Every company today is planning to migrate to VoIP. Complete web, Consultant community and media has created a buzz about the VoIP technology, but not everything claimed with VoIP packages is true. Today lets talk about the myths we come across everyday about migration to VoIP technology.
Most common benefits what everybody would expect out of a VoIP deployments are -
- Saving on Operational Expenditures
- Integration with Applications (Computer Telephony Integration - CTI)
- Enhancement of productivity
Most of the VoIP consultants, Vendors & Technology Partners try to convince their customers that VoIP requires complete change out generally referred as Rip & replace setup but this can be a misnomer.
Lets talk about the Myths about the VoIP setups and the truth -
Myth 1: Assessing Your LAN Infrastructure is the First Step Toward A Successful VoIP Migration.
Before your enterprise spends time and money on a Local Area Network (LAN) assessment, start by asking whether you really need one. Migration options on the market today can enable you to achieve most of the key benefits of VoIP without having to spend time, money, and resources upgrading the LAN infrastructure in your enterprise.
Myth 2: IP Phones are Inherently Better Than PBX Phones.
Visit an enterprise that has deployed current generation IP phones and observe how they are used. Users make calls, take calls, put callers on hold, and transfer calls. This is more or less what they did with the PBX phones they replaced. Despite claims that large color screens are useful business tools and contributors to the increased productivity benefits of VoIP, and despite the
claim that IP phones can “auto-relocate,” fundamentally, an IP phone is just a new PBX phone—and an additional sale to the vendor.
Myth 3: Your Enterprise is Going to Need IP Phones Eventually Anyway.
With the convergence of fixed and mobile devices, plus the improvement in “unified communications” environments, today’s IP phone may be a purchase you can bypass altogether. The applications and devices you’re going to deploy in just a few years time may look and work differently (and cost much less) than today’s generation of IP phones.
Myth 4: A “Pure IP” Deployment is Better Than A Hybrid VoIP Deployment.
In practical reality, there is no such thing as a “pure IP” deployment of VoIP. Virtually every VoIP deployment includes analog phones in some locations and/or TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) interfaces to the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network). All VoIP deployments are hybrid—it’s only a matter of degree.
Myth 5: Migrating to VoIP is Just A Matter of Plugging in IP Phones.
If your enterprise plans to deploy IP phones on your VoIP network, there is a near certainty that a new or upgraded LAN will be required. Even if Cat5 cabling is up-to-date, Power over Ethernet (PoE), as well as new Ethernet switches, will likely be required.
Myth 6: You Need to Throw Out Your PBX to Obtain the Benefits of VoIP.
The biggest benefits of VoIP come from enterprise integration on the Wide Area Network (WAN):
• Having a single dialing plan, single voice mail system, and central administration for your entire company
• Making “free” calls among your sites
• Being able to support telecommuters With today’s migration options, all of these benefits can be obtained by using your existing PBX.
Myth 2: IP Phones are Inherently Better Than PBX Phones.
Visit an enterprise that has deployed current generation IP phones and observe how they are used. Users make calls, take calls, put callers on hold, and transfer calls. This is more or less what they did with the PBX phones they replaced. Despite claims that large color screens are useful business tools and contributors to the increased productivity benefits of VoIP, and despite the
claim that IP phones can “auto-relocate,” fundamentally, an IP phone is just a new PBX phone—and an additional sale to the vendor.
Myth 3: Your Enterprise is Going to Need IP Phones Eventually Anyway.
With the convergence of fixed and mobile devices, plus the improvement in “unified communications” environments, today’s IP phone may be a purchase you can bypass altogether. The applications and devices you’re going to deploy in just a few years time may look and work differently (and cost much less) than today’s generation of IP phones.
Myth 4: A “Pure IP” Deployment is Better Than A Hybrid VoIP Deployment.
