the practical communications solution: converged networking with

WHITE PAPER

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Executive Summary

As enterprise organizations are pressed to make the most of their limited resources, many areturning to Internet Protocol (IP) telephony solutions built on a converged voice and data networkinfrastructure. A carefully selected IP telephony solution can help organizations meet the challengesof today’s marketplace, enabling them to increase productivity, better support mobile and remoteemployees, and reduce their total cost of ownership (TCO).

Three key criteria are important to consider before investing in an IP telephony solution—its foundationarchitecture, application support, and ability to deliver multisite connectivity—all of which will impactease of use, cost, and long-term value.

Open and standards-based architecture is critical for easy network integration and interoperabilitywith third-party applications.The infrastructure should also deliver maximum Quality of Service (QoS)and high availability to support time-sensitive voice traffic and vital business processes.

A solution that offers built-in applications like voice mail, call center, automated attendant, call detailrecording, and network management will let organizations quickly begin enjoying the productivityand cost benefits of a converged voice and data solution. A system that includes open applicationprogramming interfaces (APIs) will offer independent software developers support for creatingspecialized applications tailored to meet a variety of specific needs.

As organizations depend more and more on remote and mobile workers, and as business operationsbecome more dispersed, a communications infrastructure must effectively support multisite networking.Organizations can benefit from a solution that offers both the simplicity and manageability of a unifiedarchitecture as well as the survivability and flexibility of a distributed design. A solution that offersrobust site-to-site connectivity enables companies to economically improve collaboration by easilytransferring callers, setting up conferences, and distributing messages among a dispersed workforce.

In the following pages, we’ll review the potential business benefits and key technical requirementsof a converged IP telephony solution, and illustrate how 3Com® IP telephony solutions enableorganizations to maximize these benefits.

The Practical Communications Solution: Converged Networking with 3Com® IP Telephony

C O N T E N T S

Executive Summary.........................................1

The Business Case for IP Telephony.................2

Deployment Considerations ............................5

Why 3Com? .................................................12

CONVERGED NETWORKING WITH 3COM® IP TELEPHONY WHITE PAPER

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The Business Case for IP Telephony

Businesses, educational institutions, andgovernment agencies must contend withsevere budget pressures, accommodateincreasingly dispersed workforces, andensure workplace productivity. To addressthese issues, many enterprise organizationsare turning to IP telephony solutions thatare built upon a converged voice and datanetwork infrastructure.

IP has become the transport mechanism ofchoice, and many organizations are migratingtheir voice systems to IP telephony. In asurvey of fifty enterprises by the Tolly Group,a third of respondents said that Voice over IP(VoIP) was already in production mode. Andmore than fifty percent reported that theircompany planned to prototype a VoIP networksoon. IP voice solutions are already providingthousands of customers with a superioralternative to legacy PBX systems. Organiza-tions are choosing IP telephony because itenables them to address their most compellingbusiness issues today, while establishing afoundation for future growth.

Reducing TCOThe cost of a telephone system is much morethan simply its purchase price. Its true totalcost of ownership (TCO) includes equipment,long distance telecommunication costs,administration, upgrades, expansion, andother expenses such as adding users andapplications. Many organizations are findingthat a 3Com IP telephony solution offers asignificantly lower TCO than a traditionalcircuit-switched phone system.

Interoperability Benefits An effective IP telephony solution is basedon an open, standards-based architecturethat enables companies to keep infrastructureexpenses in control. Network devices thatmake up the solution are interoperable withother standards-based products, which givesorganizations the freedom to build a solutionthat will meet their needs—regardless ofvendor. Rather than locking an organizationin to a limited, proprietary system, standards-based solutions are designed to grow andchange as business needs evolve.

Easy ScalabilityIP telephony solutions are software-based,enabling organizations to quickly and easilyscale their infrastructure to support newusers or applications. For example, 3ComNBX® software features unit-based softwarelicensing. Instead of purchasing licenses tosupport predefined numbers of devices,organizations can purchase and install

incremental licenses for any number ofunits. This "pay as you grow" model makesit easy for growing organizations to rapidlyimplement an IP telephony solution,supporting only the users they require, then scale the network at their own pace.

Voice services such as voice mail and auto-mated attendant are the primary applicationsused in telephone systems. Traditionally,these applications have been expensive,complex add-ons. Competitive pressures areforcing companies to move beyond thesetools to deploy next-generation applications,such as unified messaging and call centers,that depend on the ability to converge voice,data, and even video. Adding these applica-tions to traditional PBX systems withthird-party or external devices can beexpensive and complex, often making thenetwork even more difficult to manage. AnIP telephony solution, on the other hand,can scale to support new applicationsquickly and easily.

3Com NBX solutions offer built-in applicationsthat include voice mail, automated attendant,hunt/call groups, call detail reporting,computer telephony integration (CTI), andPC-based visual voicemail/e-mail clients(IMAP4). For international companies, theyalso feature built-in support for multiplelanguages that can be quickly installedusing a web browser.

Using CTI applications such as customerrelationship management (CRM), text-to-speech (TTS), call centers, and unifiedmessaging, organizations can dramaticallyimprove employee productivity and thecustomer experience. With traditional phonesystems, the costs to implement a packagedCTI application can far exceed the price ofthe software. 3Com NBX systems make theseimplementation costs negligible. What’smore, open 3Com APIs provide support foradditional applications through third-partysolution providers through its Voice SolutionPartner Program, giving organizations theoption of application support that matchestheir company requirements.

