VoIP, UC and Virtual PBX: Enterprise Concerns Start with Change Management

There seems to be a decidedly loud drumbeat when it comes to enterprise communications and migrating to unified communications and VoIP: With so many benefits, like lower costs and more flexibility, why not just do it? Unfortunately, businesses still have a lot of objections for why not, all centered around change management.

Perhaps the most common, according to Leigh Merz, of Source One Management Services, is institutional. For many employees, switching up the phone system is like teaching old dogs new tricks: not easy.

“Companies love the idea of consolidating the various services and programs they use on a daily basis,” she said, in a blog. “However, in order to set up and integrate unified communications that accompany most VoIP solutions, employees must be educated about the new technology. This can involve on-site training with all employees which can be very time consuming and costly. Also, since VoIP shares the same infrastructure with a business’s data network, it can inherit all security problems from data network as well as its own security problems coming from new protocols and network components.”

Similarly, VoIP and virtual PBX service is known for streamlining collaboration among companies with multiple locations; and for providing redundancy and disaster recovery peace of mind. But both of these things require infrastructure preparedness and changes, which also come with costs. The deployment of necessary equipment is often accompanied by significant CapEx costs in addition to costs for retaining back up services such as extra POTS lines and circuits, as well as other expenses for software licensing and security measures.

There’s also training overhead. “With a VoIP solution, the high availability capability does not automatically come with the required technology or service; it needs to be designed in or planned for,” said Merz. “Therefore, if you want your VoIP solution to be reliable you must make sure it is properly engineered and implemented.”

Management streamlining by combining voice and data infrastructures is another UC perk for IT that could come with hidden concerns. Converging voice and data onto one network might require parallel staffing convergence, which proves challenging to organizations unprepared to share their resources. 

“Once the merge is complete what happens to employees who managed the voice services? Job security is a major concern for those considering this migration,” Merz noted.

Bottom line? Be prepared.

“Whether you have just installed a new PBX, are locked into a contract, or you believe your company does not need all the features VoIP offers,” Merz said, “it is okay to wait. Just make sure when you are ready, you are proactive and understand the total scope of the investment instead of reactive for potential problems and disruptions to your business.”

Edited by Maurice Nagle