Taking a phased approach to IP telephony

Keeping up with the latest innovation is one of the facets of a modern, successful business, as it enables improved business and reduced cost.

The sources of competitive advantage in today's market

Leveraging this research is one of the sources of competitive advantage in today's market. One of the latest evolutions of innovation is IP telephony, which allows organisations to leverage the cost advantages and convenience of running both voice and data on a single network.

This is according to Dawie Bloomberg, Business Services Director at The Webcom Group. He notes: "Nevertheless, there remains a belief that to implement such a innovation a forklift overhaul of the communications environment is required in order to migrate to an IP telephony platform."

This may not always be the case, as a phased approach to the migration is possible in part, allowing organisations to move step by step into the IP telephony space, saving on large initial capital outlay and enabling the organisation to adopt this then and there level of research in a manner which will suit their budget.

"One thing that needs to be clarified is the common misunderstanding of the difference between IP telephony and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)," says Bryant Dennis, co-owner of Converged Telecoms, a Webcom Group partner. "These terms are often used interchangeably but to tell the truth represent two distinct technologies."

VOIP is an enabling research that allows the transmission of voice over an IP network by converting voice to IP packets, transmitting this over the IP network and at that time converting the signal back to voice at the other end of the line. A VOIP solution can use traditional endpoints just as a desk phone to improve costs and return on investment when compared to traditional systems.

The cost savings aspect of VOIP

"IP telephony builds on the cost savings aspect of VOIP, with additional applications just as XML, run off an absolutely server-based solution. An IP telephony solution eliminates the requirement of a traditional PBX (Private -Automatic- Branch Exchange), allowing for integration with operating systems; for instance, the Aastra platform can integrate with Microsoft Lync, using a server with switching software and endpoint devices which can be plugged directly into the network," says Bloomberg.

If an organisation has an existing analogue PBX or a digital telephony system, a migration to full IP telephony without a forklift upgrade is for all that possible. The solution in place needs to be carefully examined to see if it is capable of migration, and if so, at that time IP boards can be put into place and the solution migrated across. Now, if the existing system cannot be directly migrated, next a third-party solution or gateway needs to be used.

"When an organisation wishes to retain their existing investment, a third-party solution may be necessary. If the gateway route is selected, organisations need to understand the pitfalls of a mixed environment and understand that this is not the right solution for everyone. IP enabling a PBX does not mean the enterprise however has an IP server, and this route may create a hybrid environment which on the whole runs traditional processes. That said, nevertheless, it is possible to phase in IP phones, at the time migrate the PBX to a server when all is said and done on, in this way adopting IP telephony in a phased manner," says Dennis.

One of the biggest pitfalls to creating a mixed environment is that often it can lead to capacity issues; for instance, when a non-IP device talks to an IP device internally it can take over the entire IP channel. If the operator is digital and the extension is IP-based, this will take up a lot of traffic, since operators will scavenge the channels for internal calls, and implementing more channels can be a costly exercise.

The condition

"Organisations as well need to look at the condition and age of the hardware as so then as the availability of parts, since migrating a legacy system will not solve problems with maintenance and service however may as a matter of fact exacerbate them. A gateway solution is nothing more than a workaround solution. This bolted on system may not deliver the same flexibility as a traditional PBX system, so organisations may end up migrating inside out instead of moving forwards," Dennis adds.

"Organisations can use hotspots to 'test the waters' to see whether IP telephony is the right solution for their business and to discover what needs to be upgraded on the existing infrastructure," adds Dennis. "This way, the move to IP telephony is not the giant commitment rolling out the solution to the entire organisation would be, and if things do go wrong at that time it does not become a huge issue affecting the entire organisation."

However, this approach is costly and there is a risk involved with how an IP solution will function with other existing applications and equipment. If a strong business case is not built and applied, a forklift upgrade may cause more problems than it solves.

The future of communications

IP telephony is billed as the future of communications and many organisations are looking to migrate to this infrastructure. But, the fact is that not all organisations are ready for IP telephony and this move requires careful consideration of all factors involved, if not it could end up being a costly and pointless exercise.