What Do You Like Or Dislike About VOIP?
by:
Michael Lemm
VoIP still means a lot of things to different people. Most often it is a marketing label.
I'd first like to make the distinction between a customer premise VoIP system where there exists an IP PBX that runs VoIP over your internal network regardless of what type of phone service you have ..... and then there's internet VoIP which people most commonly refer to as a "Vonage" type service.
Internet VoIP service in my opinion is not yet an enterprise solution since there is typically no SLA's or quality of service offered, but the savings are there which has prompted its adoption amongst small businesses that don't demand an "always" reliable service.
There exists dozens of open source IP PBX systems on the market many of which have varying levels of reliability, quality, and redundancy. For small systems that require non-technical administration I believe the best is Switchvox. When engineered flawlessly, the most reliable, flexible, and scalable IP PBX is plain old Asterisk.
If you have the right IP PBX internally, there really isn't much of a downside except the fact that IP PBX systems can be expensive. IP PBX systems also do not live as long as TDM phone systems purely because of the difference in technology running behind the two. To successfully deploy VoIP internally, just make sure that you have the infrastructure to do so which includes Cat5 or greater wiring and an appropriate data network. Ideally you want to segregate your voice and data network but many companies do not because of the cost... but if you can do it.. you should.
As far as VoIP phone service goes, we're talking about phone service which is delivered over your existing data connection. Like I said, not really a business grade product but the fact that you can use an existing data connection for voice means that the savings can be pretty enticing. The problem with internet based VoIP service is that you're tied to a single point of failure. If data goes down, you have no voice service.
Another issue, which not all users will experience, is problems with call quality. Because your phone call is running over the internet, the company providing you with phone service usually is not the same company providing your internet connection and therefore can not control, monitor, or fix your connection .... nor can your VoIP provider control all the facets of the internet. What this means is that your VoIP provider has no ability to prevent packet loss which in turn can produce static on the line, jitter, and dropped calls. Again, not everyone experiences these problems but many do and they are an inherent risk with hosted VoIP service.
To minimize this risk, I recommend that a company purchase their Hosted VoIP service from the same company that is delivering their data connection. There are many technical and infrastructure related reasons why this is a better service which I'm not going to get into it now .... but I can guarantee that if your ISP is legit, they should offer decent hosted VoIP as well.
So all in all .... there's quite a few things that you need to consider when looking at VoIP. Unfortunately companies who are in the business of selling VoIP systems and VoIP service manage to get away with selling half ass'd and janky solutions which can result in poor voice quality and many other "bad" things. What this means is that just because someone is in the business of selling something VoIP, it doesn't mean it'll be a good product. All I say is that you should make sure that the company you get your IP PBX or Hosted VoIP service from is a solid business with lots of customers and positive feedback.
About the Author:
Michael is the owner of FreedomFire Communications....including
Business VoIP Solution and
DS3 Bandwidth. Michael also authors
Broadband Nation where you're always welcome to drop in and catch up on the latest BroadBand news,
tips, insights, and ramblings for the masses.
No. of Times this article has been viewed :
837
Most Recently Published IT Management Articles as of
|
|
What Should you Look for when Selecting an IT Service Provider?
by
Stuart Crawford
In this day and age of computers, most people have some kind of knowledge of how this equipment works. Many workers or owners of small businesses even like to believe that they are technically savvy.
|
The Power of E-Mail in the Small Business
by
Stuart Crawford
Email is quickly becoming (if it hasn't already) the easiest and most convenient method for communication within the small business community.
|
What Is The True Cost Of Internet Surfing At Work?
by
Stuart Crawford
With the amount of information accessible on the Internet, combined with threats by viruses, worms, malicious code, spyware, and disruptions to service attacks- a threat to business productivity and profitability has always existed.
|
Get A Full Night Sleep, Knowing That Your Data Is Safe
by
Stuart Crawford
Small Businesses today use technology and rely on the validity of their data just like the big companies do.
|
Drowning in the Sea of Email! - Tips on Dealing with the Clutter Factor
by
Stuart Crawford
Many executives, in corporations of all sizes, are wrestling with the abundance of communication coming in via E-Mail.
|
Are Ergonomic Mice Truly Ergonomic
by
Stephen Bowden
Are ergonomic mice truly ergonomic?
The scientific literature has been indicating for some time that the shape and size of computer input devices should take advantage of the fine motor control of the hand for their operation.
|
Advantages Of Business Ethernet
by
Michael Lemm
Whether it's called Carrier Ethernet, Metro-Ethernet, or Business Ethernet the premise is pretty much the same. Choosing Ethernet for the backbone to your network platform is a smart choice for most any organization.
|
Comparing Business Ethernet And DS3 Bandwidth
by
Michael Lemm
When businesses are looking for the right bandwidth solution for critical business network applications, the popular options today are DS3 bandwidth and Business Class Ethernet. Either are a good choice as long as you understand what each can do for you.
|
DS3 Bandwidth Facts
by
Michael Lemm
To decide whether DS3 bandwidth fits your organization's network requirements you really need to know more about it. Just what is a DS3 circuit, what can it do, and what does it cost?
|
IE9 Blocks 99% of Socially-Engineering Malware
by
kristin tiong
Social engineering is a way for criminals to gain access to your computer. The purpose of social engineering is usually to secretly install spyware or other malicious software or to trick you into handing over your passwords or other sensitive financial or personal information.
|
HD Voice Will Revolutionize the Telephone Industry and Improve Mobile Phone Safety
by
James Waldrop
Wideband voice transmits twice the frequency range of current telephone technology. Improved voice clarity requires less brain function to decipher words. This causes less fatigue especially when people must talk on the telephone all day.
|
How to Avoid Top iPhone Application Development Mistakes
by
Vishal Arora
Developers around the world commit many common mistakes in iPhone development. This occurs due to over innovation, odd resolutions, and multi-tasking.
|
Some Advantages of Business Broadband
by
BMA Editorial Team 3
Being provided with a business broadband package, the company is sure to receive qualified and quick support. Some packages even come with remote support where an IP engineer can take remote control of the computer to solve problems.
|
Flex Development
by
Vishal Arora
Flex development is the latest web development technology more and more companies are going for. Its robustness and ease of use is what helps developers to create RIAs.
|
Chat Lingo? OMG It's Uber Cool
by
Vishal Arora
Chat abbreviations are increasingly invading our day to day conversation. Some of us have become so used to it that mistakenly include it in our important documents. What is it about chat lingo that makes it so popular?
|
|
Search for ebooks on Management & Business