Inflow Communications deploys ShoreTel Unified Communications Internationally to Singapore

Inflow Communications recently deployed a ShoreTel VOIP Business phone system for Fluidigm Corporation, headquartered in South San Francisco, California.  The initial phase of the project involved installing a 170-phone ShoreTel Unified Communication system in California last winter.  In August, Inflow Communications extended the capabilities of the single-image ShoreTel system into Fluidigm’s manufacturing facility in Singapore.

The Need:

Fluidigm had an antiquated Nortel business phone system installed in California.  The system was not supported, inflexible, and failing.  In addition to the need to replace this failing phone system, Fluidigm’s business was changing drastically and they needed the appropriate Unified Communications technology to meet those needs.  Their workforce was becoming increasing mobile and the current system didn’t support seamless smart phone integration.  Additionally, Fluidigm recently rolled out Salesforece.com CRM.  Fluidigm desired the ability to leverage the investment in the CRM system by tracking inbound / outbound calls to their service center, “pop” client records when they call in, and give their sales force the ability to easily dial clients via the clients’ records.   Last, Fluidigm needed to extend all of this functionality to their International offices, starting with Singapore.

The Solution:

Working with Fluidigm’s IT vendor, Inflow assisted in the design and deployment of a new Adtran POE network architecture.  On that VOIP-capable architecture, Inflow added ShoreTel ShoreGear voice appliances, application servers (for desktop call control, voicemail, reporting, etc), and IP phones.  ShoreGearT1K appliances were installed to terminate two (2) PRI circuits from the Public Switched Telephone Network.  Furthermore, ShoreTel’s native Salesforece.com integration software was added to facilitate the CRM integration.   Last, a ShoreTel Converged Conference bridge was installed to accommodate audio conferencing, secure Instant Messaging, and desktop sharing.

A 45 MB MPLS connection to Singapore was provisioned with the appropriate Quality of Service (QOS) to support video and Voice-over-IP data transmissions between the offices.  The Inflow engineering and professional training team traveled to Singapore to install the appropriate ShoreGear switches to accommodate an additional 80 IP phones and an E1 ISDN circuit.  This provided station-to-station dialing, presence management, and intelligent call routing with their US facilities.

Fluidigm plans on working with Inflow Communications to deploy ShoreTel to their Paris office next.

Inflow Communications Completes a Five-year ShoreTel Unified Communications Project for Silverton Hospital

Inflow Communications, the Northwest’s leading provider of ShoreTel VOIP technology, recently completed migrating Silverton Hospital and all of it’s clinics to the ShoreTel phone system.  Almost 5 years ago, Silverton Hospital and Inflow integrated a ShoreTel VOIP phone system with their current Executone phone system and deployed ShoreTel to their newly-built Wellsprings facility in Woodburn, Oregon.  Doing so gave Wellsprings the ability to take advantage of ShoreTel’s Unified Communication features, while giving them the ability to conduct station-to-station dialing to their legacy PBX at the main hospital.   Furthermore, it allowed Silverton to leverage their investment in the existing telecommunications infrastructure and migrate to ShoreTel VOIP as their operational and financial needs allowed.

Over time, Inflow designed and installed ShoreTel at all Silverton clinics, while maintaining the integration to the core legacy phone system.  This year, over the period of 3 months, Inflow migrated the hospital to ShoreTel VOIP on a department-by-department basis. [ read more ]

Unified Communications and Mobility – The Death of the VOIP Handset Part 1

Nearly one-third of US homes don’t have land lines. 50% of those households, ages 25-29, don’t have land lines. A new Gartner Report says that, by 2012, 23% of workers using corporate mobile devices won’t even have a desk phone.

This makes sense to me. It seems as though corporate trends always follow household trends. I haven’t had a land line in my house for years. I’m deploying that same strategy here at Inflow Communications. Inflow Communications’ work-force is virtual and completely mobile. We use ShoreTel VOIP, Data Center Collocation, Terminal Services, SIP Trunking, Lifesize Video Conferencing, smart phone integration, Instant Messaging, and other technologies to maintain effective communication and collaboration with each other and our customers at all times. We use what we sell.

