Kristen asked:


In the advanced world, every small and medium-sized business needs an affordable and unified solution for its day-to-day communication. To support the high-end communication, the IP PBX solution provides enterprise-class phone system which is designed to grow with your business and offer unparalleled reliability and productivity gains. The best part is that it is simple to use and easy to manage.

This high-tech solution has capability of transferring data, image, video, and voice for communication over packet switching technique, wherein the data is transmitted vis internet. This way of managing communication facilitates the organizations to deal with their clients from varied locations – irrespective of geographical location, quite effectively. With positive results, these solutions are increasingly becoming common among various enterprises, especially who have multiple branch offices, scattered across the world. This hybrid solution also offers greater scalability advantage more so when compared to the traditional PBX systems. As a matter of fact, for calling from a remote area, one requires the internet connection, reliable services from the provider and telephone set.

Not only because of unified communication, these IP PBX solutions offer superior voice reception at both the ends. Moreover, it also lowers down the communication cost by almost 50 percent. Considering, cost efficiency and excellent voice quality as primary benefits, many business users are planning to switch over to these solutions from existing PSTN networks, to experience effective communication. According to the statistics, the VoIP solutions have increased returns on investment and considered as a natural offshoot to this trend.

An IP PBX or private branch exchange helps the employee of an enterprise to manage their telephone lines in a better manner. The internet telephony PBX solution allows the business users to share a certain number of external lines. The IP PBX provides flexibility to the growing enterprises. It reduces long-term investments as well as maintenance costs of extending telephone numbers. These solutions act as a gateway to both voice and data or unified networks. The voice over IP solutions can also be used to switch the calls between the VoIP and a traditional PSTN telephone users or between the two traditional telephone users.

Unlike the conventional PBX system, the advanced system does not require separate networks for sending and receiving the voice and data communication. As a matter of fact, it allows the business users to employ the converge communication over a single IP network. This, increases the value of IP PBX systems to a significant extent. With the VoIP PBX solutions, business enterprises can easily expand their phone system to multiple branch offices and enjoy the various benefits. The IP PBX has grown to incorporate all sorts of advanced features such as voicemail, call forwarding, call waiting, unified messaging, auto attendant, automatic call distribution, call queuing, branch office support, telecommuters, softphones and many more.



Courtney

Wolfgang Jaegel asked:


IP telephony has reshaped the business organizations and revolutionized the way the business firms communicate. IP telephony is a sophisticated style of communication technology that allows all types of communications including audio, video, and wired as well as wireless voice, through the usage of Internet Protocol (IP) network.

In other words, IP telephony is simply a term collectively given for technologies that adopt packet-switched connections of the Internet Protocol in order to exchange fax, voice, and other forms of information, which were previously done via the public switched telephone network’s (PSTN) dedicated circuit-switched connections.

Through the unification of many locations within a business firm, for example, uniting mobile workers into a single converged network, IP telephony provides innovative as well as tailor made solutions for your communication purposes. A multitude of innovative features are attached with IP telephony, including, high degree of scalability and survivability, multi-site connectivity through the data network, sophisticated calling features, web conferencing integration, WebSphere portal integration, and unified box.

IP telephony technology offers a myriad of significant cost as well as performance benefits over maintaining a separate network for voice, video, and data. One of the key benefits of IP telephony is enhanced productivity. Since IP telephony supports a host of applications and devices, it enables employees to carry out their tasks more effectively and efficiently.

For example, IP SoftPhone - a software-based application - allows phone users to incorporate their telephone functionality into their desktop or laptop PC. Similarly, IP videoconferencing is a great way for employees at different sites to effectively communicate, thereby reducing the business travel expenses as well as the need for face to face business conferences.

Another key benefit of IP telephony is improved business resiliency. As IP telephony solutions are structured in such a way to detect and eliminate single points of failure, it can be dispersed to safe guard against local troubles in service and to automatically redirect data, voice, and video traffic around failures.

