Which Voice Gateway Should You Use for OCS?
Filed under: OCS 2007, OCS 2007 R2, OCS 2010, Unified Communications, Voice over IP
Here’’s a list (Microsoft Technet) of Direct SIP Gateway and IP-PBXs approved for use with Office Communications Server.
http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/office/ocs/bb735838.aspx#direct
Obviously, we haven”t tested them all. I can only give you what we”ve learned on our own install (and subsequent client installs).
Aculab - The ApplianX Gateway
The ApplianX Gateway for OCS 2007 was the first voice gateway we tested.
This gateway was designed to interface between OCS-based VoIP and the regular PSTN. One of the first to do so in the world, in fact.
The ApplianX Gateway is capable of handling 240 VoIP calls at once. In terms of voice quality, it’’s great, but I did notice one thing: the longer you were on a call, the more packets got lost. Words would start falling out of the conversation. I”m not sure this was a problem with the gateway however, or with our bandwidth allocations.
I do know that it went away before we switched to Dialogic.
Dialogic - The DMG2000 Media Gateway
When we upgraded our OCS to R2, we switched to a Dialogic Media Gateway. I don”t see any reason to change again.
None of the fabled VoIP problems happen - no “I can hear myself in echo,” “They can”t hear my voice,” or “The calls break up on us all the time.” Client installs have gone smoothly.
Another handy thing about Dialogic is the guides they post on their site. You can downoad white papers, datasheets and configuration guides for all their media gateways, free.
Dialogic.com Downloads
Other Choices
- Quintum’’s Tenor Gateway is highly-rated in the industry.
- Cisco has a gateway available, but some interoperability issues do exist. See the Cisco Interoperability Portal for more on that.
- As a general rule, avoid a gateway that isn”t rated for R2. You”re almost guaranteed problems when OCS 2010 is released.
Which is the Best Choice for a Voice Gateway?
The best gateway choice is the one that will allow everyone in your office to make voice calls, handle the load, and still be open for expansion down the line. So it pays to consider these factors in your research.
Size of business. If you”re a smaller business or startup, try Aculab or Dialogic. Over 40 employees? Dialogic is my first recommendation, but the Quintum may work well for you.
Expected call volume. If you”re enterprise-level and have a call volume in the hundreds (or thousands), consider the devices rated for “Direct Sip via IP-PBX.” Otherwise, look at Cisco or Dialogic’’s Enterprise Media Gateway.
OCS version. The Aculab ApplianX Gateway isn”t certified for use with R2. I”m hoping for an upgraded version by the time OCS 2010 rolls out. Go with any of the others rated for R2.
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