VoIP Implementation:
A Case Study of NBS (division of Nedbank Ltd)
by Mervyn Savary

NBS Private Voice Network

Business Objectives

Centralization of Retail Branches back office functions

Centralized Loans Administration

Removal of back office branch functions

Single point of contact for the client – Contact Centre

Single advertised directory number – 0860 Share Call

Improve intra-company communications

Voice VPN Project Overview

Project Commenced - August 1997

Project end - May 2000

Project Scope - 140 Branches

Cost Effective solution : capital/operational

Standard switching platform

Alignment with business centralization project

National 5 Digit number plan

Intelligent Platform (Call Optimization)

Solution

PABX Platform

Philips IS3000

Dial up architecture (unknown call volumes)

3:1 Compression on single 64kbp/s ISDN b-channel

Proprietary ISNeT Signaling – Full Feature Transparency

Telkom Infrastructure

Telkom Primenet Solution

Telkom ISDN – Implemented throughout network

0800/0860 Regional Routing

Results

Improved Intra company communication spectacularly

Branch Switchboard function redundant (DiD)

Consistent customer service level provided – Contact Centre

Challenges:

Increased usage of Voice VPN – intra/0860

Centralized Telkom billing

Increase in Telkom tariffs

Next Phase Voice VPN

Start - May 2001 End	- Dec 2001

Centralized TMS Implementation

Business tool to control escalating call volumes and cost.

Accurately measure voice traffic patterns and usage

Implementation of VoIP – Toll Bypass

Long Haul links

Branch

TeleManagement issues on the NBS Private Voice Network

Dramatic Increase in Telephone Call Costs

Charge back of Telkom calls

Traffic Trends & Infrastructure Requirements

Telkom Billing

Staff efficiency reports

Unable to dispute client complaints re:time to answer

No form of measuring telephone client service at both switchboard and branches

VoIP Pilot

Requirements:

The functionality had to be the same or better

The system to support a heterogeneous PABX environment

Solution to meet international communications standards

Offer effective management on our online network services environment.

Cost effective pricing structure

Participants:

DD/Cisco

Philips SA

Results Cisco VoIP

Acceptable speech quality

15kpb/s per voice call running G729 Codec and IP Header Compression

No voice fallback to PABX – IOS Bug

Unable to provide a 64kbp/s clear channel for proprietary signaling.

Protocol used ISDN ETSI

Next Steps

Voice fallback resolved

Clear channel signaling codec enabled

Implementation: Backbone / Long haul links

Dual E1 VoIP cards installed at 3 regional nodes – 3640 Routers

QoS issues affecting voice – IP Precedence on specific apps

Bandwidth provisioning

CAC implemented on regional gatekeepers – Latency

Router IOS versions

Created a dynamic routing table for new PABX installations

Financial Impact:

Capital Expenditure (Cisco & Philips):	Minimal

Additional capacity Data Backbone network	Doubled

Telkom Primenet Bill savings	60%

Nett savings (Network Capex and Opex costs)	40%

Operational Functionality on Data Network Increased

Implementation: Branches

Dual Basic rate cards installed at Branches 1751 routers

Disparate PABX switches (Philips, Ericsson)

Protocols – ISDN ETSI & Qsig

15kpb/s per voice call running G729 Codec and IP Header Compression

Added resilience for Voice & Data – Dial-up ISDN

No Primenet Costs for Branch Intra company calls

Branch Overview

Next Phases of Project:

Rolled out VoIP to major BoE sites & Consumer Credit Div.

Implementation of Video in Branches Project: (2002 – 2003)

Installed at 80 NBS branches in 2 phases

Running via 64k line with Colour

Savings achieved:

Branch Management staff

Increased customer service levels

Usage by Nedcor Call Centre

Questions

1 x 64k ISDN signaling channel via PSTN (very expensive)

CAC – Call Access Control - sent a test packet and if latency delay was > 132ms then fall back to PSTN via PABX

Sev 1 fault escalated to john Chambers CEO of Cisco and resolved by new version of IOS

Higher level of QoS

IP Precedence allowed better control of Network

Proactive capacity planning

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Micro Technology

2001-02-20T08:22:16