In practical reality, there is no such thing as a “pure IP” deployment of VoIP. Virtually every VoIP deployment includes analog phones in some locations and/or TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) interfaces to the PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network). All VoIP deployments are hybrid—it’s only a matter of degree.
Myth 5: Migrating to VoIP is Just A Matter of Plugging in IP Phones.
If your enterprise plans to deploy IP phones on your VoIP network, there is a near certainty that a new or upgraded LAN will be required. Even if Cat5 cabling is up-to-date, Power over Ethernet (PoE), as well as new Ethernet switches, will likely be required.
Myth 6: You Need to Throw Out Your PBX to Obtain the Benefits of VoIP.
The biggest benefits of VoIP come from enterprise integration on the Wide Area Network (WAN):
• Having a single dialing plan, single voice mail system, and central administration for your entire company
• Making “free” calls among your sites
• Being able to support telecommuters With today’s migration options, all of these benefits can be obtained by using your existing PBX.
Myth 7: Migrating to VoIP Should Wait for A Normal PBX Replacement Cycle.
A “normal” PBX replacement generally happens when one of the following three events occurs:
1. The enterprise moves
2. The enterprise outgrows the current PBX
3. The PBX breaks Today’s migration options provide a compelling business case for almost any organization to migrate to VoIP and start enjoying the many benefits VoIP brings—without waiting until the PBX reaches the end of its usable life.
Myth 8: Your Digital PBX Phones Can Work Only with Your Current PBX.
Current VoIP migration options enable you to retain your existing digital PBX phones while changing out the PBX itself for a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)-based solution. You can even combine multiple vendors’ phones into a single SIP-based enterprise voice network.
Myth 9: Business Disruption and User Training Are Not Major Factors in the Total Cost of a VoIP Migration.
Installing new phones causes business disruption. In some cases, there will be physical disruption (noise and dust) caused by the need to pull new Cat6 cable. In all cases, there is the disruptive effect of having to go into every workspace and disturb the desktop to swap the phone. Once the phone swap is done, users have to be re-educated (or re-educate themselves) in how to use the new
devices. The new phones do the same things; they just do them with different buttons.
Myth 10: Your Enterprise Needs to Buy and Install an IP-PBX.
An IP-PBX is a piece of software on a server—very much like a web server. You may find that your business needs are better served by having a carrier run that software and server for you rather than by having that software and server sitting in your office.
A “normal” PBX replacement generally happens when one of the following three events occurs:
1. The enterprise moves
2. The enterprise outgrows the current PBX
3. The PBX breaks Today’s migration options provide a compelling business case for almost any organization to migrate to VoIP and start enjoying the many benefits VoIP brings—without waiting until the PBX reaches the end of its usable life.
Myth 8: Your Digital PBX Phones Can Work Only with Your Current PBX.
Current VoIP migration options enable you to retain your existing digital PBX phones while changing out the PBX itself for a Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)-based solution. You can even combine multiple vendors’ phones into a single SIP-based enterprise voice network.
Myth 9: Business Disruption and User Training Are Not Major Factors in the Total Cost of a VoIP Migration.
Installing new phones causes business disruption. In some cases, there will be physical disruption (noise and dust) caused by the need to pull new Cat6 cable. In all cases, there is the disruptive effect of having to go into every workspace and disturb the desktop to swap the phone. Once the phone swap is done, users have to be re-educated (or re-educate themselves) in how to use the new
devices. The new phones do the same things; they just do them with different buttons.
Myth 10: Your Enterprise Needs to Buy and Install an IP-PBX.
An IP-PBX is a piece of software on a server—very much like a web server. You may find that your business needs are better served by having a carrier run that software and server for you rather than by having that software and server sitting in your office.
Well my intentions are not to stop you from exploring new products and technology options but this post is just intended to keep you cautious of the glossy rosy pictures, which vendors try to create in mind of their customers and suddenly it seems that VoIP is solution for all our voice related issues.
We encourage a lively discussion and request that you please comment using an authentic name.
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