Network Systems

Huffman Trucking Network Systems

NTC/360

University of Phoenix

Zamir Deen

October 14, 2006

Huffman Trucking has an excellent reputation for providing outstanding services and products throughout their infrastructure. Huffman understands with the constant need for changes within their telephone and data networks that improvements are needed to help support the company's growing business needs. Huffman management team has solicited the consulting needs of Team A. Team A will have the responsibility of evaluating Huffman's current telephone and data network systems. As a result of findings, Team A will provide recommendations to Huffman that will help them implement a new telephone and network data system.

In Team A initial phase of evaluating Huffman's existing telephone and data network system. Currently the Huffman telephone network consists of several different types of telephone systems in each city or division. Huffman Trucking is utilizing a PBX in the California office in order to connect all of their business's telephone sets separately to the public telephone network (PSTN or ISDN). The PBX traffic interfaces with a Nortel VoIP Digital Phone System, which is also being used by the California Plant end users for their telephone system. The benefit to this setup is their ability to call the other divisions or out of area for virtually free. The downside is that the office folks do not have voicemail or call id features available to them.

Later in the paper, specifically in the network topology and switching portion we will discuss our desire to upgrade the wiring plant in the different divisions from CAT 3 to CAT 5e or CAT 6 wiring. This would allow us to install and implement a VoIP telephone system similar to the California Plant system for the Plants in Missouri, New Jersey, and Ohio. This would also benefit the division by granting voicemail and caller ID features currently not available to the end users. Once the VoIP switch install is complete the final step will be installing and programming the end user VoIP phones.

Huffman is not unified with our phone systems. The phone shows how we are able to communicate within our organization. California and New Jersey meeting the request from our clients however, Missouri and Ohio are having little phone support. In our efforts to unify the phone system across the board PBX phone systems is the solution. Private Branch Exchange (PBX) systems are the most powerful type of business telephone systems available today. They provide a wide range of features and are easy to expand as Huffman grows. Most PBX comes standard with all the latest features. In addition, they are totally programmable, so they can support the most complex implementations. There is a cost for premium flexibility, but in many cases the price difference between PBX systems and less adaptable solutions will be smaller. PBX has large scale ability from small office of 40 people to larger capacity of 100 employees. Huffman Trucking will get enough capacity without overpaying. Our requirements contribute to the reduction over spending. There are two main factors that will determine the size of the system Huffman needs:

* Lines. Also called trunks, lines are the total number of outside phone lines used by the company.

* Extensions. Extensions refer to every device in your office that needs to connect to the phone system. Most will be telephones; however, fax machines, credit card terminals, modems, and any other equipment that requires a phone connection must also be counted.

PBXs define size in terms of "ports," which indicate the maximum number of connections that can be made to the system. This includes outside lines and inside extensions, as well as phone system accessories such as voicemail or automated attendants.

PBX tailor made design has the capability to handle current phone traffic as well expansion phone traffic at a cost effective way. PBX systems allow us to increase capacity by adding new cards that increase the total number of ports available.

PBX features includes an auto-attendant, conferencing, music on hold, dial by name or extension, and voicemail. The features are key element to the growth of Huffman Trucking. Having the right features is important, it is as critical to make the features easy to access. Due to the fact most employees devote very little time to learning how to use a phone system, we believe using these common functions are simple and intuitive.

Huffman trucking is concern about the disadvantage of the PBX solution which center around TCO total cost ownership. Huffman is not purchasing a solution on cost but on saving. Purchasing a solution on price prompts trouble, however more reliable, expandable systems do tend to cost more up front but there will be an increase in savings long term. As Huffman Truck grows PBX phone system is easily upgradeable with new features and technology. Listed below are price details.

These larger systems all include voice mail, messaging on hold, and auto attendant. They cost tens of thousands of dollars, often running around $1,000 per extension.

"$18,000. 25 phones, 3 Engenious cordless units, and a 6-speaker paging system." (20 - 29 extensions, CTI)

- Manufacturer, Gearhart, Oregon

"$41,000 for phone system, voice mail, PoE switches, cabling, training, 3 years of support." (50 -69 extensions, CTI)

-- IT consultant, Chicago, Illinois

"$32,000 - Phones, supporting hardware, support software." (20 - 29 extensions, CTI.)

-- Medical data provider, Nashville, Tennessee

"$14,000 - 12 phones, system software, etc." (10 -14 extensions, CTI.)

-- Shipping company, Millbrook, New York

"$40,000 - hardware, software, wiring." (30 - 49 extensions.)

-- Publishing consultant, Englewood, New Jersey

Huffman would benefit greatly from the PBX solution. PBX provides the essentials to increasing Huffman Trucking business. This addition will reflect substantial amount of productive.

One of the main network topologies Team A would like to recommend is VoIP for their PBX