VoIP Providers for Asterisk based call center

[Gnome]

Any suggestions, advice, etc. would be appreciated.

We are looking at running an Asterisk based call center and would like some suggestions in regards to VoIP providers.

On our side, the client side, we want to connect to the VoIP provider using either SIP or IAX.

Can anyone recommend some VoIP providers that would meet those needs, cost is less of an issue compared to voice quality and up time. It absolutely cannot go down and any bad quality is an issue we don't want to have to deal with.

Currently we only have around 100 people that would need to use the call center now but if it is successful that will rapidly expand to a much greater number.

Thanks

 

[BelAl]

Hiya Gnome.. depends where you are and which provider has a fibre based solution close to you. Neotel, Internet Solutions, etc. are all good bang for the bigger buck.

 

[grimstoner]

I'd recommend speaking to these guys... http://www.iptelesys.net/

They'll try and sell you their management interface for Asterisk (Scopserv), but they'll be able to point you in the right direction.

 

[Vince0]

I've got connections to Vox Datapro,DOW Networks, DNS Telecom MWeb and ECN. They've all either had some implementation issues or some break in service at some point.

I would say MWeb and DNS have the best service and pricing despite the fact that I need national bandwidth to get to Jo'burg for sip.mweb.net. Vox Datapro allowed us to put a straight Metro-fibre into their Durban POP, which works out really cheap. I use, in order - DNS, MWeb, Vox, DOW for mobile and split the national area codes between them. DOW has good national rates to the major cities and areas and they support IAX trunks directly. DNS does this too. MWeb has a great wholesale agreement with some of the best rates.

I have to do fail over between the providers to keep some stability in the call centre because of intermittent issues, which used to happen very often. There are no guarantees from any VOIP provider and we are doing it dirt cheap.

 

[Gnome]

depends where you are and which provider has a fibre based solution close to you. Neotel, Internet Solutions, etc. are all good bang for the bigger buck.

Well we are located in Centurion. When you say IS, do you mean they have VoIP solution or is it just a type of leased line to IS and we are on their network? Currently there is Diginet coming in, so leased lines isn't really an issue. If however we can connect directly to the VoIP "ISP" instead of going through Diginet that might be good in terms of keeping the possible list of problems down (eg. if the link goes down, we know we only deal with the VoIP provider rather than Telkom + VoIP provider).

I'd recommend speaking to these guys... http://www.iptelesys.net/

They'll try and sell you their management interface for Asterisk (Scopserv), but they'll be able to point you in the right direction.

Thanks, I'll give them a call. I had a look at their Scopserv product, seems nice actually. We're doing something similar that integrates with a wider array of other applications tho (if it weren't for integration with other applications I would actually think about just using Scopserv)

I've got connections to Vox Datapro,DOW Networks, DNS Telecom MWeb and ECN. They've all either had some implementation issues or some break in service at some point.

I would say MWeb and DNS have the best service and pricing despite the fact that I need national bandwidth to get to Jo'burg for sip.mweb.net. Vox Datapro allowed us to put a straight Metro-fibre into their Durban POP, which works out really cheap. I use, in order - DNS, MWeb, Vox, DOW for mobile and split the national area codes between them. DOW has good national rates to the major cities and areas and they support IAX trunks directly. DNS does this too. MWeb has a great wholesale agreement with some of the best rates.

I have to do fail over between the providers to keep some stability in the call centre because of intermittent issues, which used to happen very often. There are no guarantees from any VOIP provider and we are doing it dirt cheap.

Thanks! This is the kinda info I'm looking for. DNS?

Edit: Ah found it DNS Telecom, got a Network error when trying their web-site tho Will try again later. Like the idea of being able to use IAX directly instead of just plain SIP.

 

[gmza]

Switch Telecom can assist with this requirement. Quality is paramount. SIP and IAX2 are both offered. Number portability is offered as well. Connectivity can be either via the IP cloud, or diginet, or, depending on location and volume, possibly fibre/megaline/metro ethernet. www.switchtel.co.za or 0800 060 100.