I keep getting feedback/inquiries from various people asking about prices of CT(Computer Telephony) boards in India. Many people seem to quite puzzled to learn huge price ranges for similar boards with similar basic functionality. For example, depending on the manufacturer, one entry level model of one PRI ( E1) with 30 channels may cost anywhere between Rs. 10,000/- to Rs. 180,000/-.

Here is a price comparison :

CTI Board Street Prices in India

Though, I am unable to list prices of some other vendors here as well as CT boards with various capacities/configurations, but I hope the above list would be quite indicative. Dialogic with highest price tags still has the largest market share in a price sensitive market in India.

So, why is the price between the lowest and the highest CT Board is almost 10 times ? After all, a CT board is not ‘end product’ itself and it requires IVR applications or voice applications to provide the final solution.

Previously Chinese manufactured products were thought to be cheaper than products manufactured in other countries. But, Sangoma is Canada based company. Most probably, the basic difference between Sangoma and other boards is, Sangoma boards use processing power of HOST computer while other boards have on-board DSP ( Digital Signal Processors) to process various telecom protocol related functions. Many might argue that, with increasing MIPS in PCs, one should really not bother much about HOST PC processing for the CT boards too.

When one compares price of Dialogic boards with other cheaper cousins, one may wonder how can Dialogic survive in any price sensitive market ? I think here are the reasons :-

1. Dialogic has a huge developer base all around the world. After all, it is the oldest and biggest CTI company after merging with all its nearest rivals. It has very well documented APIs for all computer operating systems and lot of documentations available in internet for beginners.

2. Many RAD tools like VBVoice, OmniVox3D, Osidial etc. supports only Dialogic boards.

3. Most probably, Dialogic has the best support in CTI industry at present. They have very good support for both installation as well as developers.

The other cheaper alternatives like Sangoma, Digium etc. uses open source platform like Asterisk which has large developer community on net and growing. But, with almost 90% PCs in the world running on Windows Operating System, support of Windows is definitely a plus and with many RAD tools providers are surely competing well with Asterisk. For example, VBVoice is a toolkit which uses .NET! Now there must be millions of .NET developers in the world and when they find out VBVoice, they all become IVR developers overnight ( almost) and loyal fan of Dialogic boards as well.

Many people who are interested in IVR system, back out once they learn about the high price of CTI boards along with IVR software. The big price differences among similar boards confuse them more.

I have also attended mails from many engineering students interested in learning/doing college projects in CTI field and whenever I tell them price of 4 port Dialogic board, they always get discouraged. And when they ask for alternatives, I explain them about Asterisk based on Linux, they again get discouraged. Not many of them want to install Linux on their PCs. Almost everyone is very happy with their Windows machines.

So, I feel, Donjin and Synway are uniquely placed with their competitive pricing, good C++ Windows Based API. They have reasonably good support for developers.

Dialogic needs no introduction, so the Dialogic D4 PCI board. Synway and Digium too have D4 PCI equivalent Voice Boards. While both Digium and Dialogic boards uses PCI slots, Synway 4 Port Board uses a USB port like modem.
I have been thinking about comparing these three boards using few common parameters.

1. Ease of Installation
2. Easy availability and price
3. Software API Support
4. Technical Support
5. Developer Base
6. MTBF ( Mean Time Between Failure).

1. Ease of Installation
My ranking would be 1. Synway 2. Dialogic 3. Digium. Synway uses USB connector, so one does not have to open the cabinet of PC to install it! This I find to be a major advantage over Dialogic and Digium. Though installing the cards inside the cabinet may make the set-up neat and clean, but ease of installation seems more important here.

2. Easy availability and price
On price, Synway scores much higher than both Dialogic and Digium. And all of them are now a days easily available in almost all countries. Dialogic may have a little edge over the other two, Synway and Digium here.

3. Software API support
My ranking would be : 1. Dialogic 2. Digium 3. Synway. Dialogic is definitely ahead of the other two when it comes to software API supports. Dialogic has vast resources as well as Dialogic-trained manpower all over the world. Dialogic has very well developed APIs which can be used in three major operating systems like Windows, Linux and MAC OS. While Digium has open source Asterisk on its side, Synway claims to support all Dialogic API.

