Remember Me
forgot your password?

10 Things You Should Know About VoIP (voice Over Internet Protocol)

Learn from other businesses who have already been through a VoIP roll out. Standing over someone else's shoulders, so to speak, will help you avoid their mistakes and glean tips that can make your own deployments go more smoothly.

The following 10 tips will reduce the amount of time, money and headaches that can occur during a VoIP roll out:

  • BUY TIME: Anticipate problems even if it appears the VoIP deployment will be a smooth one. Things don't always happen as planned, so add a buffer into your plans. For example, one business ordered an OC-3 circuit from their carrier, which took an extra six months to install. The business had to get by with a DS-3, which was a lot less bandwidth than they wanted.

  • GET EVERYBODY ON BOARD: Assign business-unit leaders to oversee the VoIP project team so they know the details and can communicate them to their employees. This reduces the switchover time as well as reduces user training.

  • KNOW WHAT YOU'VE GOT: Educate yourself on what your business' network infrastructure consists of. Find out what hardware you have and whether it will support technology that can improve voice quality.

  • TEST PHONE COMPATIBILITY: Make sure all the desktop phones have power and switching (PAS) capabilities and can be powered via standard Power over Ethernet (PoE, 802.3af is the IEEE standard). The phones also need to have built-in LAN switch ports, which will enable a single LAN cable to support a desktop PC and IP phone. If Gigabit Ethernet is also required, be sure the IP phone port has 1000Mbps.

  • BANDWIDTH CONTROL: If testing shows a need to increase bandwidth, consider upgrading from Fast Ethernet to Gigabit Ethernet. Even if an upgrade seems like too much right now, forecast if an increase in network traffic will be on the horizon which could warrant such an upgrade.

  • USE THE RIGHT CODEC: To reduce the amount of bandwidth VoIP service requires, businesses have a selection of codecs to choose from that take the voice stream and encode it for transmission over network wires. While codecs can be as little as 8Kbps or as much as 64Kbps, businesses need to listen to a variety of them to determine which ones produce acceptable quality. If bandwidth is limited, it's important to choose the codec that is the most acceptable and uses the least amount of bandwidth.

  • DIALING 911: It's important to know emergency personal can't trace calls placed on a VoIP service. While the VoIP knows its IP address, it doesn't know its physical location. The phone could be anywhere and moved from one network jack to another. Because of this, emergency personnel could be sent to the wrong place. To avoid this problem, it's recommended you tie phones up to an analog phone line if you can.

  • SIMPLIFY TRAINING: Large VoIP roll outs require large numbers of users that must be trained to use the new phones. Documentation is very important. Using pictures with instructions, such as, "Here's your network connector, here's the back of your phone, now plug them into each other." Also, having a list of FAQs helps reduce help desk calls.

  • GATEWAY TO SAVINGS: Consider limiting the deployment of IP phones to desktops, leaving other areas such as fax machines, hallways, loading docks or exam rooms with low-cost analog handsets with analog-to-IP gateways, for connecting the traffic to the VoIP network.

  • CONSIDER SOFT PHONES: Use these for certain types of employees, such as tech-savvy users or those who regularly work from different locations, i.e., branch offices, home offices or on-site with customers.

  • REMOTE CONTROL: Determine how remote management applies to your IP PBX. Can the same tools be used on your IP PBX or call server to remotely manage, reboot and configure mail, files, and print servers?

In summary, plan ahead when considering a roll out of VoIP technology at your place of business. Nothing is more of a killer to a business, than wasting time and, most importantly, money on poorly planned ideas. Do your homework!

Laura Rucker

For more information about getting the lowest price on a VoIP, T1 Line, Ethernet, MPLS or OCx Circuit, each with a Low Price Guarantee, from over 30 first-tier and top-tier carriers, from the agency that won the 2008 "Carrier of the Year" award at the National Telecom Association conference, please visit http://www.usavetelecom.com

Rate this Article: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s)
Print Email Re-Publish

Add new Comment



Captcha

  • Latest VoIP Articles
  • More from Laura Rucker

Save Money with Cheap Call India Plans

By: Chris Jenkinson | 27/11/2009
If you want to make a cheap call, India calling plans are abundantly available. Not all plans are equal but a great rate could be just a few clicks away.

Do You Know the Cheapest Call Pakistan Options?

By: Chris Jenkinson | 27/11/2009
If you are looking for the cheapest call Pakistan options, it may take a bit of searching. Once you delve into the options, you’ll see that not all of them are equal.

Free VOIP Phone Calls with new VOIP Technology

By: Jack Daniels | 27/11/2009
Most of the business communications are happening through VOIP and several organizations use VOIP services to communicate with their branches across the world. Families are able to get these services as well to get the cheapest VOIP calls and save money.

