Ever since the first switchboard, large enterprises have ordinarily been first to benefit from new advances in telephony. While big business enjoyed phone systems designed for a staff of thousands, companies with less than 400 employees were forced to settle for scaled-down versions and a one-size-fits-all package of tools and features.
Alternatively, Internet Protocol (IP) telephony cut its teeth in 1999 in smaller firms, which found it affordable, scalable and easy to customise.
However, large firms showed the same enthusiasm for voice over IP (VOIP) technology. For companies with several hundred or thousands of employees, switching to a digital system seemed too complex and risky, with millions of dollars at stake should problems arise.
Today, however, large and very large enterprises are now recognising the advantages IP telephony has brought to their smaller counterparts.
This sentiment is bolstered by a new generation of VOIP systems based on carrier-class technology that can connect up to tens of thousands of users in many locations at once.
By using these systems to converge voice and data traffic over a single network infrastructure, large firms with multiple sites can now enjoy dramatic cost savings and efficiencies that no traditional phone system can offer.
Large enterprises are also ripe for VOIP because many are using PBX systems nearing the end of their six- to eight-year lifecycle. While budget considerations previously kept them from supplanting these systems, large enterprises recognise they can no longer afford to keep them and still remain competitive.
Adding up all of these factors leads to one undeniable conclusion: there has never been a better time for most large enterprises to adopt IP technology.
System and vendor criteria
When business depends on hundreds of employees handling thousands of calls, the telephone system must stand up to high demand. Fortunately, the latest generation of VOIP products are built to deliver high quality communications under heavy use. Still, some IP telephony systems handle the pressure better.
Reliability. To be worthy of large-scale use, an IP telephony system must be based on stable, proven technology. Users have the right to expect that they will always get a dial tone, that their calls will always go through, and that they will always enjoy clear, static-free conversation. A solution that maximises quality of service for voice traffic guarantees the highest standards of performance.
Scalability. An enterprise-wide IP telephony system must provide the same features and functionality to tens of thousands of users in multiple locations, whether they`re working from home, at a five-person branch, or corporate HQ. A modular platform offers the most effective combination of scalability and high availability.
Unified network management. To make the most of a converged network`s potential to streamline operations and improve communication, voice and data applications cannot standalone; they must interoperate smoothly. Usually, only a vendor with experience in both voice and data transmission can dependably provide this level of integration.
Security. The company`s IT staff should be able to oversee the phone system from a single central location, using the same software tools that detect an unauthorised computer on the data network to manage IP phone handsets. The system should also be designed to take advantage of distributed computing, with control functions dispersed across multiple servers, allowing the company to seamlessly reroute calls and ensure ongoing phone service in an emergency.
Open architecture. No large enterprise can afford to be limited to whatever tools and features a particular vendor offers at any given time. Non-proprietary tools and software allow an enterprise to tailor its IP-based phone system to its needs. Only an approach based on open standards allows a company to maximise its technological investment and launch new applications as they become available.
The importance of open standards
A standards-based system is the most cost-effective, future-minded basis for delivering IP telephony, yet all standards are not created equal. The industry standard of choice is SIP, or Session Initiation Protocol, the first protocol to enable multi-user sessions regardless of media content.
As the underpinning of a telephone system, SIP allows users to receive voice messages by e-mail, forward instant messages to their personal digital assistants (PDAs), and receive Web pages on their mobile phones.
As the heart of a multi-application communications environment, SIP can power a wide range of services, from long distance telephony and rich media conferencing to call centre applications and sophisticated resource management applications. Choosing a SIP-based telephony solution opens the door to all these uses without locking the large enterprise into a long-term contract with any individual vendor.
SIP is already broadly accepted - as the session control mechanism for next-generation cellular communication, the basis of Microsoft`s real-time messaging services, and the building block of MCI`s latest advanced telephony services. Its potential is still barely tapped.
Making the move to VOIP
Whether a company is totally replacing an outmoded PBX system, moving into a new facility, or adding new branches, implementing IP telephony is best done in stages. The right technology will allow the large enterprise to phase in small groups of employees - for example, one department or branch office at a time - over the course of several years.
This can be done using IP phones that work side by side with legacy analogue equipment and a mix of media gateways that provide smooth connections to the public switched telephone network.
Eventually, the number of people with IP handsets will outnumber those using legacy equipment. At that point, the company can affordably replace its remaining handsets with full confidence that the new telephone system is working as it should. Only standards-based technology that scales readily and interoperates easily with legacy PBX systems allows for this gradual, practical transition.
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