Hosted Business Phone Services (VoIP PBX)
Don’t buy a Business Phone System
Hosted Business PBX VoIP plans from only $10 per month…..
Whether your business is looking to use your existing phones or a whole
new system, our business phone service solutions are reliable, easy to
use, and can help reduce your costs up to 60%.
IP phones and PBX features for one low monthly payment
No capital spending on expensive PBXs and no maintenance costs
Business Class features like Call hunting, Call Parking, Music on
hold, Voice Mail and many more features… all included FREE !
Cost Savings Benefits for small companies with 2 lines or larger
companies with 200 lines.
Big business image at a small business price – Place customers on
hold, have multiple Voice mail boxes, Transfer calls….all this and more
for only $10…WOW !
Avoid costly infrastructure expenses by choosing the FTS Hosted PBX VoIP
solution. You get all the voice features of an expensive PBX system at a
fraction of the cost.
Features & Benefits of Hosted PBX VoIP
The features below are just a few of the more than 20 features offered on our
Basic Hosted PBX VoIP plan. For more details, check out our extended list.
Hosted PBX VoIP reduces your time spent managing your business phone service.
With Hosted PBX VoIP, there is no equipment to buy. We provide the phones and
the service for one low price. Hosted PBX VoIP lets you connect multiple
offices, move, change or add users instantly, and view voicemail and email all
in one unified messaging program such as Microsoft Outlook ®.
Features that make business easier! Big business image at a small business price from only $10 per month…..
Call Hold/Transfer Free up telephone lines, transfer to employees at other locations.
Find Me/Follow Me Receive calls at any of several locations in the order you choose anywhere,
globally.
Auto-attendant (requires additional line) Guide callers through voice prompts to reach a person or department.
Music On Hold Keeps callers entertained while on hold.
Call Hunting / Call Parking Your callers won’t get busy signals when they call you, connect all your
incoming phone lines in one hunting group and call park them with automatic
updates on the number of callers before them.
Conference calling Set up conference calls.
Voice Mail Single or multiple voice mail capabilities.
Unified Messaging Check voice messages and email all in one program, such as Microsoft® Outlook®.
Listen to messages in order of importance, rather than who called first.
Does this fit me? Hosted PBX VoIP is best for businesses that:
1. want to eliminate large upfront capital expenditure. IP Phones and PBX features for one low price. No need to spend thousands on a
PBX.
2. want all the features of a large PBX at a fraction of the cost. Hosted PBX VoIP can give you all the fancy features of a large PBX including
call parking, Voice Mail, Call Hunting, Music on Hold, call transfer, Automatic
Call Delivery and a host of other features.
3. have limited IT resources. No need to hire more people or spend time learning the technology.
4. have multiple locations. Free unlimited calling between locations.
5. have a large number of mobile or off-site workers. Free calling between offices, and your phone number follows you.
6. are growing quickly and want a flexible solution. Hosted PBX VoIP can quickly and easily scale to your needs without incurring
unnecessary infrastructure costs.
7. have employees who work from their homes. Hosted PBX VoIP can connect all your employees no matter where they are and have
them seamlessly work as if they were housed in one location.
8. want to save money. Hosted PBX VoIP can save you thousands over the life time when compared to
traditional phone services.
9. want unified communications. Hosted PBX VoIP can quickly connect your office phone, your home phone, your
cell phone and can even email your voice mail messages.
How Hosted PBX VoIP Works
Ever wonder what happens when you order our Hosted PBX VoIP service?
This short
path explains a few of the questions we will ask you, and the few steps required
to make it happen.
The step-by-step process flow:
1. Network Assessment You want your Hosted PBX VoIP phone service to work flawlessly, so we recommend
an onsite network assessment to best determine your needs. Our technicians will
check out your existing network to make sure you will be satisfied with your
Hosted PBX VoIP service.
2. Number of seats This is the first of a few questions our Customer Service Specialists will ask
you to ensure you get the service you want. “number of seats” is fancy telecom
talk for how many people in your company will need phones!
3. Types of plans We offer Basic Plus, Enhanced, and Premium.
4. Types of phones We offer several different types of phones to choose from so you get the ones that
best fit your business needs. Some leading brands we offer are Grandstream,
Cisco, and Polycom.
