HomeMy WebLinkAbout9A Telephone System Report
Phone 952.447.9800 / Fax 952.447.4245 / www.cityofpriorlake.com
4646 Dakota Street SE
Prior Lake, MN 55372
CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT
MEETING DATE: NOVEMBER 19, 2018
AGENDA #: 9A
PREPARED BY: FRANK BOYLES, CITY MANAGER
PRESENTED BY: FRANK BOYLES
AGENDA ITEM:
CONSIDER APPROVAL OF A PHASE 1 REPORT FROM ELERT AND
ASSOCIATES RECOMMENDING REPLACEMENT OF THE CITY’S
TELEPHONE SYSTEMS AND AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO ENTER
INTO THE CITY’S STANDARDIZED CONTRACT TO COMPLETE A PHASE 2
STUDY WHICH WOULD CULMINATE IN THE PREPERATION OF AN RFP,
SOLICITATION, EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATION BY ELERT AND
ASSOCIATE FOR A REPLACEMENT TELEPHONE SYSTEM
GOAL AREA AND
OBJECTIVE:
High-Value City Services
6. Seek community engagement through a variety of communication methods to
reach all residents.
DISCUSSION: Introduction
The purpose of this agenda item is to consider approval of the recommendations
of a phase 1 report with respect to replacement of the city’s telephone system. The
city council is also asked to authorize the phase two study which will result in the
preparation of a Request for Proposal, solicitation, evaluation and
recommendation to purchase or lease a replacement telephone system for the
city.
History
Over a period of 14 years from 1995 to 2008 the city has constructed buildings
from which we serve our customers. One of the primary ways our customers are
served is over the telephone. As buildings were constructed, telephone systems
were installed in each. None of the systems have been replaced or upgraded. This
means that apart from Fire Station 2 none of our telephone systems are
considered supported by Panasonic their manufacturer because of their age.
Because of the non-supported status of our telephones we have no maintenance
costs or agreements. Instead a vendor in the area provides support when a
problem occurs. Most often hardware and software components are replaced with
used equipment. Because of the time this can take, our telephone systems or
elements thereof such as voice mail can be down for hours
Because the staff is concerned about the dependability of the telephone systems,
we solicited proposal for Elert and Associated to conduct a two phased study. The
first phase was to look at our systems, determine what features would be most
useful, describe the types of systems available on the market and recommend
whether the city should proceed toward system replacement.
If the phase 1 study recommendations were approved by the city council, the
second phase would be to prepare detailed specification which would allow the
city to receive comparable quotes from various vendors. The cost for the first
phase was $3000 and the cost for the second is $5250.
Attached is a copy of the completed phase 1 report for city council information.
The conclusions of the Phase 1 Study are as follows:
1.Because city buildings were constructed over a fourteen-year period, each
building has its own system rather than a single integrated system.
2. Except for one building, each of the telephone systems is no longer supported
by Panasonic, the manufacturer.
3. The systems could be upgraded but the upgrade would require the entire
system hardware and software to be replaced.
4. The present system does not provide features and functionality which is current
and most beneficial to serving our customers.
5. Elert and Associates recommends that the city replace the existing systems with
a single integrated system which is either a new premise or cloud-based VoIP
system.
6. To assure that any premise system is supported for its functional lifetime the city
should receive quotes for software assurance subscriptions/maintenance contracts
as part of the RFP.
7. To comply with current law (which our present systems do not) the new system
should be equipped with E-911 capability which allows the county public safety
answering point to know the origination of any city building call for assistance.
ISSUES: The phase one report has helped identify the features the telephone system
should offer. But it does not address the configuration of the hardware and
software for the new system. Elert and Associates will need to interview
representatives of the city’s various work groups since the equipment which meets
one group’s needs may not be the same as that which meets another.
For example, the city provides cell phones to police officers. The phones must
have similar features since they integrate with other electronic equipment used by
police officers. Officers do not want to use their own phones for city related work
for confidentiality and data practices reasons while maintenance employees may
not have such similar concerns.
Office bound employees on the other had may be best served by a more
conventional system than one which is designed both to inner and outside the
office access.
These details will be the focus of the phase two study and recommendations.
FINANCIAL
IMPACT:
Elert and Associates have identified four potential areas of telephone expense. At
the present time the city realizes expenses in only two of the four areas. $75,000
has been earmarked as part of the city’s reserves to purchase or lease the
telephone system. The ultimate costs will be determined by the quotes we receive.
ALTERNATIVES: 1.Motion and second to approve the recommendations of the phase one telephone
study and authorize the city manager to execute the city’s standardized purchase
agreement approving the preparation of a phase two study by Elert and
Associates at a cost not to exceed $5250.
2. Direct the staff to prepare additional information as the city council may desire
to further consider this proposal.