4. Technical Support
My ranking will be again 1. Dialogic 2. Synway 3. Digium. I have not worked with Digium, so I am relying on information available on internet and information by my friends. I have first hand experience with both Dialogic and Synway. Dialogic has very good technical support team as well as vast resources. Dialogic has a very active support forum www.dialogic.com/den. Though both Synway and Digium has active forums, but I think Dialogic scores over them.

5. Developer Base
No credit for guessing it correct, it’s Dialogic! There are many Dialogic developers in the world! Also there are many third party visual development tools based on Dialogic boards! One may check this tools for developing IVR Software which I posted earlier. Digium should be placed at second and Synway at third. But developer base for both Synway and Digium are increasing. That includes me too .

6. MTBF ( Mean Time Between Failure) :
I have seen Dialogic mentioning MTBF in their data sheets which is more than 5 years! So, I am quite positive that Dialogic must come at top here. Overall, now a days all boards are equally good!

So, overall, Dialogic may have an edge over other two CTI boards! But in a price sensitive market like India, Synway might find more supporter than Dialogic.

Donjin has range of CTI products starting with 8 port analog cards to 8 E1, 240Port high density Voice boards.

They support Windows OS and as per their website and they support APIs of Dialogic 5.11 System Release fro DMV1200 boards! That seems to be an useful feature as many IVR Software are developed based on Dialogic APIs. Migrating from Dialogic to Donjin cards may be easier.
They also have single port and dual port SS7 Signaling boards. The signaling board and voice boards are connected through CTI cable just like Dialogic Boards.

Recently they have entered into an strategic agreement with one Indian Telecom Software Development Company Amdale.
Donjin Communication Technologies (“Donjin”), A leading manufacturer specializing telecom products, multi-media switches based in Shenzhen, China and Amdale Software Technologies (“Amdale”), A global developer of open architecture-based SCE (Service Creation Environment) building blocks framework for telecom applications, based in Gurgaon, India, have entered into a strategic understanding. As per news on www.donjin.com.

While I have not tried their boards or there is no price list given on their website, it looks like a cheaper alternative to Dialogic CTI Cards for lower density, normal IVR Software.

I had promised before that I would write about DTMF and pulse dialing in future. Finally I have decided to write about them!

This article may be ignored by IVR professionals as they must be quite bored with these two terminologies! But many users who have to listen to announcements like “If you are in pulse mode, then please come to Tone mode by pressing # ( Hash), thank you”, for them it might be useful!

Many telephone Instruments/Telephone Handsets has a button on either bottom-side of it or side of it which says P And T on either side. It means Pulse or Tone. Depending on the position of that button, your telephone instrument will generate either pulses or DTMF tones on pressing a key on the keypad.

DTMF stands for Dual Tone Multiple Frequency.  It esentially used to depict the 4X4 Matrix keypad used for Telephone Keypad. 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,*,0,#,A,B,C,D. Many telephone instruments don’t have A B C D keys! DTMF constitutes two frequencies which are combined together for denoting a DTMF digit.

Here is the table :

This tables shows that:

When you press Key 1, it generates two frequencies, 1209Hz and 697Hz.  Now, lets unsrstand the telephone operation

It has two state or situation

Connecting state : Here you lift the phone, hear the dial tone, and press the number you want to dial. And wait for either ring back tone or some busy tone! This state can be called connecting state. In this state, when you press the keys, these keys ( the two frequencies ) are transmitted to the exchange. Exchnage in turns try to connect to the number you have dialed.

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Connected State : In this state, call is connected and you are talking to your friends ( girfriends), relatives, business contacts or IVRS! Now if you press a key, it will still produce the same two frequencies and it will be heard by you as well as the person at other end which can be IVRS too! That is how DTMF is used for selectiing various options in IVRS! The tone duration has minimum period to detect and I think its 40ms ON and 80ms OFF. it means it has to generate the tones for minimum period of 40ms for the other end to detect and minimum 80ms of gap for the next DTMF tone!

TIP : If you a smart person, you can use the above information this way!

Suppose you have a landline phone in your house. And your father has put a lock on the keypads so that you can not make any outgoing calls! But you can still make outgoing calls! All you have to do is, using your mobile phone, press the keys of the number you want to call, and then record those tones! ( How do you do it, I wont tell!) Just record those tones, lift the handset, play the recorded tones in front of the mouthpiece of handset and wow, you made a call to that number! I hope I wont be sued for this piece of information!

