VoIP 101 - Useful information to assist you in understanding VoIP

Internet protocol telephony (IPT) provides the foundation for what, without question, will become a major driver for enterprise productivity improvement – Unified Communications (UC). The basic premise of UC is that if a means of communication is available to two or more parties, then they should be able use it intuitively.

In order to provide you with some detailed information about the various considerations which need to be addressed when evaluating, implementing and supporting a VoIP UC system, we have compiled an extensive overview which can be found here on our website. This guide is available in hardcopy. Please contact Gregg Communications by phone at (630) 571–7000, or at sales@greggcomm.com to reserve your copy. Gregg Communications’ personnel also are available to assist you in working through the details of what VoIP and UC technology can do for your business, and best practices for implementation and on-going support.

We hope the following information is helpful!

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Visit next week to see Chapter 8!!

Chapter 7 (7.4-7.5):

7.4 IP CENTREX
When this guide was initially written, Centrex was considered by the industry to be a failed experiment, but things have changed considerably. First, let’s establish what Centrex offers, so we can discuss whether the approach makes sense.

Centrex moves call control off site. The enterprise still installs desktop telephones, but a high-capacity connection provides a link from phones to the actual switch and trunk interfaces, which are located at the operator’s premises. The customer pays a rental fee, rather than making a capital investment.

The first time around, Centrex did not fair well because, as discussed earlier, moves, adds and changes (MACs) are far-from-insignificant considerations. With Centrex, the customer had to
book MACs well in advance or put up with frustrating delays, contending with all the other Centrex customers for attention.

So how have things changed?
 

1. MACs are much simpler to use with Web-based self-provisioning
2. The cost of WAN connectivity has fallen dramatically

Ultimately, the lines between a hosted solution and a premises-based solution are almost entirely blurred:
 

• Money: Lease or buy?
• Skills: Hire or contract?
• Location: On or off site?

If you are seriously considering the IP Centrex model, or even moving parts of your voice solution off site for economic, security or reliability reasons, remember that as with any IT service, you must make sure you receive guaranteed service levels.

7.5 TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP (TCO)
Much has already been said about the expenses associated with PBX systems. Traditionally, these legacy vendors have avoided the issue of TCO, dodging the issue by offering substantial discounts on the initial purchase to create the illusion of affordability. However, they quickly make up for lost revenues by selling proprietary enhancements, applications, and services, further locking customers into long-term investments. The advent of IP telephony provides the opportunity for a new generation of vendors to challenge not just the technology, but also the overall value proposition for customers who purchase and use that technology. As you meet with vendors to discuss deployment of an IP voice communication system in your company, make sure that they provide clear, straightforward answers to the questions below. Doing so will save you time, money and a lot of frustration.

INSTALLATION
What is the charge for installing the system?
Is it simple enough to do it myself? How long does it take?

MANAGEMENT
Do I need skilled personnel to manage the system full time?
What kind of training is required to manage the system?
Do I need someone to manage each office location?

TELEPHONES
What kind of phones can I use?
How much do they cost?
Expansion: How much does it cost to expand the system?
How many users will it support?
How many sites?
What if I outgrow it?

MACS
What are the costs of handling moves, adds, and changes anywhere in my company?

Multiple Sites
How do I interconnect multiple sites?
How much does it cost?
What is the management impact?
What is the service and support impact?

Having clear answers to these questions will help ensure that the hidden costs are identified and understood prior to purchase.

Although cost is important, we believe that the factors driving the shift to VoIP are based on strategic business changes, described in Section 8.