Level 3 Enterprise Communications Solutions 3_RMAUG-SIP.pdf5. Create enhanced failover / business continuity options Customer’s results 1. Customer replaced inefficient ISDN-PRI

© 2014 Level 3 Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Proprietary and Confidential.

Level 3® Enterprise Communications Solutions

Avaya IAUG Rocky Mountain Meeting, August 2015



Today’s Presenter

Mike Robles – Director Enterprise Communications

– Mike Robles is the director for Level 3’s Enterprise Communications services and has been involved in telecommunications product management, design and development for over 10 years in both data and voice roles. He has been with Level 3 since 2010.

Migrating to Next-Generation Voice: The Customer Journey


The advantages of a unified communications (UC) solution are clear for employees and customers alike.

Last year the North American UC&C services user base grew by 30.5 percent to reach 5 million users by year end.**

But developing and implementing an migration path towards voice-enabled unified communications can create headaches across your company.

Enterprises are Embracing UC, But Voice Remains The Hardest Step

**Source: Frost and Sullivan 2014 North American Hosted IP Telephony and UCC Services Markets

© 2014 Level 3 Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Proprietary and Confidential.4

Need separate, dedicated networks for voice and data

Can converge communications across all

applications, including voice

MYTH TRUTH

We’ve already invested in IP – we don’t need SIP trunking

Networks that still use ISDN / TDM to connect to PSTN don’t fully leverage the investment

SIP voice is the same as consumer-grade voice over IP

Enterprise-grade SIP is more robust and scalable than

consumer VoIP

Migration Perceptions vs. Reality

SIP voice is difficult to implement and manage

SIP is probably no more complex than your legacy

voice infrastructure


The Typical UC Implementation Path

It’s a multi-phased project:

1. Evaluate current communications network and business challenges / goals

2. Evaluate providers and solutions for a voice pilot or bakeoff

3. Complete a business case and migration plan

4. Integrate on-premise Instant Messaging, with a voice pilot program

5. Add UC audio conferencing• Combine with a conferencing solution as a back-up for larger meetings

6. Complete desktop UC replacement with IM, conferencing and voice

SIP provides the necessary platform for enterprises migrating in steps toward a broader UC desktop

replacement


One Customer’s Journey

A Top 5 US Financial Institution with over 5,000 branches

Their challenges

• Legacy telephony deployment – some IP investment, but some end-of-life equipment

• Mix of individual branch and regional Centrex end-user lines• Large number of T1 connections from multiple providers• No plan or pathway to integrate communication services• Limited ability to reduce total cost and streamline

administration


What Does a Successful Migration Look Like?

* Timeframe depends on size of network, number of employees and sites, and multi-provider evaluations

#1: Define

Objectives

#2: Assess

Network

#3: Build a Business Case

#4: Cross

Functional

Team

#5: Identify

OPEX &

CAPEX

#6: Evaluate Network Providers

#7: Network Provider

bakeoff (optional but

typical)

#8: Detailed Migration Plan

6 Months Average*

Planning Phases


What Does a Successful Migration Look Like?

#1: Implement

new SIP

architecture

6-12 Months Average*

Implementation Phases

* Timeframe depends on size of network, number of employees and sites, and planned pace of migration

Pilot departments and groups to

test

#3: Turn up

conferencing

Adoption Phases Swing Outbound

calling (optional)

End user testing / training

Migration

checkpoints

Upgrade LAN / network readiness

Port pilot TNs

1

2

3

4

5


Customer Defines Objectives

• Migration to a new voice/ UC platform

• Gain network efficiencies

• Cost savings

9

The MigrationChecklist Step #1

Banking Customer’s business goals

1. Converged voice, data and collaboration services enabled by SIP

2. Cost savings of 30-50% through elimination of parallel networks

3. Reduce operational complexity with a voice architecture that can scale

4. Enable enterprise-wide UC deployment to achieve simpler, more cost-effective collaboration for geographically dispersed employees

5. Create enhanced failover / business continuity options


Assess the Network

• Conduct a complete network assessment prior to implementing an IP telephony solution.

