When remote branch calls need to be localized and there's a number of branches to manage, some vendors, such as Avaya, can equip the branch with a low-end telephony server. All the call processing and voice mail is kept locally at the branch, while administration can still be centralized at the main office. Avaya's IP Office 403 DS runs just over $12,000 for 20 users, excluding any additional applications such as unified messaging.
Functionally, this approach is similar to having a set of autonomous PBXs networked together. The problem with this implementation is that each IP Office must be managed separately, and functions such as paging between phones won't operate between offices. By contrast, Avaya's Communication Manager allows architects to affect changes globally across the entire network, rather than having to manage each site discretely.
Over the long term, that's likely to change. Avaya is working on enabling functions such as call processing to be distributed across gateways, with the aim of giving architects the manageability of Communication Manager, combined with the distributed capabilities of IP Office. Sources close to the company expect that functionality to be introduced some time next year.
Meanwhile, network architects will find a similar approach available today from ShoreTel in the form of ShoreGear, a distributed PBX. With ShoreGear, call processing occurs locally at each site, but all sites are treated as a whole for the purposes of management and administration. As a result, less traffic needs to travel back to the central telephony server, improving scalability and reducing the amount of WAN bandwidth consumed at the remote site. On the other hand, network architects will want to be sure that the update traffic needed to keep the ShoreTel servers current doesn't outweigh those bandwidth savings. The ShoreTel solution is also among the midtier, coming in at $17,760 for 20 users when adjusted for Ethernet switching and routing costs.
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