Simplified Management and AdministrationThe TCO of a traditional voice network oftenincludes proprietary enhancements, applica-tions and services. Its administration is oftenexpensive, especially when the systemrequires a vendor with specialized trainingor recurring service calls for implementingmoves-adds-changes. The cost of a singledevice move on a traditional phone systemcan easily exceed U.S. $100, not to mention

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the lost user productivity that can resultfrom scheduling delays.

Organizations can save tens of thousands ofdollars in training and management costswith 3Com IP telephony solutions. Becausethe 3Com NBX family shares a common soft-ware and management architecture, networkadministrators can quickly and intuitivelyview and update system configurations.Organizations can even create departmentalprofiles to speed installation at larger locations.With standards-based Power over Ethernet(PoE), and self-locating NBX phones, userscan move and install phones themselveseliminating the expense and potential sched-uling hassles that can result from the need forservice calls. Functionality and personalizedfeatures travel with the phone.

The NBX NetSet™ administration utility alsoincludes online resources that make it easy foremployees to learn about the capabilities oftheir telephones and customize features tomeet their individual needs and preferences.Training is simple and self-directed, savingthe expense of time- and effort-intensiveinstruction. Built-in call reports help adminis-trators look for potential cost and employeeproductivity issues, as well as understandpotential bottlenecks in the call handlingcapacity of staff.

3Com NBX systems can bring immediate andongoing cost savings to a business, loweringcapital expenses and expansion, staffing, andapplications costs, while increasing produc-tivity, multisite connectivity, and customerservice. With a low TCO, organizations canmore effectively address new challenges andgenerate additional revenue.

Maximizing Productivity withNetwork ApplicationsToday’s organizations face an extremelycompetitive economy in which they’recontinually asked to do more with less.Decreased numbers of employees areexpected to generate more business andaccomplish more work, often with reducedresources. Management must focus morethan ever on lowering costs and maximizingproductivity. IP telephony applications canhelp organizations accomplish both objectives,enabling them to treat voice as just anotherdata type rather than requiring a separatenetwork and staff dedicated exclusively tovoice communications. Messaging, customercare, and collaborative applications that usedto be difficult and expensive to implementsuddenly become intuitive and economical.

Intelligent ApplicationsIP telephony solutions offer organizations theintelligence of a data network and the conven-ience and immediacy of their phone systems.IP telephony applications let enterprisesoffload cumbersome, time-consuming tasksto the network, helping employees make themost of their time on the job.

For example, a healthcare foundation uses its3Com NBX automated attendant applicationto answer all of its incoming calls, twenty-fourhours each day. When no one is available at themain reception, calls are forwarded directly toappropriate medical staff. Because automatedattendant can answer multiple calls simulta-neously, the need for additional telephonestaff during peak hours is minimized.

IP telephony applications can supportsophisticated call center applications. Forexample, a newspaper uses the CTI interfacesin its 3Com NBX solution to support auto-mated call distribution, messaging interactivevoice response, and statistical functions. Theseadvanced telephony services provide a highlevel of support to its CRM system and helpthe paper build a bridge for informationinterchange with customers.

IP telephony can also greatly enhance flexi-bility, enabling employees to customize theirphone system to work the way they do. Salesassociates can program their desk phone sothat their most important customer calls areforwarded immediately to their current loca-tion, while less critical calls are sent directlyto voice mail. And organizations can benefitfrom providing employees without deskswith phantom mailboxes, a place to storevoice messages that can be accessed from theoffice or remotely.

Availability and QualityThe phone system is a critical communicationsasset for most organizations, and even a briefdowntime can be disastrous. IP telephonysolutions must provide clear and reliablevoice communications to deliver businessbenefits. 3Com IP telephony solutions workindependently from a network server’s oper-ating system. They are designed to ensurethat the phone system continues to functionin the event of a network server failure,regardless of the type of LAN or operatingsystem the network is using. NBX systemsoffer "four 9s" (99.99 percent) availability—on par with traditional PBX systems. Thesolutions offer built-in Quality of Service tomanage latency, enabling organizations toenjoy the power and flexibility of a datanetwork without sacrificing reliability.

“The SuperStack 3 NBX scored excellent latencyand voice quality metrics of 64 msec for bothconditions tested, and a 4.7 voice quality scorefor its low bit rate vocoder over a WAN to gowith a perfect 5.0 for LAN-based G.711 calls.”

—Miercom 2003 testing report

“It's worth emphasizing that it's very rare for newtechnology to reduce operational expenditure.But, in our case, it's a fact." [3Com NBXtelephony solutions enabled a 40 per centsaving on annual call charges, eliminating theneed for the yearly subscription previouslyrequired for connecting ten buildings locatedacross three sites to the PABX system.”

—Technical Director Grienenberger, Notre-Dame/Saint-Sigisbert


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Improving Network ManagementIntelligent IP telephony applications can createsignificant productivity opportunities fororganizations, but network administration isequally important. Network managementcontinues to be a significant part of IT expen-ditures, so reducing management expensescan have a significant impact on a company’sbottom line. To effectively streamlinemanagement, organizations need tools thatare powerful, easy to use, and extend controlout to users with self-service features.

The intuitive NBX NetSet utility lets networkadministrators easily configure and controlthe entire phone system from a web browser.They can use pull down menus rather thanthe cryptic command line interface (CLI) codeof some traditional phone systems. And bothadministrators and users can perform self-directed moves-adds-changes. Employees caneven use NBX NetSet to customize featureson their own phones, such as messaging,voice conferencing, and speed dialing.

3Com NBX IP telephony solutions alsoinclude the NBX Backup Utility to performautomatic backups for NBX 100 andSuperStack 3 NBX products at the timesadministrators specify. Companies can installthe software on a PC to save time andsimplify NBX system administration.

