VoIP and unified communications are among the hottest topics in enterprise communications, but actually implementing these systems takes quite a bit of research, according to Telecomworx president Matt Brunk.
“UC and VoIP equipment varies so drastically for each organization that the only way to go about a purchasing decision is to assess your infrastructure, network and company needs,” Brunk wrote in a TechTarget article.
The first thing to consider is the network infrastructure itself. If a company’s network is inadequate, the best VoIP and UC will fail. Networking equipment should have backup power in case the electricity fails. The network should also ideally have diverse routes to guard against congestion, whether a company has a single gateway or multiple gateways. For a lot of companies, this is only an ideal because their telco’s monopoly on the “last mile” means that only a single route to a provider is possible.
Before choosing any kind of VoIP solution, Brunk also recommended a network health check, which determines the health of a network and what kind of solution would work best for a business.
This goes hand-in-hand with a needs assessment. Revamping a company’s phone system is a big commitment, and the new system should match the needs of both employees and management.
WIth the competitive VoIP and UC market, there is a solution out there that will be able to keep pace with a company’s needs while not costing too much in unused features and capacity.
“There is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to UC and VoIP equipment and this means you have a lot of work ahead of you regardless of how small or large your enterprise is,” Brunk wrote. “The more upfront investment in time you make, the less reaction time and cost will be on the back end of the project.”
Edited by Alisen Downey