterisk 17.0.0 also adds new features and functionality including:

AttendedTransfer – queue up attended transfer to the given extension
BlindTransfer – redirect all channels currently bridged to the caller channel to the specified destination
ConfBridge – Add “average_all”, “highest_all”, and “lowest_all” values for the remb_behavior option
Dial – Add RINGTIME and RINGTIME_MS variables
RTP/ICE – indicate that you’d like an ice-host-candidate’s local address to be published as well as the mapped address.
ReadExten – add “p” option to stop reading extension when you press “#”
DUNDi – now supports IPv4/IPv6 dual binding
MWI – allows subscriptions to voicemail boxes using “presence” events

Asterisk 17.0.0 is now available for download at https://downloads.asterisk.org/pub/telephony/asterisk

See all updates here!

Have you tried Asterisk 17.0.0? What’s your experience? Share with us!

Poly Introduces Poly Studio X Series Video Bars for Microsoft Teams at Microsoft Ignite 2019

November 5, 2019 by Ying-Hui Chen

Poly announced that they will release Poly Studio X Series, an all-in-one video bars with a built-in Microsoft Teams experience at Microsoft Ignite 2019!

About Poly Studio X Series

Poly Studio X Series are purpose-built video conferencing devices designed for small to medium room settings. This series includes Poly Studio X30 and Poly Studio X50. Both devices will run the Teams application natively (in 2020). See highlighted features:

4K Ultra high definition (UHD)
Advanced noise suppression and unmatched video production rules
Ability to control with the new Poly TC8 touch screen

Poly Studio, a plug-and-play USB video bar for small huddle room, is now also certified for Microsoft Teams. Learn more about Poly Studio here!

“Whenever and wherever people connect with Microsoft Teams, we will be there to provide the best-in-class audio, video and voice endpoints to make the experience that much better,” said Joe Burton, president and CEO at Poly. “We deliver everything you need on the journey to transition to Teams.”

Refurbished Poly (Polycom) VoIP Phones for every office need

November 4, 2019 by Youleidy Vega

If you are into saving money and doing it well, then you need to learn about our Refresh line of used IP phones. Refresh is an avenue for small to large business owners to get their hands on quality VoIP phones at a fraction of the cost of new ones.

VoIP Supply understands that there might be some hesitation when buying used for that reason Refresh phones come with a one year warranty so that you can feel confident knowing that your purchase is protected no matter what.

Learn more about Refresh here.

Refresh phones are examined for functionality and brought up to the latest firmware before they are cleaned, packaged and ready to be shipped out of our doors working and looking as good as new.

The Refresh Process.

The Polycom VVX 411 is a deskphone with a large color display, easy to use interface and support for integration with third party Unified Communication (UC) applications.

The VVX 411 can handle up to 12 line appearances and features high definition audio for clear, life-like calls.

Key features of the VVX 411 at a glance:

12 Line appearances
Polycom HD Voice
3.5″ (320×240) Backlit Color LCD
Dual Gigabit RJ45 Ports
RJ9 headset port
Built-in auto sensing IEEE 802.3 af Power over Ethernet
Optional 48V DC power supply (not included)
Easy integration with Unified Communication platforms
VVX Expansion Module support
4-way directional navigation key
12 hard keys with basic icon keys included
Wired or Wireless Headset Support

For more detailed information on the VVX 411, read the VVX 411 datasheet.

A good pick for basic phone needs is the Polycom VVX 311. The VVX 311 desk phone has a simple appearance with a backlit grayscale display and an elegant black design. It is great for scenarios like a main reception space, a kitchen, cubicle spaces and contact centers.

The VVX 311 can handle up to 6 lines and features HD Voice.

Key features of the VVX 311 at a glance:

6 line or speed dial keys
Asian character support
Backlit grayscale graphical LCD (208 x 104)
HD Voice up to 7KHz on all audio paths (Speaker, Handset, Headset)
2 x Ethernet 10/100 or GigE (VVX 310)
Hard Keys: 12-key dial pad, home, speaker, mute, headset, volume, messages, hold, transfer
4-way navigation cluster with center “select” key
Supports VVX Expansion Module and VVX Color Expansion Module (Expandability up to 3 modules)
Skype for Business and Office 365 Cloud PBX interoperability (order “Skype for Business Edition” codes ending in “-019”)

For more detailed information on the VVX 311, read the VVX 311 datasheet.

For your voice conferencing needs, Refresh has options for you such as the Polycom Trio 8500 Conference Phone.

The Trio 8500 is great for medium conference rooms and can pick up voices up to 14 feet away 360°. It has a 5” touch screen display that is intuitive to use and makes making and receiving calls simple.

With noise block technology, the Trio 8500 has been designed to provide clear calls that get rid of any background noise not related to the call at hand. Also featuring HD Voice, your calls will be crisp and clear from beginning to end.

Key features of the Trio 8500 at a glance:

QoS Support
5-inch color LCD (720 x 1280 pixel)
On-screen virtual keyboard
3 cardioid microphones
14ft/4.3m microphone pickup range
Polycom® HD Voice™
Polycom® NoiseBlock™
Voice activity detection
Polycom Zero Touch Provisioning
Polycom® Acoustic Clarity™ technology
Open SIP and Microsoft Lync 2013/ Skype for Business/Office365 Cloud PBX

For more detailed information on the Trio 8500, read the Polycom Trio 8500 datasheet.

For these and more Refresh products check out our Refresh catalog.

Have questions about Refresh? We’d be happy to chat with you! Give us a call at 1-800-398-8647.