So back to the business phone system handset – I believe it will soon become obsolete. We have ShoreTel VOIP phones on our desks, but my extension, voicemail, email, and Direct Dial Number (DID) is always tied to my Smart Phone. I’m rarely at my desk. My employees, however, can “answer” calls into our business, see all other employees’ presence (on the phone, do not disturb, etc), transfer calls, conference, etc. It doesn’t matter if they’re on a VOIP phone, smart phone, IP Soft Phone, analog land line, etc. All telephony controls and tools are distributed to whatever device they’re on. Our engineers can answer ACD calls into our support queue and respond to our customers immediately anytime, anywhere in the world.

We’ve been doing this for a long time. But now the mobility story is changing again – and it will never be the same. Tune in to my next blog to learn about ShoreTel’s latest advancement in smart phone integration.

Travis Dillard is the President of Inflow Communications, Inc. Inflow Communications is a Portland, Oregon-based company that designs, deploys, and supports enterprise-class VOIP, business phone systems, and Unified Communications solutions to businesses throughout Oregon, Washington, and California.

Why VoIP is the Right choice for Small Business Phone Systems?

Regardless of your organization’s employee count, number of locations, and budget, VoIP is the absolute right choice for small business phone systems.  There are a number of reasons why a small business might be looking to upgrade, migrate, or purchase their first phone system. Either way, a small business should only be looking into a VoIP system.  Do NOT purchase a digital or a hybrid system (digital system with some VoIP capabilities).  Why? Many reasons:

• The benefits of VoIP in a small business phone system are invaluable.
• Global presence management (the ability to see if users are on the phone, in do not disturb, etc – regardless of their communication device or location).
• Remote employees can answer calls, transfer, and park; see calls in queue, etc – regardless of their location!  We’re seeing more and more small businesses use small business phone system technology to build “virtual” offices to keep professional appearances up and costs down.
• Find-me / follow-me and call forwarding:  Take your extension anywhere and stay connected.  This is great for mobile employees and road warriors.
• Manage the phone system YOURSELF from anywhere– with simple web-based administration tools.  Why pay the local phone “tech” lots of money to add a phone, delete a voicemail box, etc?
• Get your own phone number – with a Direct Inward Dial (DID) number.
• Stay in touch – get your voicemails emailed to your mobile device.

These are just a few features available in the right small business phone system.

Other reasons:

• A VOIP small business phone system potentially costs the same as a digital or hybrid one.
• No research and develop is being spent on legacy digital OR hybrid technology.  Don’t be caught in a situation where your equipment is no longer manufactured or supported in a few years.
• If designed right, the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is MUCH less with a VoIP small business phone system.  Features like web-based administration, simplified wiring (like a computer, just unplug and plug the phone into another jack if you want to move it), and ability take advantage of SIP trunking over inexpensive Internet connections – are all just a few reasons a VOIP small business phone system can save you considerably over time.

A Definition of VOIP:

Voice over IP (VoIP) is a general term for a family of transmission technologies for delivery of voice communications over IP networks such as the Internet or other packet-switched networks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voip

My definition of VOIP:

I talk into an IP device (phone, video conferencing system, computer, etc), that device uses a microphone to convert my analog voice frequencies into an electrical signal.  The IP device then samples that analog signal and converts it to binary data (ones and zeros) that can (eventually) be used by another device to convert back to an analog signal and played through a speaker.  Last, those ones and zeros are then capsulated into Internet Protocol (IP) Packets and sent across an IP network like the Internet, MPLS, etc.

So there is definitely much more that goes on, but you get the point.

What uses VOIP these days?

Business phone systems

Video conferencing systems

Online gaming devices

Internet-based communication applications like Skype and Google

Security systems

SIP Trunking

And the list goes on.