RECOMMENDED
MOTION:
Alternative #1
Telecommunications Assessment/
Planning Report
November 6, 2018
Prepared for:
City of Prior Lake, Minnesota
Prepared by:
Pat Daniels
Tim Graca
Connecticut Florida Illinois Iowa Minnesota South Carolina Tennessee Texas Page2 Table of Contents
Page
1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY .................................................................................................................3
1.1 PROJECT SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................... 3
1.1.1. Findings ............................................................................................................................ 3
1.1.2. Recommendations ........................................................................................................... 4
2 SUMMARY OF INTERVIEWS ..........................................................................................................7
3 TECHNICAL CONSIDERATIONS ......................................................................................................9
3.1 TELEPHONE SYSTEMS ......................................................................................................................... 9
3.1.1. Centralized Systems with Survivable Remote Nodes ....................................................... 9
3.1.2. Voice over Internet Protocol ............................................................................................ 9
3.1.3. IP Telephones ................................................................................................................... 9
3.1.4. VoIP Systems .................................................................................................................... 9
3.1.5. Hosted Services .............................................................................................................. 10
3.2 ADVANCED TELEPHONE SYSTEM FEATURES .......................................................................................... 11
3.2.1. Unified Communications................................................................................................ 11
3.2.2. Presence ......................................................................................................................... 12
3.2.3. Mobility .......................................................................................................................... 13
3.2.4. Unified Messaging ......................................................................................................... 13
3.2.5. Fax Server/Unified Messaging ....................................................................................... 14
3.2.6. Instant Messaging and Texting ..................................................................................... 15
3.2.7. Conference and Collaboration ....................................................................................... 15
3.2.8. Call Center ...................................................................................................................... 16
3.3 PUBLIC SWITCHED TELEPHONE NETWORK SERVICES (PSTN) .................................................................. 17
3.4 LOCAL AND WIDE AREA NETWORKS ................................................................................................... 17
3.4.1. WAN/LAN Recommendation ......................................................................................... 18
3.5 INFRASTRUCTURE ............................................................................................................................ 18
3.5.1. Telecommunication Rooms (TRs)................................................................................... 18
3.5.2. Cable Infrastructure ....................................................................................................... 18
3.6 TELECOMMUNICATION MANAGEMENT AND ADMINISTRATIVE REQUIREMENTS .......................................... 19
3.6.1. Service and Maintenance Functions .............................................................................. 19
3.6.2. Day-to-Day Administration ............................................................................................ 19
3.6.3. Consultative Issues ......................................................................................................... 20
3.6.4. System Management ..................................................................................................... 20
3.6.5. Vendor Maintenance and Support Options ................................................................... 20
3.7 FULL SYSTEM REPLACEMENT ESTIMATED COST .................................................................................... 21
3.7.1. Premise Solution ............................................................................................................ 21
3.7.2. Hosted Cloud Based Solution ......................................................................................... 22
4 RECOMMENDATIONS ................................................................................................................. 24
Connecticut Florida Illinois Iowa Minnesota South Carolina Tennessee Texas Page3 1 Executive Summary
1.1 Project Summary
The City of Prior Lake (City) retained Elert & Associates (E&A) to assess its current telephone
system and recommend next steps. In addition, E&A reviewed the following items to determine
the feasibility of migrating to Voice over IP:
· Wide Area Networks (WAN)
· Local Area Networks (LAN)
· Cable Infrastructure
· Public Switched Network Service
To evaluate the current situation, E&A met with City staff, reviewed available documents, and
reviewed current and planned voice system and data network designs.
Once the needed information was gathered and collated, E&A compared the existing systems to
best practices and standards and developed findings for each of the technology categories.
Findings describe the current situation, list identified needs and requirements, and call out
issues that need attention.
The next step was to examine feasible alternatives that could resolve the noted problems. This
analysis considered real-world experiences with other organizations throughout the country.
Lastly, based on our understanding of the current system status and the City’s needs, E&A
developed a recommendation to help the City of Prior Lake meet its current and future
communications needs.
1.1.1. Findings
A. Local and Wide Area Networks
The City has fully managed network comprised of current Hewlett Packard /Aruba network
electronics utilizing a hierarchical design with layer three switches at the core and
distribution levels and layer two/three switches at the access layer. The access layer
switches are equipped as needed with Power over Ethernet (PoE) port to support IP
telephones.
The Wide Area Network (WAN) is comprised of gigabit or better connections utilizing
city-owned fiber between the Data Center and all-City locations. The WAN/LAN will fully
support the transition to a new unified communications system.
B. Telephone System
The City’s current telephone system is comprised of multiple Panasonic systems of varying
ages. All the Panasonic systems except Fire 1 reached end of life status in 2010 and are no
longer supported. All the systems except for Fire 2 and Water Treatment are networked to
the core system which is located at the City Hall to allow three-digit dialing and centralized
voice mail between locations and the sharing of trunk resources.
