MITEL NETWORKS
Mitel proposed a fully distributed network design consisting of redundant media gateway servers at each facility. A Mitel 3300 MXe Server Survivable User Gateway, three Mitel 3300 MXe (Redundant) Survivable Media Gateways, Mitel 3300 AX and Mitel Analog Service Unit (ASU) II media gateways were proposed for each headquarters facility equipment room. The regional office included a Mitel 3300 MXe (Redundant) Survivable Media Gateway and Mitel ASU II; the satellite office included a Mitel 3300 CX Survivable Media Gateway and Mitel ASU II. Any of the Mitel 3300 MXe Servers across the network is capable of supporting all station users if a primary server fails.
The headquarters facility also housed servers for messaging, conferencing, unified communications, contact center, and teleworker/mobile requirements. Resiliency and survivability at the remote facilities is seamless and full featured, fully satisfying RFP requirements. No server is required for E911 support, as the function is embedded into the Mitel software generic.
Mitel has a strong IP telephone portfolio, but lacked one important instrument attribute as required by the RFP:
The Mitel 5302 SIP telephone instrument was proposed and satisfied Economy model requirements. The Mitel 5340 was proposed for both Administrative and Executive model requirements, but a very important Executive model requirement--a color display screen--was not satisfied by the 5340; Mitel does not currently have a desktop instrument with a color display in its portfolio. The Mitel 5330 was proposed for the Professional model and satisfied most requirements. Neither the 5330 nor 5340 support Bluetooth, but a DECT option is available for headset support, though it was not included in the price proposal. Also missing from the price proposal was the Mitel Gigabit Ethernet option as required by the RFP.
An advantage of the high end Mitel 5330/5340 instruments is the relatively large number of available programmable line/feature keys, in addition to several fixed feature keys, for station users who prefer the look and feel of traditional PBX telephone instruments. Mitel also offers several secure teleworker instruments (5224, 5330, or 5340 models) for remote user requirements.
Mitel proposed one of the strongest generic software feature sets, as only a handful of required features were not available. Virtually all listed Station features were available, except for Callback Last Internal Caller and Whisper Page. The only missing Attendant feature was Auto Start/Don’t Split System. All required System features were satisfied by the proposal. System management and security requirements were also strongly satisfied.
Mitel’s Mobile Extension is a software solution that lets users twin their primary system directory number with an internal or external PSTN-connected phone (e.g., a cell phone). It is not proprietary to a specific cellular carrier operator service or cell phone type, is compatible with any standard GSM/CDMA mobile and does not require the use of a Smart Client. For more advanced operations, the Mitel Mobility for Microsoft Windows Mobile software client option is available for system feature and function access and implementation.
Mitel’s unified communications solution was based on Your Assistant, a unified communications dashboard that integrates presence and availability, secure instant messaging (IM), audio conferencing, and video and data collaboration with the call control capabilities of the Mitel 3300 IP Communications Platform (ICP). The Mitel unified communications proposal complied with most all of RFP requirements, except for a Web-based client and IBM integration.
SIEMENS COMMUNICATIONS
Siemens proposed its HiPath 8000 in response to the RFP requirements. The HiPath 8000 is a SIP-based softswitch communications solution based on network carrier design standards. Due to the commercial availability requirements of the RFP, Siemens was unable to propose its recently announced OpenScape Unified Communications Server, a product that seamlessly converges the capabilities of the HiPath 8000 with the Siemens OpenScape unified communications solution onto a single server.
Siemens proposed a redundant HiPath 8000 service node (with integrated Media Server and Administration capabilities) for each of the headquarters facility equipment rooms. Each equipment room configuration also included RG8700 media gateways for digital trunk interfaces and several Mediatrix media gateways for analog station and trunk requirements. Redundant Xpressions messaging servers and ProCenter contact center servers were also proposed for each equipment room. As befits a carrier-based system, full E911 services are embedded in the software generic of the HiPath 8000.
The carrier-based HiPath 8000 design highly satisfies local redundancy requirements at headquarters, but remote survivability is an issue. Proposed equipment at the regional office includes a survivable RG8700 Media Gateway and several Mediatrix media gateways. The RG8700 assumes local processing control in case of connectivity issues to the headquarters facility, but feature/function support is limited in survivable mode.
For the satellite office, Siemens proposed a Comdasys 2600 with Mediatrix media gateways. The Comdasys assumes local processing control in survivable mode and supports a limited number of features/functions. The HiPath 8000 Edge solution supports full feature/function capabilities in survivable mode, but is designed for larger line size facilities and does not currently support a seamless switchover, i.e. active media gateway calls are dropped.
Siemens proposed its latest generation of IP telephone instruments to satisfy the RFP’s voice terminal requirements. The OpenStage 20 more than satisfied the requirements for the Economy model. The OpenStage 60 was proposed for the Administrative, Professional, and ACD models, and satisfied virtually all of the major requirements, with the bonus of a color display screen. The only limitations of the OpenStage 60 are a limited number of fixed feature keys and programmable line/feature keys. The Administrative model required 16 programmable line/features, but the OpenStage 60 is limited to 14. The OpenStage 80 was proposed for the Executive model and satisfied virtually all requirements, excluding feature fixed keys. The OpenStage 60 and 80 models both have integrated Gigabit and Bluetooth interfaces, and an ergonomic Touch Guide to interface with the color display screen. Siemens does not offer a VPN-based desktop instrument for teleworker applications.
One of the weaker sections of the Siemens RFP response was its generic software feature set. Most listed Station features were supported except for the following: Call Park; Traditional Intercom Groups (Dial, Manual, Automatic); Discrete Call Observing; Text Messages; Timed Queue and Whisper Page. Several RFP-specified Station features require peripheral hardware/software including User Controlled Meet-Me Conferencing (6 party or more), Multi-Party Assisted Conference w/Selective Call Drop Message Waiting Activation, and Paging/Code Calling.
Most listed Attendant features were supported except for the following: Override of Diversion Features and Serial Call; Control of Trunk Group Access; Direct Trunk Group Selection and Trunk Group Busy/Warning Indicator. Missing System features include Timed Reminder and Trunk Callback Queuing. Automated Attendant, ACD, Code Calling and Direct Inward System Access each require peripheral hardware/software.
On a brighter note, the HiPath 8000 offers a strong systems management package and fully embedded security capabilities.
Siemens needs its OpenScape unified communications offer in order to fulfill the RFP requirement for cellular extension capabilities OpenScape Enterprise V3.0 supports advanced mobile client capabilities on a variety of handsets including several Blackberry and Nokia models. The alternative HiPath MobileConnect option supports dual mode devices with dynamic seamless handoff, single number access using the business phone number, and it extends existing HiPath 8000 features to dual-mode (cellular and WLAN) handsets.
One of the strongest sections of the Siemens proposal was its response for unified communications. The OpenScape Enterprise offer fully integrates telephones, voice mail, email, text-messaging, calendaring, instant messaging, collaboration and conferencing services, including full integration with Microsoft and IBM solutions. The latest version of the OpenScape user client has been “cleaned up” to more easily facilitate feature access and implementation compared to early versions. All RFP features and functions for unified communications were satisfied by the Siemens solution.
[Editor's note: The remaining vendors, and Allan Sulkin's concluding comments, are in Part 2 of this article, available here.]
The VoiceCon RFP template is available for download here.
Allan Sulkin is president of TEQConsult.