5. Drop ship phones One of our Network Services specialists will configure the phone system directly
for your needs. These include special call groups, special voicemail boxes, Auto
Attendants, ACD queues, and other features. After the configuration is complete,
we will ship them directly to you.
6. Test and turn on the phones We will then put you on the phone with one of our Activations Specialists, who
will get your system up and running, and have you make a test call.
7. Ready to go! Your new Hosted PBX VoIP phone service from FTS is now ready to use, and save
you money, time, and hassles. If anything should go wrong, our customer support
people here in the U.S. and ready to help.
FTS provides premier data and voice communications solutions, along with comprehensive customer support. FTS helps small and medium-sized businesses around the country leverage cutting-edge technology and complete transparency to enable them to compete directly with large enterprise. FTS's experienced Account Executives can help you discover how your company can save money and time by utilizing advanced VoIP and data technologies.
FTS is able to negotiate the best available rates from the leading national carriers. Because we purchase access in bulk, we can pass significant savings on to you. We will give you a comparison of the leading providers, allowing you to choose the best rate. Additionally, if you have business premises in multiple locations, we can mix and match carriers, building you the best rate package available. FTS also offers complete customer support. All of our customers - regardless of their size - receive the same outstanding technical support.
FTS deals with business of all sorts, all around the country. We provide complete business communications solutions to small and medium-sized business and Fortune 500 companies, we have helped companies like yours achieve their communications needs.
VoIP is a means of transmitting analog voice signals over a digital network. Small to medium-sized business (SMBs) are increasingly turning to voice over IP (VoIP) solutions as an alternative to traditional public switched telephone networks (PSTNs). Instead of your voice being transmitted over analog phone lines, your calls will be routed through networking equipment and travel by way of Internet Protocol. Since phone calls are placed through the internet, phone companies and long-distance charges are bypassed. Commercial users of VoIP technologies can save money and cut costs by installing VoIP hardware instead of using telephones which can accumulate hefty long distance charges.
Many businesses can save money by switching to VoIP for their voice communication needs. Our Account Executives can help you explore options and find out how much your business can save. Additionally, the option of running voice and data communications over the same circuits is another way to save money.
Definitely. Depending on your communications needs, VoIP has the potential to deliver significant savings on communication, letting you allocate valuable resources where they should be allocated: growing your business.
Many current phone technologies are capable of running VoIP. If you currently have a PBX, our Account Executives can help you determine whether you're ready for VoIP. FTS also offers hosted IP-PBX, allowing you to avoid the hassle of maintaining your own equipment.
SIP is a process that allows for creating, modifying, and terminating multimedia sessions with one or more participants. These sessions include Internet telephone calls and multimedia conferences. SIP is widely used as a protocol for Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP.
SIP trunking is a means of leveraging the powerful SIP technology to
provide dedicated multimedia support to a physical location. A
SIP trunk is a connection between your IP network and the SIP network of
your telephony provider - in essence, a SIP trunk is a phone line.
FTS is the leader in SIP trunking technology, with an active and
experienced research and development team and 24x7 customer support.
SIP
easy to use, is scalable, and saves companies money. With SIP, you can buy
exactly the number of lines you need. You can route calls to any domestic
physical location, and you can leverage your existing infrastructure to
maximize your investment potential. Click
here to learn more.
FTS offers business the option of avoiding the purchase and
maintenance of expensive telecommunications equipment.
Hosted IP-PBX systems are best for businesses that want to "get out of
the business of telecommunications management." Our Account Executives can
help you determine if this option is best for you.
It depends on the type of
PBX
you currently have. If you have recently made a large investment in phone
technology, it might make sense for you to go with our
SIP
trunking service, which would allow you to leverage your current
investment with the latest technologies. Our Account Executives can assist
you in making this determination.
FTS contracts with the leading national carriers to offer you the
best, most reliable internet access, at the best price, to support your
voice needs. FTS is a
complete business communications solutions provider. We offer inbound,
outbound, and two-way calling with a variety of available features. Contact
your Account Executive for specific details on how FTS's
VoIP
service can give your business an edge over the competition.