Connecticut Florida Illinois Iowa Minnesota South Carolina Tennessee Texas Page4 The City has experienced periodic outages with the voice mail system with the last outage
lasting several hours. The City’s support vendor has stated that future outages could take
several weeks to resolve due to limited parts availability. Although refurbished components
are available, critical core components are becoming scarcer. In addition, due to the end-of-
life status, the manufacturer no longer issues software patches to resolve operational or
security issues. Because of both reasons the City has a higher risk of losing telephone or
voice mail services for a substantial amount of time due to a software security breach or
major component failure.
Panasonic offers a migration solution which would allow the City to upgrade to the latest
software and hardware; however, it is basically requires the replacement of all hardware
and software components including telephones throughout the City.
C. Public Switched Network Services (PSTN)
The City’s PSTN services are provided by Nuvera and include one Primary Rate Interface
(PRI) circuit equipped with 23 inbound and outbound trunks and standard business lines.
The PRI supports most of the inbound and outbound call traffic to the City and is capable of
supporting additional services such as calling line identification.
The business lines are utilized to support fire alarms, elevators, SCADA, modems, and fax
machines and will continued to be required.
D. Cable Infrastructure
The existing cable infrastructure is comprised primarily of CAT 5e station cable and appears
to be installed and terminated, per industry standards. CAT 6 are utilized in new or recently
renovated locations. CAT 5e cabling is rated to support connections up to gigabit (Gb) which
meets current industry standards.
1.1.2. Recommendations
Panasonic no longer supports the core software and hardware components of the City’s current
phone system. Panasonic offers a migration solution which would allow the City to upgrade to
the latest software and hardware; however, it is basically full system replacement. Due to the
age of the system and its end of-life status, Elert & Associates recommends that the City replace
it with a new premise or cloud-based VoIP system.
Elert & Associates recommends that the City replace the Panasonic telephone system with a
new City-wide hosted or premise-based unified communications system. The new system should
be designed to provide redundant/resilient core system components and network connections.
This solution will provide the same unified communications experience for all users in the City
and simplified communications between locations, field personnel, and residents of the City.
To ensure the system remains current and supported for seven or more years, annual software
assurance subscriptions/maintenance contracts should be maintained on any premise-based
system.
Connecticut Florida Illinois Iowa Minnesota South Carolina Tennessee Texas Page5 In addition, to meet current state and federal law, the new system would be equipped with
E-911 capability. This feature will allow a caller’s specific location to be shown at the public
safety answering position (PSAP), which helps the responders know exactly where to go when
they arrive at the caller’s location.
E&A recommends that an RFP be developed that will allow multiple vendors to propose new
premise-based or hosted solutions. We also recommend that the RFP includes maintenance
support including software assurance, hardware replacement and help desk support. The
Software assurance will ensure the system remains current and extend the life for a minimum of
seven years.
Current Costs:
Public Switched Network Services (Telephone Company): The City purchases local telephone
services from Nuvera. The primary telephone service for the City is comprised of one PRI circuit
which supports 23 simultaneous incoming and outgoing calls and 17 business lines.
Service Quantity Monthly
Cost
Annual
Cost
PRI 1 $850 $10,200
Business Lines 17 $935 $11,220
Total $1,785 $21,420
Estimated Future Costs:
Premise Solution: This solution replaces the existing telephone architecture with a new
redundant/resilient premise-based VoIP solution capable of supporting all telephones in the
City. The system design should include call control servers and utilize the City’s virtualized
environment to the maximum extent possible to support optional applications such as unified
communications. Gateways will be equipped as needed to support traditional services such as
PRI, SIP or analog PSTN connections, and survivability where needed.
Telephone
System Capital
Cost
Specifications and
Project Oversight
Annual
Maintenance Cost
Annual
PSTN Cost
Total Seven-Year
Cost
$115,000 $5,250 $11,000 $21,500 $336,750
Connecticut Florida Illinois Iowa Minnesota South Carolina Tennessee Texas Page6 Hosted Solution: As an alternate, the City may elect to fully replace the premise-based
telephone system with a hosted solution such as offered by Mitel, All Stream, Ring Central,
Voyant, and others. With a hosted solution, the call control is hosted at a remote data center
and delivered directly to the City’s data center; therefore, there is no software or servers to
purchase or manage. Typically, the phones are purchased; however, in some cases, they can be
rented monthly.
Service Telephone System
Capital Cost Specifications Annual Hosted
Service Cost
Total Seven-Year
Cost
Hosted with
Purchased Phones $36,960 $5,250 $58,536 $451,962
Hosted with Rented
Phones $0 $5,250 $73,320 $518,490
Term Definitions:
Capital Cost: Fixed one-time expense.
Specifications: Professional services cost to assist with procurement specifications.
Maintenance Cost: System is covered for the first year under warranty so these costs will begin
effective year two. Includes software assurance to keep systems current and hardware
replacement break/fix technical support.
PSTN Cost: Recurring cost typically paid monthly for local and long-distance calling, alarms and
elevators.
Hosted Services Cost: Recurring cost typically paid monthly to the host provider to deliver,
maintain, and manage all aspects of the telephone services including local and long-distance
charges. Alarm and elevator circuits will need to be maintained and are included in the cost
shown.
