Mar/Apr 19 - ChannelVision Magazine

For SOCS (Southern Ohio Communication Services), this journey into the business of communications began in 1979 with paging services. Since then, SOCS has dabbled in IMTS and cellular services and continues to provide pag- ing services for organizations that still use it today. As industry veterans and experts, the executives at SOCS are well aware that “communication is changing.” Always innovators, SOCS found another niche as a wire- less internet service provider (WISP) when the industry was in its infancy. This smart move paid off with thriv- ing business. But having been witness to the changing landscape for more than 30 years, the leaders at SOCS know the key to this industry is acting fast when new technology emerges. Around 2010, wireless technology began doing more and more. VoIP in particular was the hot trend and its technology was ever-improving. Aware of market demand and the potential for its business, SOCS expanded its wireless data offerings to include voice packages. They purchased a system from a well-known VoIP brand and began offering hosted PBX and residential VoIP services. Challenges Arise This decision immediately paid off as the demand for voice was high and SOCS was an established provider. But as business took off, SOCS began questioning its original choice of vendor. While they liked the solution, its development was stagnant. For three to four years there was no innovation, no development, no keeping up with VoIP trends. Throughout its time selling this VoIP service, SOCS received less than a handful of updates. The platform also used skinny client control protocol (SCCP) instead of SIP protocol. A proprietary protocol owned by Cisco, this limited SOCS to using and sell- ing only Cisco telephones. If a client already had SIP phones, SOCS would have to replace all of its hardware before installing the hosted solution. Held back by these shortcomings, SOCS began looking around for a new vendor that could better support its growth into the future. The Solution SOCS found its next step by partnering with Bicom Systems. Following a few conversations with Eric Johnson of Bicom, Bret Childers, technical manager for SOCS, made the decision to move everything over to PBXware Multi-Tenant in the Cloud. PBXware Multi-Tenant is a feature-rich, turnkey telephony platform that supports business growth with unlimited tenants, easy setup, integration and branding. It is available in the cloud or onsite. For now, SOCS is using cloud services hosted on the Bicom Systems Cloud SERVERware platform and buying extensions as Finding TheirVoice M uch has changed in the communications industry since 1979. Much has stayed the same. While technology has evolved rapidly and drastically, the goal of enhancing and improving communication methods has been shared by business owners for decades. Case Study: Service provider caters to a wider range of customers with PBXware Core Communications 72 Channel Vision | March - April, 2019