Wisecom Technologies Ltd is now selling a Skype Certified gateway called SimplyExchange, which hooks up to your corporate PBX using four analog FXS ports. This is similar to the Actiontec VoSKY Skype gateway, though SimplyExchange is a much smaller unit than the 1U VoSKY gateway appliances. In any event, you simply connect 4 SimplyExchange analog FXS ports to 4 PBX FXO trunk ports, which will "Skype enable" your PBX. Alternatively you can connect to 4 telephones (or some to trunk ports and some to telephones)
Next, you configure your PBX by setting a hunting group number for the four trunk ports to a specific number, such as 8. This hunting group will be act as Skype lines allowing a corporate user to simply press '8' to get access the Skype network, as seen by these 2 diagrams:
Then you hook up the SimpleExchange gateway to a PC (via USB) running Skype and install their software.
After configuring four Skype IDs you'll see this in your System Tray - 4 SimplyExchangeExt icons, 4 secondary Skype account icons, 1 primary Skype account icon, and 1 SimplyExchangeCenter icon. Pretty cool seeing 4 green Skype icons in the System Tray!
Technically, you'll need 5 Skype IDs, since one of them is used as your "primary" Skype account which runs on your PC and communicates with these 4 secondary accounts. You just need to tell this primary account to other Skype users. When somebody calls this primary account, the incoming call will be distributed automatically to one free account of these four secondary accounts. You can obviously configure a SkypeIn phone number as well for inbound PSTN calling.
What's really cool is that the installation installs a local PostgreSQL database and a local web server on your PC so you can do some cool web-based management. The web interface keeps a call history, lets you view your contacts and has other capabilities. You can even import your Skype contacts using the web interface as seen here:
Features
- Integration of Skype into existing PBX system
- Supports 4 lines Skype call in and call out at the same time
- Unique enterprise Skype account as hunt group with automatic distribution for all incoming Skype calls
- Up to 16 digits Skype contact speed-dials
- Centralizes all Skype activities to a single server - good for enterprise management
- Web interface for contacts management and history/log check
- Uses only one Windows account to handle 4 Skype accounts
- Supports 4 inbound and/or outbound calls concurrently
- Automatically finds a free line/port for the incoming or outgoing Skype call
- Works with the existing PBX to provide other telephony features such as Call Transfer, Call Pickup,Call Hold, Call Waiting, Conference Call... etc. (PBX dependent)
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So does this mean that you can use this gateway - with an IPhone and therefore use Skype all the time, both at work and at play - therefore not ever needing any number other than your Skype number? Or have i missed it?
Free phone calls for life.
Any body have any idea where to buy the SimplyExchange and how much it will cost?
The best I could do was a distributer in China who would quote a price on 50 units.
Not sure about SimplyExchange, but i was attending ITExpo East 2009 conference a few days ago and spent some time with folks from IndustryDynamics. They developed an integrated Skype gateway, which according to them is a Plug and Play appliance and can integrate with any kind of PBX system via SIP, analog FXS/FXO and PRI. Looks interesting... VoiceGear SkyBridge