Articles & Tutorials

VoIP — Voice Over IP: A Small Business Perspective

Most people have seen the latest ads on television from companies touting their converged networks. A converged network is the merging of existing voice and data networks into one large data network. By utilizing Voice over IP (VoIP) as the transport, companies can now take advantage of new ways to cut costs and save money on telephone services.

Whether we realize it or not, our ears are trained to listen for static in the phones to know we are connected. InChord Communications Inc. installed VoIP technology and began having calls disconnected. As it turned out, the calls were so clear that people thought they had been disconnected and ended up hanging up. This example was one of the few problems InChord experienced after deciding to change its existing analog phone lines to VoIP. According to InformationWeek Research’s 4Q Priorities Survey, this topic is one in which one out of every three executives will consider this year.

Businesses today don’t have very many options when it comes to saddling up with VoIP. It is becoming increasingly more important to understand this emerging technology and how it applies to your organization. If an organization takes the leap, the cost may not justify the savings that could follow. Often times companies see a minimum one year return on investment (ROI), although a detailed analysis may shrink that timeline, and in turn, effectively reduce costs. The difficulty is when to give the green light to proceed. Below are some causes and effects when to consider VoIP:

Centrex lines are already installed
IP Centrex often allows the customer to combine existing solutions for data
connectivity and telephone service into a consolidated network. Both within the enterprise and on the access connection to the network. These lines are costly and converting to VoIP may eliminate the need for a Centrex line and converging your many networks to a single IP-based network.

New office building
A new office in telecommunications is often referred to as “Greenfield”. The office doesn’t have wiring installed yet, so it’s easy to configure exactly what a solution may demand with the added bonus of not having to convert an existing phone system.

Reached the end of the PBX lease
Finishing leases on your PBX opens opportunities to begin a new lease with a VoIP telephone system.

Old PBX or KEY system becoming obsolete
Your telephone system may be so old that you need to hand crank it before making a call and chances are if your system is that old, it may need an overhaul. Based on this obsolescence, it may be a natural decision to go to VoIP to ensure that you won’t have to upgrade for several years.

Multiple company locations
A company may have two or more locations located in different area codes, which may mean that when one location needs to call the other, a toll-charge is incurred. With VoIP, calls between the offices will avoid these toll-charges all together by routing calls through IP networks.

Specific application demands
When a school in California converted their networks to VoIP, teachers began taking attendance on the phone. A photo of the student appeared on the phone and was marked appropriately present or absent, which resulted in a 3 hour attendance process being cut down to 15 minutes.

When you make your decision, make sure you have all of the facts. This guide provides a simple glimpse into the large field of VoIP. Consult with our technicians who will help your organization make the right choice. Contact us