STAC-VIP - VoIP Telephone Talkshow System

Caller Management Made Easy

OVERVIEW

VoIP (Voice-over-IP) has taken the telephone industry by storm because of its great flexibility coupled with extremely low cost base and STAC-VIP puts Broadcasters in the position to benefit from this change. STAC-VIP smoothly integrates legacy PSTN/POTS lines with VoIP technology to deliver a new way to manage telephone calls for talk shows, interviews and contests. STAC-VIP can take traditional POTS calls but breaks new ground by handling calls from "HD Voice-capable" telephones and Smartphone apps. Complete with the STAC IP Call Screening with CLI Caller Identification and Call Logging as standard via its browser Control Interface, the STAC-VIP Caller Management system integrates with VoIP PBX systems and leads the charge in migrating old-fashioned on-air telephones to dramatically-clearer wideband audio quality.

Instead of connecting to standard PSTN lines, the STAC-VIP operates using VoIP connectivity and can conference up to 12 calls plus host on-air at the same time. Based-on the industry-standard STAC-6 and STAC-12 (and the legacy TS-612) it can handle either 6 or 12 "lines" (which can also be from PSTN subscribers via a SIP Gateway) and provides call management and screening capabilities over a networked browser interface as well as via the traditional hardware control surface and handset. Breaking new ground by handling calls from HD Voice-Capable telephones, Smartphone apps and the latest variable bitrate and low delay OPUS audio format.

STAC-VIP CONTROL SURFACE

STAC-VIP uses the familiar STAC Control Surface which provides clear indication of phone line and caller status. Super bright colored LEDs and an ergonomically friendly button layout give a concise overview and control of all callers at a glance. STAC CS integrates unique features like "Busy All Lines" and control of the "Auto Attendant" feature, which answers calls and plays out a custom message before putting calls on hold. Connection to the 1-U mainframe, like screener control, is via IP which means that it can be located anywhere IP connectivity is possible – even off-site.

ELECTRONICS MAINFRAME

At the core of STAC VIP is a sophisticated engine that can process various types of incoming calls. STAC VIP can process up to 12 incoming VoIP calls* on a single DSL line using telephone-grade G.729 audio compression providing huge savings in costs. Traditional POTS and ISDN phone lines can easily be accommodated via VoIP Gateway devices (also available from Vortex) that provide conversion of POTS/PSTN, ISDN and T1/E1 telephone lines to a SIP-compatible VoIP trunk for connection to the STAC-VIP Mainframe. Many PBX telephone systems are now IP-based with telephone calls throughout offices being distributed over IP which has made routing a call from the switchboard to the on-air studio difficult if not impossible to accomplish using conventional phone-in systems that connect only to PSTN / ISDN. STAC VIP simplifies the process by allowing for easy and seamless extension-sharing and integration with SIP-based PBX systems.

The STAC VIP Mainframe is the central point where all outside calls meet with the STAC VIP’s control, management and audio interface functions. Audio connections include AES audio in and out along with Line 1 and Line 2 in and out on XLR. Two independent Hold Audio inputs are provided, allowing STAC VIP to be shared between studios. Two Ethernet ports provide for WAN connections to all telephone line sources and LAN connections for local STAC VIP Control Surfaces and local interface control. Up to four Control Surfaces can be supported per mainframe.

Call Screening and Control

STAC-VIP incorporates its own Call Screening and Control Interface that runs natively on the Electronics mainframe. By connecting a video monitor, keyboard and mouse or by using a simple web browser, the password protected Graphical User Interface provides call screening functionality such as caller name, location and notes which can be updated "live". STAC IP even provides caller ID information when available and when used in conjunction with the STAC VIP Control Surface Hands-Free mode, a call screener can utilize STAC IP to answer and screen callers and even text chat to a host in a different studio.

Wideband "HD Voice"

The VoIP industry has been actively promoting wideband audio standards or "HD Voice" and now includes high quality audio codecs such as G.722, Silk, iSAC and other variants offering 7kHz audio (and better) instead of the narrowband 3.4kHz frequency response that has been a staple of the telecoms industry for over 100 years. STAC-VIP provides the ability to accept incoming wideband voice calls from these new VoIP telephones as well as wideband-capable Smartphones and soft codecs such as the Comrex ARC and negotiates to find the highest quality codec supported by the caller's phone. Callers can sound like in-studio guests making STAC-VIP a useful gateway for Journalists – "Citizen Journalists" too - for contribution to programmes with crystal-clear, high-quality caller audio.

SIP

The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is a signalling communications protocol, widely used for controlling multi-media communication sessions such as Voice (and Video) calls over IP networks, to establish a connection between two callers. On connection, SIP also negotiates which audio codec will be used for the call so that when a call is placed to STAC VIP from a VoIP telephone, Soft Codec or even a Smart phone using Comrex’s "ARC for Android™" app for example, STAC VIP will negotiate to find the highest quality codec supported by the caller’s phone. The result is crystal clear, high quality caller audio for you and your listening audience. CallMe is a new SIP based audio codec using the high quality low delay OPUS codec and CallMe is your own web page used to connect anyone to your STAC-VIP. CallMe uses all the features that the STAC-VIP has to offer, CLI, conferencing and high quality audio.

PLUS-Pak add-on for CLI Management and Social Network Interfacing

PLUS-Pak adds useful and sophisticated CLI logging and call management capability - Caller Line Identification (CLI) shows the caller's number - and can be linked via the network to an external address database for integrated operation with other systems if desired. PLUS-Pak connects to the STAC-VIP over the local network and monitors incoming and outgoing calls, working as a Web Server to provide a revised browser interface that includes the additional CLI caller information retrieved from its caller database stored internally, without the need for a dedicated computer to handle CLI management. It is typical for a small number of callers to frequently call phone-in programmes and with full CLI Management capability provided by PLUS-Pak, producers and talk-show hosts can see not only who is calling but also details such as the number of calls made, subjects covered and so on.

It is also useful when using the STAC-VIP to manage Journalist contributions (using HD Voice perhaps) and reports from Citizen Journalists. It can also provide the gateway for social media connections such as Twitter and Facebook. PLUS-Pak plus STAC-VIP = full STAC-VIP+ capability.

Split Studio Mode

The Split Studio License is now available for STAC-VIP, with two available 6-line control surfaces and a single mainframe you can set up two separate stations with all the functionality of a STAC-VIP system. Split Studio mode generates two separate logins for your STAC-VIP mainframe resulting in two separate web interfaces to be configured independantly. For example calls for studio one will only be presented on control surfaces and audio feeds configured for studio one, and vice versa for studio two. Two seperate 6-line control surfaces are required to activate the Split Studio License.