The 3Com NBX Dial Plan Editor enablesusers to create NBX dial plans in a fractionof the time using a graphical interface toautomate and simplify the process of creating,editing, and managing NBX dial plans.

3Com Network Supervisor is a networktopology discovery, mapping, and monitoringtool. Included with the 3Com NBX system, itlets administrators monitor and manageapplications simply, and makes maps of theconverged voice and data network easier tocomprehend and manage.

Supporting a Multisite Workers Tight budgets and limited resources are notthe only challenges facing organizations.Enterprises are becoming increasinglydispersed as telecommuting programsincrease and branch offices are opened toserve new markets and locations. In-Stat/MDRestimates that only 33 percent of enterpriseemployees actually work in main office loca-tions. Because much of the workforce isincreasingly employed in branch office andremote locations, organizations increasingly

need to provide secure, reliable access tovoice and data resources anytime, anywhere.In-Stat/MDR also reports that 25.8 percentof interviewed participants indicated thatmultisite capabilities were the primary reasonthey implemented voice support over theirLANs. As physical distance among co-workersincreases so does the need for the collabora-tion benefits made available by IP telephony.

Improved User ExperienceVoIP technology enables business applicationsto be shared over a common data network.Unlike traditional phone systems, 3ComNBX solutions let employees at remote sitescontact each other as quickly and easily as ifthey were in the same building, whetherusing voice or data communications. Withuniform dial plans that enable cross-siteextension-to-extension dialing, a universitylibrarian can request a book from a colleagueat another campus by picking up the phoneand dialing a four, five, or six-digit number.Or the librarian can transfer an incomingcaller to another department, building, orcity in seconds—without asking the callerto hang up and redial.

In the banking industry, call transfer anddirect inward dialing allow employees toforward callers to any extension withoutrequiring the customer to hang up and dialanother number. Hunt groups ensure callsreach the first available employee in therelevant department, minimizing time spenton hold. They can also send calls to mobilephones when employees are away from theirdesks, ensuring that staff are always withineasy reach. And healthcare providers canuse IP telephony dial plans to establish four-digit dialing between offices, acceleratingcommunications and optimizing patient care.

Cost-Effective Multisite ConnectivityMonthly toll charges are often a painfulrecurring cost for decentralized organizations.By leveraging a dedicated WAN line and asingle dial plan to provide voice connectivitybetween branch offices, teleworkers, and theenterprise headquarters, organizations cansubstantially reduce or even eliminate recur-ring long distance charges. Remote sales staffor even call center staff can work from satelliteor home offices, yet be fully integrated withthe company phone system. Using IPtelephony connectivity between offices alsoprovides a high degree of scalability, enablingorganizations to easily add or modify users.

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Deployment Considerations

The business drivers for IP telephony are clear,and enterprise organizations are rapidlyembracing the technology. However, beforethey begin the transition to an IP telephonysystem, organizations face an array of choices:

• A hybrid IP-PBX system consists of an IPgateway and IP cards added on to a tradi-tional Time Division Multiplex (TDM) PBX.Often developed by traditional PBX manu-facturers to keep up with IP telephonytechnology, hybrid systems use proprietarydesigns, and can be both costly and difficultto integrate and manage with an existingnetwork. Their complexity may requirethat administration be outsourced—adding to recurring, ongoing expenses.

• An office in a box is a proprietary, PC-basedsystem built on all-new dedicated routers,switches, and basic phones. Such systemsoffer limited functionality and generallyuse their own unique operating systems.

• A true IP telephony system is standards-based, easily managed, and practical tointegrate with existing networks and newapplications. Ongoing administration canbe handled internally by existing IP staffusing intuitive 3Com management tools. Insome cases, end users can also customizeand manage their phones themselves. The3Com solution is a true IP telephony systemthat is designed from the ground up toprocess voice dynamically over Ethernetand/or IP networks in a full partnershipwith the data traffic infrastructure.

To realize the many benefits of IP telephony,including a lower cost of ownership,increased productivity, and cost-effectivesupport for multiple sites, organizationsmust carefully evaluate their options interms of architecture, application support,and ability to deliver multisite connectivity.

1. Foundation ArchitectureThe architecture of an IP telephony system iscritical, because it represents the foundationof much of a business’ voice and datacommunications. An effective IP telephonyarchitecture should include:

• open interfaces for easy connection withmulti-vendor network configurations

• standards–based integration and interop-erability with third-party applications forinvestment protection and flexibility

• high availability for consistent delivery ofbusiness-critical applications

• ease of management so the network canperform with maximum efficiency

Building on an Open, Standards-BasedArchitectureEnterprise networks are continually evolvingto meet changing needs—business consoli-dation or staff increases. They must be able toseamlessly transport voice and data informa-tion across miles and among diverse systems.For reliable connectivity and interoperabilitywithin a local area network, the IP telephonyplatform should be fully compatible withrecognized LAN standards such as:

• 10BASE-T Ethernet, a leading LANnetworking protocol that provides 10 Mbpsconnectivity over twisted pair wiring.

• 100BASE-T Fast Ethernet, an enhancementto 10BASE-T Ethernet technology whichoffers 100 Mbps throughput over twistedpair wiring.

• Power over Ethernet (P0E), which deliverspower to network devices withoutrequiring additional electrical cabling. (Seesidebar on page 6)

• IEEE 802.2, a standard for packet trans-mission over IPX networks.

• 802.3, a standard industry protocol forEthernet transmission.

• IEEE 802.1p/Q protocol, which prioritizestime-sensitive voice traffic.

The IP telephony solution should alsoinclude support for telephony connectivityand compression standards such as:

• The Q.SIG protocol, which supportssignaling for Private Integrated servicesNetwork Exchange (PINX) devices.

