VoIP Providers List Worldwide VoIP Providers Directory

Now that VoIP is gaining significant momentum, many small and midsized enterprises are only too happy to jump on the bandwagon and are seeing reduced telephony costs as a result.

But, like any new technology, VoIP also has issues that need to be addressed, according to industry experts, and some affect SMEs in particular. Larger companies that have the funding for consultant teams might be able to sidestep some of VoIP’s challenges without much effort, but SMEs will have to put in time and effort to make sure VoIP implementations are worry-free. Here are some of the top concerns.

Rip & Replace Headaches

Because SMEs have smaller offices than large firms, many are tempted to simply take out existing phone systems and put in VoIP in one swift move. But the shift isn’t as easy as replacing one telephone with another, says John Halpin, public sector strategy manager at 3Com.

“Companies, especially smaller ones, are much better off doing a test before they really implement VoIP,” he suggests. “Putting VoIP in just one department, or even just one room, is a way for technicians to get comfortable and give everyone a sense of how the system works.”

The more limited implementation will also allow IT to train employees in smaller groups, rather than having to get everyone up and running within days after an implementation, a situation that could become hazardous to the help desk’s health.

Network Strength

Another significant concern is whether an SME’s network is really ready for VoIP. In some cases, the upgrade that’s needed just to deliver VoIP can wipe out any cost savings that might subsequently be realized.

“When converting to an IP network, companies need to think about that bandwidth increase and what that’s going to involve,” says Mary Ellen Buzzelli, a business development manager at Siemens. “A network has to be in the proper shape for VoIP to come in, and that might mean upgradesto routers, servers, and operating systems.”

Smaller companies might not have the resources to do a full VoIP rollout in the way a large company can, Buzzelli notes. SMEs that aren’t ready yet for VoIP should do gradual upgrades but always keep IP telephony in mind, she advises. In many cases, a five-year plan, detailing network enhancements, can put VoIP in reach.

Mission Critical Calls

Although many SMEs will use VoIP throughout their organizations, companies that absolutely can’t have a telephone line down should be very cautious about implementing IP telephony, according to Bob Bluemer, a director at networking firm Avaya.

“I don’t know of a single police department using IP for their phone system,” he says. “The reason is its reliability. A company may not mind a few minutes of downtime on the phones, but if you have emergency calls, that’s going to feel like a very long couple of minutes.”

The difficulty comes in increased bandwidth, which can sometimes spike without warning if there’s a DoS attack or other bandwidth-clogging action, Bluemer says. In some companies, he points out, VoIP is used for the majority of calls, but mission-critical phones are plugged into the telephone company’s system.

Realistic Expectations

VoIP will save so much money that you can buy a whole new data center! It will centralize voice and data into one management application! It could cure cancer!

The fact is that when the hype around VoIP actually started coming true, many companies saw the systems as panaceas for limited budgets. But there’s only so much savings that VoIP will provide, and only so many new services it can boast, says Bluemer.

“Make a list of expectations, and bring that to vendor meetings,” he advises. “Understand that bandwidth issues, the age of data networks, and migration costs will all play a part in changing those expectations. And if the vendor doesn’t address those, find another vendor.”

by Elizabeth Millard