Best architecture / recommendation for multi sites (separate business) Cloud VOIP PBX
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This is a spin off from my other thread. This thread is more of me trying to learn better way of doing this to suggest / recommend better solution to our business. For background info, our IT dept belongs to the parent company supporting all sub businesses (sort of like an internal MSP).
What would you recommend the setup for a "Cloud" based PBX for below requirement?
We are trying to avoid managing 100s of instance of onsite PBXs. Hence migration to a centrally managed Cloud system with standardized handsets etc.
I have previous experience (a number of years ago) setting up a multi sites solution using Epygi internally hosted with SIP trunks. However, we want to be in the cloud et all with the latest stuff. I’m just not too up to date with current cloud offerings out there.
Phone system Requirements:
- list itemA unified centrally managed phone system to control phones across all sites. *Internal call directory and sites to site calls.
*Multi sites: Sites belong to one of the sub businesses / brands. All under the one parent company.
*Each brand has multiple sites.
*Sites will have a pre-allocated internal range. Example site A is 2000 – 2010
*Sites needs to have their own settings for phones like speedials, Parking etc. Centrally pushed out.
*Sites will have separate MOH, greeting, After hours, Parking slots (using pre-defined buttons) & the usual.
Currently running off a managed (by telco) FreePBX instance that seems very limited without many addon modules. Let say they are not very useful in making changes even basic ones. We are also trying to to go with something that we can mostly manage basic stuff (update extensions, speedial etc centrally). We need the ability to quickly rollout new sites (template?).
The whole thing needs to scale to support a couple hundred remote sites / departments.
We are outside of the US so any of the hosted provider there won’t work for us. Most local provider I know of I believe are using FreePBX behind the scene so I’m guessing will have similar restrictions to our current provider.
Thanks for any input / recommendations from those who have been here before!
- list itemA unified centrally managed phone system to control phones across all sites. *Internal call directory and sites to site calls.
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FreePBX is what most of us use and recommend in situations like these. But you have to be certain you are getting a Hosted PBX, not Hosted VoIP. A Hosted PBX is dedicated to you, it's a PBX hosted on your behalf. Hosted VoIP is shared, you are just another user on a platform already handling other people.
That why any specific needs you have can be accommodated because you are not in conflict with other users on the system.
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@360col said in Best architecture / recommendation for multi sites (separate business) Cloud VOIP PBX:
Currently running off a managed (by telco) FreePBX instance that seems very limited without many addon modules. Let say they are not very useful in making changes even basic ones. We are also trying to to go with something that we can mostly manage basic stuff (update extensions, speedial etc centrally). We need the ability to quickly rollout new sites (template?).
This is completely a vendor, not a platform, problem. That your vendor can't do the work, and also isn't giving you access is your only issue. That that vendor is using FreePBX for this isn't actually relevant in your case, that's not the source of any of your problems. The perfect tool managed incorrectly (or not at all) will still not work, even though it is perfect for you.
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@360col said in Best architecture / recommendation for multi sites (separate business) Cloud VOIP PBX:
We are outside of the US so any of the hosted provider there won’t work for us. Most local provider I know of I believe are using FreePBX behind the scene so I’m guessing will have similar restrictions to our current provider.
Don't confused the location of hosting with the location of a provider. What difference does it make if your provider is in the US?
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@360col said in Best architecture / recommendation for multi sites (separate business) Cloud VOIP PBX:
Most local provider I know of I believe are using FreePBX behind the scene so I’m guessing will have similar restrictions to our current provider.
Unless you are in the US or EU, you generally want to avoid "local" providers.
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@scottalanmiller said in Best architecture / recommendation for multi sites (separate business) Cloud VOIP PBX:
FreePBX is what most of us use and recommend in situations like these. But you have to be certain you are getting a Hosted PBX, not Hosted VoIP. A Hosted PBX is dedicated to you, it's a PBX hosted on your behalf. Hosted VoIP is shared, you are just another user on a platform already handling other people.
I am not sure I would recommend FreePBX for this. I would lean more towards having him treat the sub companies as a true separate tenant.
FusionPBX (based on FreeSwitch) is a solid mutli-tenant solution.
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@scottalanmiller said in Best architecture / recommendation for multi sites (separate business) Cloud VOIP PBX:
FreePBX is what most of us use and recommend in situations like these. But you have to be certain you are getting a Hosted PBX, not Hosted VoIP. A Hosted PBX is dedicated to you, it's a PBX hosted on your behalf. Hosted VoIP is shared, you are just another user on a platform already handling other people.
We currently have an instance of FreePBX hosted on our behalf by the provider who also provides us with the SIP trunks / holds the phone numbers etc. We don't share that with anyone.
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@360col said in Best architecture / recommendation for multi sites (separate business) Cloud VOIP PBX:
@scottalanmiller said in Best architecture / recommendation for multi sites (separate business) Cloud VOIP PBX:
FreePBX is what most of us use and recommend in situations like these. But you have to be certain you are getting a Hosted PBX, not Hosted VoIP. A Hosted PBX is dedicated to you, it's a PBX hosted on your behalf. Hosted VoIP is shared, you are just another user on a platform already handling other people.We currently have an instance of FreePBX hosted on our behalf by the provider who also provides us with the SIP trunks / holds the phone numbers etc. We don't share that with anyone.
