Sep 12, 2017
Broadband and telecommunications provider Voyager Internet has enhanced its voice technology capabilities with the acquisition of local internet phone services company, Conversant. The deal will give Voyager immediate access to Conversant’s voice technology platform providing new and better functionality for Voyager customers sooner than would be possible through development. Founded by entrepreneur Cameron Beattie in 2004, Conversant has been delivering effective and cost-efficient VoIP solutions in New Zealand for over 12 years, and in Australia since early 2016 Voyager will establish an Innovative Solutions department, led by Beattie, to develop new technologies and systems for customers. Beattie said the combination of Conversant’s software development expertise with Voyager’s telco, networking and infrastructure expertise will result in greater reliability and scalability, a broader product offering and deeper integration across the suite of telco services All Conversant employees will be making the transition to Voyager as part of the acquisition, and will be based at the company’s Auckland offices. Telecca has worked with Conversant so will watch with interest to see how things...
Sep 12, 2017
On 19 April Spark announced it is switching from the ageing Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). The replacement next generation IP-based network is the Converged Communications Network (CCN). The new network, to be progressively phased in over the next five years, will provide the foundation for Spark’s voice services into the future. It will bring together all voice communications – be it landline, mobile, video or data-based. Spark says it will enable richer, better customer experiences with voice, video, and collaboration features over whatever Spark service is available to them at the time, and provide the platform for new voice products and services. Some of mainstream media have suggested that this means customers will no longer be able to have a landline at home however this is not entirely true. People will still be able to get a landline but it will on the new CCN network rather than the current copper PSTN. Spark’s challenge will be limited by where they can deliver these services, highlighted by the frustrations some people have in getting UFB to their locations, particularly in more rural areas. For business users this announcement should possibly be less of a surprise. Spark has been talking to their clients about moving to IP services for some time. Most new voice contracts will include moving off copper and ISDN connections to SIP whether you are with Spark or not. These services have been available for many years now and are considerably more cost effective. Whilst these services can drive savings a considerable number of customers have not yet moved. It may not be a priority and quite...
Sep 12, 2017
We work with many clients helping them look at their current telephony platforms – largely aging PABXs. These systems often leave vendors and service providers the victims of their own success as they have provided rock solid telephony for years and required little, if any, in the way of upgrades or support. While most businesses recognise they need a replacement, an approved business case and budget can be a challenge. Now there is not just pressure from suppliers but also users who are demanding additional features such as mobility, unified communications and even video. So how do you select a new telephony system? We saw this Dilbert cartoon and unfortunately felt it had a little too much truth behind it for comfort. Most vendors are genuinely trying to find a way that their product or service can add value to your business but their focus is naturally centred on their own products and services. They do not understand your business or are as focused on return on investment as you. They are helping you justify your investment, you want the return to be a reality. Here are a few areas we feel you should understand: Business requirements Clients often underestimate the current use of telephony and take it for granted. Step back and look at how your business communicates both internally, between colleagues or departments, and externally, with clients and suppliers. What do we do today? What is good? What could we do better? Will additional features such as instant messaging, presence, click to dial, mobility and video really help my staff and my business? If so how? Users...
Dec 18, 2015
A number of small and medium enterprises may be facing uncertain times over Christmas. See article on www.stuff.co.nz
Oct 5, 2015
The main reason people use tollfree services (0800 and 0508 numbers) is to allow people to call you free of charge, therefore making it easier or more attractive to do so. Possibly with some marketing word numbers such as 0800 CALL US or 0800 BUSINESS. However there are many other benefits of using tollfree numbers that are less understood and underutilised. Firstly, some techie stuff The formal name is Free-Phone services in the New Zealand number registry but tollfree is the more common name. Number Prefix Total Number Length Currently used Numbers 080XYZ 10 0800 YZXXXX 050XY 10 0508 YXXXXX Various number blocks have been allocated to various telcos for their use. If New Zealand runs out of 0800 numbers for instance, additional tollfree number blocks of 0801, 0802, etc are available. Thankfully however we have not reached that point and 0800 and 0508 are the only currently used tollfree number blocks. This makes number recognition easier. And lastly, an important concept to realise is that a tollfree number is just that – a number. It has no phone line or phone attached to it. What does happen is that calls to a tollfree number are diverted to another number (called a terminating number) which is a “real” telephone line with real people on the end. And a bit of history Back in the day, the public telephone network was big, reliable, and pretty dumb. It switched calls really well but that was where it stopped. But tollfree was a clever premium service. And being a premium service, call costs were also at premium rates. Historically it used to...
Oct 5, 2015
We have had a number of conversations with clients and service providers about UFB. What is UFB and what is a ‘UFB like’ service? So what is UFB and as a user, should I care? New Zealanders are using the Internet to communicate more, and in new ways. For this reason the Government is investing in improving Internet access speeds in New Zealand through the Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) initiative. Broadband is defined by the International Telecommunications Union as a service which provides transmission capacity in excess of 2 Megabits per second (Mbps). Ultra-Fast Broadband is generally defined as a service which delivers much faster speeds, in excess of 25 Mbps. For the purposes of the New Zealand Government’s Ultra-Fast Broadband initiative, having access to Ultra-Fast Broadband is taken to mean the availability of broadband services at a minimum speed of 100 Mbps downstream (from the Internet to the user) and a minimum of 50 Mbps upstream (from user to the Internet). (Source http://www.crownfibre.govt.nz/ufb-initiative/) UFB is therefore internet access of a certain speed and not defined by delivery method or service provider? Or is it? There are two key layers of broadband providers for the Government’s (UFB) initiative. Local Fibre Companies (LFCs) There are four LFCs that have partnered with Crown Fibre Holdings (CFH) to build and provide wholesale access to fibre to deliver UFB across New Zealand. These wholesale broadband providers are: Northpower Fibre Provides 1.6% of NZ’s total UFB coverage UltraFast Fibre Provides 13.7% of NZ’s total UFB coverage Enable Networks Provides 15.3% of NZs total UFB coverage Chorus Provides 69.4% of NZ’s total UFB coverage Retail Service Providers (RSPs) These...
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