atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums General General Telephone & Systems Information Need help with a better way to explain connectivity

I have hooked up to every phone system out there. Believe it or not - getting some type of dump to show how the system was programmed seems to be next to impossible - the vendors ask the customers and the customer, because we sell to the collection industry do not want to give up any info if at all possible.

Well--no--not every phone system. In fact, only a very few can be hooked up according to your PDFs. Even larger system need to sometimes have extra slots to "cover" the extra trunks coming in on the T-1s---thereby needing extra cabinets or whatever.

If a customer won't allow you to see what the PBX translations are (like merlinman suggested) then your customer is making a decision that flat out dog-locks you in doing your job. You'll have to find a way around that one.

This is the truth - I come from Avaya (installing IP Office 5 years ago) and the Nortel lingo was different. For example Call Classifiers verses Tone Generators or DTMF registers. Gets confusing sometimes.

I appreciate the feedback.

The pictures I posted are just examples some are tiny some are far larger - for example, one customer has 20 T1/Tie lines connected to the dialer and we are pumping all the calls through the phone system because they want to use their LCR.

Another customer makes over 42000 dials per hour - we brought the Qwest
SLC Main switch down they had to load balance over Denver Main and SLC Main.

Most customers have been Norstar, BCMs, Legends, Inter-Tel (alot of Inter-Tel), Panasonics. The larger companies have G3s, Option 11 and larger Meridians. Again the biggest challenge over the last 4+ years is getting dumps from the phone system as to how they set up the channels. No one wants to give them up. And the lingo from vendor to vendor has always been a challenge.

I'm trying to make it easier for the phone vendors to do their job - which is plug in a card or two, set up so that I can do 'X' and run some cross connects for me - my guys will do the rest.

This place has been a great help in providing answers to my questions about capacity features over the years.

So what I get from this is:
-Call flow diagram with spec sheet (not just connectivity diagram)
-Compile a "universal translator" to speak the correct terms for the phone system at hand
-Beg harder for system dumps for programming.

You're correct, the phone systems have to be upgraded often, extra cabinets put in etc... The size of the dialer makes a difference as to how and what needs to be upgraded.

Yes that does suck about customer not releasing info to us - their vendor - the guys that have access to account numbers, SS#, names and address and debt balances. Doesn't make sense. Its often the IT King trying to keep the keys to the kingdom.

No. This may also be one of your problems in getting the system configurations.

Don't ask for a dump, me or no one else will do that to protect our systems security. But if you do an install and have it running perfectly, then you tell me you need a print out of;
"that" trunk group,
"that" signaling group and
"that" ACD group. These are needed In case something happens and we need to reprogram it again or so we will have a backup copy our technical support group can help YOU later. You will have a lot better chance of getting them. In fact I would make it policy to do so for you and the customer.

I think part of the problem is you are giving the PBX tech/programmer too much information. As a group of people who deal with wiring and phones and whatnot we are all conditioned to look at a wiring diagram and try to then figure out how we can do all that. What I have found is that not all installers are created equal and sometimes all they really need are the basics.

Something like this: Simple View of Dialer<->PBX Integration

We can argue over my naming conventions (or lack thereof) later, but i'm sure every installer on here who has programmed multi-T1 PBX's would now understand exactly where we need to end up. Now the question just becomes "How can we do it".

Maybe the system cant have a blended T1 because of a programming limitation, or have an outbound trunk pool on two different TIE lines. Who knows, but you will get to that stage quicker.

What's behind the PBX should not be much of your concern, the vendor should know his backyard and be able to tell the customer what extension the TIE lines will be on. What's in your backyard also has nothing to do with the PBX Vendor, he could care less that you have an IP Port and 50 computers hooked to it.

The big-picture diagram that you already have is fine from a system-wide perspective. It will look great in a sales pitch where someone thinks they are buying goverment secrets. All the vendor really needs to know is how he'll be connecting, not really what is going on behind it.

The thing to remember is you are doing an integration with them. That PBX was there first, and unfortunately, you are going to have to give more then the Vendor. What that means is if it's a lackluster vendor who doesn't know he may say it cant be done instead. Probably the best advice I can give you here is make friends on this board, they are invaluable.

Kumba is probably right about too much info.

But DCWAVE, make sure my number is not in their Data Base next time you implement one....

- LOL -

BTW DCWAVE. Should you need help writing something up for the Avaya's I will help you or post something here and we will help with the terminology part.

Sorry I haven't responded sooner, end of year and this 1st quarter have been extremely busy for me (recessions are always good for my collections customers hehe).

I appreciate all the suggestions and have been able to implement some new ideas that have helped in making sure my connectivity needs are understood. On site time for bringing up the phone system interconnectivity to the dialer has been sped up. Often our installer and PBX vendor would take the better part of the morning of our 1st day on site to get things going between the phone system and dialer - now its about an hour, sometimes two on larger setups.

This means more time to fight with Verizon about PRIs - but that's another post

-Dave