I have never heard of IPBrick before, where does it come from?
IPBrick is a European product. It has it’s roots in Portugal and originated from Porto university.
In 1999, A Professor named Raul Oliveira and several of his students created IPBrick the company.
IPBrick was a platform to host the document management system called IportalDOC. IPBrick has evolved to cover the key needs to support the document management system.
Why should I care about IPBrick?
IPBrick is a Trenchant System.It is focused on getting the job done at the highest value possible using just the right amount of technology.
To get the same functionality of IPBrick you will have to purchase and integrate a large number of systems, and hope they work together.
Most business owners complain about integration problems, lack of visibility into the customer relationships, the high cost of maintaining infrastructure.
IPBrick get rid of integration problems, high annual per user licensing, separate management.
I read that IPBrick is Linux Based, Will it work with Apple or Windows ?
Yes IPBrick is based on Linux, Yes it will work with any computer (Andriod, Windows, OSX etc) that can talk SMTP,SIP, IMAP, HTTPS etc.
In other words IPBrick is standards compliment. It is very rare to find any appliance or platform that has not got its feet on a Linux platform. It really does not matter, as long as you stick to the standards.
Does it work with Microsoft Outlook?
Yes it does.
If you are using outlook earlier than 2013 you will need to use IMAP to connect to your email , and install a SyncML client to perform your groupware syncing.
If you are using Outlook 2013, then you can use Exchange Active Sync to connect to your email and group-ware items.
Whats the voice quality like when using IPBrick?
IPBrick has a minimal effect on the voice quality of the calls. The key thing which affects the voice quality is the network bandwidth and the codecs supported by your telephone or soft-phone.
People normally ask this question when they have tried VOIP before and were disappointed.
You have to do some network preparation before you deploy VOIP. As network engineers, we can help you with that.
Here is a good at article which gives a overview of the requirements for voice over IP http://voip.about.com/od/voipbasics/a/factorsquality.htm
How much does it cost. Is it Expensive ?
We like to think IPBrick presents high value for the services it offers. Whether something is expensive can only be answered by you. So lets doe some comparisons.
For the price of a high end Mac Book Pro and an IPad which will serve the needs of one person. You could select a IPBrick.GT appliance which could quite easily serve the needs over 100 people.
Plus to use IPBrick you do not have to purchase Client Access Licenses.
Is that Expensive ?
Can I connect the IPBrick to British Telecom?
Yes you can
The IPBrick Supports ISDN and Analouge PSTN lines as well as VOIP. You can even VOIP enable an existing phone system by connecting to it using ISDN.
Are there any other Subscriptions ?
After the first year of running IPBrick you will need to renew your updates subscription. The IPBrick will not stop working, but you not be able to apply security updates and any new functionality.
Trenchant Systems highly recommend that you keep pace with your subscriptions. If you skip a year you will still have to pay for you wish to purchase support in the 3rd year.
The cost of renewal is 20% of the current cost of the selling price of your installation.
Can I run Virtual IPBricks?
Yes you can.
IPBrick version 6 comes with a built in Hypervisor to allow you to run virtual machines such as Windows, Linux and even other IPBrick machines.
If however You already have a virtualised environment, you can deploy virtual IPBricks.
How do I get Support?”
If you have purchased IPBrick from a reseller, then please contact your reseller. As we are still growing a UK reseller channel then you can contact Trenchant Systems and we will be please to help you.
One of the most important things we will ask is that you keep you update subscription current.
Trenchant Systems work closely with the IPBrick Support team to ensure that your systems are running correctly.
What are all the different Versions of IPBrick?
IPBrick is actually one software platform, But it can be deployed in different roles
- IPBrick.SOHO, (Small Office Home Office), all key features in one installation
- IPBrick.I, (Intranet) Intranet provide file/print , Directory services, Web server etc
- IPBrick.C, (Communications) Provides Fax, Telephone, SMS, Email, Groupware
- IPBrick.SEC, (Security) Provides Virtual Private networks, Anti-Spam & Anti-Virus
- IPBrick.GT,The GT is a preconfigured appliance running IPBrick, mostly used to connect to ISDN/PSTH
- IPBrick.GT2, The GT2 is the same as the GT but has more CPU power, More network ports and Dual Power Supplies
Every IPBrick is able to take on all of these roles. Depending on the size of your network , it is based to separate these roles onto different IPBricks
Does IPBrick work with handset (X)
IPBrick will work with any SIP compliant device, whether softphone, mobile phone, tablet or desk phone.
IPBrick is able to auto-provision a select choice of phones using just the MAC address of the phone.
Trenchant Systems recommend Yealink Handsets with IPBrick
Where can I buy IPBrick?
There are many IPBrick partners across the globe.
Trenchant Systems are the distributors of IPBrick products in the United Kingdom.
Do I have to pay for Voicemail Licenses?
No, There are no per user licenses for voice-mail. Voice-mail is for everyone.
Do I have to pay for Mobile SSL VPN Licenses?
No, There are no per user licenses for Mobile SSL VPN Connectivity
How do I use the Mobile VPN in IPBrick?
The Mobile VPN client in IPBrick is based on OpenVPN SSL VPN server. Therefore any client that can support a OpenVPN client will be able connect to the IPBrick VPN. There are many clients for Andriod, and Apple devices. Just search the app stores for OpenVPN.
IPBrick also includes PPTP VPN server for PPTP clients. Where possible it is best to avoid PPTP due to the implementation Microsoft have made with PPTP.
VPN Clients
https://www.sparklabs.com/viscosity/
http://sourceforge.net/projects/securepoint/
Are there limits to the number of concurrent calls?
There are no commercial licensing restrictions on the number of concurrent call, This limit is set by your hardware and bandwidth.
Do I have to pay a SIP trunk termination license?”
No, You do not have to pay a license fee to terminate SIP trunks
What is iportalDoc?
iPortalDoc s a Document & process management system. It is installed on an IPBrick and uses the IPBrick to gather information and to communicate with users involved in a work-flow
iportalDoc enables you to create:
- Holiday request management and tracking
- Document review and revision control
- Purchase authorisation
In fact with iPortaldoc you can create a workflow and management system of any process which your business requires.
Please Note: IPBrick is required to run iPortalDoc, and iPortalDoc is licensed on a per user basis