Total Seven-Year Cost: Total cost of system over a seven-year period including capital and all
recurring annual costs.
Connecticut Florida Illinois Iowa Minnesota South Carolina Tennessee Texas Page7 2 Summary of Interviews
Elert & Associates conducted four focus group meetings with representatives from multiple
areas and departments including Fire, Police Public Works, Administration and Office Support
staff. The purpose of the meetings was to identify utilization of existing technologies, issues, or
concerns with the existing systems and potential use of modern communications applications. A
summary of these interviews follows.
· Challenges with the current system
o Cannot conference
o Cannot transfer easily
o Calls are dropped frequently
o Call quality is low
o Cannot forward voice mails
· Unified communications (UC) applications that would be useful
o All users should have UC desktop application
o Integration with Outlook for unified messaging
o A web based interactive interface
o Remote teleworker
o Call history to retrieve calls in and out on a per phone user basis
o User availability and status (Presence on a call, in a meeting, out of office etc.)
o Mobility applications to allow calls to and from City-provided cell phones to
display desk phone numbers rather than cell phone numbers
o Instant messaging
o Softphone only desktops to eliminated physical telephone (mobile users only)
· General system requirements
o Emergency 911 is critical and needed so employees can be reached by their
address and location with that building. Calls routed to the receptionist in that
building would also be helpful.
o Automated Attendants to be used for after-hours call routing and general
routing for individual departments as needed
o Call record on demand with archiving up to six months
o Ability to block or change outbound calling line identification
Connecticut Florida Illinois Iowa Minnesota South Carolina Tennessee Texas Page8 o Twinning to cell phones or ability to route calls to both desk and cell phone
numbers
o Multi-party conferencing
o Ability to have lines simultaneously ring at multiple locations
o Emergency paging or notification system
o Conference room speakerphones
o All phones need to be equipped with full duplex speakers.
o Some phones to be shared by multiple party’s but each with their own voice
mail.
o Cordless headsets that support Bluetooth connectivity
Connecticut Florida Illinois Iowa Minnesota South Carolina Tennessee Texas Page9 3 Technical Considerations
3.1 Telephone Systems
3.1.1. Centralized Systems with Survivable Remote Nodes
With advancements in technology and the use of IP networking, the industry direction is to
utilize the inherent redundancy of virtual processing to support core system call control. The
systems are equipped with just enough hardware to provided survivability as needed,
connections to the PSTN network, analog telephones and overhead paging systems. Survivable
gateways include software to allow the telephones at critical locations to continue to function if
connectivity to the core system is interrupted.
E&A recommends that the City utilize a combination of vendor-provided servers for call control
and the City’s virtual server infrastructure to support any applications such as unified messaging
(UM) and unified communications (UC) applications.
3.1.2. Voice over Internet Protocol
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a transport technology that converts voice or sound into a
digital format and bundles it into IP packets that can be transported across the same LAN or
WAN utilized by computers.
In an IP telephony solution, all end user devices, both PCs and telephones, connect to the
network via local area network (LAN) connections. There are two classes of end user devices:
the software IP telephone and the hardware IP telephone. The software IP telephone relies on
client software on PCs, tablets or smart phone; the IP telephone is a stand-alone IP phone.
3.1.3. IP Telephones
IP telephones are full-featured telephones and resemble the digital handsets currently utilized in
the City. From a user’s perspective, the telephones operate very much like digital telephones,
although the voice quality, speakerphone capabilities, and displays are superior.
3.1.4. VoIP Systems
All VoIP solutions currently manufactured by the major providers support both IP and
conventional analog telephones, unified communications, unified messaging, contact center
applications, and conference and collaboration solutions. The call control server or gatekeeper is
used for call setup and teardown. IP phones and application services such as unified messaging
and conference and collaboration communicate directly with the call control server or
application server via the data network and require no additional hardware.
Peripheral devices such as analog phones, faxes, and trunks are connected to a separate
router/gateway which allows them to interface with the call control and applications servers.
Connecticut Florida Illinois Iowa Minnesota South Carolina Tennessee Texas Page10 The following diagram illustrates a typical VoIP solution.
3.1.5. Hosted Services
Hosted or cloud-based solutions operate very similarly to a premise solution except that the call
control servers and connections to the telephone network are in the host provider’s data
centers, which typically are in different cities or states. In addition, other than possibly the
telephones, the City would not own any of the hardware or software. Thus, the upfront costs
are typically lower, and the operational costs increase.
There is normally a monthly charge for the service, which includes the network connection,
telephone lines, features, local and long-distance dialing, and special applications. In some
cases, the provider will also rent the phones monthly.
Hosted voice and unified communications services are attractive for a wide variety of reasons
including organization and financial structure, data center availability and cost, redundancy,
office locations that are geographically dispersed over a large area, and availability of technical
resources.
A hosted or cloud-based service could be delivered to the City’s data center and a secondary
location for redundancy.