If the Telephone handset is in Pulse Mode, then when you press a key, it will connect / disconnect corresponding to the number of the key! Suppose, you press a 1, it will disconnect once and then connect again! You can think this as ON HOOK and OFF HOOK! This cycle is for certain duration and the duration is standardized. Its called Break and Connect too.

In connected state too, you can press keys in pulse dialing! It will produce some sound which corresponds to some frequency only! And if IVR can detect that frequency, IVR can detect pulse dialing too in connection state and IVR will stop asking you to come to Tone mode! But most IVR Systems dont support this!

Last information : Mobile Phones dont have Pulse dialing option.

]]> http://www.ivrsworld.com/abc-of-ivrs/dtmf-and-pulse-dialing/feed/ 6 http://www.ivrsworld.com/advanced-ivrs/alternatives-to-dialogic-part-iii/ http://www.ivrsworld.com/advanced-ivrs/alternatives-to-dialogic-part-iii/#comments Fri, 24 Oct 2008 08:26:49 +0000 Uttam Pegu http://www.ivrsworld.com/?p=114

After more searches and after getting comments about more CTI Companies,

[With the price hike in Dialogic, many of my clients have been asking me about alternatives. I have also started searching for some alternatives of Dialogic. I will be building a list and comparative article on them. Kindly send me any company.]

Here is another company I am looking at

PIKA Technologies

About the Company

PIKA Technologies’ reliable media processing building blocks connect computer systems to TDM and IP networks. Brand name companies design groundbreaking IVR, call center, custom PC/IP PBX, fax and logging solutions using PIKA Technologies’ components.

With two decades of experience in this industry, we are recognized for earning strong relationships with our customers around the world by delivering direct, expert technical support. Headquartered in Ottawa, ON, Canada, our company has ranked in The Branham300, an authoritative ranking of successful Canadian high tech firms, for six consecutive years.

Expertise on demand

We are made up of employees who possess experience across a range professional expertise, whether that be engineering, technical support, operations, etc.. Each employee is ready and willing to help our customers be successful. “Our employees are our greatest asset,” explains Jim Pinard, Co-founder and President. “It is because of our reliable and knowledgeable people that we are able to earn a reputation for delivering technical expertise when it is needed.”

Quality commitment

We are committed to quality leadership and continuous improvement within all aspects of our design, product development, manufacturing and customer care activities. Our focus is to meet or exceed the expectations of all our customers, in a cost effective and competitive manner. We believe quality is the responsibility of every individual, function and position.

With the price hike in Dialogic, many of my clients have been asking me about alternatives. I have also started searching for some alternatives of Dialogic. I will be building a list and comparative article on them. Kindly send me any company.

Here is one company I am looking at presently

AudioCodes Ltd. : AudioCodes Ltd. enables the new voice infrastructure by providing innovative, reliable and cost-effective Voice over Packet technology and Voice Network products to OEMs, network equipment providers and system integrators. AudioCodes provides its customers and partners with a diverse range of flexible, comprehensive media gateway, server and processing technologies, based on VoIPerfect™ – AudioCodes’ underlying, best-of-breed, core media gateway architecture. The company is a market leader in voice compression technology and is a key originator of the ITU G.723.1 standard for the emerging Voice over IP market. AudioCodes voice network products feature media gateway and media server platforms, which function as core gateways or CPE voice gateways for packet-based applications in the wireline, wireless, broadband access, and enhanced voice services markets. AudioCodes enabling technology products include VoIP, CTI and call logging communication boards, VoIP media gateway processors and modules.

Partnering with AudioCodes enables OEMs, Network Equipment Providers, Systems Integrators and Enterprises to build cutting-edge solutions based on AudioCodes’ reliable, flexible, and comprehensive technology offerings – all under one roof.

The company’s shares are traded on NASDAQ (symbol: AUDC) and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange. AudioCodes’ headquarters and R&D facilities are located in Lod, Israel, with U.S. headquarters in San Jose, California. Additional offices are in Boston (MA), Chicago (IL), Research Triangle Park (NC), Somerset (NJ) Beijing, Tokyo, Paris and London.

