VIII. Deployment Schedule
Project Management Process & Project Team
Project Management Process
BetterWorld will prepare a detailed project plan with specific tasks, milestones, and estimated completion dates. BetterWorld will also designate a Project Manager to oversee the entire service deployment plan. The BetterWorld Project Manager will conduct weekly project review meetings with Tides Foundation to review current project status, communicate next steps, and discuss action plan for any issues that may arise.
Project Team
Glenn Powell, Director of Operations – Project Manager Gloria Costa, Sales Operations Manager
Ali Gunertem, Customer Service Director
Project Outline and Timetable
Timetable
A number of the components of the service (circuits, POTS lines, Hosted VoIP platform, etc.) can be implemented in parallel. The service components with the longest lead time in the deployment are the circuits (Internet and/or PRI). We have provided our estimated lead times for the major
components of the deployment below as well as an overall time estimate for the deployment. The overall deployment estimate below assumes that both locations will be implemented in parallel. If you plan to implement the two sites on a phased basis the overall deployment estimate below will be longer. We will prepare an integrated timetable with all of the components within the Project Plan once the final solution is decided.
Components
Implementation Time
Internet 50 Mbps Ethernet Circuits 45 to 60 calendar days
T-1 PRI Circuits 45 to 60 calendar days
POTS Lines 7 to 14 calendar days
Hosted VoIP Platform 7 to 14 calendar days
Outline of Major Steps In Deployment Process
(steps will vary based on final solution)
• Verify all details of the order • Prepare Project Plan
• Collect all required technical data to order circuits • Collect all required data to configure VoIP platform • Collect all required data for local number port
• Coordinate any changes to customer’s IT network devices (router, switch, firewall
configuration, etc.)
• Review remote users’ local network
• Install and test required circuits and POTS Lines • Configure and ship IP phones
• Configure and test VoIP Platform • Install and test IP phones
• Implement call forwarding for all numbers to be ported until LNP completed if VoIP solution • Migrate POTS lines
• Submit local number port request(s) • Complete local number port and test • Customer acceptance of deployment
Porting Numbers & Backup System for Difficult to Port Numbers
Local Number Port Process (also referenced above):
Collect all required data for local number port. This critical information includes verifying the billing telephone numbers (BTNs) and the full list of numbers being ported with associated BTN. We highly recommend requesting a Customer Service Record (CSR) from the losing carrier(s) as part of the verification process. Other critical information includes the correct billing address for losing carrier(s) and the authorized contact at the losing carrier (person authorized to make changes and authorize number port.
LNP Backup Plan
In the event of difficult to port numbers we normally use call forwarding as a temporary solution until the port issue can be resolved.
Necessary Client Preparations
Below is a summary of information and actions required from client to ensure a successful deployment. This is summarized by client solution.
T-1 PRI Solution
• Provide technical information required for circuit configuration. This includes make/model
of PBX, Framing/Coding, PRI Protocol, Trunk Group information, DNIS digits, Hunting direction, CallerID requirements, etc.
• Designate a site contact for each location to coordinate building phone room and client
suite access for all phases of the installation and test.
• Provide a technical contact for any questions.
• Provide all information required for local number process discussed in the answer to the
local number port section.
Internet Ethernet Circuits
• Provide technical information required for circuit configuration. This includes make/model
of routers, IP requirements (number of static IP addresses, etc.), and other information as required.
• Designate a site contact for each location to coordinate building phone room and client
suite access for all phases of the installation and test.
• Provide a technical contact for any questions.
Hosted VoIP Solution
• Designate a contact to provide requirements for the Hosted VoIP configuration. This will
include design of the call trees, the text for any recorded messaging, and detail user information. The detail user information required includes names, extension number, DID assignments, and email addresses.
• Each IP phone will require a standard Ethernet jack at each user location with an IP phone.
• Provide all information required for local number process discussed in the answer to the
local number port section.
