Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) service has been drawing an ever-increasing amount of interest, not just from organizations but from individuals as well. That's with good reason; the cost savings and expanded capability are tough to pass up. A new report from ITWeb suggests that with that new interest comes with a new set of challenges to make sure the best possible execution of VoIP goes off.
VoIP hasn't just stayed static, either; changes in technology—particularly in terms of cloud-based operations—has driven new developments and made for many new VoIP packages to choose from. ITWeb, for its part, recommends that decisions start with the obvious comparisons of features and prices, but notes that that shouldn't be the end of the process. Looking at network requirements will also be a worthwhile process—even now, in 2016, not every network offering is up to the rigors of VoIP service—as well as the overall scope of services and the methods involved in deploying the system.
Deployment can be a huge part of what can go wrong with a new VoIP system; the existing wide area network (WAN) infrastructure may not be set up properly, and some companies make things a little worse for VoIP deployment in a bid to secure the network. Companies have been known to block file transfer protocol (FTP) traffic, as well as session initiation protocol (SIP) ports as a means to reduce the number of potential failure points for security.
Further, future-proofing can be an important part of any new deployment, and with VoIP's routine evolutions and changes, being able to incorporate new features and get rid of old ones that aren't proving worthwhile can be valuable too. A cloud-based VoIP system, therefore, can be one of the best ways to bring in VoIP, as it requires little in the way of on-site equipment and can be ramped up or down as the situation warrants.
Versatility is perhaps the highest point of VoIP in general, and cloud-based VoIP in particular. Being able to bring in new seats as needed for a particularly busy stretch and release those seats when no longer needed can be a major note of help. It helps protect against overbuying and effectively wasting money on services that aren't needed, as well as under-buying and missing out on potential opportunity. Under-buying sometimes even leads to panic overbuying in response. A system that can grow and shrink with needs on the ground is therefore the answer, and cloud-based VoIP can provide that.
There's a lot to consider when making the decision to go with VoIP; it's nothing like the old days of calling the phone company and having lines put in. The new decisions that come with it, though, simply show just how many options there are, and how very possible it is to make the perfect package for what's needed.