In 2007, Apple released its iPhone, and from that moment on, business users were seriously interested in the possibilities of using mobile communication devices. Employees of IT departments struggled to adapt to changing models of work: it was necessary to somehow connect new devices, application management and security with freedom of movement. The main objective in the business environment was to minimize interruptions in access to communications within the office and beyond. Today 63% of enterprises expect to reduce costs through such mobility, and about 50% of companies agree to provide the necessary mobility to their employees.



And now we want to share with you three examples of the implementation of DECT networks.



Advantages of DECT-based wireless communications:

• Spectrum Efficiency - The main advantage of DECT devices is that they use their own spectrum, so they do not have to “share” the radio frequency with other devices, such as computers and WiFi-based devices.
• High Concentration - The DECT-compliant radio technology allows for high user concentration, making this technology a suitable solution for crowded office buildings, public spaces and residential areas.
• Low power consumption - DECT devices require significantly less energy to operate than WiFi services, so they can be used longer without recharging the battery.
• Coverage - DECT devices have a large range. There are base stations and radio transmitters with roaming and data transfer functions.
• Safety - Radio transmission using DECT technology guarantees the highest level of protection against unauthorized listening. In addition, additional security is provided by encryption algorithms in the DECT network.
• Transmitted speech quality - DECT systems support high quality voice transmission through the use of digital radio technology with complete transparency of data transmission from one cell (cell) to another.

Student Association Division, Freiburg

Background



The Freiburg National Student Association is a mid-sized company that serves more than 35,000 people. The company is funded by the Student Association, and it also supports the organization of daily activities at nine universities in the cities. Freiburg, Offenburg, Gengenbach, Furtwangen, Kael and Willingen-Schwenningen.



Problem



In 2007, ten-year service and support agreements for the Siemens-Nixdorf telephone system expired. The outdated solution was not flexible enough, expensive to maintain, did not meet the requirements for modern telephony and the daily needs of the University. The Student Association wanted to abandon the introduction of another proprietary system with low flexibility and switch to flexible technology with the possibility of expansion as necessary. They also made a number of additional requirements, for example, independence from vendors, the ability to integrate applications. Each extension required a separate mailbox, and also needed a centralized fax server to receive and send faxes directly from computers on the local network. In addition, I wanted the system to support connection to CTI (to meet the needs of students to make and receive calls, as well as conduct conferences from their computers).



Decision



The contract was concluded with badenIT GmbH, a subsidiary of the city energy distribution company Badenova. During cooperation with badenIT GmbH, the Association for Student Affairs was surprised to learn that a VoIP-based system can solve their problems, after which they chose the Asterisk virtual telephone exchange. The main advantage of the open source solution was the absence of royalties, regardless of the extensions implemented. BadenIT employees recommended Snom IP phones, and after rigorous testing, the Student Association agreed to their proposal. First of all, we checked the bandwidth of the existing network and its suitability for implementing a solution based on VoIP. Having received positive verification results, we planned a gradual transition to a new system. After preliminary configuration, the IP-PBX was connected to the existing Siemens system. During the transition period, both systems - old and new - were used in parallel. After various tests and adjustments, all calls were transferred to a virtual PBX, and the phones were replaced with new IP devices. After replacing the last telephone, the old telephone system was finally disconnected. The new VoIP telephony combines 30 ISDN lines and about 110 devices. Three Snom IP phone models were used: Snom 300 phones perform the necessary office functions; The Snom 320 supports headset and three-way conferencing; Snom 360 solves more complex tasks, for example, by detailing telephone conversations and setting parameters.



Benefits



Using the phone has become easier and more convenient. There are many new features, for example, automatic creation of directories, display of missed calls, identification of numbers for an incoming call. Users really like the system itself and its functionality: a personal notebook, a callback function and a signal when receiving voice messages. In addition, you can now install new additional applications, for example, built-in voicemail and CTI-applications, with which employees can make calls directly from applications. Centralized installation and configuration of devices through a database-based application became possible, and end users can now rewrite default settings, for example, set individual ringtones.



Future plans



The Student Association has achieved a level of flexibility that could not have been dreamed of with the former proprietary technology. Since the use of IP-telephony in remote offices has become economically viable (thanks to the use of a VPN), in the future it is planned to purchase 5-6 times more equipment than is currently installed.

Technical Assistance Organization (TWH)

Background



For 60 years, the Technical Assistance Organization (THW) has provided the necessary support to people from around the world. In a variety of cases, whether it be humanitarian assistance after drought, wars, earthquakes or floods, or technical support for major events, such as a visit by the Pope, THW rushes to someone's help daily. As a federal agency, the technical assistance organization is part of the Ministry of the Interior, but only about 1% of employees are full-time employees. The remaining 99% of the company are volunteers: more than 80 thousand assistants from among German citizens work in 668 local service divisions.



Problem



On the occasion of the visit of the Pope to the archbishopric of Freiburg (Germany) in September 2011, the THW fire department established a control center in Emmendingen (in the administrative district of Freiburg) to coordinate the work of more than 1000 volunteers. THW staff were responsible for maintaining the center near Freiburg Airport. The deputy chairman of the Emmendingen financial support department at THW considered the issues of organizing IP-telephony via the Internet and, as a result of the work done, turned to Snom to request equipment as a donation.



