We all hear the buzz words VOIP, IP Telephony etc.  What does it all mean? Why would you want it?

Simply put, its throwing voice/a voice phone call, over your network infrastructure (WAN, LAN) and or the Internet.

Let’s call  these highways of information just to make it simple (Remember that word, 'simple', you're going to see it again). Just like a highway if you push a whole bunch of cars on it without making the highway wider things are going to crawl to a halt.   So there are a few things to consider.

1.    Is my network infrastructure ready for IP Voice?

It doesn’t matter how nice the car is if the road is bumpy and full of potholes you are going to have a bumpy unpleasant ride.  Data is much more forgiving with a bumpy ride then voice is.  Data may get to the other end all out of order and then re-shape itself back into order.  Voice cannot do that.  If it gets out of order you won’t understand it on the other end, it cannot re-shape itself.  Think of voice like this bossy person who needs to push to the front of the line with no one squeezing their space.  Voice needs its own personal body space.

2.    What kind of IP Voice Telephone Systems should I look at?

Just like cars, not all IP Voice systems are created equal. Yes, they all have features. Yes we have electric windows, but if you have to stand on your head to in the back seat to make the front window roll up, well that’s not going to work for most people.  The whole purpose for IP Voice Telephone Systems is to make it easier to use, easier to maintain, more cost effective, easy to upgrade, easy to add parts, easy to move things around,  basically simple, simple, simple.  Did I say it needs to be SIMPLE?  Well it does.  So in your quest down the information highway of IP Telephone Systems ‘Simple’ should be the exit you take.