Testing an enterprise VoIP network before deployment is one thing, but managing it on a daily basis to insure it works well despite breakdowns and security threats is another. Clarus Systems (www.clarussystems.com) and Communicado (www.communicado-inc.com) are offering different approaches to the day-to-day work of ongoing VoIP operations.

Designed for Cisco Unified Communication Manager, Clarus Systems’s ClarusIPC can conduct both extensive validation and testing but its real value lies in conducting automated and scheduled checking of phones on a nightly basis. Phones are used to call other phones with various types of tests, with the results logged and any deviations reported. Phone configurations can be checked and monitored, so if one phone is inadvertently misconfigured, it can be identified and quickly fixed the next morning. During the day, a remote hands feature allows first hand observation of a phone for troubleshooting and verification of a problem or fix. ClarusIPC an also provide security and compliance policy testing, checking for phone vulnerabilities and providing configuration change tracking. Phone relocation can be monitored and “lockdowns” of phones can be verified; for example, a company might want to permit a lobby phone to have the ability for international outbound calling.

Communicado, formerly SyncVoice Communications, has converted their enterprise phone monitoring system into the Streamline management as a service (MaaS) offering. VARs, MSPs, and enterprises can use the Streamline Service Management platform for monitoring everything from VoIP to unified communications applications performance. Monitoring becomes an outsourced function, rather than having to commit dedicated IT staff to monitor and troubleshoot problems.