• Virtual Tie Line (VTL) technology, whichenables multiple 3Com NBX systems toplace calls between one another withoutusing additional hardware, such as analogor digital line cards.

• G729a/b, which provides enhanced voicecompression.

Furthermore, the IP telephony solution shouldbe based on application standards—buildingblocks for intelligent telephony applications.Examples include:

• IMAP4, which lets users view and listen tovoice mail with standard e-mail clientssuch as Microsoft Outlook and Eudora.

• TAPI/WAV, which supports connections tocall center and unified messaging software

The advantage of a standards-based architec-ture is most compelling for organizations thatare installing an IP telephony platform in anexisting network and can benefit fromcompatibility throughout the network, overmultiple vendor platforms.

FIGURE 1: Inte l l igent TelephonyBui ld ing Blocks


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A standards-based system can minimize thecost of deployment because it gives organiza-tions an expanded range of choices andprices as they evaluate products. It alsoeases management concerns and maximizesperformance by enabling organizations tochoose the product that is most appropriateto their needs, rather than a limited choiceof proprietary network devices from a singlevendor. Thanks to the flexibility afforded by astandards-based architecture, organizationscan implement the performance and solutionthey require.

A standards-based infrastructure is also asuperior choice for organizations that aredeploying a new network. Because opennetwork architectures offer the best possibleflexibility and scalability, they are a future-proof solution for businesses that expect toexpand and grow.

The 3Com SuperStack® 3 NBX NetworkedTelephony Solution and 3Com NBX 100Communications System deliver the stan-dards-based platform and connectivity thatenterprise organizations need today. Unlikeother voice and data products such as hybridIP-PBX systems, the 3Com NBX solutionsoffer true IP-based telephony. They weredesigned from the ground up as convergedvoice and data solutions, supporting leadingnetworking and application standards. 3ComNBX solutions also leverage the company’sexperience of nearly twenty-five years as amajor manufacturer of networking solutionsand a pioneer in IP telephony technology.

Ensuring Quality of ServiceA fully IP-based system includes advancedsupport for voice packetization and com-pression to efficiently move telephony trafficthrough the network. The network considersvoice traffic to be simply another type ofdata running over the IP network, but lost ordelayed packets can affect the quality of anIP telephony-based conversation, resulting in aclipping sound on the voice call. Packetsthat are delayed as a result of networkcongestion can also degrade sound quality.The time lag in communication becomesnoticeable when latency exceeds 250milliseconds. To deliver high audio quality,voice traffic should not be compromised bybandwidth competition with other networktraffic. Quality of Service is a way to allocateresources in data switches and routers sothat data can be prioritized, with the mosttime-critical data receiving higher priority.

To deliver QoS, a network device must identifyand group specific packets—a process calledpacket classification. After a packet has beenclassified, the packet is marked by settingdesignated bits in the IP header. Networkdevices use the source and destination IPaddress in the IP header or the source anddestination TCP or UDP port numbers in theheader to identify voice, data, or videopackets. This identification and groupingprocess is called classification and it is thebasis for providing any QoS.

Once the packet has been marked and classi-fied at the network edge, network devicesare configured to identify these packets andprovide the appropriate queuing mechanismto ensure that the QoS policy is maintainedand that time-sensitive voice packets receivethe highest priority. QoS must be maintainednot simply by the telephony platform, butby associated switches and network devicesas well (see Traffic Prioritization sidebar).

In a survey by Ashton, Metzler & Associatesin conjunction with Key3Media, QoS wasidentified as the number-one challenge inVoice over IP deployment. Fortunately, the3Com NBX solution includes a rich array offeatures designed to maximize QoS. Itsprioritization tagging system ensures thattime-sensitive voice traffic is handled beforedata application traffic, for maximum soundquality. And built-in silence suppressionmakes network utilization of bandwidthmore efficient.

3Com offers QoS over multiple layers of theopen system interconnect (OSI) networkmodel. At Layer 2, the NBX system supportsEthernet 802.1Q and its associated specifica-tion, 802.1p. Both of these IEEE Ethernetstandards define how Ethernet packets canbe prioritized.

At Layer 3, the 3Com NBX supports IPPrecedence, also called IP Type Of Service(ToS), to specify the class of service for eachpacket. The NBX also allows administratorsto configure settings for the DifferentiatedServices (DiffServ) technology, whichdefines prioritizing over the WAN or LAN.All 3Com Layer 3 voice and control packetsrunning on the NBX solution have DiffServpriority by default.

Reducing Costs with PoE

Power over Ethernet can eliminate the cost foradditional electrical cabling, cutting totalinstallation time and expense significantly, andhelping to reduce the total cost of ownershipwhen paired with Voice over IP solutions likethe 3Com NBX. PoE benefits include:

• Ease of Use—Utilizing a PoE solutionenables plug and use installation and simplifiesconfiguration. 3Com PoE equipment integratessmoothly with existing Ethernet networks andis rack-mountable for easy installation. It supports10 or 100 Mbps networks, letting organizationseffectively leverage their existing equipment.

• Central Management of Power—Organiza-tions can place network devices more flexiblybecause a central power source eliminates theneed for local AC outlets and power cords ordistributed power backups. Points of failurecan be reduced by utilizing a central, securepower source location. PoE solutions, easilyinstalled in the same wiring closet as networkswitches and patch panels, can simplify instal-lation of wall-mounted phones as well asnetwork devices in difficult-to-reach locationslike warehouses.

• Intelligent Device Detection and Safety—There’s no need to manage individual cables orjacks, because intelligent device detectioninsures that only cables that terminate withpowered devices are powered. Intelligentdevice detection also eliminates concernsabout employees accidentally exchangingcables, risking damage to existing networkdevices. And built-in overload protectionprovides additional peace of mind.

