VoIP Service: Enterprise VoIP Concerns

Business owners and managers have many questions about enterprise VoIP technology. We asked Rhonda Morgan, vice president of ATCOM Business Telecom Solutions, based in Research Triangle Park, N.C., to tackle potential adopters' top concerns. ATCOM is a VoIP systems provider, targeting mid-size companies with multiple sites.VOIP News: How popular is VoIP in the enterprise market? Is the technology still in the early adopter phase, or have a significant number of companies turned to VoIP?Rhonda Morgan: Most businesses making a decision on hardware today are at least considering VoIP technology. Even if they do not deploy any VoIP applications (networking sites, teleworker, etc.), they are buying the platform that can allow them to be ready for the future.VOIP News: Can VoIP save money? Is this possible when you consider the additional hardware, software and other tools that may be necessary to set up an enterprise VoIP system?Rhonda Morgan: As a cost savings model each scenario has to be looked at individually. To say that VoIP will save you money without doing a complete analysis of your specific needs and your data network would be careless. In the case of ATCOM, when we implemented VoIP, our cost savings came from a reduction in duplicate employees. We already had a data network in place tying together our three offices. We were able to cost effectively put our voice on that same network and combine three receptionist positions into one. Additionally, were also able to reduce toll charges by using our data network as the transport to each of our three regional areas. We eliminated all toll charges by sharing our local resources with each office.VOIP News: What is the best way to plan an enterprise VoIP system?Rhonda Morgan:  Find a partner that is a VoIP expert. Look for both voice experience as well as a complete understanding of how voice affects your data network.VOIP News: What new capabilities can an enterprise expect to receive from VoIP technology?Rhonda Morgan: One of the biggest advantages VoIP brings is the ability to tie in users within a company to a single common system. This includes multi-site companies or companies that have mobile employees. If the employees are work-at-home, or road warriors, VoIP makes it easy for them to stay connected.VOIP News: How can a business ensure VoIP quality of service (QoS)?Rhonda Morgan:  Quality of Service can only be guaranteed when you build a secure wide area network. When deploying VoIP systems, there are different situations. Businesses are deploying VoIP technology in single site locations in order to be on the latest platform of hardware. In this situation, it is important to verify that all switches are managed. By having managed switches, you can give voice priority and not experience any degradation or latency in your voice transmission.When connecting two sites using VoIP, it is important to have enough bandwidth between the sites to handle the extra voice traffic. A compressed voice call takes about 40K bps of bandwidth. Ensuring that all routers in place have QoS will make sure that voice is given priority over data. When you have a straight Internet connection to tie in a home office or other sites you limit your ability to control quality. For this reason, some at-home workers will use a hardware VPN so they can control the quality of calls rather than use a straight internet connection.VOIP News: Will VoIP stay up if the power goes out?Rhonda Morgan: VoIP systems are using the same infrastructure as a company’s data network. If the data network is up, then the VoIP system is up.VOIP News: What is the best way to select a service provider?

Rhonda Morgan: Check references. With the change in technology, you want to make sure that you stay on the cutting edge not the bleeding edge of a companies venture into VoIP. Make sure that you are not the first to market with a new product unless you are prepared to be a beta test site. Look for a company that has references, a history with the product and a certified staff of technicians.VOIP News: Is it possible to run VoIP on an existing data network?Rhonda Morgan:  Yes. Your existing network needs to have managed switches that will allow for VLANS to be set up to separate your voice and data. In addition, VoIP phones require power. So, if your switches do not have POE (power over Ethernet), you would have to provide an alternative power source. If you are networking multiple sites together, it is also important to verify that your routers have QoS. It is very important for voice to be given priority over data.VOIP News: Do you have to throw out your existing PBX to use VoIP?Rhonda Morgan: Depending on what type of PBX you are currently using, you may have to change your system. While some manufacturers have designed upgrade paths, others have deployed a start over strategy.