Perhaps, most significant of the benefits of this communication system is cost savings, since IP telephony has capability to converge voice as well as data networks into a single cohesive network, the overall management system is streamlined from a single location, which in turn ensures reduced costs for moves, adds, and changes.

Improved customer responsiveness is also a key benefit of IP telephony. The success of any business organization depends on the way you satisfy your customers. Good communication is also vital for maintaining customer reliability. Since IP telephony enables for options for business firms to effectively communicate with their customers, it not only allows for improved communication but also for reaping benefits of low cost infrastructure.

Key benefits of IP telephony also include:

- Ability to concentrate on core business functions

- Automation of routine administrative functions

- Riddance of intra-site long distance expenses

- Reduced administration as well as network costs

- Effective optimization of existing resources

- Elimination of risks associated with vendor lock-in

- Integrated applications

- Simplified administration in connection with telecommunications infrastructure

- Enhanced efficiency of IT resources

- Guaranteed service delivery

- Enhanced operational efficiencies

- Effectively bring together mobile and remote employees

- Add innovative features including hardware

- Reduced telecom cost via toll by pass

- Increased mobility, ie, with the introduction of this technology, employees are no longer tied up with the phone in their offices. This in turn has enabled the workers to communicate on business matters from home or even from the road

- Benefits of virtual workforce, ie, this system enables it allows call centers and other business desks to operate independent of physical boundaries

- Effective as well as efficient management of your fax, voicemail, and email messages

- In most cases, IPT environment is safe and secure

- Above all, IP telephony system aids for future business growth

From the aforesaid discussion, it is evident that IP telephony is an inseparable segment of today’s challenging as well as rapidly growing business environment.

Nowadays, scores of service providers are in the scenario to provide world-class, managed services for IP telephony. Many of them render lifecycle support and management for IP telephony environments, thereby allowing business organizations to concentrate on their prime revenue generating business activities.



Scott

Lisa A. Kaye asked:


1. Lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for new businesses or businesses in need of replacing their existing phone system. With a Hosted VoIP PBX companies get full use of a PBX without the costly expense of equipment, upgrades and maintenance. Small businesses can have the appearance of a large centralized business with a Hosted PBX by utilizing the span of features available.

2. No need to purchase new equipment or lose your investment in your current legacy system. VoIP providers over the course of time have spent so much in product development of their Hosted VoIP Solution that many of them are not offering SIP Trunking and many businesses do not realize the benefits of SIP trunking. SIP trunking allows businesses to keep their existing analog PBX and telephones.

3. Lower Monthly Recurring Charges. Bundling voice and data on to one network provides one solution, one bill and one provider. Most VoIP providers offer unlimited local and long distance calling and a good bundled solution should also provide a fast business class internet connection. The benefits to bundled services are that it maximizes the dollars a small to medium size business is spending on telecommunication services.

4. Over 70% of traditional phone bills are wrong. VoIP customers know ahead of time every month exactly how much their bill is going to be for all services except international calling. There is very little room for billing errors and crammed bills full of services not requested or required.

5. Cuts Operating Costs. VoIP solutions are software based and is easily updated, changed and expanded without further capital expense. The hosted PBX is completely maintenance free because there is no hardware. It is a virtual system. Unlike conventional legacy phone system that is hardware based and are expensive to make changes and require costly equipment purchases to expand calling capacity.

6. Streamline Communications. With VoIP companies can take advantage of simple 3 digit transfer to any supported property or office. No matter if one office is in Boca Raton and the other office is in New York the call is transferred as if they were in the same building. Furthermore businesses can consolidate call answering from a central location too. Eliminate the need and responsibility of every office location having to manage their incoming calls with centralized call answering.

7. Disaster Proof a hosted PBX phone system coupled with an IP telephone is disaster proof. Companies lost several thousand dollars because of the loss of communication during and after the hurricanes. The PBX is hosted off site in a secured facility with multiple back up systems and reroutes.