FTS offers a variety of
VoIP
service packages with myriad
features, priced and configured according to the specific needs of your
business. We are a complete business communication solution provider.
Contact your Account Executive for specific details on how FTS's
VoIP service can give your business an edge over the competition.
E911 is an improvement to the traditional 911 Emergency phone system.
E911 provides emergency operators with a physical address for each incoming
call. This offers obvious public safety advantages. Some VoIP providers
(like Vonage) direct 911 calls to a central operator, who will gather the
necessary address information and forward it to the authorities.
E911-compliant systems connect you - and your address - directly to the
local public safety officials. Our ELS phone lines are fully
E911-compliant, offering you and your employees complete peace of mind.
FTS provides superior
SIP
trunks and
call-routing technology. Our routing networks are structured to provide
the most direct route for your calls. FTS employs multiple call
gateways, assuring faster and better connections for your calls. This means
reduced latency and coverage of over 90% of the domestic service area. All
of this translates into superior business performance. Contact one of our
Account Executives to learn the
benefits of FTS BusinessVoIP.
It depends on the type of
PBX
you currently have. If you have recently made a large investment in phone
technology, it might make sense for you to go with our SIP trunking service,
which would allow you to leverage your current investment with the latest
technologies. If you favor a more hands-off approach, our feature-rich
Hosted IP-PBX service might be just what you need. Our Account
Executives can assist you in making this determination.
FTS maintains a stock of more than 2 million voice-capable
SIP trunks, offering full Local Number Portability
(LNP)
compliance. We support local call origination from 5,300+ rate centers,
covering 300+ markets. Our service footprint covers 93% of the U.S.
population, with 1,000 to 10,000 phone numbers available in each unique rate
center. We can request specific numbers, but cannot guarantee them. Our
number porting service allows you to move the custom numbers you currently
have to a FTS VoIP system.
Probably. Along with many other
features, FTS supports number porting from almost all service
providers. We can configure your system with your current numbers, offering
your customers and employees a seamless transition.
Typically, we can get your new
BusinessVoIP system up and running in 3-5 business days. We maintain a
large stock of local numbers in more than 300 markets, so we probably have
the numbers you need in stock. If we need to secure additional numbers, the
process will take 5-10 business days.
FTS's
SIP
trunking and
hosted
IP-PBX services offer rates as low as $0.019 / minute for long distance.
At this time, we do not offer an unlimited long distance plan.
In many cases, our customers can use their current telecommunications
equipment. If you currently have an
IP PBX
or SIP-ready equipment
(click here to determine whether your equipment is SIP-ready), you will
need no additional hardware. We can also help you acquire the equipment
necessary to convert your analogue voice equipment to VoIP technology.
FTS will refer customers wishing to upgrade their equipment to our
certified PBX partners.
The amount of bandwidth for a call depends on the codec that is being used.
The g.711 requires about 80-90k per call, while the g.729a requires about
30k.
FTS recommends a
T1
data connection for the best call quality. T1 lines offer the best
combination of uptime, stability, and reduced
latency. Our Account Executives can help your business experience the
increased productivity of a T1 line and the efficiency of VoIP
communications with our bundled service packages. FTS's SIP
trunking can run on IP-enabled
PBXs
or on an
Asterisk server.
FTS offers one, two, and three-year
VoIP
and data contracting. By signing a longer contract, you can lock in lower
rates and reduce some installation charges. Additionally, FTS
offers the ability to re-negotiate pricing options at the end of a contract
term.
FTS offers some of the most comprehensive
SLAs in the industry. Our U.S.-based customer support team is available
24x7 to solve all of your communications issues. Click
here
to read what our customers have to say about the support they receive from
FTS.
FTS offers each of our customers an industry-leading
service level agreement. Our overriding concern is customer
satisfaction, and this is reflected in our commitment to service excellence,
as reflected in our SLAs, which provide specific performance and service
guarantees. The end result is that our small and medium-sized business
customers can enjoy complete comfort and confidence.
FTS enjoys an industry-leading 99.4% customer retention rate.
Click
here to read what some of our small and medium-sized business customers
have had to say about our service.
