What you should expect from VOIP

By Wolfgang Held, solution architect at 3Com SA

With the emergence of VOIP (voice over IP) in the local marketplace, it`s interesting and even encouraging to note the continuing innovation of the technology on an international level.

Although SA is by no means a leading adopter at this stage, it still remains imperative that we look at what our global peers are doing and follow suit in a productive and effective manner.

Internationally, large IP PBX vendors continue to build on server-based platforms with analysts also predicting that 2005 will be the year that enterprise-scale VOIP finally makes it to the mainstream.

On the other hand, some international vendors are taking more unique approaches to small-business VOIP systems. Among these emerging small-business VOIP products is an embedded IP PBX appliance for small offices that fits in a briefcase. Or, for customers not interested in any extra hardware, another VOIP system uses peer-to-peer technology in IP phones, eliminating the need for an IP PBX.

On the wireless and mobility front, mobile VOIP is already finding a home in European hospitals and manufacturing plants.

Some of these forecasts may not be applicable to our local scenario, but they do hold some promise for the future.

However, to really understand the impact of deregulation, it`s important that we take a few steps back; looking beyond the hype and analysing the tangible benefits that come with the deployment of a VOIP infrastructure.

The obvious benefit is toll bypass or a reduction in telephone costs. But, this is a benefit that VOIP-enabled companies have already been utilising, albeit in a hop-on, or hop-off fashion.

Already, companies are using their WANs to alleviate phone call costs between their various branches countrywide, or even calls from home offices to head/branch offices and vice versa.

Now, obviously, companies can further exploit a deregulated environment that, if anything, will further drive down company telephone costs.

So, you might say the VOIP ROI for the above is easily quantifiable and the cost savings substantial. Well, not necessarily.

A business that is exploring the VOIP option should firstly do a thorough audit of its existing WAN infrastructure and the amount of voice traffic it estimates the network will be carrying.

The reality is that despite the ideal scenario, which claims that voice should run immediately on an organisation`s existing network, not all companies are VOIP-ready yet.

Often, the infrastructure will have to undergo an upgrade in order to carry the increase in traffic and subsequent demands on the network. Here, system integrators and networking specialist companies can offer network health checks to determine the network`s capability to provide low latency transfer of voice as well as the implications of voice on network QoS (quality of service).

Following the above, it`s important to evaluate whether more bandwidth will be needed and whether the resultant increase in line rental will still translate into substantial cost savings, as opposed to spending more for very little or no savings.

The good news is if you have, beyond all doubt, determined that it will be more beneficial to go the VOIP route - toll bypass is only the beginning. For one, with an IP infrastructure, the management, control and integration of new applications into the existing LAN or WAN becomes significantly easier.

Indeed, the management of VOIP infrastructure does not require a steep learning curve, especially if good networking skills are already accessible within the organisation. Changes to VOIP infrastructure are easier to make than to a traditional system, and troubleshooting is also based on the same principles as network problem solving. Daily operational maintenance can, therefore, be reduced dramatically.

New extensions as well as users can be added very easily - if there`s a network point, you can add a user - and moving an extension is not nearly as tedious as it is with a traditional telephone system.

Another significant benefit is that even a basic VOIP solution integrates easily with a number of value-add applications such as CTI (computer telephony integration) products.

These products alone, which include call centre applications and unified messaging, promise a myriad of business and subsequent ROI and productivity gains.

No doubt VOIP and its applications offer a number of substantial and quantifiable benefits to businesses that supersede toll bypass. However, in order to benefit from the technology`s profitability and productivity gains, it`s important that you do your homework first before embarking on a project that might cost far more in the long run.