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A SIP Gateway for Digital HandsetsA SIP Gateway for Digital Handsets

The business value of replacing the actual hard phone is limited. Most of the enhanced UC features that add business value come through the computer desktop or the mobile smart phone.

Sorell Slaymaker

October 8, 2009

2 Min Read
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The business value of replacing the actual hard phone is limited. Most of the enhanced UC features that add business value come through the computer desktop or the mobile smart phone.

Most companies that plan on replacing legacy digital phone sets with IP phones should first focus on upgrading their infrastructure. Why replace legacy digital handsets when a SIP gateway can emulate the digital hard phone as a SIP endpoint? The business value of replacing the actual hard phone is limited. Most of the enhanced UC features that add business value come through the computer desktop or the mobile smart phone.A SIP phone gateway would take an existing digital hand set and convert the signaling to SIP and pass the media. Transcoding, media forking, status, and other IP phone functionality would also occur. The corporate hard phone should deliver basic phone functionality and a quality audio stream. The gateway will allow an enterprise to reap the benefits of an IP phone without having to make the full investment in swapping phones. Such benefits include:

* Software based MACDs * Presence indication when someone is on the phone * Mobility--Single number, multi-phone ringing, real time call transfers

This technology does not make sense on new real estate moves and having to run the parallel wiring required for digital phones. But, for existing buildings wired for phones with a legacy PBX and phones, there is an option to delay the investment required to upgrade to IP phones. That money in turn can be used for SIP Trunking to lower Telecom expenses, build a SIP infrastructure to integrate legacy systems with new SIP applications, and add new UC features that will help a business grow top line revenue.

In the evolution from legacy PBX systems to VoIP, the hard phone should be the last portion of the migration, not the first. The digital phone is dead, long live the digital phone.The business value of replacing the actual hard phone is limited. Most of the enhanced UC features that add business value come through the computer desktop or the mobile smart phone.

About the Author

Sorell Slaymaker

Sorell Slaymaker has 25 years of experience designing, building, securing, and operating IP networks and the communication services that run across them. His mission is to help make communication easier and cheaper, since he believes that the more we all communicate, the better we are. Prior to joining 128 Technology as an Evangelist in 2016, Sorell was a Gartner analyst covering networking and communications. Sorell graduated from Texas A&M with a B.S. in Telecom Engineering, and went through the M.E. Telecom program at the University of Colorado.

On the weekends, Sorell enjoys being outside gardening, hiking, biking, or X-skiing. He resides in St. Paul, Minn., where he has grown to appreciate all four seasons of the year, including camping in January.