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compelling saving also incorporates the
cost of the Internet circuit which carries
the calls. As one of the few business ISPs
and fixed line operators to offer a SIP
trunk service, Spitfire offers a complete
end-to-end SIP service via our own
network infrastructure.”
When switching to Spitfire SIP trunks
it is possible to port existing phone
numbers from BT and other operators,
so that businesses can continue to
use existing numbers. Spitfire can
also provide telephone numbers from
geographic areas all over the UK and
route them to a SIP service, enabling
businesses to set up virtual office
numbers anywhere in the country.
SIP trunks also offer important
business continuity benefits says Graham:
“SIP trunks are ideal as a disaster
recovery solution because any number
on the Spitfire network can be forwarded
to any other location – as long as it is
connected via a SIP Trunk or a normal
telephone line. In the event of a failure
of the main site, calls can be forwarded
to home telephone numbers, mobiles
or other sites – or a combination of
locations and numbers. Many of our
customers are using SIP Trunks for the
disaster recovery benefits and treat the
cost savings as a welcome additional
benefit.”
Hosted telephony provides cost
benefits
The increased bandwidth and reliability
of broadband connections is also
encouraging businesses to look at
the considerable benefits of hosted
telephony as well as cloud computing.
Tom Fellowes states: “We offer a hosted
telephony service with phone system
functionality provided remotely. Called
SIP Communicator™, it only requires SIP
compatible handsets, making the service
an extremely cost-effective solution
for business start-ups and small to
medium businesses that are growing and
anticipate moving premises or are spread
over multiple sites. SIP Communicator™
requires minimal capital expenditure
because billing is based on a monthly
service charge which is tax deductible
and the costs are estimated to be about
50 per cent less than a conventional
phone system.”
SIP Communicator™ is ideal for
businesses with home workers or
workers in different locations as staff can
call each other free of public network
charges and incoming calls can be routed
to any location. It has all the usual
phone system features of holding and
transferring calls, but has a number of
additional benefits. The system can be
configured via the Internet, allowing
change of feature set-ups as required,
without incurring any engineering
charges. SIP Communicator™ also
provides voice mail, auto-attendant and
conference call functionality.
Tom confirms: “The flexibility of
hosted telephony coupled with the
difficulty of securing credit for capital
expenditure has seen an enormous
uptake of hosted telephony in the SME
sector and especially for new business
start-ups. Spitfire SIP Communicator™
offers some significant advantages
over rival services. Because Spitfire is a
business ISP our SIP Communicator™
is designed as an end-to-end service to
guarantee quality of service. Calls are
never routed over the public Internet,
ensuring that Spitfire remains in
control of all aspects of call quality from
end to end”.
Outstanding service and support
An important differentiator in the
provision of network services is customer
support, as SusieWard, Spitfire HR &
Marketing Director confirms: “Business
customers do not want to wait 10
minutes to report faults to someone on
another continent whose grasp of English
is elementary. In our recent survey of
customers, 90 per cent of those who
responded stated that an issue was
resolved on the first call.We have also
put in place a ‘Keep Customer Informed’
or ‘KCI’ policy ensuring that one Support
Technician manages an issue from start
to finish and is responsible for keeping
customers informed of the status of
their issue every four hours, in rotation,
by SMS text messages, e-mail and
phone calls.”
In addition to first-rate customer
support services, Spitfire has produced
a series of video presentations to help
customers understand the optimum
connectivity solution for their needs.
These are available on YouTube or at
www.spitfire.co.uk. The videos explain
in simple terms the Spitfire services
portfolio and provide introductory guides
and training for connectivity solutions.
Susie who has overseen the video
production says: “Some of the business
comms concepts that we are trying
to explain to our customers are more
clearly understood through a video, rather
than on conventional web pages. The
technology is there and a video explains
more clearly the benefits of new services
than a printed brochure ever could. Not
only are the videos more informative they
are more environmentally friendly than
printed marketing collateral.We hope
customers and website visitors will be
encouraged to take a peek.”
About Spitfire
Spitfire was established in 1988 and today
is a leading business ISP, Internet Telephony
Service Provider, and Telecomms Operator
employing around 100 staff and with an
annual turnover of £20 million.
The company supplies a comprehensive
range of telecommunications and Internet
services for customers that includes
Internet connectivity; Voice over IP; SIP
Trunking Services; business phone lines
and discounted calls; as well as on-site
or hosted phone systems. As a network
operator Spitfire provides end to end
solutions that deliver real business
benefits in terms of cost savings, improved
reliability and customer service.
From a simple broadband connection
to a large multi-site MPLS solution, or
from a simple hosted phone system to an
advanced UC phone system for several
hundred users, Spitfire delivers excellent
value for money alongside outstanding
support, with all services backed up by full
service level agreements.
To know more about Spitfire Network
Services please call 020 7501 3333, email
[email protected], or visit
www.spitfire.co.uk
SusieWard,
Spitfire HR
& Marketing
Director
Graham Lewis,
Spitfire Director
IP Engineering
Tom Fellowes,
Spitfire Sales
Director