Your next Ventrilo Server Provider

By: Planetventrilo | 26/11/2009
PlanetVentrilo is the number one Ventrilo Server Provider for Guilds and Gaming Clans around the world. with our years of experience managing ventrilo servers for the most demanding clients you can rest assured we have the knowledge and skills to make your hosting experience the best possible.

Ohio answering service keeps local shipping company in constant contact with clients

By: Gary Holthaus | 24/11/2009
The past year’s recession has kept local businesses on their toes. An efficiency revolution is taking place across all industries as part of a push to be better prepared for similar economic woes if they occur again in the future.

How to Save Money with VOIP Phone features

By: Cyril Bird | 24/11/2009
One of the major areas for a business owner to save money is communications. Despite the fact that phone service is the nerve center of any business, it can also be a major source of expenditure.

Cheap IP carriers and Low-Cost Calling Solutions

By: Alter Sage | 24/11/2009
The high cost of communication is beginning to weigh down on consumers, especially in the business arena. The recession has left many companies reassessing their finances, with major budget cuts becoming a regular occurrence.

BBG Communications Mobile VOIP Developments

By: Broderick Booth Goran | 22/11/2009
According to BBG Communications, in 2006, a SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) stack and a VoIP client in Nokia E-series dual-mode Wi-Fi handsets (Nokia E60, Nokia E61, Nokia E70) were launched in the market. The SIP stack and client have since been introduced in many more E and N-series dual-mode Wi-Fi handsets, most notably the Nokia N95 which gained popular following particularly in Europe.

How to Stop a Mortgage Foreclosure

By: Laura Rucker | 19/12/2008 | Mortgage
With the current economic situation the way it is, it's sad that people are losing their jobs and banks are raising their interest rates. Millions of people are under the pressure to pay their mortgage payments and debts and not everyone has the ability to sort out their payment defaults. Those about to default or are defaulting on their mortgage payments do not want to lose their property to foreclosure. How does a person keep from drowning in financial debt? Read this article to find out.

How to Avoid a Mortgage Foreclosure

By: Laura Rucker | 19/12/2008 | Mortgage
With the current economic situation the way it is, it's sad that people are losing their jobs and banks are raising their interest rates. Hundreds of thousands of people are under the pressure to pay their mortgage payments and debts and not everyone has the ability to sort out their payment defaults. Those about to default or are defaulting on their mortgage payments do not want to lose their property to foreclosure. So how does a person keep from drowning in financial debt? Read this artic

Colocation Advantages for Businesses

By: Laura Rucker | 19/12/2008 | Communication
For most businesses, except very large firms, Colocation can benefit a business by offering lower costs and higher performance than having the network in-house. Companies without the financial resources and office space to build a dedicated Data Center are better off sharing a Data Center with other companies. This article gives seven strong reasons for a business to use a Colocation Data Center for their server.

T1 Vs. Ethernet Broadband Choices for Businesses

By: Laura Rucker | 19/12/2008 | Communication
Looking for bandwidth? The reason businesses use T1 lines vs. Ethernet (Fast, Metro or Gigabit) is because of the differences between these two services. Fast Ethernet refers to the internal network traffic whereas a T1 line is an external to internal network connection. This article also lays out the advantages of T1 over Ethernet.

Isp Bandwidth Needs and the Number of Users it Can Lease to

By: Laura Rucker | 18/12/2008 | Communication
How much bandwidth does an ISP require? How many users can it accommodate? This article will answer these questions for you.

Choosing a Bandwidth Service for Your Large Enterprise

By: Laura Rucker | 18/12/2008 | Communication
Any large business or organization looking to upgrade or modify their current bandwidth needs must carefully consider what their guests needs are, including their business clientele who would utilize conference rooms. Doing their homework and researching all bandwidth products versus their business' needs will save time and money in the long run. Never sign up for any bandwidth product until this is done.

Advantages of Mpls Installation and Deployment

By: Laura Rucker | 18/12/2008 | Communication
MPLS (Multi-Protocol Label Switching) is an excellent choice for businesses with multiple locations using a large amount of bandwidth for voice and data traffic. However, there are several things to consider before the installation and deployment of MPLS vs. other options.

Oc48 Benefits for Large Businesses, Hospitals and Universities

By: Laura Rucker | 18/12/2008 | Communication
Is an OC48 circuit the right choice for your large business, hospital or university network system? What can it do for your business? What do you need to know before you purchase this for your business? This article will help you make the right choice for your business.

Submit Your Articles Free: Signup
Article Categories




Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy | User published content is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Copyright © 2005-2008 Free Articles by ArticlesBase.com, All rights reserved. (0.07, 1, w1)