Review: VoIP Solution Plays Star Role

Contrary to what marketing departments may say, there's no such thing as a one-size-fits-all VoIP solution. There are too many factors in play. Solution providers deploying VoIP, whether at a customer site or as an in-house solution, have to consider the number of users, network size, physical location and business needs in order to choose the product that best fits the intended user base and environment. Solution providers in need of a highly versatile product should look at the Starface VoIP solution from Vertico Software. It can be deployed as a hardware-based, software-based or hosted solution, meaning solution providers are not limited to a certain form in order to take advantage of the system's features.

Channel Test Center engineers test-drove Starface as a hosted PBX solution to get a feel for the system's features. Engineers were given both administrator and user accounts on the hosted system, giving them the opportunity to try out all the features that are available as an appliance and as a software solution through the managed services account.

Accessible through a Web-based front end and supported by most major Web browsers, Starface is a software-based VoIP solution at heart, regardless of how it is deployed. Starface supports other telephony systems, including ISDN, analog and GSM cellular signals.

Users access Starface through the very easy-to-use Web application. Engineers found menu options and overall site navigation easy to learn and understand. They were able to start using the system without an orientation or reading the user manual. The menu-based navigation also includes the options to configure the system via the browser. As far as the customer is concerned, this is a very scalable system. The Web-based interface makes the system platform-independent.

At login, the Starface interface is fairly simple and very bare. There are basic functions available from the main page. The first is Call Manager, from which users can tap the integrated Plugin Phone softphone to make calls. An external phone is not necessary. This kind of a setup would make the most sense in a help-desk, customer service or other call-center situations in which the employee is already at a computer. The Call Manager display lists incoming calls with the name and number. Based on that information, users can decide to answer calls, forward them immediately to voicemail or to another agent, or to reject a call altogether. Users can also switch back and forth between phone calls.

Call lists are essential to the system. All telephone calls are logged with call status--incoming, outgoing, missed or answered. Along with the phone number and name of the caller, the log lists date and time of the call, duration of the call, and whether or not there is a message. The list may be sorted by any data type. The list is interactive, so users can select the number from a redial list to initiate callback or recall, listen to voicemail or delete entries with a single mouse click. Users can also initiate a call via an address book.

Starface also has a pickup function to get calls, and the site has a display for user status. Other users on the system can see presence information of other people on the system--such as free, busy, logged in and logged out. Call waiting, busy-on-busy and other basic features are also available. The system can also be configured for an executive/secretary setup, or to connect to CRM systems to access necessary data. The system offers advanced features, such as moderated conference calls with an unlimited number of participants.

Next: The Bottom Line