Dialogic Corporation Enters into Agreement to Acquire NMS Communications Platforms Business!

MONTREAL, Quebec. September 12, 2008 – Dialogic Corporation (“Dialogic”) announced today that it had entered into a definitive agreement with NMS Communications Corporation (“NMS”) through which Dialogic plans to acquire the NMS Communications Platforms business, which provides enabling technology and tools for value-added services in mobile telecommunications. The NMS Communications Platforms business features the Open Access family of boards and APIs including PacketMedia Host Media Processing, and the AG series, TX series, CG series, MG series as well as the Vision family of servers and gateways.

Under the terms of the definitive agreement, Dialogic plans to acquire the NMS Communications Platforms business and associated assets and agreed upon liabilities for total consideration of $28M in cash, subject to certain adjustments set forth in such definitive agreement. The transaction has been unanimously approved by NMS’s board of directors and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2008 subject to the receipt of required regulatory approvals and satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The transaction is also subject to approval by the stockholders of NMS, and a special meeting of NMS’s stockholders is anticipated to be held during the fourth quarter of 2008.

“The mobile value added service market segment is a critical growth area for Dialogic and, as such, NMS’s products and employees will be an important asset to us going forward. The inclusion of video as an increasingly important element of a typical mobile phone call is an important investment area for Dialogic. Combining the Dialogic® video technology with the NMS Vision product line will enable a quicker time to market and a more complete product offering than either of us could have provided on our own”, said Nick Jensen, Dialogic’s President and CEO. “NMS’s excellent high density technology enabling boards will also complement the current Dialogic TDM, IP and hybrid technology enabling offerings.”

“We are pleased that Dialogic is acquiring the NMS Communications Platforms business”, said Bob Schechter, NMS’s Chairman and CEO. “We believe that Dialogic will be a great supplier of superior technology and innovation to the NMS customer base, including LiveWire Mobile, going forward.”

Fort Complete Story Click Here.

A bad news to all !

The big boss, Dialogic is increasing prices of all its products by 15% to 20% from 1st October 2008! The old prices will not be applicable from 1st October 2008 and if anyone wants to avail the old prices, s/he has to place order on their respective Dialogic Vendors on or before 20th Sept. 2008.

Here is the complete price revision details : ( As sent to me by email by Mr. Pankaj Sodhi, GOIP TELNET SOLUTIONS Pvt. Ltd)

A] The following Dialogic® product families will increase in price 10% for all products

shipped after September 30, 2008:

1. All Dialogic® T1/E1 JCT Media Boards and the Dialogic® D/120JCT-LS Media Board series.

2. D4PCIUF will be increases in prices by almost 15% to 18%

2. All Dialogic® PBX Integration Boards

3. All Dialogic® Station Interface Boards, including DISI and HDSI Board series

4. All Dialogic® DM3 Media Boards

5. All Dialogic® DM/IP and IPT Boards

B] The Dialogic® Diva® Media products will increase in price between 10% and 25% for all

products shipped after September 30, 2008:

The Diva Media Board price increase is divided into two principal components:

1. General Price increase for Diva Media Boards (approximately 10%)

2. Adjustment of Diva Media Board prices in order to align them to market prices for similar

products (approximately 25%)

At the same time Dialogic will introduce the new UM-Series products, which are priced lower

than the Universal Series Diva products. This leads to a Diva product line offering 4 versions

of Diva media boards, which are listed here from lowest functionality and price to highest –

(1) the CTI Series (2) the V-Series, (3) the new UM-Series, and (4) the Diva Universal

Series.

NOTE: The acronym “UM” stands for Unified Messaging, because the Diva UM-Series feature

set has been tailored for UM-applications.

C] The Dialogic® Host Media Processing products will increase approximately price 33%  to 35% for

all orders received after September 30, 2008:

D] Dialogic don’t  increases the prices of Dialogic Media Gateway, DNI boards,SS7 Low density and High density Boards,SIUG21,SIUG22, MMP,IMG, SS7 Host Protocol licenses and SS7 licenses button.

Note:-Earlier prices are no more applicable from 1^st of OCT 08.If you want to buy any Dialogic products @ earlier prices you need to place the order to us by 20^th Sep 08 ,so that we can ship it before 1^st of  Oct 08.