[OPLINTECH] Phone systems

Wed Sep 1 13:49:28 EDT 2021

For faxing with actual fax modems in the copiers, we use a Grandstream HT802 device at each copier. Plugs into the network and registers on our system (Zultys) as any other VoIP phone, and then has a classic RJ11 port on it that plugs into the copier’s fax port, which thinks it is a real POTS line. Faxes can be sent and received without any difference to the end user. This also works well for our elevator phone line, which exhibited a dramatic increase in audio quality when moving from the POTS to the HT802.

Our VoIP system also provides digital faxing built in – they come in as e-mail and can be sent out with a virtual printer (print-to-fax similar to print-to-PDF).

Sam Lewis
Systems Administrator

From: OPLINTECH <oplintech-bounces at lists.oplin.org> On Behalf Of Joe Knueven via OPLINTECH
Sent: Wednesday, September 1, 2021 13:17
To: oplintech <oplintech at lists.oplin.org>
Subject: Re: [OPLINTECH] Phone systems

Ok, first I want to add in a +1 for OnSIP for the record of anyone who searches this thread later.  I can confirm everything Jessica and Tyson have said.  They are the only hosted PBX that seems to make sense in a library (I guess most small businesses don't have more handsets than FTEs..)  I also need feel a need to emphasize Jessica's point about number portability.  You want it in writing from someone not in sales that the new service can actually port your number.  I learned this the hard way several years back.

Second, with digital faxing and offering this as a self-service option via a copier using interfax or any other online fax service, did you simply configure one of the contacts on the copiers scan to email as the fax service?
Or was there some cool way to configure the built in fax modem to use the digital service?

At one of my locations I've left the fax machine on a POTS line, partially because we have a couple of other services that depend upon analog lines, but also because long long ago far far away, I couldn't find a way to setup digital faxing that wasn't convoluted for the staff (let alone the public) to use and then also in my testing I noticed that most faxes that were sent to the local ODJFS office in my county would silently fail to deliver while an analog fax machine on a POTS line would get through (eventually).  [fail to deliver silently as in the service would tell staff that the fax went through successfully at the time of sending, but if you checked on it 30-60 minutes later would find they couldn't deliver it..]

If digital faxing has improved since then, I'd love to ditch analog fax machines and maybe a POTS line.

Thanks.

Joe

Joe Knueven, Director
Wilmington Public Library
268 N South Street
Wilmington, OH 45177
937-382-6165 x101 (direct)
937-382-2417 (public)

---- On Wed, 01 Sep 2021 10:34:59 -0400 Jessica Dooley via OPLINTECH <oplintech at lists.oplin.org<mailto:oplintech at lists.oplin.org>> wrote ----

I also had a good experience switching from POTS to OnSIP for hosted VOIP with Yealink phones (bought separately). What differentiated OnSIP was that they offered a per-feature pricing model, as an alternative to the per-user model. Since libraries have many more handsets than lines, buying a set of features rather than a quantity of users enabled me to switch to OnSIP for 30% of what the library paid for the same number of POTS lines. It was highly configurable, as well, and both the handset features and system features (such as pre-scheduling announcement messages for holiday dates, etc) were a big hit. As with any phone migration, the only big caveat is to ensure the vendor can verify your local numbers' portability in writing before committing.

For digital faxing, I used Interfax. I agree with all Tyson's points about the benefits of digital faxing! Interfax is just a volume digital fax vendor, so it can be a cost efficient option, and give you flexibility about how you'll configure email addresses, copiers, staff management, etc. The library offered self-serve outbound faxing via copiers, and inbound faxes went to a shared mailbox that staff could print on request. When I last worked with that setup, I did not yet have a way to vend - a managed services provider might close that self-service vending gap.

The other caveat that may arise about removing all POTS lines is whether any system is using the POTS lines for monitoring (fire, elevator, security, etc). Some monitoring services will offer cellular modem as an alternate communication method. In some situations (such as for elevators), local regulations may require that a dedicated POTS line be retained. It can be worth factoring these costs into migration planning.

Jessica D. Dooley
Infrastructure Specialist
Ohio Public Library Information Network
jessica at oplin.ohio.gov<mailto:jessica at oplin.ohio.gov>
614-728-5254

On Wed, Sep 1, 2021 at 9:56 AM Tyson Horton via OPLINTECH <oplintech at lists.oplin.org<mailto:oplintech at lists.oplin.org>> wrote:
We went with a company called Onsip with Grandstream phones. We have been happy so far. We started using them a couple years ago. We also had to work with our local Copy/Printer company, that maintains our printers and scanners, to get set up with a virtual faxing system (Efax) to eliminate our fax lines as well, but keep our number. All of our faxes still go out through a copy/scanner from our number, but the incoming faxes come in to an email address. That took some getting used to with the staff, but we have been managing well. It greatly decreased our "junk faxes" that come in. You are able to preview before you print, so that is nice.

www.onsip.com<http://www.onsip.com>

On Tue, Aug 31, 2021 at 3:27 PM Colleen Sandusky via OPLINTECH <oplintech at lists.oplin.org<mailto:oplintech at lists.oplin.org>> wrote:
We are looking at replacing our phone system soon. Does anyone have any recommendation? Any systems to stay away from? We are not interest in VOIP and we have less than 20 handsets with 4 lines. We are currently using an Executone system, which is fine but was obsolete when it was purchased.
Thanks,
Colleen Sandusky
Loudonville Public Library
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