IP Only
PSTN
IP
WAN
LAN
Apps
V M, ACD
Resources
Tone, Conf.
Call Control/
Gatekeeper
Router/Gateway
Tone,EchoCancel
Legacy
PBX
Analog Phone Tone,
EchoCancel
Analog Phone Tone,
EchoCancel
Connecticut Florida Illinois Iowa Minnesota South Carolina Tennessee Texas Page11 The following diagram illustrates a typical Hosted VoIP solution.
3.2 Advanced Telephone System Features
3.2.1. Unified Communications
While the requirements of no two areas were the same, most of the departments and facilities
stated that one or more of the features provided by this application would be useful in their
area.
Unified communications can provide the following:
· On-premise Web conferencing applications in which users can start or join their own
Web conferences in real time
· Enterprise voice applications that let users make voice calls to their colleagues through
both computers and traditional telephones
· Enhanced presence applications that provide users with real-time information on their
colleagues’ status, location, and availability
· Integrated voice, fax, and e-mail
· Click to dial from directory or personal contact list.
Connecticut Florida Illinois Iowa Minnesota South Carolina Tennessee Texas Page12 Below are some examples of the Unified Communications applications:
3.2.2. Presence
Presence is “real-time information about a person’s availability to communicate and the modes and
preferences for reaching that person.” A presence engine holds the rules and drives the
communications based on what a person defines as their preferences. A presence-aware application
such as an IM client can tap into the presence information and assist in making the communication
happen, such as "click to dial" to call a cell phone or office phone, or to set up a PC to PC video call.
Connecticut Florida Illinois Iowa Minnesota South Carolina Tennessee Texas Page13 3.2.3. Mobility
Mobility is for workers who are frequently moving between City locations or travel and need to
simplify their communications. Most manufacturers now offer mobility features, which allow
one number, one message box, and varying levels of desktop telephony features to be extended
to a user’s mobile device of choice.
Twinning would most likely meet the need of most of the mobile work force; however, the City
should purchase a minimum of five mobility licenses initially for testing and proof of concept for
highly mobile workers such as IT and Public Works managers.
3.2.4. Unified Messaging
There was a very high level of interest in this application across all areas of the City. This
application should be provided for all City employees.
Unified messaging allows users to view messages on a computer screen or smart phone in the
same way they receive email. Users click on an icon to display information about the voice mail
message. The information includes the time the message was left, the message sender’s name
(for internal calls, notification on external calls would require caller ID), and the length of the
message.
Mobile User - Limited
Connecticut Florida Illinois Iowa Minnesota South Carolina Tennessee Texas Page14 To listen to a message, users simply click on the appropriate line. Their telephone then rings,
and the message is immediately delivered. If the computer has multimedia capabilities, it is
possible to play back over the computer’s speakers. This feature allows users to listen to
important messages first instead of simply listening on a first-in/first-out basis. Users can also
use their mouse to control the message listening functions. Pausing and forwarding the message
to other users is a function typically performed on a telephone touch pad. These functions are
instead brought to a computer screen.
3.2.5. Fax Server/Unified Messaging
Many organizations are moving from individual fax machines to a centralized fax server.
Depending on the number of faxes required, this solution can be provided on a standalone fax
server or be incorporated into a unified messaging system. Both systems support both inbound
and outbound faxing. Inbound faxes are directed to a user’s (or group of users’) email
address(es). These faxes can then be viewed on the PC, sent to a printer, forwarded to another
user, or saved to the City’s file server. Digital documents can be faxed directly from a user’s PC
in much the same manner as sending them to a printer. They simply choose the device from
their list of printer devices and enter the phone number of the recipient. The process would be
similar with paper documents except that they would need to be scanned first and then sent to
the fax device.
Connecticut Florida Illinois Iowa Minnesota South Carolina Tennessee Texas Page15 Overall, the City does not have a high demand for faxing. Thus, we think the unified messaging
system equipped with two to four fax ports would meet the City’s needs. We also believe that
the telephone system needs to support this basic feature for now.
3.2.6. Instant Messaging and Texting
The City uses both texting and instant messaging (IM). Texting is used to communicate with
coworkers who are out of the office and with field workers that carry City-provided cell phones.
Currently, most of this communication is done using cell phones. Those who use these two
forms of messaging have found that it is a very effective means to communicate and thought
that it would be useful if there was a single tool that could be used to support both texting and
IM.
Instant messaging has become a standard offering with most unified communication
applications. This tool will allow IM from PC to PC and mobility applications on cell phones, and
it is transforming the way people communicate. Integrating this capability with desktop call
control and mobility applications on the cell phone could become an integral part of the City’s
communications tools.
3.2.7. Conference and Collaboration
While most people need multi party conferencing, they stated that the basic three to six party
conferencing offered by most manufacturers would be sufficient and did not think that a
multi-port conference and collaboration system would be utilized.
