Voice over Internet Protocol is making long distance communication for individuals and commercial institutions cheap, quick and effortless.
However the best benefits of implementing VoIP can be gained only when proper infrastructure is in place.
Internet telephony with its numerous IP features and application has surely made flow of business less cumbersome and profitable.
However when it doesn’t work it can spell disaster bringing the business almost to a grinding halt causing severe dents in achievements and profits.
Considering a few important aspects before implementing VoIP can save you a lot of heartburn.
Before implementing VoIP the first is to have reasonable expectations from the service. Internet telephony will not get you new business, it will only make things easy for your existing business.
While it may be tempting to converge all telecommunication needs through Internet telephony like bypassing home-office worker’s DSL lines with the company, this may spike the data demand and cause serious delays or increased bills etc.
Test your network before implementing VoIP. The real benefits of VoIP may be lost if the increased voice traffic causes collapsing of the data network. While in theory mort IP networks can run Voice over Internet Protocol, most are not properly configured to handle data network and voice traffic together.
Running one or two calls over the network may not need too much configuring, however handling hundreds and thousand of voice calls will need strategic planning and implementation.
It is important to evaluate existing network, identify weaknesses and upgrade accordingly before implementing new applications.
Plan your VoIP use and alternate communication systems in case of failure before ripping out the PBX phone and its wiring.
Preferably start small and measure the benefits over a period of time before implementing VoIP as the sole source of communication.
Choose the right vendor. With a cornucopia of options, choosing the right vendor is crucial. First outline the needs you want your vendor to meet and discuss it in detail with them.
Make sure the VoIP system corresponds with your data infrastructure and the service provided by your short-listed vendor is supported on your existing handsets.
This is normally addressed in the RFP process but implementation of newer applications being a complex and high scale projects should be approached with fine granularity.
Some of the important factors are application functionality, services and support provided by your vendor.
Evaluate how reliable the vendor’s solutions can be in a worst case scenario.
VOIP devices can support three types of telephone connections – Digital (T1 or E1), the FXS and FXO.
FXS is the analog telephone port where standard telephones are plugged into from which you can make
VoIP calls.
FXO is the analog telephone port connected to an external phone connection. This allows you to make a local call to connect to the global phone network from where you will be connected to your destination number.
In digital mode there are two types T-1 lines which have 24 phone lines and E1 lines which have 30 phone lines. The calls originate and terminate to the PSTN.
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Implementing VoIP