Conducting a VoIP Readiness Assessment of Your Corporate Network
2005 is predicted to be the year of voice over IP (VoIP) solutions for a growing number of corporate enterprises - both large and small. If you have been considering the benefits of implementing VoIP, you are certainly not alone. In its just-published "2005 Telecommunications Report," Harris Interactive found that 87% of business decision-makers are familiar with VoIP and, of that number, 12% currently use it in their organizations.So what's the big attraction? Cost mainly. But lowering company telecom expenses is just one aspect of the lure of implementing VoIP solutions. Other advantages include the potential for value-added services and the capability of more advanced features made possible through the integration of voice and data (e.g.
videoconferencing, advanced voicemail features,etc.)Sounds good, but here's the rub...it's also been estimated that up to 85% of corporate networks are simply not ready to handle VoIP. Combining voice with data is a tricky proposition. After decades of getting used to near-perfect sound quality delivered over traditional voice networks, even the slightest delays in voip can be very annoying.Before diving in to a full-blown VoIP solution, it is advisable that you conduct a voice over IP readiness assessment of your existing network. This assessment will provide you with two very important pieces of information:1) The capability of your existing data network to deliver high-quality voip calls, and; 2) the ability to evaluate the quality of these calls during a wide variety of traffic scenarios. Keep in mind that most data networks were not designed for VoIP, so chances are that some upgrading of your existing network will be necessary.One critical requirement for VoIP to work is QoS.
(Short for Quality of Service, a networking term that specifies a guaranteed throughput level). For QoS to work, the routers and switches that manage the data traffic flow in your network must be able to prioritize VoIP data packets via QoS. 4 Steps to a Successful VoIP Readiness Assessment1) Conduct a complete inventory of your existing network. Identify routers, switches and links in your network and store their configuration data in a database. This step is crucial before you can move to step 2.
2) Determine the current CPU, memory and bandwidth of your network devices, routers and switches. This information will give you a "baseline" of your existing network infrastructure and current capacity. 3) Simulate and compare VoIP usage scenarios to estimate the call capacity of the network. 4) Determine how well VoIP will perform on your network by measuring simulated VoIP traffic and calculating call quality based on a Mean Opinion Score (MOS). We have recently added a VoIP bandwidth calculator tool to help you determine various codec, MOS, and bandwidth scenarios.
Go to www.telconassociates.com for more information.While VoIP can ride over the highways that your data currently does, it is a new application with new rules. A VoIP readiness assessment will give you the information you need to incorporate a VoIP solution without unnecessary hassles and expenses due to lack of proper planning and research. If you are considering migrating to VoIP and need help, contact us and we'll help guide you to the right sources. TelCon AssociatesFor 32 years, TelCon Associates has helped companies of all sizes gain control and reduce telecom spending through their proprietary methods of telecom audits, telecom bill management and telecom audit training. Visit www.telconassociates.com for more information and free news and resources in the telecom industry..
For 32 years, TelCon Associates has helped companies of all sizes gain control and reduce telecom spending through their proprietary methods of telecom audits, telecom bill management and telecom audit training. Visit www.telconassociates.com for more information and free news and resources in the telecom industry.VoIP Service Revenues to Reach $18bn in Business Sector by 2010, but Overall Telco Revenues to Shrink by $36bn p.a. due to VoIP
Hampshire, UK (ContentDesk) March 22, 2006 - Revenues from Voice over IP (VoIP) services in the business sector will reach $18 billion by 2010, according to a new study by Juniper Research. VoIP Growth will be driven by: The replacement of existing business circuit switched connectivity; The lower cost of calls; Massive growth in the Chinese telecoms market; Businesses reaping the efficiencies of carrying voice and data traffic over one network; and the realisation that integrating voice functionality into business critical IT applications will improve business productivity.The Juniper report reveals that the tipping point for the adoption of VoIP by businesses will shortly be reached, but also illustrates the barriers to adoption resulting from difficulties in network readiness and the regulation of VoIP in some countries. Highlights from the report include:"????The total business VoIP services market will reach $18bn per annum by 2010"????Small business broadband connections will reach...
VoIP Service Revenues to Reach $18bn in Business Sector by 2010, but Overall Telco Revenues to Shrink by $36bn p.a. due to VoIP
Voip > VoIP Service Revenues to Reach $18bn in Business Sector by 2010, but Overall Telco Revenues to Shrink by $36bn p.a. due to VoIP
10 Ways Voip Can Save Consumers Money on Their Phone Bills
Boca Raton, FL (ContentDesk) July 10, 2006 -- Switching from traditional phone service to a voip internet phone saves consumers an average of 50% off their monthly phone bill. Voice over IP service provider voip.com wants customers to know why.1.????Voip service has an average monthly rate of around 25, however regular phone lines usually set consumers back somewhere in the vicinity of 51 for a month's worth of service.2.????Most voip internet phone providers offer unlimited long distance in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico as a standard feature of their basic plan.3.????International long distance rates are substantially cheaper. For instance, if you call Germany to get an on-the-spot update of World Cup action, Bell South will charge you 0.14/min, where voip.com only charges 0.014/min. That's one-tenth of what the phone company charges.4.????Voip.com offers subscribers two free months of core services for each new...
10 Ways Voip Can Save Consumers Money on Their Phone Bills
Voip > 10 Ways Voip Can Save Consumers Money on Their Phone Bills
VoIP Phone System
A Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, transmission is initiated by converting voice into digital format. This can be done by Analog Telephone Adaptor (ATA) or by the computer itself using software. In the Public Switch Transmission Network (PSTN), the dialing of the number initiates the call by connecting the call to the public switch and routing the call to the correct party's telephone number through the telephone network.
A VoIP network also has similar functions like that of PSTN, in addition to the IP provider and Internet Service Provider (ISP). The major components of a VoIP network are user devices (one or both ends), a call processing server, VoIP gateways, gatekeepers and an IP network. The user device consists of VoIP phones, traditional phones with accessories and computer-based devices.
VoIP phones may be hard or soft phones.
A VoIP hard phone is like a traditional phone, but instead of a phone jack, it has an Ethernet port through which...
Voip > VoIP Phone System