Connecticut Florida Illinois Iowa Minnesota South Carolina Tennessee Texas Page16 Conference and Collaboration provides an audio conference bridge allowing the organizer to
share any document or presentation with the group. Conference calls can be in small or large
groups. WebEx and GoToMeeting are two well-publicized vendors that host this type of service.
There are also on-premise options available that would have a higher upfront cost but would
have a lower operating cost.
This feature provides powerful way to increase productivity and reduce travel. Whether it is two
people editing a document or all department heads reviewing a budget, this is a service that the
City could also utilize to communicate with the community. Leasing a hosted solution would be
a low-cost way of helping users to get comfortable with this technology.
3.2.8. Call Center
Call center applications provide a wide variety of call routing capabilities and are typically
utilized to support areas that experience high call volume. These systems allow calls, email, and
chat sessions to be routed to a group of users whose primary purpose is to answer questions or
review information.
Management and reporting tools are available and provide supervisors with real-time
monitoring of ongoing events and easy-to-configure reports. The management and reporting
tools allow supervisors and agents access to real-time and historical information such as call
volumes, hold times, how fast calls are answered, how many callers hang up while they are in
queue, how quickly calls are handled, and how agents perform as individuals and as a group.
Contact center applications can be configured to provide information about call center
performance to individual agents via the display on their phone, a wallboard, or a PC screen.
While these features can be very useful, we did not find any area where this level of
sophistication or cost was required. E&A believes that basic unified hunting would meet any
potential need of the City. This service is typically included as a base feature and does not
include any advanced routing or reporting capabilities.
Connecticut Florida Illinois Iowa Minnesota South Carolina Tennessee Texas Page17 3.3 Public Switched Telephone Network Services (PSTN)
The City purchases local telephone services from Nuvera. The primary telephone service for the
City is comprised of one PRI circuit which supports 23 simultaneous incoming and outgoing calls
and 17 business lines.
PRI circuits are very reliable and support calling features such as calling line identification and
enhanced 911. The cost of the Integra-provided services appears to be slightly higher when
compared to other carriers who provide PRI and SIP services; prior to signing any contract
extensions or purchasing the additional PRI or SIP circuit, the City may want to bid these services
out to ensure the pricing they receive is competitive.
The business lines are used to support alarms, elevators, SCADA, modems, and faxes. Other than
possibly the lines used to support fax services, all these lines will most likely need to be retained
to meet regulatory/code or special service requirements.
Current PSTN Cost:
Service Quantity Monthly Annual
PRI 1 $850 $10,200
Business Lines 17 $935 $11,220
Total $1,785 $21,420
3.4 Local and Wide Area Networks
Networks within individual buildings are local area networks or LANs. LANs provide access to
shared data and technology systems within the City buildings. The LAN communicates over a
wired technology infrastructure.
Wide area networks (WANs) interconnect buildings or individual LANs. The City has a minimum
of gigabit connections over City and County-owned fiber between the Data Center and all city
buildings.
Design Considerations
When addressing LAN design, the following are some factors to consider:
· Gigabit to the Desktop: Telephones can be equipped with either a Gigabit or 10/100 Mbps
adaptor. The City’s current switches are equipped with gigabit power, so E&A recommends
that all IP telephones are equipped with Gigabit adaptors to prevent any throughput issues
to the desktop PC.
Connecticut Florida Illinois Iowa Minnesota South Carolina Tennessee Texas Page18 · Power over Ethernet (PoE): Power over Ethernet is power that is delivered via the data
network connection to power devices such as VoIP phones, wireless access points, IP
security cameras, etc. (Providing PoE means you do not need to provide electrical outlets for
all these devices.) E&A recommends that all future access switches are equipped with PoE
to support standard VoIP telephones as well as any planned wireless access points or IP
security cameras.
· Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS): Data network equipment must have UPSs so that the
devices can continue to communicate on the network and properly shut down in the event
of a power failure. UPSs also help condition power to protect equipment from power surges
and sags. UPSs become even more critical when a VoIP system is deployed. Since VoIP
phones draw their power from the switches, having UPS systems maintain consistent power
is very important.
3.4.1. WAN/LAN Recommendation
WAN: The current networks can support the addition of voice services.
LAN: The City’s current HP/Aruba network will support the transition to unified communications
telephone platform. Other than programming/configuration updates, no changes are required.
The City currently has UPS deployed; however, prior to deploying a unified communications
system, the City should review all locations to ensure that UPS systems are properly sized to
provide a minimum of 30 minutes of battery backup in each closet.
3.5 Infrastructure
3.5.1. Telecommunication Rooms (TRs)
Elert & Associates inspected telecommunication rooms (TR’s at City Hall, Police Department,
Public Works, and Fire 2. The closets were secured single-use technology closets to wall-mount
or floor-mount cabinets located in unsecured storage closets or office areas. While this has no
impact on a phone project, E&A recommends that all cabinets and closets are secured and have
adequate environmental controls and dedicated electrical service.