FTS has the industry's leading VoIP
SLA. Our VoIP services is guaranteed to have maximum uptime and minimal
latency and
jitter issues. Click
here
to read what some of our customers have had to say about their
VoIP
service.
FTS knows that your small and medium-sized business needs maximum
flexibility when it comes to scaling your operations. You can add a single
DID
line at any time during your contract for the same low initial rate. Unlike
some of our competitors, we will not force you to buy packages of lines you
don't need.
FTS's
BusinessVoIP service includes one
DID
per
SIP trunk ordered. There are three
options
geared for maximum flexibility for your small or medium-sized business.
The cost of adding additional lines is the same throughout your company's
relationship with FTS. We can add a single trunk at any time;
contact one of our Account Executives for specific pricing details.
FTS can transfer your existing phone numbers to your new BusinessVoIP system. It typically takes 3-4 weeks to complete the porting process, depending on how many numbers you have to transfer. We realize that speed is essential; most of our small and medium-sized business customers have found that the process can be completed in about 30 days.
Absolutely. Flexibility is a hallmark of FTS's small and
medium-sized business VoIP service. We can add additional
DIDs
at any time. Click
here to contact one of our Account Executives for details.
E.164 Numbering is the international standard for assigning telephone
numbers. Almsot all of FTS DIDs are E.164-compliant, which means
that phone systems anywhere in the world can reach them.
Each business is unique in its communications requirements. Your bandwidth
needs depend on how many users you have at your location, and what those
users are doing. FTS offers premium
fractional T1,
T1,
fractional T3,
T3,
and
optical data connections. Our Account Executives can help you determine
which of these options is best for your situation.
For most customers in most geographic locations, it takes about 35-40 days
to install a new
T1
connection. FTS coordinates every step of the process, from
signing the contract to scheduling the installation. With our unique
Customer Portal, you
can manage every step of your installation process. You're not left with
uncertainty about when installation events will take place, allowing you
better to coordinate the resources necessary for setup. Additionally, our
customer support team is ready to assist you 24 hours a day, seven days a
week.
Our T1,
DS3,
and
optical data lines are private connections with private ports. We
believe our small and medium-sized business customers deserve the speed and
security that can only be delivered by a dedicated, private line. Our
pricing includes the port and the loop charge together, providing for a
seamless, guaranteed data connection.
Yes. FTS believes consistent, reliable data and voice connections
are essential to success for our small and medium-sized business customers.
We pride ourselves on providing this service, and this guarantee is tied to
our industry-leading SLA. You will always receive the specified speed
capability.
FTS is the
provisioning company. We are not an agent. We manage the customer's
implementation, billing, and support, 24x7. An agent will sell the
transaction and then allow another company to manage all of the support and
implementation. You may never hear from that person again, whereas at
FTS, we handle all of this in-house. This guarantees a seamless
data and voice experience.
FTS realizes that when your internet access is down, your business
is not making money. Therefore, we guarantee that when you call our 24x7
service department, you call will be answered - by a live technician in our
Cary, NC service center - by the third ring. Most of the problems are such
that we can solve them remotely. We have extensive relationships with each
carrier, so if there is an issue, we have the ability to resolve it quickly
and efficiently. When you sign with FTS, you receive the added
value of our experienced, dedicated in-house service and support geared for
small and medium-sized business.
This depends on your network. If you want to add voice or other
SIP trunking, that would determine the
IP addresses you need. This depends on the size of the company. Each
device that is connected to the Internet through your router requires its
own IP address. FTS's experienced service technicians will guide
you through the process of determining your needs and provisioning the
required resources.
FTS offers small and medium-sized business a number of options in
terms of equipment choice. An Account Executive will guide you through the
process, helping you to decide whether it makes sense to purchase or lease
your equipment, and what equipment to purchase or lease, based on your
business plan. Call today to find out how FTS can help your
company succeed.
FTS will handle connecting the data to your business location. All
you need to provide is a
router
and cables. FTS's experienced Account Executives will provide the
correct equipment during the initial order process, making it as seamless as
possible, so you can get back to the business of doing business.