• Ensure plan for working with legacy equipment

10


Banking Customer’s voice network

1. A patchwork of telephony deployment – some IP investment, some end-of-life equipment

2. Mix of individual branch and regional Centrex end-user lines

3. Over 5,000 ISDN PRI and Private Lines

4. No clear path to implement a UC solution

5. BCDR vulnerabilities


Create a Cross-Functional Team

• Create team to represent all aspects of the migration

11


Banking Customer’s team

• Telecom / IT (TN, site CPE management)

• Network managers (MPLS, Access)

• Desktop support

• Billing

• Vendor management (LECs, Carriers)

• Business users


Identify the Appropriate Human and Capital Resources

• OPEX (Operating personnel resources required)

• NETEX (any capital required)

12


Banking Customer

• Reliance on existing operational personnel for site / equipment audits and access migration

• Some reliance on optional professional services from carrier (TN porting)

• Minimal capital investment (no forklift of existing non-IP PBXs and Key Systems)

• Investment in chosen UC solution (licenses, desktop CPE)


Select the right network service provider

– A converged network infrastructure

– A solid TDM background– Experience in scaling a VoIP

network– VoIP as an integrated part of the

data infrastructure and not an “experiment” next to their traditional switching

– Monitoring systems that recognize issues unique to VoIP networks, such as jitter and latency.

13


Banking Customer

• Reliability / BCDR of utmost importance

• After Hurricane Sandy, limited evaluations to national, tier 1 network providers

• Evaluated four network providers

• Ultimately selected three providers for limited trials to determine a split award of sites / usage


Ask The Right Questions When Evaluating Network Providers

14

Scale of footprint?

Native (owned and operated) SIP Network?

SIP implementation track record?

Assists with business case and migration plan?

Professional services are available if needed?


Top Five Dangers of Migration

15

Security

Voice Quality

Connection

Inefficiency Cost


Importance of BCDR to Customer

Managed Customer Router

Customer IP PBX 1

Data Center 1

SBC #2

Managed Customer Router

Customer IP PBX 2

Data Center 2

Level 3 SIP Network

Enterprise Softswitch

Feature Server #1

Feature Server #2

Representative

Remote TDM Office

SBC #1


What To Look For In a “UC Optimized” Voice Provider

• End to end QoS capability backed with Service Level Agreements

• Footprint and quality of voice network architecture

• Local phone number and 911 connectivity

• Service built on an all IP network (ideal)

• Quality portal for self service (ex: call routing controls)

• Experience in the market (number porting scale and best practices)

• A carrier with a deep bench of SIP expertise

• Supports major UC solutions and vendors


Develop a detailed migration plan – and stick to it

– Detailed call and UC service testing

– End user training & adoption

– Monitoring and measuring success

18


Banking Customer

• 3-carrier, limited site bakeoff• 2-carrier dual award• Phased migration of sites (18 month total

plan)• Migration checkpoints

© 2014 Level 3 Communications, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Proprietary and Confidential.19

THINGS TO WATCH FOR DURING YOUR PILOT:

1) User adoption2) Provider quality of

service (QoS)3) How internal network

interacts with provider network

4) How provider responds to problems



Migration Checkpoint

– How is the migration progressing?– Are SLAs being met for

activations?– Technology works as expected?

20



Full Deployment: What Success Looks Like

21

UC Platform

Large Branch Office

Enterprise MPLS WAN

Branch Office

IP Voice Network

PSTN

Data Center

Internet

IP Access UC Platform

Audio/Video/Web Conferencing

IP Voice Network

Corp Headquarters


One Customer’s Journey

Migration goals

1. Converged voice, data and collaboration services enabled by SIP

2. Cost savings of 30-50% through elimination of parallel networks

3. Reduce operational complexity with a voice architecture that can scale

4. Enable enterprise-wide UC deployment to achieve simpler, more cost-effective collaboration for geographically dispersed employees

5. Create enhanced failover / business continuity options

Customer’s results

1. Customer replaced inefficient ISDN-PRI connections to the PSTN with SIP trunks and shared CCPs

2. Large, native TN coverage offered the ability to cover most locations for streamlined management and a more consistent customer experience

3. Simplified interconnection methodology allowed easier and faster activation / migration

4. Customer also purchased Dedicated TF and evaluated Contact Center Services for call centers requiring optional hosted features

5. Customer total cost savings of ~35%


Questions?

23

Documents

Level 3 Enterprise Communications Solutions 3_RMAUG-SIP.pdf5. Create enhanced failover / business continuity options Customer’s results 1. Customer replaced inefficient ISDN-PRI