8. QOS stands for “Quality of Service” gone are the days of dropped unclear calls. Business class VoIP maintains a high QOS and technological advances in IP telephony transportation have made Internet calling as good as or better than normal PSTN connections. This is true for high speed Broadband connections and dedicated internet connections, whereas dial up services have some way to go before delivering the quality of PSTN calling.

9. Hybrid VoIP Solution. There are a few VoIP providers that deploy a hybrid VoIP solution that automatically reserves or routes resources for optimal bandwidth allocation. The system automatically ensures that the VoIP call has the bandwidth needed allocated from point to point before the conversation takes place. The second is prioritization: Here, the end point suggests a priority on the packets and each router decides if it will honor this request or not. Voice will always take a priority over data. A hybrid solution furthermore distributes the bandwidth that on a traditional system is not dynamic or flexible.

10. Multi Layered Security Unlike traditional service VoIP attacks are prevented because of the multitude of layers and encryptions placed within the provider’s networks. The layered security approach not only prevents attacks, but the probability that if broached it will meaningfully reduce the probability that the attack succeeds.



Wanda

Michael Talbert asked:


Whether you plan to use an MSP for ongoing operations, or you feel the IT staff is sufficiently trained to handle it in house, failure to have the proper management tools can evaporate your ROI through network outages and costly troubleshooting practices. Software patches and vendor upgrades can wreak havoc in a production environment, and should always be tested first on an isolated segment using all inclusive analysis software to assess their impact on the network.

Most companies have come to rely on their IP PBX vendors management software, and after a year or two into the deployment have found them sorely lacking. Today, IPT vendors and developers are seeing the need for a management application that takes a look at the whole network, including the traffic patterns of data and real time applications.

Analysis software packages are rapidly entering the market from such well known industry leaders as Alcatel-Lucent, as well as vendor independent software developers.

The converged network analysis solutions available to you should be assessed in the planning stage, and once decided upon, used extensively in the testing, implementation, and ongoing operations and optimization stages. Such features as capacity planning, network assessment and simulations, design and configuration are all crucial in the pre deployment stages Your analysis software should be hardware agnostic and compatible with a wide variety of PBXs to accurately measure voice use patterns both pre and post deployment.

Monitoring of ongoing operations such as real time QOS data, dropped calls and packet loss, policy based management features, and troubleshooting alerts with root cause analysis should all be included in the application, as well as the ability to interpret the data in a variety of reports.

IP address management should also be a consideration, as now that you have converged, every device - a laptop, an IP phone, even hand held mobile devices that connect to your network will be competing within your address space. IPAM tools are also becoming available from many vendors to help streamline and simplify administration.

It is the ongoing operations responsibility to assure that the benchmarks that were set in the planning phase are being met, and that the SLAs agreed upon, either in house or with a carrier, are being adhered to. With the help of the right analysis solution IT can quickly determine both, and in the case of an SLA not being met, can help find where the responsibility lies.

Network Optimization

The same software that you use for ongoing operations could prove vital to the optimization phase of the IPT life cycle. While operations and optimization are both ongoing, they are also happening at the same time, and should probably best be thought of as two different job descriptions.

The IPT converged network is a dynamic entity, with moves, adds, and changes constantly shifting performance levels in a growing organization. Much of the motivation for convergence is to future proof the network, extending its life span to avoid costly upgrades every few years.

While much of the ongoing management operation is happening in real time on the production network, optimization could and should be performed first in the test lab. The goal of optimization is to push the network, to define new benchmarks and to improve existing SLAs with specific targets in mind.

If VoIP is the voice aspect in the triple play of IP Telephony, then IPT can be thought of as just one aspect in the broader scope of Unified Communications. As organizations seek to converge all communications, both real time and non real time, to an IP infrastructure, new applications are being developed and deployed. Unified Communications cover a range of applications from audio/video conferencing, blogging, mobility, wireless VoIP, distance learning, instant messaging, wikis, collaborative desktop applications, and presence, just to name a few.