• Enhanced Availability—3Com PoE solutionsensure maximum uptime for mission criticalnetwork applications by providing a centralpower source for multiple network devices.With a single power source, organizations canapply centralized protection from powersurges or spikes, or attach an uninterruptiblepower supply (UPS) to provide battery back-upof multiple phones, wireless access points ornetwork jacks. There’s no need to depend ondesktop power sources to keep phones andnetwork devices up and running.

• Investment Protection—3Com PoE isdesigned to deliver superior investment protec-tion and maximum compatibility with existingequipment. It provides backward and forwardcompatibility for both NBX phones and elec-tronic power sources (EPS), and is fullycompatible with 10BASE-T and 100BASE-TEthernet, as well as IEEE 802.3af standards toprovide multi-brand interoperability.

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Maintaining Optimal AvailabilityEven the most advanced telephony system isof little use if it provides erratic, unreliableservice. For some businesses, a phone outageof even a few minutes can result in thou-sands of dollars in lost revenue.

When deploying an IP telephony solution,organizations should choose a solution thatoffers the highest possible availability tosupport important business communications.

The 3Com NBX solution was created withenterprise-level availability in mind. It lever-ages the Wind River VxWorks embeddedreal-time operating system—the same oper-ating system used for heart pacemakers. Andit delivers advanced reliability features likesupport for redundant power systems andresilient network links, to ensure that thenetwork infrastructure remains fully opera-tional even if portions fail.

The 3Com NBX also builds in a high level ofsecurity to protect sensitive businesscommunications. Its operating system offers

protection against hacker attacks such asdenial of service (DoS). All audio packetstraveling over the system are automaticallyscrambled to further thwart intruders. Foradded protection, the 3Com NetworkSupervisor management utility can alertadministrators to system misuse.

By migrating independent voice and datainfrastructures to a converged IP network,network administrators can exercisecomplete control over both their voice anddata networks from easy-to-use, browser-based management applications. 3ComNetwork Supervisor graphically discovers,maps, and displays network links and IPdevices, including 3Com NBX telephonesand third-party products. When thenetwork changes, administrators can prompt3Com Network Supervisor to regenerate theappropriate part of the map to ensure thatall information remains current.

For granular management of the voicenetwork, the NBX NetSet utility lets admin-istrators easily configure and control the

To support crystal-clear voice quality, the 3Com SuperStack 3 Switch 4400 works seamlessly with 3Com networked telephonyproducts, automatically identifying traffic andprioritizing it above time-insensitive data traffic.Both the 3Com SuperStack 3 NBX and NBX 100systems can operate at Layer 2 (Ethernet) orLayer 3 (IP). Depending on the selected mode,these systems will use ARP, UDP Port 2093,DiffServe Code Point 46, or Ethernet Type0x8868. The SuperStack 3 Switch 4400 canprioritize all of these traffic types, ensuringhigh-quality voice communications by mini-mizing latency and packet loss.

In addition, using its advanced Layer 4 capabilities,the Switch 4400 can prioritize network trafficfor third-party IP telephony systems. By config-uring traffic in the UDP and TCP port ranges ofthese systems—using 3Com Network Supervisormanagement software—the Switch 4400 canassign priority in much the same way it supportsNBX IP telephony solutions.

This 3Com NBX Fastlane automatic networktraffic prioritization exemplifies the companycommitment to providing practical and afford-able solutions to its customers.

The Switch 4400 also includes NBX Mode, whichenables it to support an NBX phone andnetwork login client on the same switch port.Using this mode, the Switch 4400 will alwaysforward NBX traffic. The client device is connectedto the user port on the NBX phone, which inturn is connected to the switch port, and trafficon the client device is forwarded when the userhas been successfully authenticated.

The 3Com SuperStack 3 Switch 4400 works seamlessly with 3Com NBX systems, prioritizingcritical voice traffic. Additionally, Power over Ethernet solutions can power phones and othernetwork devices without requiring extra cabling.

Using Traffic Prioritization to Ensure Quality Voice Communication


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entire phone system from a web browser.With the NBX Backup Utility, organizationsgain additional controls to ensure that theircommunications network is always meetingtheir needs.

After an NBX solution has been deployed,the only component that needs to change asthe enterprise grows is the system’s networkcall processor (NCP). Organizations cancontinue to use elements of the solutionsuch as phones and interface moduleswithout requiring costly "forklift" upgrades,and without losing service. Telephony hard-ware can be exchanged smoothly betweenthe platforms.

Unlike other systems, the 3Com NBX archi-tecture is designed to be up and taking callsin minutes—not days—without extensiveinteraction with a trained technician. Andsince the systems are software upgradeable,the latest capabilities can be available tousers immediately upon their release.

2. Application SupportRobust support for a variety of value-addapplications is another key consideration fororganizations deploying IP telephony.

Enhancing Productivity Organizations need a solution that enablesincreased employee productivity and effi-ciency. IP telephony applications make iteasy to stay in touch with customers andpartners whether at a desk or on the road.And they provide self-service options forcustomers who are trying to reach anemployee or department over the phone.

An ideal IP telephony solution will offer avariety of telephony applications, includingbuilt-in tools for immediate benefit andthird-party solutions that can easily bedeployed to meet specific business needs.Application examples include:

Voice mail—An IP telephony voicemailsystem delivers powerful voice messagingfeatures to companies without the need foradditional equipment and substantial admin-istrative time. The 3Com NBX solutionenables organizations to implement a fullyfunctional voicemail system right out of thebox. Its built-in voicemail applicationprovides up to 1,500 voicemail boxes and upto 1,000 phantom boxes.

