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Gold Systems, a leader in self-service customer communications using Interactive Voice Response (IVR) solutions announced that they have achieved the Microsoft Unified Communications Gold Competency.  "We have certified Microsoft Certified Professionals (MCP's) who have passed new UC competency evaluations. In addition, our sales experts have passed the sales and marketing assessment to achieve this goal as well as the required number of customer recommendations," noted Terry Gold CEO. "We have a strong professional services group that is skilled in both the migration from traditional PBX systems as well as the implementation of new Lync greenfield installations," Gold added. Gold systems has also partnered with other unified communications industry leaders to provide - start-to-finish, side-by-side and over-the-shoulder professional services.  Gold has indepth knowledge of media gateways, session border controllers, end points, SIP trunking and other options to maximize the range of customer settings from SMB to large-enterprise. For more information on Gold Professional Services, please email websales@goldsys.com.

Greetings! 

Welcome to the Cloud/Skype/Lync User Forum  click here for website.  

 

Of course the news, the really big news this week was the lackluster showing of the iPhone4s which I Twittered "a mind is a terrible thing to waste and so is a global media frenzy, does the "s" stand for stupid.  Certainly Apple blew it and you should read what others have to say.  Having stood in line for the first iPhone3 back when and certainly drank from the firehouse of media hype and "sneak peaks" as what the iPhone5 was going to look like.  Not sure if Tim Cook has feet big enough to fill the shoes of Steve Jobs.  

Then Steve Jobs dies.  My epitaph for him was that he gave all of us the "desire to inspire."  Of course, marketing, marketing and more marketing IMHO was truly the greatest thing he did so very well.  He knew how to do marketing and create a global frenzy and how to nurture it and care for it.  He knew how to do retail marketing with his stores always full of thoroughly excited staff and extraordinary customer experience.  He knew how do really "do it."
 

I just wanted to highlight what I think was his greatest innovation. My sister had a Nano before I did which was quite surprising as i have always been the techy, geek, propeller head in the family into electronics, ham radio, etc.  I had one of the first cassette player and so when she got a Nano I was going WTF is that and why shouldn't I have one.  I indeed had an MP3 player but the Nano was different.  The Nano is sleek, chic and total designed for the feminine touch and look.  My compliment to Steve is that he designed the Nano in "pastel" colors which up until then was MP3 players in black and white for boys.  He make tech chic for girls and as they say the "rest is history" because girls could have cool stuff just like the boys and if you walk around a college campus, you see most all the girls and boys with Apple everything.  Steve may have also got his inspiration for design from Buckminster Fuller of "bucky ball" fame who spent his like (and I did see and hear him) living in designing a better world.  Steve, did indeed, design us a much better world to live in.      

 

Our goal is to find applications, solutions, tech, users and other content on Google, Apple, Facebook, Microsoft Lync, Amazon, Kinect, Twitter, SharePoint & Skype.  We want hear from you about great ideas on the WWW-wild wild web of internet communications and online cloud, SaaS and other hot tech solutions.  Send your ideas and products anytime.  

 

Top-10 UC Planning - "Best Practices"

We begin a two part series "best practices" - guidelines and real world answers.  As you may know, I don't really like the term UC or unified communications.  I prefer SC or simplified communications as both the user and the administrator want features for users and systems for administrators that are simpler more integrated to manage.  However, not always wanting to fight the trends, there is a considerable amount of research into this presentation along with at least one real-life administrator's comments.  This presentation will be expanded to include others being written and if you have your own answers, we would be delighted to include them here.  The animated version can be found by clicking here.  Here is the text version: 

Guideline: 1 - Locate IP-PBXs physically close to your IP gateways.