When you sign a contract with FTS, an installation representative
will guide you through every step of the process, from scheduling to
initialization. We acquire the connection to the local and national
carriers, activate the service, and coordinate service personnel.
Additionally, we will provide you with a detailed chain of command, so you
know who is responsible for every step of the process.
FTS organizes the entire installation process. The customer has to
be on-site during the activation process and have their router, as well as
the correct cable connection from the
T1
to the
router. FTS's experienced Account Executives will provide the
correct equipment during the initial order process, making it as seamless as
possible, so you can get back to the business of doing business.
FTS works directly with the carrier to make the installation
process as quick and painless as possible. For most small and medium-sized
business customers, the process will take 30-45 days, depending on the
location of the installation. Our experienced service and installation team
will guide you through the process, every step of the way.
Yes. In some cases, if the customer's site is ready, the process can move
more quickly. Ask one of our Service Representatives what you can do to make
sure the process is as short as possible.
FTS recognizes that small and medium-sized business need their
data connections to be on line as soon as possible. With some carriers, the
installation process can proceed more quickly with an
expedite order. This feature costs more up front, but results in a
shorter installation process. With an expedite, the carrier will have an
install done in 15-20 business days instead of the regular 30-40.
A
demarc is the door to your
T1.
The carrier will make a connection from its network to your physical
location. It looks like a normal phone jack, and is where you "plug in" to
the internet.
A
demarc is the main point of entry to the facility, which is determined
by the carrier. That's where everything comes into the building. With a
demarc extension, the carrier will extend the demarc from the point of
entry to the customer's specified location.
This cost varies with the
carrier. Some carriers do it by the hour, others have a pre-set fee. It
could also depend on whether the T1 is already installed, or if it is
requested before the install. The carrier will add more fees if the line is
already installed, so be sure to specify where you want to "plug in" before
your installation is scheduled.
Installation of a new
T1
line typically takes 30-45 days. A FTS installation specialist
will guide you every step of the way. FTS values transparency and
accountability throughout the process. To that end, we offer you a tool with
which you can monitor every step of the installation and activation process,
so you can have complete confidence.
FTS works hard to get your business up and running as quickly as
possible. Our installation specialists will get your order provisioned in
the same business day.
FTS believes in complete transparency throughout the ordering and
installation processes. Through our unique
Customer Portal
system, you can track your order every step of the way. Our technicians will
provide detailed notes and due dates for the various tasks so that you can
keep abreast of the progress. Occasionally, a date may have to be moved back
to accommodate a carrier's schedule. We do our best to minimize any such
extensions and will always let you know what is going on.
FTS takes customer support seriously. We employ highly trained
technicians to keep you up and running. Many problems can be resolved
remotely, while some problems require a more in-depth approach. Our
SLA details the specific customer service guarantees you can count on.
If there is an issue that we were not able to resolve within the time
specified in the
SLA, just email our Customer Care Specialists
(customercare@FTS), who will work with you to arrive at a
solution.
FTS works to get you up and running as soon as possible. Our
billing department will begin billing two days after we inform you that your
system is ready for activation.
FTS's Customer Care Specialists work hard to make your company's
move as seamless as possible. They will make the necessary arrangements with
your carrier to set up your service and get it connected at your new
location.
If at any time you choose to terminate your service with FTS, let
us know 30 days prior to the final date on which you need access to your
service. We'll handle the rest.
If you are having difficulty with your FTS services, you can get
the ball rolling quickly by opening a
trouble ticket online. Point your browser to
the my.FTS
portal, then click on "Support cases." Additionally, you can call one of
our Customer Care specialists at 1-800-409-4357, option 1,1,1. The
specialists are trained to get you the answers you need. To help speed up
the trouble ticket process, please make sure to include the following
information:
1. Service address affected
2. Local Contact name, number and access hours to site (this needs to be a
contact at the location of the circuit.)
3. Circuit ID
The my.FTS
portal is the key to managing your FTS services. Through the
portal, you can track what's happening with your account, from installation,
to activation, to support. You can change some of the options for your
services as well. Go to
http://my.FTS to see the options.
2. Online:
Point your browser to
https://www.FTS/tools/pay to begin.
FTS accepts Visa, MasterCard, and American Express.