The voicemail server included with the3Com NBX solution is Internet MessagingAccess Protocol 4 (IMAP4) compliant. Thisunified messaging protocol utilizes computertelephony integration technology, and

enables companies to create and manageInternet message folders over a telephonenetwork. Organizations can set up MicrosoftOutlook Express, Eudora, or any otherIMAP4-compliant e-mail server so that tele-phone voicemail messages appear in e-mailin-boxes just as though they were e-mailmessages. IMAP4 applications help companiesrun their business better, enhancing produc-tivity and keeping employees more in touchwith customers, colleagues, and partners.

A key investment protection capability issupported by Voice Protocol for Internet Mail(VPIM), a standard for exchanging voicemailmessages between different voicemail systemson IP networks. To leverage existing VPIM-compliant legacy messaging systems, 3ComNBX VPIM Multisite Messaging Exchangelicenses let employees compose a voice mailfrom any 3Com NBX phone and send it toone or many users in other locations, aroundthe corner or around the world. The voice-mail message is easily delivered to any userwith a VPIM-enabled mailbox. VPIM alsohelps power advanced unified messagingapplications, which enable users to receive,manage, and distribute voice, fax, and e-mailmessaging using a single mailbox. And itprovides investment protection by enablingcompanies to use existing voicemail systemsif desired, until they are ready to migrate toan IP telephony system.

Call Center—Call center applications helpcompanies maximize the value of customerrelationships through a powerful applicationthat integrates customer informationmanagement with sophisticated call manage-ment features. Call center agents can managecall flows with maximum efficiency andexpediency, providing callers a superiorcustomer experience. 3Com and its VoiceSolution Providers Program partners offer avariety of call center applications so businessescan select the software that best matches theirorganization requirements.

Automated Attendant—Automated attendantsoftware lets any size organization present aprofessional image to customers over thephone, twenty-four hours a day. Automatedattendant applications limit repetitive taskslike transferring callers to employee extensionsor providing information about companyhours, holiday shutdowns, and directions.The 3Com NBX solution features built-inmultilevel automated attendant support thatlets organizations free their administrativeemployees to better focus on individualcustomer needs, while enabling outsidecallers to reach their parties more quickly.

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Administrators can change or customizeautomated attendant preferences quickly andefficiently to reflect changing needs. Forexample, a school could update its holiday orevents announcements in minutes, ensuringthat callers always have the most currentinformation.

3Com NBX Complement Attendant Software(CAS) simplifies complex information byshowing a complete view of multipleinbound and out-bound calls, queuing theincoming calls at the top of the screen, anddisplaying caller information, call status, andtransaction time. This optional software alsoretrieves internal name directory informationright from the NBX call processor, so it’salways up-to-date.

Call Detail Recording—Call Detail Recording(CDR) monitors system usage by employeesor other users over a specific time period. Italso measures an organization’s usage of linecapacity. Using CDR, administrators can setpolicies, configure the system, and takeother actions to control telephone expenses.The 3Com NBX system has built-in CDRfeatures that let organizations use a webbrowser to easily track who is using thephone, restrict access to long-distance orinternational calls, and identify toll fraud.Organizations can assign account codes, createdetailed reports that illustrate exactly howmuch of a PSTN circuit is used, and periodi-cally present their carrier with the utilizationinformation needed to lower line costs.

Deploying Business-Specific Applicationswith 3Com Voice Solution Providers Independent software vendors (ISVs) canbring additional value to an IP telephonysolution, providing a variety of specializedapplications that are tailored to meet specificneeds. 3Com offers a broad choice of third-party applications by making available openAPIs that together with the standards-basedarchitecture of 3Com NBX systems, encouragesoftware developers to create innovativesolutions that support a wide range ofindustries. Some examples include:

Accelerated Transition to IP Telephony—Fororganizations that seek easy migration froman existing PBX, 3Com has teamed withindustry partners to create solutions thatsupport a smooth migration to IP telephony.(See CITEL sidebar on pageg 10).

Conference Phone Integration—3Com hasteamed with global technology leaders todeliver a new IP-based conference phonethat integrates fully with the 3Com NBX

platform. Its rich sound quality, paired withthe 3Com NBX solution, gives organizationsan exceptional conference phone for head-quarters and branch locations.

Conferencing—Using third-party conferencingtools, companies can easily set up conferencesto support better collaboration betweenemployees, customers, and business partners.Many of these software applications offersupport for a variety of media, includingaudio and web conferencing.

Voice-Enabled Auto Attendant and DialerApplications—These personal assistant appli-cations integrate the networked telephonysolution with users’ personal and centralizedcontact databases, enabling users to manageand forward calls more efficiently. Callers areidentified using speech recognition, enablingusers to automatically accept the call, send itto voice mail, or forward it to an outsidenumber.

IVR Solutions for Educators—Specializedinteractive voice response (IVR) systems canbe configured to notify parents of studentabsence situations, confirm school holidays,class registration, and other education-related information.

Voice Support for Wireless Mobile Devices—A range of applications are available toextend the benefits of networked telephonyacross wireless networks. Users of theseapplications can enjoy clear, cost-effectivevoice connectivity over wireless handhelddevices and other mobile devices.

Call Accounting and Billing Solutions—Avariety of comprehensive, centralized billing,accounting, and network communicationmanagement solutions are available fortracking calls and data across IP networks.These packages, often including reportingand analysis tools, help organizations controltelephone use, manage telephone costs, andsupervise personnel.

Compression and Bandwidth Control—Theseapplications ensure maximum utilization of

available bandwidth on the LAN and WAN,for more efficient use of converged networkresources.

