IP or Not IP That is the Question
Will the technology I invest in today be obsolete in 5 years?
Will the only systems installed in 5 years be IP systems? Is it
a mistake to consider digital phone systems? These are questions
that I am frequently asked. The answers are not as cut and dried
as some would think.
Some people are not even aware of what the term IP, let alone
VoIP, mean in the current technology environment. Some people,
when they see the letters VoIP, wonder first why the "o" is not
as large as the other letters. Still others understand that VoIP
has something to do with changes in current telephone technology
but they don't know the first thing about what it means.
Additionally, there are those that know that VoIP means "voice
over IP protocol" which involves the conversion of voice packets
to data packets and because it's the latest and greatest
technology, they just have to have that technology NOW!
Before rushing into a technology purchasing decision there are
items to consider. First, review your business and see if there
is an immediate need for VoIP connection. There are several
situations where VoIP technology can enhance business practices.
For instance, take a company with a large main facility and one
or more small remote facilities throughout the city, region or
country. This facility could use a digital telephone system with
digital phones in the main building but utilize data lines and
IP phones at the smaller remote facilities. This allows the
users in the small remote facility to connect to the main
facility through existing internet or private line wide area
network connections and take advantage of all call handling
features without installing unnecessary equipment at the remote
locations. The remote equipment can also be configured to
address local 9-1-1 identification and the ability to survive at
a minimum level without the connection to the main facility.
If the facility in question is hard to wire and available cable
is sparse, there may be a need to share a single data connection
between the telephone and desktop PC. With the introduction of
IP phones sharing that single data connection is now a reality.
On the flip side, a business may have limited space and requires
data functions over a device the size of a telephone. By using
certain IP phones a user can now have some web browsing and/or
data sharing capability on that telephone - - saving space and
maximizing your data resources.
Finally, a business that has two or more large facilities that
while spread out geographically must function as one entity can
benefit by using VoIP technology. Many times a single data
connection can be used for voice as well as data applications.
The days of segmenting wide area network lines are now in the
past. With VoIP technology the computer network can use all/most
of the wide area bandwidth for data processes while the voice
traffic is inactive or at a minimum.
In reviewing a telephone system that uses IP technology, do not
assume that an existing data network is able to accommodate the
voice traffic on top of the data traffic that it is already
carrying. To start review the routers, switches and bandwidth
available within and between the buildings to determine if the
proper equipment is in place to accommodate a new telephone
system. One thing to do is identify the amount of bandwidth
required for a 2-way conversation for the telephone system
solution being provided. Second is to have a trusted data vendor
(if different than the telephone vendor) or an independent third
party provider perform a network assessment before choosing a
solution or beginning a project. The assessment should be run
for no less than a week. In order to provide the best snapshot
of the network it is wise to select a busy week. This will
provide vital information to your IT staff/consultant and assist
in identifying if any data equipment is required to facilitate
the new voice solution.
When examining a network assessment, remember that voice
transmission is much more precise and requires a level of
reliability above that of data traffic. With data information, a
computer can accept packets out of sequence or some loss because
it fixes or waits for the rest of the information and places it
where it needs to go or drops unnecessary information
altogether. However, in voice transmission a lost packet or
certain levels of inconsistencies (latency/jitter) on the line
could result in some very broken conversations.
If a course has been plotted for an IP telephone system, spend a
little bit of extra time and money up front to have a
professional network assessment completed to ensure all of the
proper equipment is in place to go forward. The VoIP system,
whether it be from CISCO, Inter-Tel, Avaya, Toshiba, or Comdial
will all have to connect to the data network in some way and if
the system is insufficient it may cause an exponential increase
of the voice equipment budget to cover costs to update the data
system. Forward thinking helps protect the time, budget,
technology AND productivity of a business.
Will the technology I invest in today be obsolete in 5 years?
Will the only systems installed in 5 years be IP systems? I
believe our region will not see the digital telephone system
disappear within 5 years. However, we will see a much greater
installed base of "hybrid" systems. These are systems that share
digital technology with IP technology. Redesigning an existing
system may protect an original investment. In conclusion, before
giving in to that "gotta have it now" routine and ripping out
all of the equipment in the business investigate the options.