3. Phone:
Contact one of our Customer Care Specialists at 1-800-409-4357,
option 1,1,1 and they will create a billing ticket with all your payment
information. Billing will contact you regarding the ticket.
To upgrade or downgrade your service there are several options that can be
discussed with your Account Executive. If you are not sure of your Account
Executive's contact information, please call Customer Care at
800-409-4357 options 1,1,1 and they will provide you the information.
FTS offers each of our customers an industry-leading
service level agreement. Our overriding concern is customer
satisfaction, and this is reflected in our commitment to service excellence,
as reflected in our SLAs, which provide specific performance and service
guarantees. The end result is that our small and medium-sized business
customers can enjoy complete comfort and confidence.
Each carrier has its own
SLA, and inside the SLA is a latency guarantee. AT&T is in the 30 ms
range; Covad is 110 ms range. Some smaller providers might not have any
latency guarantees, or the maximum latency rate guaranteed might be very
high, which would not be good for voice traffic.
FTS offers 24x7 in-house support here in Cary, NC. It makes the
entire experience transparent to the customer. Our small and medium-sized
business customers have found this to be a terrific added value to
FTS's service.
Yes. FTS believes consistent, reliable data and voice connections
are essential to success for our small and medium-sized business customers.
We pride ourselves on providing this service, and this guarantee is tied to
our industry-leading
SLA.. You will always receive the specified speed capability.
FTS realizes that when your internet access is down, your business
is not making money. Therefore, we guarantee that when you call our 24x7
service department, you call will be answered - by a live technician in our
Cary, NC service center - by the third ring. Most of the problems are such
that we can solve them remotely. We have extensive relationships with each
carrier, so if there is an issue, we have the ability to resolve it quickly
and efficiently. When you sign with FTS, you receive the added
value of our experienced, dedicated in-house service and support geared for
small and medium-sized business.
FTS has the industry's leading VoIP
SLA. Our VoIP services is guaranteed to have maximum uptime and minimal
latency and
jitter issues. Click
(here)
to read what some of our customers have had to say about their VoIP service.
These acronyms refer to specific types of charges on your bill.
MRC
stands for Monthly Recurring Charge, and typically refers to the monthly
payments you make for your services.
NRC
means Non-Recurring Charge, and is the money you pay initially for
installation and initialization services.
A DID
cost recovery fee is a government-mandated fee charged by all
telecommunications providers to cover the cost of 911 service and various
charges incurred by the provider. It is assessed at the same rate for each
DID.
If you need a copy of your invoice, simply call or email one of our Customer
Care Specialists at (800) 409-4357, options 1,1,1, or
customercare@FTS, who are trained to assist you.
Late fees are assessed to the billing cycle two months prior to the current
billing cycle. Therefore, if your payment is late, the late fee will not
appear until another billing cycle has passed.
Your invoice charge includes your Monthly Recurring Charge
(MRC)
as well as any additional taxes, late fees or additional charges that may be
assessed.
VAR stands for value-added reseller. A VAR is a company that bundles
FTS services with its products. For example, a company might sell
IP phones like the Cisco 7960. If that company becomes a FTS VAR,
it could offer its customers FTS service along with the phone
system, making the most of their new equipment. VARs allow their customers
to achieve greater returns on their infrastructure investments by bundling
the services that enable them to use that infrastructure most effectively.
FTS is in the business of providing outstanding voice and data
services to our customers. We partner strategically with reputable companies
offering quality products in order to provide total business communications
solutions to our customers.
A customer who buys a phone system and FTS
VoIP
service from a FTS-certified VAR receives a total business
communications solution. Their PBX equipment has been tested to ensure
interoperability with FTS?s
SIP
trunking technology, and they receive dual technical support ? from the
VAR and from FTS.
It's easy to become a FTS VAR. For a small minimum commitment, you
can enter into a strategic relationship that will enable you to offer
complete business communications solutions to your customers. Call (888)
BWC-VARS (888-292-8277) today to speak with a Channel Account Manager about
becoming a FTS VAR.
When you become a FTS VAR, you enter into a strategic relationship
that will help you sell more PBX equipment and help your customers achieve
maximum return on their telecommunications investment. As a VAR, you receive
access to sophisticated online pricing and support tools, sales leads from
FTS, and access to an aggressive, tiered commission schedule.