Voicemail and E-Mail Integration—Theseapplications are designed to fill the gapbetween networked telephony solutions and desktop productivity applications,providing a single point of delivery forvoicemail messages.


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3. Multisite BenefitsThe need for a multisite networking solutionbecomes greater as organizations becomeincreasingly decentralized. They requireeffective voice and data connectivity betweensites to support employees at branch offices,telecommuters, or staff needing the flexibilityof working from another office when needed.Companies also have to have the ability todeliver call coverage and off-site notificationfrom the main office, and provide convenient,reliable access to network resources such ase-mail, corporate databases, groupware, fax,and web applications. The most efficient,reliable, and manageable way to deliverthese benefits is through a distributedconverged architecture.

Local Control, Full Connectivity3Com NBX solutions were designed from theirinception to harness the power, flexibility,and the value of a data network withoutsacrificing the reliability and familiarity of atraditional telephone system. They werecreated specifically for the unique IT needsof small and medium-sized businesses formaximum ease of use and manageability. Theopen standards-based architecture of 3ComIP telephony solutions offers local networkcontrol of voice communications, rich appli-cations and features, and delivery of all thebenefits of networked connectivity to usersat disparate locations.

3Com IP telephony solutions can be dispersedamong a company’s main offices and branchoffices. They are inherently fault tolerantand survivable in the event of unexpectedsystem outages. With no single point offailure, the systems can continue to run andhandle critical communications underadverse conditions. With 3Com NBX solutions,even if the WAN connection at companyheadquarters is disrupted, call control and afull set of features remain available at otherlocations. The 3Com architecture also enablesorganizations to enjoy greater operationalflexibility. Because phone equipment residesat each site, they can custom-configure pagingfor each building, music for callers on hold,and automated attendant messages, such ashours of operation. Additionally, since allapplications run locally at each branch,dependency on the WAN line for survivabilityand availability is minimized.

3Com voice solutions also offer applicationcontrol from a single location for companiesthat are supporting a multisite deployment.NBX dial plans can provide a simple, unifieduser interface, with support for four- toseven-digit site-to-site dialing, making phone

connections fast and easy. To use bandwidthas efficiently as possible, NBX software cancontrol WAN line usage for site-to-site calling.And because it leverages a single managementplatform, this unified telephony system alsoprovides a low cost of ownership.

Realizing the Benefits of Site-to-Site CallingAmong the most compelling benefits of IPtelephony is its ability to dramaticallyimprove the way remote users and sitescommunicate over the phone. In the past,customers reaching an incorrect departmentmight be asked to hang up and call anothernumber. Instead of calling back, a customermight give up in frustration or take his orher business elsewhere. Although businessesunderstood the potential impact of this lostbusiness, many were unable to afford thehigh costs associated with updating theirPBX system, or even creating a dedicated,private voice network.

With the 3Com NBX solution, organizationscan provide seamless site-to-site calling and,in turn, deliver better customer service.Using a unified dial plan, companies cantransfer callers from location to locationquickly and easily. Calls on the companynetwork can be placed toll free, all over theworld. Businesses can set up conferencesquickly and easily, without the need forexpensive third-party providers. And voicemails can be easily shared and distributedacross workgroups.

The benefits of site-to-site calling extend toany type of industry with multiple locations.For example, colleagues at different universitycampuses can more easily collaborate over thephone and via voicemail messages. Doctorscan speedily consult on critical patient careacross geographic distances. Governmentagencies can efficiently coordinate emergencyplanning. Or a bank executive could easilyalert branch managers about a new companypolicy or change in customer procedures, bybroadcasting a voice message.

3Com IP telephony is equally important toremote users. Sales staff or call center staffcan work from branch or home offices andbe fully integrated with the company phonesystem. Companies also gain the advantageof controlling the phone numbers of remotelocations, enabling calls to be forwarded orsent to voice mail as staff responsibilitieschange or new staff is hired.

Economic Office LinkingBusinesses are becoming increasinglydispersed, with multiple remote offices to

Easing Migration from an Existing PBX

A smooth migration path is essential fororganizations that wish to transition from alegacy PBX infrastructure to an IP telephonysystem. 3Com and CITEL Technologies havedeveloped solutions that help installedNortel Enterprise PBX customers speed theirmigration to a more cost-effective infra-structure, assisting them whenever theymove, renovate, or upgrade their existingNorstar or Meridian 1 PBX systems.

For example, the CITELlink IP HandsetGateway provides IP PBX interoperability forlegacy PBX telephones across multiplevendor lines. The gateway communicatesusing legacy PBX protocol to traditionaltelephone handsets, and Internet Protocolto the IP PBX, and performs the translationbetween the two simultaneously. Enterprisecustomers can take advantage of increasedscalability, easy migration, reliability, andlower cost of ownership by deploying nextgeneration IP PBX applications on theirtraditional telephones.

The CITELlink gateway is a "slide in card"to the 3Com NBX chassis. Each cardconnects sixteen telephones to an NBXnetworked telephony system for a practicalmigration to the benefits of IP telephony.Multiple cards can be installed in an NBXchassis to support larger enterprise needs.

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serve specific geographic regions or performspecific job responsibilities. In the past,traditional phone systems were too costlyand complex for growing businesses toconnect multiple sites.

3Com Virtual Tie Line technology enablesmultiple 3Com NBX systems to place callsbetween one another without using addi-tional hardware, such as analog or digitalline cards. The NBX IP Virtual Tie Linesapplication lets businesses easily migratevoice traffic to the data WAN backbone.Users can reach a co-worker or transfer a callto another location anywhere in the world bysimply dialing a four- or five-digit extension.

