A few years ago, voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP), or IP telephony as it is sometimes known, was perceived by both small and large organisations as a nice-to-have instead of the business imperative it has become.
This change in perception resulted from the growing popularity of broadband Internet among business users who started seeing the business benefits of the Internet as well as the other technologies it enables, like IP telephony. IP telephony has become so important that all new developments from leading telecommunications operators aimed at both small and large businesses revolve around it.
IP telephony brought to reality the ideal of unified communication, where traditional voice calls, voice mail, e-mail and mobile phone services are interlinked. The result is a level of internal and external communication, including customer service, never seen before. And this is something every organisation can benefit from.
If IP telephony is so great, then why is it that not all organisations have it in place? Well, for many small organisations, the main hurdle is the initial installation cost, but what many don't realise is that by having a broadband Internet connection, they are already half way there. Taking the next step from here is much easier.
Another issue that poses a problem is the lack of technical know-how in managing IP telephony systems. To remedy this, providers of IP telephony systems offer Internet-based self-help services over and above the call centre services they offer.
Like all other Internet-based services, users tend to be concerned about the security threats IP telephony poses. It is true that IP telephony poses a security risk, but nothing that a properly laid physical and information security policy cannot negate.
Looking into the future, the launch of Seacom later this year is expected to bring great developments in Internet services in South Africa, with an expected bandwidth growth of up to 700%. If this is indeed the case, then we can expect even greater advances in IP telephony services in this country.
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