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| 06 | 2006 |
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| VoIP: Is Your Company Ready? |
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With all the hype surrounding voice over IP (VoIP), it’s easy to get caught up in the excitement. But a migration to VoIP should not be considered lightly. While it seems to be the inevitable future of telephony, it’s vital to your business to research all aspects before deploying a merger of voice and data.
When VoIP was first launched, it was promoted as a means to lower monthly long-distance bills. While this may be still true for residential subscribers and some global enterprise companies, with the decreasing long-distance costs of traditional telecommunication services, it is no longer the deciding factor. Due to the costs associated with deploying VOIP it isn’t surprising that a recent study done by Infonetics Research, an international market research and consulting firm specializing in telecom, found that 36% of large, 23% of medium, and only 14% of small North American organizations they interviewed were using VOIP products and services in 2005. And, a survey posted in the June 2006 issue of ComputerWeekly.com discovered that more than 40% of the 3,000 enterprise IT managers polled said that “lack of funds is the biggest barrier to adoption” of a “converged voice and data solution this year.”
So, that leaves the big question: how do you know if making the transition to VoIP will be beneficial to your company? We offer you a list of questions to consider before taking the leap.
Is your legacy system nearing the end of its contract?
Many businesses who upgraded their phone systems in 1999 to be Y2K compliant and signed 7- or 10-year contracts will need to consider renewal soon. The expiration of traditional telephony contracts and traditional equipment leases nearing the end of their lifecycle presents an optimal entry point for migrating to a VOIP service or a hybrid system.
What benefits do you hope to acquire by using VoIP?
Make sure your expectations cannot be met by using features your existing telephony system may already offer. Many traditional telecoms are offering advanced features to compete with VoIP services. Saving a few pennies on long distance is not a compelling enough reason. However, if you have a large call center, multiple branches, need the ability to set up temporary off-site offices quickly, have remote offices or a large number of employees who work from home, these may be compelling reasons to consider a switch.
Do you have the resources to make the move?
When many people think of VoIP, they envision buying IP phones, plugging them into their ethernet jacks and you’re off to the races! For businesses, this is not the case. There are a number of other factors to consider, many of which will result in hidden costs to you. Most businesses will require major network upgrades (see our next question), new data equipment, increased internet security, employee training, and, unless you’re outsourcing it, an IT or telephony staff familiar with voice over IP. You will need the time, staff and finances to plan, pilot and deploy an effective VoIP system.
Can your network handle it?
Combining your telephony system with your internet connection presents a wealth of issues. Most companies will need network upgrades, new data equipment, and possibly new wiring to be able to not only handle voice traffic, but also to insure interoperability. Voice traffic is also much more sensitive to latency. If your network runs slow it may effect your data by slowing an email download or a web page load time. But, if your network is not up to par when it has voice traffic, latency in voice packets can cause a multitude of distorted voice conditions – garbled voices, echoing and numerous others.
Have you considered the security risks?
Moving your telephony system to the internet means your voice traffic is open to the same security risks as your data – viruses, worms, spyware as well as a host of others. In addition, without proper security and encryption, threats to your voice network can mean toll fraud, eavesdropping, wiretapping, and denial-of-service attacks.
If you’ve weighed your options, considered the benefits and risks, and are ready to implement VoIP, read “VoIP: The Migration,” for a list of guidelines to help you from planning to deployment. Still unsure? Read “VoIP: Pros and Cons” and consider consulting a professional to analyze your business, test your existing network, and help you determine if the move is right for your company.
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About The Brookfield Group
The Brookfield Group has become a leader in IT, ISP, ASP and web solutions by providing next level technology solutions managed by experts who give you peace of mind without the tech-talk. The company's services are customized to fit any enterprise-size businesses and include: IT project management; hosting solutions and maintenance; systems security and patches; telecommunications services, server and desktop setup, repair and applications; network infrastructure design; audio visual products; surveillance and security solutions; as well as a variety of other software, hardware, services and accessories. Located in Carmel, Indiana, more information about The Brookfield Group products and services is available at www.thebrookfieldgroup.com or by calling 317.524.6000.
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