The system can be configured to allow usersto gain local dial tone access on any NBXsystem, bypassing costly long-distancescharges. Businesses worldwide can createseamless, multisite telephony solutions, whilereducing the costs of domestic and interna-tional calls via routing over the IP network.

Connecting sites and users with VTL tech-nology is easy. Administrators simply installa 3Com NBX system on a LAN with a router,activate a VTL license on the 3Com NBX, aswell as any VPIM-based telephony applica-tions, and update the organization’s dial planto reflect the changes. To connect remote

users, companies can plug the phone into aLAN with a router, then add the appropriateIP configuration for the phone.

A phone handles the process of placing asite-to-site call using VTLs much like itwould handle a local call. Call processors ateach company site negotiate the telephonyCODEC, setting up audio between the twoextensions. After the call has been set up,both call processors drop out of the process,and the audio connection is maintained onlyby the extensions.

Using 3Com VTL technology for site-to-siteconnectivity lets organizations make themost of both their voice and data facilitiesby leveraging the data backbone for voiceover IP calling. They gain the convenience ofextension-to-extension dialing, and canreduce or eliminate corporate toll expensesfor calls between sites. Perhaps best of all,companies can provide better customerservice, and eliminate the inconvenience andlost business associated with asking callers tohang up and redial after reaching an incorrectnumber. Using a single dial plan architectureenabled by the NBX solution, 3Com VTLtechnology lets organizations transparentlylink offices with different phone numbersand support fast, convenient call transfers.

FIGURE 2: VTL technology enables organizations to dramaticallyreduce toll call charges between sites and gives them support forimproving customer responsiveness and service.


Why 3Com

3Com NBX IP telephony solutions providethe intelligence, power, and flexibility thatenables organizations to reap the benefits ofIP telephony. They offer powerful callprocessing, a robust set of built-in applica-tions, and an ever-expanding suite of optionalapplications to deliver lasting value.

Along with its built-in features, 3Com enablesorganizations to customize their telephonesystems with solutions from some of the bestthird-party application developers in theworld. 3Com Voice Solution Providers offer awide array of optional software for needssuch as conference room phones, call centerapplications, recording and monitoring calls,or deploying voice-activated dialing services.Because the 3Com NBX solutions supportstandard Application Protocol Interfaces,developers are continually creating newapplications, ensuring that users can makethe most of innovations from an array of thirdparties. The variety and scope of applicationsenable organizations of all types to experienceincreased productivity and reduced costs.

3Com IP telephony solutions are at work incompanies, state and local governments, andeducation institutions around the world.

For example, a financial institution needed togive its 40,000 members the most convenientaccess possible to its products and services.To link its contact centers, the enterprisedeployed the 3Com SuperStack 3 NBXNetworked Telephony Solution. Operatingover the WAN, the NBX system automaticallyroutes all incoming calls to the contact center,eliminating the need for receptionists at eachbranch office. Built-in caller ID allows staffto greet callers by name—a friendly featurethat boosts customer satisfaction. Directinward dialing makes long distance callsbetween branches unnecessary, trimmingthe credit union’s annual phone bill by$7,200, or thirty percent.

Another customer, a rapidly-growing countyin the U.S., needed to deliver fast, cost-effec-tive services to a population of 92,000.Running over the county’s existing Ethernetnetworks and cabling, a 3Com networkedtelephony solution enabled the county toreplace its two hundred unreliable analoglines at one of its campus locations withthree ISDN PRI circuits, reducing monthlycarrier costs by $5,000.

With 3Com IP telephony solutions, designedwith "pay as you grow" scalability, organiza-tion’s can evolve their communicationsnetworks as their needs grow—easily addingphone sets, upgrading functionality withsoftware rather than hardware, and incre-mentally expanding capacity with a varietyof license options. 3Com telephone systemsare designed from the ground up to supportgeographically dispersed work locations andprovide a broad standards-based range of3Com and third-party applications for prac-tical deployment and investment assurance.

As a recognized pioneer in technologicalinnovation, 3Com considers intellectualproperty one of its most strategic assets, andis an industry leader in patents. In a reportissued by the U.S. Patent and TrademarkOffice for 2001, 3Com is listed among thetop 100 companies with 220, ahead of muchlarger companies and industry competitors.This 3Com pioneering spirit drives thecompany to continue its development ofnetworking solutions for organizations of allsizes—from small businesses with a handfulof users at a single location to companies withhundreds of thousands of users integratedacross a multisite environment of headquartersfacilities, regional offices, small offices, andindividual telecommuters. 3Com telephonysolutions are designed to scale elegantly,accommodating all of a company’s communi-cation needs as it grows and matures.

3Com Corporation, Corporate Headquarters, 350 Campus Drive, Marlborough, MA 01752-3064

To learn more about 3Com solutions, visit www.3com.com. 3Com is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol COMS.

The information contained in this document represents the current view of 3Com Corporation on the issues discussed as of thedate of publication. Because 3Com must respond to changing market conditions, this paper should not be interpreted to be acommitment on the part of 3Com, and 3Com cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information presented after the date of publication. This document is for informational purposes only; 3Com makes no warranties, express or implied, in this document.

Copyright © 2004 3Com Corporation. All rights reserved. 3Com, the 3Com logo, NBX, and SuperStack are registered trademarksof 3Com Corporation. Possible made practical and NetSet are trademarks of 3Com Corporation. All other company and productnames may be trademarks of their respective companies. While every effort is made to ensure the information given is accurate,3Com does not accept liability for any errors or mistakes which may arise. Specifications and other information in this documentmay be subject to change without notice. 503125-002 07/04

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