Multi-vendor, Multi-region SBCE Deployment under One Contract

With Integrated Services Digital Networks (ISDNs) no longer supported in several countries, and a phase-out planned globally, organisations need to replace their telephony systems to avoid disruption. That can seem complicated when there are multiple sites involved, spanning different regions in separate time zones.

That’s not the case for Aura. Working with an international management consulting firm, we were able to deploy Ribbon Session Border Controller for Enterprise (SBCE) across multiple sites, with one contract, central configuration and a consistent support service.

Moving from ISDN

The first step in the ISDN transition comes in the countries that no longer support the technology. That was the case for the client in question. Initially, an alternative solution was required in Saudi Arabia and New York. This quickly grew to encompass Atlanta, Florida and five sites in Canada, as well as support for its London operation. This solution needed to work seamlessly with its existing Avaya estate.

While end-to-end SIP is a natural solution to ISDN replacement, the organisation’s strict security requirements meant this wasn’t suitable. Instead, Ribbon 2000 could act as a bridge between ISDN, eliminating disruption for the client without compromising security.

Delivering globally under one contract

The organisation had already worked with another vendor on this project, which failed due to a lack of consistency and difficulty working across time zones. Aura’s global multi-vendor network meant that wasn’t a problem.

Deployment

Aura initially deployed Ribbon SBCEs at the Saudi and New York sites. Configuration was completed centrally to ensure consistency and the whole project was managed with one point of contact. This was then replicated to the additional sites.

Support

Our global network means we can provide local, on-site support whenever needed. Whether it’s Saudi, New York, Atlanta or Canada, we have feet on the street to help.

Scaling

With ISDN gradually being phased out in more regions, and the initial projects a huge success, we are continually consulting to ensure the design scales seamlessly across all locations.

Bringing everything together

Aura has brought two technologies together on a global level, taking away the difficulties of managing multiple vendors in different regions, whilst also providing a co-term support contract for 15 sites. The organisation now has SIP functionality with legacy equipment at a relatively low outlay.

The success of the project speaks for itself. It is now growing into a centralised SIP project delivering PSTN (public switched telephone network) to local offices, and the conversation is extending to other technologies such as Poly.