Real world answer: Good point.  That we did.  In all but one location, we are co-located with core network routers (Cisco 65XX)  We are directly connected from the PBX to the port on the router.  No patch panel in between for less chances of someone accidentally unplugging the wrong patch cord.  Our sites were set up like this before the upgrade, so it wasn't a big step, but it did allow us to pool resources.  We supplied -48vdc power to the routers rather than the network guys trying to manage their own UPS systems, (which they had a very poor track record of).   We also were able to air condition only one space, rather than two.  In addition, our PBX has a couple of alarm inputs that we normally use for monitoring our external rectifiers.  By having these alarm indications, we can tell them that the power is out at a specific location.  In the past, all they would know was that a site had dropped off the network with no information as to the cause.

Guideline: 2 - Locate IP gateways and Unified Messaging servers on the same VLAN (with 802.1p and q)  and the same physical site.

Real world answer: Did that too.  The processors in each cabinet are all on the same subnet.  The gateway cards are on their own subnet.  This allowed for easy security control and monitoring of traffic.  As we start deploying IP phones, we'll be visiting the VLAN issue too.  Our AVST voice mail system is co-located with our main site, and on the same network, DC power, etc.    

Guideline: 3 - Locate Unified Messaging servers within the same physical site as  

other servers that have Exchange 2007 server roles installed, including Mailbox, Hub Transport, and Client Access servers.   

Real world answer: We don't use Exchange, but we are across the hall from our main data center.

Guideline: 4 - Terminate your WAN network connections physically close to where all SIP/IP equipment is located with both diverse (separate trench/aerial) and redundant physical routes.

Real world answer: All in the same room as our main site.  The network guys really jumped on board with the DC power stuff.  They had a very poor record of maintaining UPS's and had no UPS systems capable of running their equipment for more than a few minutes.  By placing their core routers, WAN connections, ISP connections at our main site, and utilizing a second site for back up ISP connections.  All ISP connections, core routers and WAN connections, as well as some microwave links are on our DC power system.  We sized for either 4 or 8 hours of run time based on the availability of on site fuel storage for the generators.  All sites with the exception on 2 very small locations, have back up generators.  With the generators and our long term DC power capabilities, it's rare that power outages affect our systems.  We do get occasional generator failures.

All core routers are dual homed.  ISP connections are redundant using alternate paths.  Remote sites (off the main campus) usually have at least two diverse paths back to the main campus.

Guideline: 5 - In branch office scenarios or over WAN connections, create VLAN set routers to prioritize voice and use the G.729 codec where feasible instead of the G.711 codec to minimize voice network traffic.

Real world answer: Got that too.  Some of our network guys are still a bit sore that our traffic is "prioritized" on "their" network, but they are slowly getting over it.   We are using G.711 on all our inter-site links, but will likely use the G.729 for everything else.  We are currently only running traffic between sites over the data network.  Actual roll out of IP telephones will begin next year.  VLAN for that is in the works.

Part 3 of 4 UCMA in the post-PBX world - View by Terry Gold - CEO Gold Systems    

 I was visiting customers this week and heard another acronym that is getting tossed around a lot in our world.  CEBP, or Communications Enabled Business Process.  Although I think it is a terrible acronym, the idea behind it is why I'm so excited about Lync.  I'll give you my first recollection of an example of Communications Enabling a Business Process from my early days at Gold Systems. 

 

Our very first customer twenty years ago, was Metropolitan Federal Bank in Fargo, North Dakota.  We built their very first automated telephone banking system, and while the people we worked with were very nice, the CEO was very concerned about putting an automated system in front of his customers.  This bank's roots went back to 1926 and he did not want some computerized voice annoying his customers, but the reality was that he could not staff a call center 24/7, 365 days a year, and his newer customers were demanding access to their accounts at all times.  We built a system that was easy to use, and it got great acceptance.  The customers who wanted to speak to a person could press zero during business hours, and the rest were able to do their banking day or night.

We did have a problem though.  The system used an SNA Link to the bank's mainframe, and it pretended to be a human at a "green screen" to get account information and then speak it back to the caller.  Sometimes the mainframe would go down, or the link would fail, or the bank programmers would change the location of a field and break our application.  When that happened, our application spoke the dreaded phrase, "We're sorry, the system is not available, please call back later."

