Two sites placing calls through one phone system. Devices for new employees ready to use within 30 minutes. And WLAN phones a hit with staff. In September 2007, Pyramid Computer GmbH replaced several older telephone systems with one Voice-over-IP (VoIP) telephone system - STARFACE.

August 20, 2007: a big day for Pyramid Computer in Freiburg, Germany. At 5:30pm, all phone lines were plugged into new sockets. Out with the old phone system, in with STARFACE. Making the switch on a business day was a calculated move; with a weekend switch, any hidden problems wouldn’t have arisen until Monday morning – and disrupted business. However, there were no problems at all. “Switching to VoIP went incredibly smoothly,” summed up Friedrich Hansen, CEO of Pyramid Computer. 15 minutes was the total amount of time the phones were silent at the IT company. Then everything started running as usual, and staff could place calls immediately. The company’s IT department laid the perfect groundwork by setting up the VoIP system while still operating the old telephone infrastructure. Another plus point: employees placed internal “practice VoIP calls” for weeks before STARFACE began handling Pyramid Computer’s spectrum of voice communications.

Founded in 1986, Pyramid Computer generates a turnover of roughly € 19 million by manufacturing servers, PCs, and customized appliance solutions and through supplying Internet providers with tailored energy-efficient server systems. The company’s showcase holds an array of honors for its pioneering spirit – one of them the Dr. Rudolf Eberle prize, the German Ministry of Economy’s top award for innovative SMBs.
In looking for a new telecommunications solution, restricting the search to VoIP was a moot point for Pyramid Computer. “VoIP is state of the art. What’s more, this technology lets us connect sites painlessly,” explained Hansen. However, one matter had to be sorted out at the company’s head office. For reasons relating to the company’s history, Pyramid Computer was saddled with a number of phone systems of different generations. The hardware was antiquated and some support services had run out. Connecting the systems to one another was also labor-intensive. “We had to take action,“ stated system administrator Benedikt Fischer.

Pyramid Computer investigated eight VoIP providers, a leading American software manufacturer’s solution among them. Some were short-listed early on. Pyramid Computer needed a VoIP system, but when it came to placing calls outside the company, they preferred the conventional telephone network over Internet-based TCP/IP. On a VoIP system, ISDN cards would normally take care of this, but Pyramid Computer wanted to keep its S2M interface with up to 30 parallel lines. Now equipped with 105 VoIP licenses and its own call center, the company is enjoying a flurry of calls. This primary multiplex interface (S2M) proved impossible for many suppliers to implement. Another criterion to winnow the field: connecting an existing system for wireless phones. It needed to be linked to the VoIP system with good reason: relatively young, the wireless phone system performed without fail. In all, Pyramid Computer uses 26 DECT phones in production, the warehouse, and in the technology department.

Updating a Swiss-manufactured and in-use VoIP solution at Pyramid was out of the question; that would have required Pyramid Computer to purchase new licenses and server software on top of new hardware – a much too pricey package. An open source solution was equally unappealing, as the outlays for implementation were excessive and long-term support non-existent. “STARFACE was the only solution which met our requirements,” explained Fischer. The product’s logical design and construction as well as scope of functions also scored points with Pyramid Computer.

Pyramid Computer decided to run STARFACE on its own hardware – and to take charge of implementation itself. One reason was to save money, and "another reason: our own people already knew what to do",  revealed Hansen. Nevertheless, the launch took longer than planned since – according to Fischer – some nitty-gritty issues cropped up. Connecting the existing system for wireless phones, however, was hassle-free – just one cable needed adapting. The S2M connection was established in short order.

In terms of telephone hardware, Pyramid Computer was thrilled with STARFACE’s flexibility. They purchased 60 snom 320 SIP phones online at voipango.de and an additional 26 wireless phones and headsets from GN Netcom. After that, employees spent some time learning how to use the new equipment. Some were unfamiliar with features like voicemail or call forwarding, functions absent on the old devices. But the IT department came through once again: Fischer and his team compiled instruction materials well ahead of the switch.

Three weeks after the switch, Fischer was happy with the situation. The sound quality was “good to very good” and the system performed “free of problems...you almost wouldn’t know it’s there.” Fischer greatly appreciated how setting up phones for new employees went much more quickly. Today, that takes just a half hour, assigning the new number included. Previously, the process lasted days as cables had to be traced back or part of the system reconfigured.

One of the many advantages of VoIP telecommunications with STARFACE is the ability to add sites. And Pyramid Computer is reaping the full benefit. At the moment, Pyramid Computer’s production department places calls using another unit over 300 miles away. Before 2007 comes to a close, the company plans to bring its sales office in the US and its telecommuting sales force onto the system. In the meantime, good test results are back from the Erfurt office, reported Fischer. 5 WLAN phones (Siemens Gigaset SL 75) proved their mettle there and were even jealously guarded. As soon as the hardware hiccups are resolved (“batteries empty too quickly”), Pyramid Computer plans on moving forward with WLAN telephony in Freiburg – in technology and product management to start. Courtesy of VoIP.