VoIP Migration Best Practices

Moving from an old TDM switch to the new Unified Communications (UC) and VoIP switches can be a daunting and difficult task. Especially when it comes to keeping phone numbers and billing accurate and duplicate free. NetPlus recently helped a large state government successfully pilot and implement the move from an old Intecom (legacy) switch to a new Cisco Call Manager.

Key drivers for UC and VoIP are always cost and infrastructure. The state could not see themselves continuing down the path with a TDM legacy switch, especially with the cost savings they could have with a new VoIP switch. But their challenge was keeping their call records and billing accurate. The state served as the telecommunications provider for a number of end user organizations and billed those organizations monthly for their telecommunications costs. Cost allocation and billing was priority to the state.

The state needed to ensure that the transition did not affect the established billing processes in place for their end user customer organizations. The new switch, a Cisco Call Manager, was put in place and with the help of NetPlus, the state migrated one department over to the new switch. NetPlus helped ensure billing was accurate and transparent.

With the successful move to the new switch, the State has started moving its end user organizations utilizing NetPlus to manage the process. Both switches are currently managed in NetPlus and as phone numbers are moved to the new Cisco Call Manager, NetPlus collects the new call detail records and integrates that data into the state’s billing stream. Because both switches are managed by NetPlus, this avoids any duplication in billing and provides the end user organizations with complete transparency into the process.

NetPlus was critical in the cost allocation process previously established by the State, and even with the move the State was able to keep billing for its end user organizations.