 

Unfortunately for us, the CEO's brother-in-law was a big user of the system, and he seemed to be the guy who always caught the system misbehaving.  And he would call the CEO, who would call his IT director, who would call me.  Something had to be done because even though the system had great uptime, the "monitoring by brother-in-law" was not working.  So, we got the idea to build software that would get executed whenever the system had a problem, and it would literally call us on the phone, or send email to our support group.  We took a business process (I want my bank balance) and we communications-enabled it. We went on to communications-enable lots of business processes for customers, so when I first heard the acronym, CEBP I thought, "so that's what we've been doing all this time!"

 

Today, we no longer should think of the silos of "the phone system" or "email," we should be thinking about communications, and all forms of communications should work together.  With Microsoft Lync I can go from an email, to an IM, to voice, to video, to a conference, and I can do it with exactly one click per transition.  That's Unified Communications.  Using that capability from within a business application, such as an order processing work flow application or an accounting application is CEBP.  

 

One of the customers I talked to this week called it "Transforming Business through Communications." That's exactly what it is!  Click here for Gold Systems website. 

One Last Look - UC - IP-SIP Troubleshooting Guide 

- Calls to PSTN blocked

These will all be included in a Troubleshooting Flash Tutorial which can be found here. However without delay, here is the text version and let's begin with Delay. Here are some but certainly not all of the various types of delay (queuing) that can occur in a VOIP network:

- Coding-CODEC-compression/decompression/decoding - DSP-Digital Signal processing - compression and analog-to-digital processing - this means your chipset or your device whatever it may be may not be able to provide sufficient "transcoding" depending on the voice protocols you are talking to or from. Everybody thinks that all G.711, G.723, G.729 CODECs are all implemented the same way. Not really and not often do they really match up. The only way to be sure is to have your own "Bell Labs" and test all the potential devices in your own shop. Personally not a fan of third-party or even vendor testing. These companies really don't know or will never know how "hard or soft" you are on the products you buy, so how in the fondue would really be able to help you when you are having a melt-down.

- Queuing delay - network administrator router priority queues/router configurations - here's a real world answer - This (VOIP) was met with some friction, but we've worked all that out.  We now regularly get consulted on most network changes just in case there is any impact on our services that they may not realize by placing core routers, WAN connections, ISP connections at our main site, and utilizing a second site for back up ISP connections.  All ISP connections, core routers and WAN connections, as well as some microwave links are on our DC power system.  

- Variable packet sizes - different packet sizes - separate various types of IP traffic and route according to QoS policy

- Packetization - encapsulation of Layer 5 RTP/SRTP -- Layer 4 UDP -- Layer 3 IP -- Layer 2 Ethernet/Frame Relay/ATM/PPP/ISDN -- Layer 1 Dialup/T-1/SONET - there is no one answer to this, however, by upgrading and continuing to upgrade your network including all the wire, you can begin to isolate problems.  Here's a real world practical problem from the telecom manager, "Network routers could no longer be restarted at will for upgrades, but had to be coordinated with the telecom group, as well as emergency services since 911 calls could be affected."  Nice "gotya" if you are not buying coffee for the IT side of the house.    

- Serialization - computer processing delays - there are simply too many processors in the mix and this is likely to increase with firewalls, SIP Proxy servers, mobile devices and more.   

- Network Propagation - speed of light divided by distance or ~60 milliseconds across the continental U.S. plus multi-hop (router) delays - oh, referring this one to "Q" on Star Trek as he can change the speed of light for you.   

- Memory Buffers - memory overflow and out-of-order packet processing/reprocessing - this one is often found when you have too many different carriers and many of their own internal IP via MPLS-Multi-Protocol Label Switching policies can impact the packet flow.  Test and test often.  

Next week, we will dig into other issues to help you, as one Lync engineer said when he asked what he most wanted was - sleep.  