As a FTS VAR, you agree to a minimum monthly sales commitment and
to abide by FTS's business practices. That's all you have to do
SIPlify your sales with FTS.
FTS operates an aggressive, generous commission schedule. For
every sale of FTS services you make, you receive a commission.
Contact Doug Bescher, Channel Account Manager, at 888 BWC-VARS
(888-292-8277) for more details.
Becoming a FTS VAR enables you to offer your customers a superior
product package, including lower pricing and faster return on their
investment. FTS service offers outstanding business
features, such as disaster recovery (the ability to route calls to a
different office in the event of a PDX failure.) FTS's proven
SIP
trunking technology offers your customers a better value compared to
traditional TDM services. Additionally, your customers receive 24x7
FTS support for their
VoIP
services.
FTS has more than 100 VAR partners around the country offering
FTS service to their customers. Some of the largest national
telecommunications equipment retailers, including
CDW, are FTS
VARs.
NAT
means Network Address Translation. When you connect to the Internet,
information you send and receive is typically passed through a firewall,
which protects your network infrastructure from hackers. Each individual
network that is connected to the public Internet is identified by an IP
address. Devices on the outside of your firewall see your publicly-routed
IP Address; devices on the network inside of the firewall are addressed
with private, non-routable IP addresses.
When information passes through the firewall, it does so in the form of data
?packets.? Each packet contains an IP address, telling it where it?s from
and where it?s going. When a packet passes through the firewall to the
public Internet, the private IP address is replaced with the publicly-routed
IP address. When information passes from the public Internet through the
firewall, the publicly-routed IP address is replaced with a private one and
routed to the appropriate device.
SIP
messages, which are carried inside of data packets, also include IP address
information. Traditional NAT does not ?open the packet? to change the IP
information inside the SIP message. Therefore, the VoIP provider will not be
able to send the call to the appropriate location. SIP requires a device to
open the packet and adjust the IP information as it passes through the
firewall.
Some firewall devices, known as Application Layer Gateways (ALGs), have the
ability to make this change inside the SIP message. Though several ALGs are
capable of SIP NAT traversal, FTS supports the Ingate SIParator
and Edgewater Networks? EdgeMarc router. Other firewalls, including
Sonicwall and Cisco ASA/PIX, have this capability, but FTS can
only provide technical support for the Edgwater and Ingate ALGs.
NAT-traversal problems manifest themselves in several easy-to-identify ways.
If you are experiencing any of the following problems, you may have a
NAT-traversal issue:
1. Are you having one-way audio?
2. Is the call setting up (ringing), but missing sound?
3. Are calls not setting up in the first place?
If you are experiencing any of these issues with your VoIP service, call
FTS?s Customer Care Specialists at 1-800-409-4357, options 1,1,1.
FTS has several different options to help you deal with technical
difficulties. If you are a
Managed Network Services subscriber, we will take care of the problem
from start to finish. If you don?t subscribe to MNS, call our Customer Care
Specialists at 1-800-409-4357, options 1,1,1.
If your network uses the Ingate SIParator or the Edgewater EdgeMarc ALGs, we
should be able to troubleshoot your problems remotely. If you don?t
currently use one of these FTS-supported ALG devices, there is
another option. If you assign a public IP address directly to your phone
system, you will obviate any NAT-traversal issues, because there is no
translation necessary. This option does, however, leave your system
vulnerable to attack. FTS does not recommend this option.
FTS supports two ALG devices: the Ingate SIParator and the
Edgewater EdgeMarc router. Other devices capable of SIP packet translation
are available, but FTS does not offer technical support for their
use.
ALG stands for Application Layer Gateway. An ALG is a device that handles
translation of the packet IP addresses (and for FTS VoIP service,
the SIP IP information inside the packet) as they traverse the firewall.
FTS supports the use of the Ingate SIParator and Edgewater
EdgeMarc ALGs.
It is important to remember that ALG devices are designed to handle a
specific number of concurrent calls. Be sure to purchase an ALG that fits
your business needs. FTS?s Account Executives can help you
determine which ALG is right for you. Call (800) 808-5150, options 2,1, to
speak with an Account Executive today.
