Five steps to successful IP telephony solutions

Setting up IP telephony solutions can be "a daunting task", but if done right can be extremely rewarding for businesses, according to an industry commentator.

Robert Merrill, creative writer for Telchemy, writes on TMCnet.com that enterprises deploying IP telephony solutions should follow five steps to make sure the benefits of VoIP - like cost saving and improved integration - can be fully exploited.

Businesses should first make sure that their network is up-to-scratch, as VoIP is "highly sensitive" to IP transmission problems and VoIP traffic increases demand on the network.

Secondly, thorough testing should carried out before going live, "over a sufficient period of time to assess network readiness under a variety of typical conditions".

The next two steps, a pilot trial and actual deployment, should check on any degradation in quality, before the final step, which is to continually monitor and maintain the system.

By following these steps, "enterprise network managers can ensure a smooth transition and consistently high call quality after deployment", Mr Merrill concludes.

His view on network readiness echoes that of John Bartlett, of NetForecast, who recently said that switches, routers and bandwidth must all be of a high quality to use VoIP.

Posted on: 2008-10-03, in: General VoIP

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