Managed IP Telephony (MIPT)
LiquidSpoke’s Managed IP Telephony (MIPT) transforms your phone system into a business-building tool. We have partnered with ShoreTel® to offer you a managed, fully integrated IP Telephony phone system at a low, predictable monthly price with a convenient, single point of contact for service and support. The service is targeted at companies with 200 to 5,000 users.
Our MIPT model combines the strengths of a purchased model with those of a hosted service. In a MIPT service scenario, the customer owns the PBX but contracts LiquidSpoke to manage and monitor the PBX from our LiquidCare Response Center (LRC). The IP Telephony equipment is deployed on the customer’s premises and supports tight integration with the customer’s applications and databases. This onsite integration results in the desired levels of management control, security, a rich set of calling features, and total flexibility for application integration.
Like a hosted service, MIPT outsources ongoing system administration, management, maintenance, support, and updates. We offer several levels of service, including a basic service that includes only QoS monitoring and failure alerts, as well as a more sophisticated level of service which includes security and remote backup. MIPT allows the customer to realize the full suite of benefits of outsourcing while enjoying shared management control, security, and communications flexibility. End users also enjoy a level of support they might not have had previously while supplying instant access to new services and updates.
However, IP telephony also brings with it technical challenges related to converged networking and very high requirements for quality and reliability of voice communications. Particularly for small to medium sized businesses (SMB), the tremendous business benefits that result from a converged network are offset by resource limitations at a company whose primary business is not voice communications. Often, the typical SMB does not have the time, expertise, skills or money to administer and monitor a converged network and make equipment updates and upgrades that are necessary to deliver secure and reliable voice communications that meets user expectations.
Therefore, our MIPT services also include the planning, design, and integration of the system prior to the "switching" on of the service. From a financial perspective, MIPT allows companies to translate capital expenditure into predictable operational expenditures with reasonable upfront expenses. This service configuration is especially popular with those customers who are uncomfortable with learning the technical issues behind running an IP-based telephony system. In addition, MIPT users are more likely to utilize and develop specialized applications that are intricately coupled to their voice system.
This monthly service provides customers with an onsite platform, converged applications, and a full complement of professional and managed services, including:
- Network assessment according to your business needs
- Initial design & configuration
- Project management & installation
- 24/7/365 proactive monitoring & alerts
- 24/7/365 remote trouble resolution
- 1-hour emergency response time for repair of IP PBX or switches
- Next business day replacement of handsets
- Maintenance of hardware and software
- Management of software updates
- Ongoing trend analysis and recommendations
- Access to the LiquidCare Response Center
- Dedicated customer service manager
Monitoring is conducted remotely from LiquidSpoke’s state of the art LiquidCare Response Center, which integrates best-of-breed monitoring and applications systems, customized notification and escalation paths, and a secure customer Web portal that provides real-time visibility into IP telephony availability and performance.
