Learn from other companies that have already experienced the introduction of VoIP. By getting behind others, so to speak, you can avoid their mistakes and get tips for making your own introduction go smoothly.
The following ten tips can help you save time, money, and headaches that can arise when introducing VoIP.
Buy time:
Even if your VoIP introduction seems to go smoothly, you should expect problems. Since things often don’t go as planned, build a fallback into your plans. For example, a company ordered an OC-3 channel from a service provider and it took another six months to make it available; DS-3 has low bandwidth and the company will not be able to move forward.
Help everyone:
Appoint a business unit manager to lead the VoIP project team so they know the details and can communicate them to employees. This will reduce the transition time and user training period.
Understand the current situation:
Understand how your network infrastructure is configured. Find out what devices you currently have and if they can support voice enhancement technologies.
Check phone compatibility:
Ensure that all desktop phones are Power over Ethernet enabled and can be powered by a standard Power over Ethernet network. Phones should also have a built-in LAN switch port to support both desktop computers and IP phones with a single LAN cable. If Gigabit Ethernet is also required, ensure that the IP phone connection is 1000 Mbps.
Bandwidth control:
If tests show that more bandwidth is needed, you should consider upgrading from Fast Ethernet to Gigabit Ethernet. Although an upgrade may seem difficult at this time, you should consider whether the increase in network traffic would justify such an upgrade.
Use appropriate CODEC:
To reduce the bandwidth required for VoIP services, companies can choose certain codecs that accept the audio stream and encode it for transmission over network cables. There are 8 kbps and 64 kbps codecs available. But companies should try several codecs to determine which quality is right for them. If bandwidth is. Limited, it is important to choose the codec that is most acceptable and requires the least amount of bandwidth.
Dialing 911 Number:
It is important to know that emergency services cannot trace calls made via VoIP services; VoIP knows your IP address, but not your physical location. Cell phones can be anywhere and switch from one network connection to another. This can lead paramedics to the wrong address. To avoid this problem, it is. Recommended that if possible, the phone be connected to an analog phone line.
Training:
Large VoIP implementations require a large number of users who need to be trained on the new phones. Documentation is important. Use pictures with explanations, for example. “This is the network jack, this is the back of the phone, now connect it”. A list of frequently asked questions can also reduce the number of support calls.
Cost savings:
Consider limiting the introduction of IP telephony to desktop computers and leaving other locations (fax machines, hallways, loading ramps, exam rooms, etc.) with inexpensive analog terminals with analog IP gateways for connection to the VoIP network.
Programmable phones:
Used by certain types of employees, such as users with technical knowledge or employees. Who regularly work in different locations, such as branch offices, home offices, or customer locations.
Remote management:
Determine the impact of remote management on the IP phone system. Can the same IP phone system and call server tools be? Used for remote management, reboot, and configuration of the mail server, file server, and print server?
In general, forward planning is. Required when considering the introduction of VoIP technology in an enterprise. In the business world, there is nothing more disappointing than wasting time and money on useless ideas. Do your homework.
About Author
Cecilia Lyman Robertson is a 44-year-old CEO who enjoys networking and VoIP Video Phone. She has a post-graduate degree in business studies.