Decision



Snom was happy to offer its support, and as a result, volunteer leaders received Snom IP phones. In total, 8 Snom desk IP phones were donated: the basic model of the Snom 300 business phone, Snom 320 for frequent calls, Snom 821 with a high-resolution color TFT display, and Snom 870 with a touch screen that facilitates menu navigation. Serious requirements were imposed on the performance of the transferred equipment in terms of installation speed and ease of setup. In addition, the phones were supposed to work without first laying the cable.



Snom phones use SIP protocol and therefore can be easily integrated into existing networks. The equipment was used for 10 days (including the time of their installation in the control center and subsequent dismantling). Immediately after the completion of the event, full-scale tests were carried out, which ended without serious errors - the head of THW did not encounter such a problem once in 15 years of work. All three units were equipped with communications. THW employees combined individual trucks into a single network and installed a hybrid telephone system that simultaneously supports VoIP and ISDN. Snom IP telephones were not only used in the center: they were used by ambulance staff, a transport center, and an emergency desk at the airport. The communication between the sites was organized via several IP-based radio communication lines connected via the airport's fiber optic network. Snom IP Phones have been integrated wirelessly.



Benefits



Since pre-configured phones supported flexible work options, the volunteer team was not tied to a specific site and could safely move the devices to where they were most in demand. The team had to move very fast, because it was difficult to predict in advance where help would be needed. Volunteers rated both the lack of binding of Snom phones to a specific location and their reliability. Two functions turned out to be especially useful: the ability to flexibly reprogram the buttons and the ability to remotely configure via the Internet. With just a few buttons, THW easily saved contact information and phone numbers themselves, and also just got access to the phone book. The deepest impressions of the team left Snom 870: you can add additional information to his contact list, for example, a photo or the name of the management company. Thanks to this feature, even in the most stressful moments, users can easily select the desired contacts. Another advantage was the function of turning on the Do Not Disturb mode by pressing just one button. On all the devices provided, it was possible to functionally configure the buttons, and managers could, at their discretion, assign buttons for making calls, forwarding or redirecting them.



Future plans



THW employees and management were truly amazed at how convenient IT phones were to use. Moreover, the simplicity of their settings struck even a special transport team.

German Red Cross

The outdated telephone system of the General Secretariat of the German Red Cross (Deutsche Rote Kreuz, DRK) has been replaced by the modern IP Centrex system developed by Karlsruhe CNT AG. Thus, the DRK headquarters now has a very flexible, scalable network communications solution that provides capabilities that can only be realized with a virtual PBX. At the same time, DRK offices were equipped with new Snom IP phones.



The General Secretariat of the German Red Cross in Berlin coordinates humanitarian assistance in national and international emergencies. DRK eV is a federal association of the National Red Cross Society on the territory of the Federal Republic of Germany and is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, which provides assistance to victims of conflicts and natural disasters, as well as other people in need, for example, sick or poor. The German Red Cross, as a national aid society, as well as the main independent social security association, is guided by seven fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality. In addition, DRK is the largest non-profit organization in Europe.



The Berlin General Secretariat coordinates the activities of numerous regional and local associations. Among his services is a crisis information center, which is responsible for the overall coordination of the activities and missions of the DRK. In this regard, the Secretariat relies heavily on a communications system that provides functionality even when conventional communications lines are broken, such as in the event of natural disasters.



The existing telephone system was outdated and could not be expanded. Obviously, the provision of PBX operation is not the core competency of DRK, therefore, the organization began to look for an external contractor. It gradually became clear that only IP telephony systems could guarantee the flexibility and security that the DRK Secretariat so needed. Four out of six bidders were dropped. Of the two remaining candidates, only CNT AG from Karlsruhe was able to meet the requirements of the Red Cross: it has already successfully completed the installation of similar systems. As a result, a solution based on the IP Centrex protocol was chosen. It was characterized by a high degree of scalability, numerous features and high security. All of this was a decisive factor for the DRK Secretariat. Of course, the total cost of ownership also played an important role in the decision making, as did the fact that the organization did not need to bear the high initial costs of internal infrastructure.



In order not to lose touch with the outside world in the event of a natural disaster, the new telephone system had to meet the most stringent requirements. CNT has installed two identical IP Centrex systems in two different data centers, in Berlin and Frankfurt. At the same time, the DRK Secretariat has provided fault tolerance even for emergency generators. Connection to the Internet was carried out via a landline, and in emergency situations through radio. In conventional systems, all technologies are concentrated in one physical place and connected through only one multiplexer, and in the CNT solution, in the event of a failure, an alternative routing system is automatically activated, that is, all incoming and outgoing calls are transferred to the second system.



The data centers hosting these systems meet the highest security requirements, from an Internet connection with a reserve for bandwidth to the most stringent fire safety standards. The probability of failure of both systems is practically absent.



A few weeks later, the installation was completed, and in April 2013 the new system was officially put into operation. The DRK Secretariat has also been equipped with new Snom IP phones. They are easy to use and meet high standards. This, as well as the ability to pre-configure phones using auto-provisioning, greatly simplifies administration. Access control works effectively only if the manufacturer complies with SIP standards, and, unfortunately, this is not obvious to all suppliers.



Another advantage of Snom phones is that they do not require the training of new users, as the basic functions are easily accessible, as in a regular phone. More than four hundred DRK Secretariat staff did not have to change their habits much. The Snom 710 and Snom 760 phones had new programmable keys that provide quick access to frequently used functions. IP Centrex guarantees cost-effective and reliable communication between data centers, as well as the ability to integrate mobile devices.