3.5.2. Cable Infrastructure
The existing cable infrastructure is comprised primarily of CAT 5e station and it appears to be
installed and terminated, per industry standards. CAT 6 is utilize in new or recently renovated
locations. CAT 5e cabling is rated to support the City’s and industry standard of gigabit HP/Aruba
network connections.
Connecticut Florida Illinois Iowa Minnesota South Carolina Tennessee Texas Page19 3.6 Telecommunication Management and Administrative Requirements
Following is a comprehensive look at the tasks required for a properly managed
telecommunications system. The City currently utilizes internal resources for the day-to-day
management, change orders, and repair services and only utilizes external support resources as
needed.
If the City purchases a new telephone system, E&A recommends that the City continue with this
mode. We also recommend that the City purchase a parts, software, and phone support
maintenance plan which would provide replacement parts, help desk support, and software
assurance.
3.6.1. Service and Maintenance Functions
These functions include maintenance, adds, moves, changes, and repairs. They are basic for the
system to operate.
· Maintain telephone sets, hardware, software, and applications.
· Maintain power backup equipment.
· Maintain, update, and back up various databases.
· Maintain cable plant within buildings.
· Coordinate and plan adds, moves, and changes with departments.
· Maintain help desk support to record, track, and resolve user problems.
· Coordinate vendor service issues.
· Respond to hackers, fraud, and security issues.
· Review phone bills to ensure that no unauthorized calls are made.
· Ensure that all telephones in common areas (e.g., lobby, lunch room, shipping and
receiving) are restricted from long distance.
3.6.2. Day-to-Day Administration
This area includes reconciling bills and department billing administration. The system will
function without these tasks; however, bills need to be generated, paid, and collected.
· Handle billing of all administrative and third-party users.
· Reconcile phone company bills.
· Reconcile long distance bills.
· Reconcile equipment vendor bills.
· Negotiate/reconcile equipment maintenance contracts.
· Handle voice mail administration including setup, training, and trouble resolution.
Connecticut Florida Illinois Iowa Minnesota South Carolina Tennessee Texas Page20 · Analyze traffic to ensure a proper level of service.
· Manage inventory, supplies, and day-to-day procurement.
· Provide training and end user support.
3.6.3. Consultative Issues
This area includes helping departments find solutions to communication issues. Users need to
have a resource to solve communication problems.
· Field calls and meet with staff and users to discuss needs as they arise.
· Develop budgets, funding strategies, and service rates.
· Maintain and improve knowledge and skill level.
· Analyze and review trends in trouble tickets.
· Develop customer training, education, and information programs.
3.6.4. System Management
The management tools provided with most new hosted and premise telephone systems are
simple to use and allow organizations to perform most of their day-to-day moves, adds, and
changes with minimal assistance from their vendor.
3.6.5. Vendor Maintenance and Support Options
The City will remain, in some way, reliant on a vendor for its voice and data equipment. As the
new system is installed, the City will need to determine how it wants to maintain the systems.
Several options are possible:
· Time and Materials Maintenance – The City currently has a time and materials agreement
and pays for all vendor activity. In most cases, a customer will save money on this kind of
program, but the risk is high. A major failure could be very expensive. Vendors also tend to
treat their maintenance contract customers as a priority. T&M customers are handled
secondarily, after all maintenance contract customers’ issues have been resolved. In
addition, preventative maintenance is typically not part of this kind of agreement.
· Time and Materials Maintenance with Third-Party Insurance – Insurance is purchased from
a third party to protect the City against large or expensive failures. This level of service
reduces the risk of a large service ticket, but the City is still a T&M customer from the
vendor’s perspective.
· Materials-Only Contract – This contract insures the equipment and software but does not
cover labor. In conjunction with a contract of this type, some vendors will offer discounts if
the City purchases a block of hours. This block of hours can be used for maintenance, wiring,
or moves, adds, and changes.
Connecticut Florida Illinois Iowa Minnesota South Carolina Tennessee Texas Page21 · Parts, Software, and Phone Support – This option is similar to the materials-only contract
but provides software-only upgrades and help desk support. The software upgrades ensure
that systems are current, and the help desk supports the City’s technical support staff.
· Break and Fix Warranty –When the customer needs service, they call the vendor, and the
vendor is required to come and fix the problem. Preventative maintenance is not included.
· Standard Maintenance, Including Break and Fix and Preventative Maintenance – Full
service maintenance includes items such as training and software upgrades, as well as
preventative maintenance such as software backups and alarm monitoring.
· Maintenance Contract Services – Following is an itemized list of the typical services
provided with full service a maintenance contract:
○ Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. on minor alarms
○ Seven days per week, 24-hour coverage on major alarms
○ Two-hour response time for emergencies
○ 24-hour response time for non-emergencies
○ Software upgrades
○ Corrective maintenance
○ Labor
○ Materials
○ Remote support
○ Technical assistance/help desk
○ Software backups for disaster recovery
○ Off-site software storage
○ Alarm monitoring
○ Work to completion
○ 24-hour, 7 days a week service center
○ Certified technicians
3.7 Full System Replacement Estimated Cost
3.7.1. Premise Solution
Replace the existing telephone architecture with a new redundant/resilient premise-based VoIP
solution capable of supporting all telephones in the City. The system design should include call
control servers and utilize the City’s virtualized environment to the maximum extent possible to
support optional applications such as unified communications. Gateways will be equipped as
needed to support traditional services such as PRI, SIP or analog PSTN connections, and
survivability where needed. The system will support paging through the telephones and over
any existing overhead paging systems.