• Coordinate call forwarding with current carrier after service activation and prior to local
number port process completed.
• Provide an installation coordinator to work with BetterWorld during the site installation of the
IP phones and cutover of the VoIP platform. This will include identifying the user locations for the IP phones and assisting with testing of the VoIP platform to ensure everything is working per client’s requirements.
• Designate a technical IT contact for each location to coordinate any router or firewall
configuration questions or changes. BetterWorld will provide any required guidelines for router and/or firewall configuration.
• A router with QoS capabilities is required whenever voice and data traffic is being carried on
the same Internet circuit.
• Adjustments to your network firewall will be required if voice and data traffic is being carried
on the same Internet circuit.
POTS Lines
• Provide an installation coordinator to work with BetterWorld during the migration of the
POTS lines. This will include verifying information related to the POTS lines features and other information required to migrate the POTS lines. This will also involve assisting with testing after the migration to ensure is working per client’s requirements. The POTS lines
will not require a new installation. The POTS lines will be migrated to BetterWorld via a central office process.
Actual onsite installation process
Dedicated Circuit Process (Ethernet and PRI)
Your circuit installation will involve three to four separate appointments:
1. The local telephone company will install a local loop in the main phone equipment room at your building. We will notify you when this is scheduled. You will need to arrange access with your building management if this room is locked or access is otherwise restricted. Please note that the phone company has all day to complete the installation and you may or may not physically see or hear from them while they are on-site. You may also see phone company technicians around your building working on this order as early as 3 days prior to this date.
2. After your local loop is installed and tested we will schedule another technician to extend your local loop from the building phone room to the area within your office suite where you want our service to be installed (telephone closet, server room, etc.). The technician will need access to this area as well as your building phone room.
3. Once the service is extended to your office suite we will schedule a test and activation date/time for your new service. This may also involve having your IT or phone system support person or 3rd party vendor on-site. We will attempt to schedule this at a time that will minimize any disruption to your normal business operations.
4. If we are providing dedicated voice services (PRI) requiring existing local number porting (LNP) or the transfer of existing toll free numbers from another service provider a additional appointment will be scheduled for the final move of your existing numbers to the new BetterWorld circuit.
Hosted VoIP Platform
BetterWorld will ship preconfigured IP phones to the client locations. These phones will be labeled with individual user names. A BetterWorld installation coordinator will work with the client representative at each location to place a phone on each user’s desk. The BetterWorld coordinator will test all phones to ensure everything is working properly.
The BetterWorld installation coordinator will fully test the VoIP platform configuration with client representative to ensure everything is working properly.
Setting up remote staff
One of the benefits of a VoIP solution is the ability to seamlessly integrate remote users. The key factor related to remote staff is their Internet connection and local area network. Performance at remote sites is driven by the type, performance, and reliability of the Internet bandwidth. Another factor is the network equipment (routers, firewalls, switches, etc.) at the remote locations. BetterWorld will evaluate the remote user Internet connection and network equipment to ensure it will provide acceptable quality and performance. We will make recommended changes if needed to provide acceptable service performance.
After the evaluation is completed and the remote site is determined to be acceptable we will install and test the remote staff location. This deployment will be similar but on a much smaller scale than your main locations. We will ship a preconfigured IP phone to the remote location and assist the remote user with on a self installation basis. In most cases this will simply involve connecting the phone to their local area network or directly connecting to Internet router. In some cases the remote user may need to contact their ISP to make changes in the ISP provided router if the remote user doesn’t have access. If the remote user has a firewall there may also be configuration changes required to the firewall. BetterWorld will provide any required guidelines for router and/or firewall configuration.
Training all phone users
BetterWorld will provide a reasonable number of live end user training Webinars at convenient times mutually agreed to with client.
Special Training for System Managers
BetterWorld will provide a reasonable number of live Webinars for platform administrators at convenient times mutually agreed to with client. Administrators can also contact the BetterWorld Support Team with specific questions or individual training requests.