Another name for ALG, a SIP-aware firewall is a device capable of handling
the translation of SIP-packet IP addresses as the packets traverse the
firewall. FTS provides technical support for the Ingate SIParator
and the Edgewater EdgeMarc firewalls for SIP-packet translation.
Far-End NAT traversal is a method of accomplishing
NAT. See "What is NAT traversal?" for more information on NAT traversal.
FTS does not utilize Far-End NAT Traversal, because doing so would
introduce unnecessary delays and latency into our customers' voice traffic.
FTS places paramount importance on the voice quality of our
service, and we feel that accomplishing NAT traversal on the customer's
premise is a far mroe effective and efficient technique.
QoS stands for Quality of Service. Quality of Service (QoS) is the idea
that transmission rates, error rates, and other characteristics can be
measured, improved, and, to some extent, guaranteed in advance.
Is the sound clear? Is there any jitter or latency? These are questions that
determine the level of QoS. At FTS, we pride ourselves on being an
industry leader in QoS. Our engineers work tirelessly to ensure for our
customers the highest possible level of QoS.
There are a several methods of ensuring the highest possible call quality.
FTS recommends using a dedicated data connection of at least T1
speed, along with a properly-configured router using the latest QoS
technologies. Click
here to read about different methods of achieving call quality.
FTS is dedicated to providing the highest possible level of call
quality. To that end, our experienced engineers and technicians develop and
test the latest QoS techniques. FTS VoIP service currently uses
several techniques to ensure QoS, including TOS-splitting, traffic shaping,
and voice-optimized internet (on some phone systems). Click
here to read more about the latest QoS technologies.
A dedicated voice connection is an Internet connection used solely for voice
traffic. It carries no data packets, so traffic congestion, latency, and
jitter are not issues. It is one of the best ways to ensure call quality,
but it is generally not cost effective, because it requires the purchase of
an additional T1-class Internet connection.
TOS stands for Type-of-Service splitting. It is a way of classifying and
prioritizing the traffic on a data connection to give priority to voice
traffic. If voice packets are held up by data traffic, latency and jitter
issues can arise. Data packets, on the other hand, can handle slight delay
far more easily. FTS currently utilizes TOS-splitting on outbound
VoIP calls over Sprint's and Qwest?s T-1 lines (Optional).
Traffic shaping is a technology used to enhance call quality. Used by
EdgeMarc routers, traffic shaping software can differentiate between voice
and data traffic. The software then ?throttles back? the speed on the data
traffic to make room for the voice traffic to proceed on the network
unimpeded.
Voice Optimized Internet (VOA) is a technology FTS offers to
ensure call quality. Essentially,one circuit (ADSL, SDSL, or T-1) is
delivered to the customer site. The circuit is provisioned with two separate
IP addresses one for data traffic and the other for voice traffic. Using
this method, the voice traffic is prioritized from the customer premises all
the way to the carrier network. This reduces the congestion for both inbound
and outbound voice traffic.
VoIP traffic is as secure as any other data traffic you send out onto the
public internet. There are ways of making the system more secure, including
some technologies currently undergoing testing by FTS engineers,
but none of the available technologies is yet universal. The best way to
ensure security for your VoIP traffic is to employ the use of a SIP-enabled
firewall, such as the Edgewater EdgeMarc or Ingate Firewall.
Your VoIP system is as secure as any other data leaving or entering your
network. If you employ the use of a SIP-enabled firewall, your VoIP traffic
is relatively secure. For someone to gain access to your VoIP calls, they
would have to steal all of the packets leaving your network. The only way to
do that is to be physically present at one of the points of transmission.
TLS is software with the ability to handle secure signaling, including SIP
signaling, using secure certificates similar to the way some web sites use
certificates to ensure secure financial transactions. FTS
engineers are currently testing TLS technology, but because it is not yet
universal, it is not ready for implementation.
SRTP is a way to encrypt the signals carrying the voice information over the
Internet. It is still in the development stage; FTS engineers are
testing and monitoring its progress to determine whether it can be of use.