Even though you are the world's expert in SIP, you often need to explain "how it works" to another poor soul in your organization.  Who knows, I really doubt that most CIO's know how VoIP works or can define it - voice over internet protocol and every class I taught, it isn't until late the first day that the students get the "I" in session initiation protocol.  So, for your kids, companion or CIO, here are the four steps in making VoIP call:   

1 - After the IP phone is plugged into the LAN network and the AC electrical outlet or via POE-Power Over Ethernet cable, the IP phone will connect "bootup" to the services router located on the customer's premise.

2 - Next the IP phone like a PC needs to get an IP-Internet Protocol Address such as (192.30.56.180) from the DHCP-Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol server and connects to the IP network via a DNS-Domain Name Server or AD-active directory.

3 - Now the IP phone downloads from the SIP, Lync, HSP-Hosted Services Provider or server an Image (user features, telephone lines, privileges and other client software to enable service), verifies software version, performs authentication and other network management software as well as Configuration data such as system features, line appearances, corporate and personal telephone directories and other information.

Migrating to Microsoft Lync? 

AudioCodes Survivable Branch Appliances (SBA) and Media Gateways for Microsoft Lync - the preferred integration solution for branch office survivability (SBA), connectivity and interoperability with SIP Trunks, PBXs, IP-PBXs and other legacy systems.  

  
AudioCodes:  Interoperability, reliability and investment protection from the experts.   

Click here for more information.  Click on image for 8 steps to UC Flash tutorial.

Marketing Communications Solutions

There are a number of other marcom solutions available such as:  

- Newsletters (e.g. private label version of Lync User Forum)  

      from Constant Contact Certified Experts click here 

- Webseminars ("Highest Scores Ever" - Microsoft)

- Customer Case Studies ("Best Customer Case Study' - Broadsoft)

- White Papers (Top-10 Tips for VoIP Implementation - XO)

- SEO (top placement of key words in Google), e.g. Google  IVR Lync

- Social marketing (Twitter, social media course) see my Twitter account @techtionary

- Social media training (course evaluations available)

- Articles - email for example

- Press Releases (email for examples)

- Training - your courses

- Course development new courses (Qwest, Microsoft, others)

- Elearning course development and delivery (Qwest)

- Videos

- Consulting (product, strategic planning, crossnetpoints model)

 Email today to get help cross@gocross.com

Get Lync Smart: TECHnet click on image for link           

Here's a great place to get Lync Smart. I particularly like the labs and podcasts (which you can download and take with you).  

Webcasts 

Tune in as Microsoft subject-matter experts present product overviews and strategies for improving productivity and driving down costs. Webcasts include technical presentations about configuring, securing, and extending your unified communications infrastructure.

Videos 

Learn smart strategies, get new insights, and stay up-to-date on Microsoft tools, technologies, and services. Stream or download a video today.  

Virtual Labs 

Test drive Microsoft's unified communications solutions in a virtual lab. It's simple-no complex setup or installation is required. You get a downloadable manual and a 90-minute block of time for each module, and you can sign up for additional 90-minute blocks anytime.

Podcasts 

Stream or download these audio podcasts on to your favorite podcast software or mobile device. These podcasts are free and do not require registration-just click, listen, and learn.

Here's from one of the labs I explore: The New Enterprise Voice Features of Microsoft Lync Server 2010.   Microsoft Lync Server 2010 introduces the ability to give users a second, private telephone line in addition to the primary telephone line. Private telephone lines are often assigned to executives and others who want an unlisted telephone number at which they can be reached directly.  Private telephone lines can only be configured with the Lync Server Management Shell.   

Lync Forum Jobs Board

 click here to see. 

Jobs added for free on Lync Forum website

Jobs added in Newsletter for a fee.

Email links to your jobs to cross@gocross.com

Click here for blog 

Listen to customers:

email:nexthop@microsoft.com

tweet:http://www.twitter.com/DrRez

- Educate and inform through the NextHop, DrRez, PowerShell, and Lync client blogs found at:

http://nexthop.info

- stimulate a dialogue:

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