South African companies are increasingly looking to manage their entire telecom infrastructure through a single service provider that can offer services such as voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP), least-cost routing, supply and implementation of hardware, and network service and support.
That's the word from Rodney Taylor, managing director of Itec West. He says convergence of the mobile and fixed-line worlds, as well as of voice and data, has created opportunities for companies to consolidate their networks as well as the suppliers that they use to save operating costs. VOIP is the most prominent example of convergence, he adds.
Says Taylor: “Although the industry has talked about VOIP for years, the country's telecom infrastructure is finally able to support it with the quality of service companies are demanding. In addition, hardware such as IP phones and IP PBXes are affordable enough for even small businesses to use. VOIP is now in the technology mainstream.”
There are a number of reasons that companies are deploying VOIP, not least of which are the cost-savings that it offers, says Taylor. VOIP can be used to make national, international and mobile calls at lower rates than a traditional analogue Telkom phone call. Company branches can be linked using VOIP, meaning that internal calls can be made virtually for free.
Another benefit of VOIP lies in the fact that it allows companies to consolidate their voice and data networks, meaning that they only have to install and manage one set of network equipment and cabling for all of their communications needs, Taylor adds.
"VOIP systems are also flexible and allow businesses to do things that are simply not possible with traditional phone technology," says Taylor. For example, call centre agents could work from home using a fast Internet connection simply by logging into the company network and using an IP phone.
In the years to come, Itec sees videoconferencing, unified messaging and mobility playing a greater role in the corporate telecom environment, says Taylor. For example, many companies are already starting rollouts of platforms that make end-users reachable through a single telephone number, whether they're away from the office and using their mobile phones, or whether they are at their desks.
Some enterprises are also rolling out functionality that allows users to access a range of messaging platforms - such as e-mail, voicemail, fax and SMS - through a single interface wherever they are. These solutions would not be possible without converged IP-based networks in the enterprise.
In this environment, organisations should be looking to work with solution providers that can help them manage their telecom infrastructures and services in a holistic manner, Taylor says. There might be opportunities to consolidate the number of equipment vendors and service providers they work with.
“VOIP is an important technology for companies that want to save money on their telecom bills, but should be considered in a holistic manner alongside strategies such as least-cost routing and vendor consolidation,” Taylor concludes.
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