Each of these applications will require its own bandwidth and Class of Service. It is the role of the optimizer to test and prepare the network for these potentially disruptive services by allocating resources appropriately, and making the necessary upgrades. With the proper tools and strict adherence to the IPT life cycle, convergence can future proof a network infrastructure for deploying a host of unified business applications for years to come.



Pedro

Mike Singh asked:


Just like regular phone service providers, VoIP companies offer a wide variety of plans and options. Making VoIP phone comparisons can be confusing unless you understand what your specific needs are. Make a list of what you want your VoIP service to be able to do for you, then research and find a company that provides that service and a price that meets your budget.

Below is a breakdown of some VoIP phone service comparisons:

Vonage

Three of the popular programs available:

* The basic program offers 500 anytime minutes anywhere in the US, Canada and Puerto Rico. This plan includes all the free features you could imagine including voicemail, caller id, call waiting, forwarding, three-way calling, free in network calling, mobility, call transfer, *69, repeat dialling and more. There is no annual contract and additional add-ons such as a virtual phone number, adding lines or toll free plus are available at reasonable monthly rates.

* The Premium Unlimited program offers all the basic program with unlimited anytime calls to the US, Canada and Puerto Rico.

* Small Business Unlimited includes all the features above plus a free dedicated fax line.

BroadVoice

Four popular programs available:

* The basic program offers unlimited calling in state for a flat rate. You choose your own area code and number based on availability and the plan includes standard feature such as voice mail, call waiting, forwarding, call hold, caller ID, transfer and notify. In addition the advanced features of call blocking, priority alert and call manager services are part of all plans.

* Unlimited World plan offers the basic and advanced features with unlimited calling to 21 countries including the US.

* Unlimited World Plus includes 35 countries with all the basic and advanced features.

* Business customers have a separate plan to choose from with many features to choose from including a remote office with alternate numbers.

AT&T CallVantage

Three popular programs available:

* Local Plan includes unlimited local calls and low rate on long distance class. The plan includes conference calling, voicemail, call logs, 911 service and fax and modem support to name a few features.

* Service Plan program has unlimited local and long distance calls in the US and Canada. It includes all the features in the Local Plan.

* The CallVantage 2-Line Plan provides unlimited local and long distance calls on the first line, all the standard features, and a second line with 500 long distance minutes.



Beatrice

Kristen asked:


With the emergence of the call termination services in the telecommunications industry, the big corporates as well as small & medium sized businesses (SMBs) are making the most of the options available. The business houses are switching over to IP telephony services – the prime objective being cutting down on the calling costs. With a subscription to such services, the business users are able to enjoy unlimited calling on long distance or international regions for quite less. It has been observed that in many instances, the business houses have been successful in bringing down the telephone bills by up to half the cost of PSTN telephone services.

With the benefit of cost efficiency, the call termination services also deliver carrier-class quality, reliability and security - more so when compared to the traditional telephony services. This helps the business houses to improve their organizational productivity, which is made possible by unifying the communication structure between the different branches of the business. Moreover, with the help of these services, the business users can even interconnect with other corporate offices without spending anything extra on such endeavors.

All this is possible- thanks to the advanced packet switching technique that facilitates the users to participate in a unified system of communication in VoIP call termination. In the unified communication, the users are able to send and receive images, data and video over a single IP network. There are many benefits of using voice over IP termination services, so it is important for the business houses to concentrate on the features such as:

1.Significantly lower rates: While using the VoIP call termination services, the business users can enjoy making unlimited long distance and ISD calls at a significantly reduced rates.

2.Ease of operation: These advanced VoIP termination services can be accessed from various modes such as laptops, IP phones or even old fixed line phones. Therefore, it can be said that without spending more on the initial investment, the users can enjoy all the latest features that are also easy to use.

