The Customer
The client is a nationally renowned company that provides services to businesses and consumers through thousands of retail locations across the United States. In addition, the company operates a network of distribution centers to support these locations. Retail locations often have security devices such as gates, alarm panels, call boxes, and other devices essential to their business operations. Fire or alarm panels must periodically connect to centralized monitoring systems. The company’s distribution centers have an even wider range of security and safety devices, as well as elevators in their multi-story buildings.
The client is a nationally renowned company that provides services to businesses and consumers through thousands of retail locations across the United States. In addition, the company operates a network of distribution centers to support these locations. Retail locations often have security devices such as gates, alarm panels, call boxes, and other devices essential to their business operations. Fire or alarm panels must periodically connect to centralized monitoring systems. The company’s distribution centers have an even wider range of security and safety devices, as well as elevators in their multi-story buildings.
Because of the considerable investment in their facilities, meeting industry and local safety standards is a critical requirement. Many security devices currently rely on analog telephone line connections, which national and rural telecom providers are phasing out over the next few years. Maintaining these security and maintenance devices is a necessary cost of doing business. The company wants to be able to deploy cost-effective and flexible migration approaches, while avoiding a complete “forklift” replacement of all devices currently connected to the analog telephone network in each region.
Business Challenges
The client contacted 10T Solutions, a Sangoma partner with extensive experience as an integrator developing customized solutions using Internet of Things (IoT) and telecommunications technologies. Working with the client, 10T identified the need to continue supporting various security devices such as gates, alarms, doors, and elevators that have historically been connected to analog telephone lines and managed by a variety of control systems. In addition, the client works with telecom service providers across North America that are replacing analog telephone lines with newer IP and mobile technologies. It is therefore essential to support their security solutions using either their current devices or by investing in replacement devices that are directly compatible with the new network technologies.
The challenges are compounded by the fact that centralized monitoring systems often use dial-up data technologies to provide critical services, such as confirming security device activity and responding to alarms. To address these challenges, 10T Solutions needs a telecom equipment partner skilled in connecting to analog telephone devices while also able to integrate with SIP trunk technology, now widely deployed in the United States. Because the applications involved use data connections, 10T Solutions required a company with deep experience using data modem technologies over legacy and SIP networks.
Sangoma Solutions
10T Solutions developed a customized solution for the client using the Sangoma Vega 60G gateway in 4- or 8-port configurations to provide conversions between the client’s analog security devices or panels and the SIP protocol used by service providers. The solution also included 10T’s 5G LTE (Long Term Evolution) routers, which can connect to multiple cellular providers via a direct IP connection, typically over Ethernet or 4G LTE and 5G. The Vega 60G gateway can use FXS ports to connect to analog phones and other analog devices, or FXO ports to connect to analog telephone lines.
10T Solutions developed a customized solution for the customer, using the Sangoma Vega 60G gateway in 4- or 8-port configurations to provide conversions between the customer’s analog security devices or panels and the SIP protocol used by service providers. The solution also included 10T’s 5G LTE routers, which can connect to multiple cellular providers via a direct IP connection, typically over Ethernet or 4G LTE and 5G. The Vega 60G gateway can use FXS ports to connect to analog telephones and other analog devices, or FXO ports to connect to analog telephone lines.
For this solution, the customer needed to use FXS ports to support its analog security devices, such as alarms, fire panels, and elevators. Vega 60G gateways can support various types of sessions, including voice, fax, and data. For the security applications required by the customer, the ability to convert legacy data modem sessions for transmission over SIP was an essential feature. The updated solution was cost-effective because the customer could continue using its existing security equipment instead of immediately investing in new replacement equipment. At sites using this solution, the customer could also eliminate charges associated with billing for analog telephone services. In addition, the customer benefited from the transition to a modern communications infrastructure and could choose between direct IP connections or mobile networks to connect to external monitoring systems or solutions.
The Results
The service company successfully leveraged its existing security devices and used a customized solution consisting of a Vega 60 gateway, a 10T LTE router, and a backup battery to connect via the Internet or mobile networks to centralized monitoring devices. The solution can be scaled for small sites such as retail outlets and larger sites such as distribution centers. By using this solution, the customer leveraged its current range of security and safety devices while maintaining connections to the various centralized monitoring systems that confirm the security devices are active and functioning correctly.
The service company successfully leveraged its existing security devices and used a customized solution consisting of a Vega 60 gateway, a 10T LTE router, and a backup battery to connect via the Internet or mobile networks to centralized monitoring devices. The solution can be scaled for small sites such as retail outlets and larger sites such as distribution centers. By using this solution, the customer leveraged its current range of security and safety devices while maintaining connections to the various centralized monitoring systems that confirm the security devices are active and functioning correctly.
The extensive knowledge of analog networks, data modem communications, and integration with SIP networks provided by the Vega 60G analog gateways was key to enabling both backward and forward compatibility with the customer’s on-site security equipment and the centralized systems the customer uses to monitor the health and activity of its security devices. The customer can use this out-of-the-box solution to bypass connections to analog telephone lines traditionally used to enable communication between security devices and associated monitoring systems. This gives the customer the flexibility to move away from using analog telephone network connections in cases where this service will soon be discontinued.
The solution reduces operating costs by eliminating the need to maintain and pay for analog telephone line connections. In addition, updated security solutions can integrate with modern communication approaches, such as direct IP connections or connections via mobile networks. These other communication approaches are generally already provided by communication service providers for other services used by the customer, such as voice communications.