Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) offers extensive advantages for the small business, as well as the enterprise, allowing for increased functionality with a lower cost output for communications. VoIP also allows for the convergence of the voice and data networks to streamline communications and make archiving and data management more efficient. One company helping businesses make the migration to VoIP is Phybridge (News - Alert). The company’s VoIP enabler, the UniPhyer, takes a low cost, effective approach to migrating networks while also leveraging current assets. CEO John Croce recently talked with TMC (News - Alert) to offer insight on the current industry and opportunities that continue to emerge.

Recent research from IDC (News - Alert) notes that an increasing number of businesses today are using some type of VoIP technology. Projections that more companies will be adapting UC into their business are also on the rise – how can Phybridge help address this expanding market’s needs?

One of the biggest barriers for many businesses wanting IP Telephony and Unified Communications (News - Alert) is the methodology of LAN convergence imposed on them give switch reach limitations and wiring requirements.  Businesses were told to layer IP phones on a distributed data network with the IP phone acting as a switch for the data device connected to it.   

The requirements around LAN readiness, including network assessments, new cabling, rip and replacing data switches and management expertise often make the economics challenging.   In addition, for some businesses, security, quality of service and reliability were also factors keeping them away from adopting IP telephony. 

The Phybridge switches deliver Ethernet and Power over a single pair of telephony grade wire with 4 times the reach of traditional switches.  They were designed to allow customer to transform their existing voice infrastructure into an IP path with power ideal for IP telephony deployment.  The Phybridge backbone compliments and extends the existing data LAN create a physical separate path for voice with a single point of central convergence.  All the LAN readiness barriers and concerns are eliminated using the Phybridge Innovation to create a more optimized converged platform.

Can you talk a little about the importance of voice quality for business users and the role Phybridge plays in guaranteeing customers they will have quality VoIP?

Voice quality of service can be compromised when voice is layered on the same distributed data LAN.  Every device impacts every other device on the network given the shared topology and voice quality of service tends to be subjective when using this methodology.  With Phybridge every IP phone has a dedicated Physical path and a point-to-point topology meaning all packet travel in order, on time without contention or loss – Quality of service.   In fact, we offer the best QoS guaranteed in the industry.  Voice quality will meet or exceed industry standards or your money back.   

Other than the benefit of using existing telephony infrastructure, what are some of the risks the Phybridge VoIP Enabler reduces for customers?

Every business has the same point-to-point voice topology regardless of number of users.  This means that every deployment is quick, easy, with no financial or operations risks.  By leveraging something that is proven reliable our partners can provide customers with a not to exceed pricing and be confident in delivering the most robust LAN platform for IP telephony. 

Some industry players may say that your solution is a temporary solution, how do you respond to that?

Disruptive technology often gets pegged as temporary by competition interested in protecting their interests.  So let’s go beyond convergence and discuss what is more temporary for customers.  Let’s consider the traditional method of daisy chaining an IP phone with a computer connected to it.   Customer replaces their data switch with 10/100 QoS switch and PoE capabilities for the IP phone.  They bought a 10/100 IP phone connecting it to the switch with a computer connected to the back of the IP phone. 

Now the customer wants to deliver Gigabit speeds for users data requirements.  Customer needs change the switch for increased speed requirements but also replaces perfectly good PoE.  In addition the perfectly good 10/100 IP phone needs to be replaced with a Gigabit IP phone to support the pass through requirements of the data device connected to it.  And every time the customer wants to increase speeds for data requirements new PoE and new phones are required.  Now lets look a separate Phybridge topology supporting the IP phones.  Phybridge PoE switch with a 10/100 IP phone connected to it.  

In the central closet the voice network or path is converged with the data switches.  The customer now wants to increase to Gigabit for data requirements.  Simply change the data switches to Gigabit non-PoE and the Phybridge backbone continues to support the 10/100 IP phone with signaling and power.  The only thing that will need changing is the data switch to accommodate increasing speed requirements.   As you can see from a customer perspective the more temporary solution is the methodology of layering voice on the same switch fabric supporting the data requirements. 

Can you offer any brief examples of recent customer wins/success stories and how they were able to successfully implement VoIP using Phybridge?

We have many wins we can highlight including a very large state government deal with over 50,000 users moving to a hosted platform and with Phybridge every location has the same great experience.  The one that stick out the most for us is the financial services company with over 1,400 users.  They were quoted over $1.8 million dollars for LAN readiness requirements and with Phybridge the price was $300,000; a savings of over $1.5 million for the customer. 

In addition, given the simplicity, the customer fast tracked the project by over 8 months.  This customer has $1.5 million dollars of budget available to spend on applications and application adoption driving a better return on investment.  This excites us here at Phybridge.