The base system will need to include the following:
· 154 IP telephones
· Unified messaging for all users
· (1) PRI or SIP circuits equipped with 23 trunks
· Automated Attendant services
· Mobility Applications
Connecticut Florida Illinois Iowa Minnesota South Carolina Tennessee Texas Page22 Advantages:
· Simplifies communications between all City locations
· Provides new IP telephones across all City locations
· Provides unified messaging for all users
· Replacement system would have a minimum of seven years of manufacturer support
· Includes software upgrade protection to ensure systems remain current.
Disadvantage:
· Large one-time capital expenditure
Estimated Cost: Includes all required hardware, software, telephones, professional installation,
parts, software, technical phone support, maintenance, and recurring telephone company
PRI/SIP trunking cost.
Premise Solution:
Telephone
System Capital
Cost
Specifications Annual Maintenance
Cost
Annual PSTN
Cost
Total Seven
Year Cost
$115,000 $5,250 $11,000 $21,500 $336,750
3.7.2. Hosted Cloud Based Solution
As an alternate, the City may elect to fully replace the premise-based telephone system with a
hosted solution such as offered by Mitel, All Stream, Ring Central, Voyant, and others. With a
hosted solution, the call control is hosted at a remote data center and delivered directly to the
City’s data center; therefore, there is no software or servers to purchase or manage. Typically,
the phones are purchased; however, in some cases, they can be rented monthly.
Advantages:
· Lowest capital cost
· Other than possibly the phones, no hardware or software to maintain
· Host provider responsible for all upgrades
· Local and long-distance calling is included
· Flexible cost structure allowing features and services to be purchased as required
· Fully managed by service provider
Disadvantage:
· Higher operating cost
Connecticut Florida Illinois Iowa Minnesota South Carolina Tennessee Texas Page23 Estimated Hosted Cost with Purchased Telephones: Includes all required hardware, software,
telephones, professional installation, and recurring telephone company hosted services cost.
Service Telephone System
Capital Cost
Specifications and
Project Oversight
Annual Hosted
Service Cost
Total Seven
Year Cost
Hosted with
Purchased Phones $36,960 $13,500 $58,536 $451,962
Estimated Hosted Cost with Rented Telephones: Includes all required hardware, software,
telephones, professional installation services, and recurring telephone company hosted services
cost.
Service Telephone System
Capital Cost
Specifications and
Project Oversight
Annual Hosted
Service Cost
Total Seven
Year Cost
Hosted with Rented
Phones $0 $13,500 $73,320 $518,490
Connecticut Florida Illinois Iowa Minnesota South Carolina Tennessee Texas Page24 4 Recommendations
Elert & Associates recommends that the City replace the Panasonic telephone system with a
new city-wide hosted or premise-based unified communications system. The new system should
be designed to provide redundant/resilient core system components and network connections.
This solution will provide the same unified communications experience for all users in the City
and simplified communications between locations, field personnel, and residents of the City.
To ensure the system remains current and supported for seven or more years, annual software
assurance subscriptions/maintenance contracts should be maintained on any premise-based
system.
In addition, to meet current state and federal law, the new system would be equipped with
E-911 capability. This feature will allow a caller’s specific location to be shown at the public
safety answering position (PSAP), which helps the responders know exactly where to go when
they arrive at the caller’s location.
E&A recommends that an RFP be developed that will allow multiple vendors to propose new
premise-based or hosted solutions. We also recommend that the RFP includes maintenance
support including software assurance, hardware replacement and help desk support. The
Software assurance will ensure the system remains current and extend the life for a minimum of
seven years.
Frank Boyles
From:
Sent:
IO:
Suhject:
Sent from my iPhone
Begin forwarded message:
Frank Boyles
Monday, November 19,20184:09 PM
Frank Boyles
Fwd: phone proposal
From: Kevin Burkart <kburkart@ciUofpri >
Date: November 19, 201-8 at 3:05:37 PM CST
To: Fra n k Boyles < FBoyles@CitvofPRlO RLAKE.co m>
Cc: M i ke McG u ire <m mcguire @CitvofPRlO RLAKE.com>
Subject: phone proposal
Kindest regards,
v
Kevin Burkart
City Council
City of Prior Lake | 4646 Dakota Street SE I Prior Lake, MN 55372
Cell: 952.457.8066 | Main: 952.447.9800
Prior Lake is a vibront and welcoming lifelong communitTt, offering a high-
quality of life and a small-town feel.
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