3.Scalability: The VoIP phone are handy, therefore, the users can carry the same along with them, anywhere around the world. As a matter of fact, for making a VoIP call, one requires the services of a reliable provider and a high speed Internet connection.

4.Flexibility: The VoIP termination plans assist the business houses to add or extend the telephone lines backed with other value-added features such as call forwarding, 3-way calling, call waiting and many more.

It can be said with call termination services have changed the telecommunication industry for the better. It allows the users to enjoy efficient internal operations. It is also responsible for enhancement of organizational productivity as well as reduction in monthly communication surcharges.



Viola

Rosemary Grace Brooks asked:


Voice over IP providers are offering services without which many businesses cannot function. The introduction of telephones and later the internet had an incredible effect on the methods used by businesses to communicate and function.

No longer a slave to postal services and long waits for information, business owners have been able to stretch their companies to the maximum running capacity thanks to superfast internet, incredibly quick access to information and immediate communication with clients.

Distance is no longer a problem for businesses, but other communication challenges have arisen. These include increasing costs, bad service providers and unreliable, unsecure technology that have caused businesses to look for other ways of communicating instead of utilising regular telephone lines.

Hosted VoIP (voice over internet protocol) has become a highly popular business communication solution. This is due to prolific high speed internet connections and the opportunities this has created for improved business communication. Hosted VoIP is an internet based telecommunications system, mostly dependant on software instead of hardware and offers features such as calling, voice mail, fax and email.

How does it work and what are the features?

Hosted VoIP functions through a platform run by the service provider. An application server controls phone systems via the internet by digitising voice

signals and sending them through a high speed internet connection. After this, the call is sent to the platform where the signal is switched to PSTN (public switched telephone network) or to another VoIP terminal, such as another VoIP phone.

Using a hosted VoIP system comes with many features which outweigh regular telephone lines.

Specialised for business, VoIP is a communication tool of the future. Using VoIP lowers costs dramatically between sites with some providers offering free calls between sites. As the systems rely heavily on software, the control tools are usually online tools which are user-friendly and do not need any training to operate. These tools allow users to stipulate when, where and from whom they receive calls from phones that can be programmed to function off-site if necessary.

Voicemail and faxes are accessible through any phone or internet connection and can all be sent to one inbox as emails or a voicemail. Multiple calls can be managed, as well as functions such as call forwarding, call barring, incoming line monitoring, online call analysis, and three way conferencing.

Hosted VoIP Benefits

The benefits of using hosted VoIP in business include cheaper rates, better user flexibility and control, better functionality and reliability and dedicated technical support.

Hosted VoIP offers free calls between sites plus reduced line rental and calls to normal lines. This saves any business a great deal on their communication budget, as staff can make calls within the company for free and with cheaper line rental. Maintenance and support is free for subscribers and if either is required, it does not require a call out fee or continued support charges. Detailed call reports and online billing is available.

Hosted VoIP allows businesses to have access to fully integrated extension dialling, allowing employees to leave the office and still be contactable via the hosted VoIP network. The phone and its features follow subscribers allowing out of office communication to function without major costs. These extensions are adjustable and controlled over software using the internet, and adjustments can be made easily online.

For those businesses that are hesitant to switch from a traditional PBX phone to a hosted VoIP system, the fact that many hosted VoIP systems offer traditional PBX functionality, as well as the advanced user features of VoIP should be recognised.

Users can add and subtract lines as needed as a hosted VoIP system is fully scalable. Hosted VoIP offers a fully resilient and secure carrier class service with dedicated technical support and maintenance available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Voice over IP has become a major benefit for business communication. Owing to the incredible features and benefits available from voice over IP providers, all business enterprises, whether small or large, are able to benefit from the increased functionality, control and lowered costs of VoIP. Voice over IP providers are a pivotal feature in telecommunications that can propel a business enterprise into the future of communication.



Francisco