Ah, you violated a basic rule of bundling, your PBX should never be from the same company that has the phone numbers or trunks. For basic business protection, just like Registrar and DNS providers, those should always be two discrete entities or else you create a huge, expected extortion risk.
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@360col said in Best architecture / recommendation for multi sites (separate business) Cloud VOIP PBX:
@scottalanmiller said in Best architecture / recommendation for multi sites (separate business) Cloud VOIP PBX:
FreePBX is what most of us use and recommend in situations like these. But you have to be certain you are getting a Hosted PBX, not Hosted VoIP. A Hosted PBX is dedicated to you, it's a PBX hosted on your behalf. Hosted VoIP is shared, you are just another user on a platform already handling other people.We currently have an instance of FreePBX hosted on our behalf by the provider who also provides us with the SIP trunks / holds the phone numbers etc. We don't share that with anyone.
This is many levels of wrong, from designed to housed, to SIP provider servicing. . .
If you ever want to leave this supplier you have to fight this vendor for everything you've setup, and hope and pray it's able to be installed somewhere else with ease.
A separation of services hear would help relieve of lot of this setup fiasco.
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@scottalanmiller said in Best architecture / recommendation for multi sites (separate business) Cloud VOIP PBX:
This is completely a vendor, not a platform, problem.
Agree and I have mentioned as much previously. I'm in no position to make the decision on moving off this provider. Hence wanting to see alternative solutions / implementation. I'm trying to be better informed when the times comes to look at alternatives.
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@scottalanmiller said in Best architecture / recommendation for multi sites (separate business) Cloud VOIP PBX:
Don't confused the location of hosting with the location of a provider. What difference does it make if your provider is in the US?
I'm saying I can't use a provider in the US that can't host our local phone numbers.
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@jaredbusch said in Best architecture / recommendation for multi sites (separate business) Cloud VOIP PBX:
I am not sure I would recommend FreePBX for this. I would lean more towards having him treat the sub companies as a true separate tenant.
This is the sort of thing I'm looking to hear / learn.
@jaredbusch said in Best architecture / recommendation for multi sites (separate business) Cloud VOIP PBX:
FusionPBX (based on FreeSwitch) is a solid mutli-tenant solution.
I had a quick play with installing FusionPBX in the past. However haven't actually use it in live calls.
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@scottalanmiller said in Best architecture / recommendation for multi sites (separate business) Cloud VOIP PBX:
Ah, you violated a basic rule of bundling,
Not my doing
They are not someone I would have used. -
The main aim of this thread is for me to learn more on what would have been the recommended solution for this particular scenario if one we to set up a phone system servicing that many sites. Let say 10 to 20 brands with multiple sites each.
Something that is more manage than having over a hundred phone system to manage. Ideally share as much of the config as possible. So if corporate decide on something it doesn't have to be changed on multiple systems.
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@360col said in Best architecture / recommendation for multi sites (separate business) Cloud VOIP PBX:
@scottalanmiller said in Best architecture / recommendation for multi sites (separate business) Cloud VOIP PBX:
This is completely a vendor, not a platform, problem.
Agree and I have mentioned as much previously. I'm in no position to make the decision on moving off this provider. Hence wanting to see alternative solutions / implementation. I'm trying to be better informed when the times comes to look at alternatives.
If you can't move off of the provider, then you've provided your own answer. There is no possible alternative.
Basically you are saying "I must use this provider" and then asking "what's an alternative provider."
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@360col said in Best architecture / recommendation for multi sites (separate business) Cloud VOIP PBX:
@scottalanmiller said in Best architecture / recommendation for multi sites (separate business) Cloud VOIP PBX:
Ah, you violated a basic rule of bundling,
Not my doing
They are not someone I would have used.At least none of this is your problem. Whoever is making all these decisions obviously wants things as they are.
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@scottalanmiller I believe he is saying he doesn't have the final decision; but at least as some weight when it comes to the conversation.
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@360col said in Best architecture / recommendation for multi sites (separate business) Cloud VOIP PBX:
The main aim of this thread is for me to learn more on what would have been the recommended solution for this particular scenario if one we to set up a phone system servicing that many sites. Let say 10 to 20 brands with multiple sites each.
Right, and the top recommendation, long before you pick a platform, is picking the business architecture of your providers. Hence why we were giving that. The PBX is trivial compared to the provider, especially since your main problems here are from the provider, not the PBX.
Is FreePBX ideal for you? Probably not. Are your problems caused by FreePBX? No, they are from the provider.
So while it may not feel like it, we are actually addressing your original question and issues moreso than what you are wanting as an answer.
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@scottalanmiller said in Best architecture / recommendation for multi sites (separate business) Cloud VOIP PBX:
Basically you are saying "I must use this provider" and then asking "what's an alternative provider."
We all agree the current system is a problem. So I'm not talking about that anymore. I'm asking what if I were given this to start fresh. What systems (FreePBX / Fusion) would you use. How would you structure it? What would you need to provide those features.
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@360col said in Best architecture / recommendation for multi sites (separate business) Cloud VOIP PBX:
@scottalanmiller said in Best architecture / recommendation for multi sites (separate business) Cloud VOIP PBX:
Basically you are saying "I must use this provider" and then asking "what's an alternative provider."
We all agree the current system is a problem.
Sort of, we all agree that the vendor you can't change is a problem. How much can you change if you can't change the vendor of the thing in question?
I'm unclear what can be changed. If you are locked to one vendor, then it comes down to what that vendor offers.
