Final_VoIP

							“VOIP" SYSTEMS

       prepared by:


     Dean Adolpho
Stephen Van Kampen-Lewis
     Michael Kelter
    Maureen Yee-Lam
     What is VOIP?
   Definition: Voice-
    Over Internet
    Protocol

•   VoIP- stands for
    Voice over Internet
    Protocol
                    PSTN

   PSTN- stands for
    Public Switched
    Telephone Network

    – Same thing as POTS
      (Plain Old
      Telephone System)
PSTN
VOIP
Key Equipment Vendors

   Cisco
   Avaya
   Linksys
   Grandstream
   Hitachi
   Polycom
       Initial Reasons to Look
                at VoIP
   High costs of traditional
    phone lines

   Redundancy of multiple
    communication systems

   Phone service disruptions

    – Old buildings, old phone lines

    – Inconsistent service (eg.
      London)
                                 Benefits
   #1- Savings on phone bills

    – Highest costs often between
      locations

    – High costs for
      connecting/transferring calls

           Eg. DirecTV  cost $0.01-
            $0.02 per transfer

           Spends $60 million/yr on
            telecom

              – 75% on connecting calls
                            Benefits
   Increased Agility

    – Faster installation of
      services than traditional
      phone lines

    – Increased employee
      mobility

          Plug phone into any
           broadband outlet anywhere
           in the world and speak as
           though from home office
                                 Benefits
   Tactical Advatages

    – Reduced network admin &
      reduced hardware expenses

           Hardware upgrades improve
            entire network because
            dedicated voice system
            redundancy avoided

           Many telephony functions
            moved into software realm, thus
            easily modified
                             Benefits

– Integrate things like: unified
  paging system, emails, phone,
  faxing all from same platform

       Listen to and compose emails
        by phone


– Actual benefits not fully realized

       New technology not even
        invented yet
                             Benefits

   Examples of Novel Use

    – Hospital in Providence

          Nurses wear wireless
           communication badges
           attached to scrubs

          Patient monitors tapped
           into system for precision
           alerts
VoIP’s Vulnerabilities
   Current Problems Faced:
    – Latency / jitter
    – Lacking regulation in overseas
      correspondence
    – Packet loss
    – No one person to validate what’s on your
      network
   Voice spam (SPIT-Spam Over Internet
    Telephony)
VoIP’s Vulnerabilities
               VoIP’s systems tied
                into networks give
                hackers additional
                entry point into
                overall network

                - Can be up to 15-20
                 different systems
                 relaying info at once

                - Lacking in Code
                Encryptions
VoIP’s Challenges
   Maintaining call
    quality
- High quality sound
    requires a lot of
    bandwidth
   Data transmission
    problems
- Lost packets
- Firewalls slow down
  incoming calls
VoIP’s Challenges
   Network or computer crashes
-   Must have a sufficient
    Generator system


   Power Outages
-   Still must rely on old
    phone lines for
    backup
 Is VoIP the right solution for
 your business?
Is your current
phone system more
than 5 years old?

– Most PBXs (in traditional
  phone systems) are fully
  depreciated in 5 years
Is VoIP the right solution
for your business?
 Do you have separate bills for
 high-speed internet access, local
 phone lines, and long distance
 services?

 – Consolidating these services can
   save up to 20%
Is VoIP the right solution
for your business?

               Are large amounts
               of monies spent on
               reconfiguring your
               current system?

               – Each move, add or
                 change (MAC) to a
                 PBX is very costly
      Is VoIP the right solution
      for your business?
   Do you have
    telecommuters or a
    remote work-force?

    – Productivity-enhancing
      features of VoIP have a
      powerful impact on
      remote work-forces
      efficiency
Is VoIP the right solution
for your business?
   Do you have the latest tools and
    functionality for office efficiency?

    – Forward emails as wave files to anyone inside or
      outside your company

    – Click to dial from your computer

    – Review call logs online
Buying VoIP
Sales Channels
   Buy from a local reseller

    – Licensed, certified resellers have proven
      expertise, customer support, and quick
      response times for problems that require
      an on-site visit
Buying VoIP
Pricing

                 Prices vary depending
                  on:

                  – Features required

                  – Existing phone
                    structure

                  – State of data network
Buying VoIP
Choosing a System
   Inquire about reusing existing
    equipment

   Compare phone systems and
    investigate details carefully

   Make sure system built on open
    standards
Buying VoIP
Plan For the Future


   Cost difference between including
    extra capacity at beginning of project
    and adding more hardware later is
    significant
Buying VoIP
Don’t Buy Used Equipment

   VoIP technology is evolving at rapid pace

    – Even last year’s equipment is extremely dated


   Installation cost (significant portion of price)
    does not change whether system is old or
    new
Buying VoIP
Investigate Your Vendor

   Don’t take chances on
    unlicensed or
    unauthorized vendors

   Make sure you get all
    the administrator
    documentation and
    passwords
                           Conclusion

   Overall we recommend
    careful integration

    – Use pilot programs


   VoIP is becoming more
    and more commonplace
    because of cost savings
    and increased productivity
                 Conclusion
   Must weigh the growing capabilities of
    young technology against its disruptive
    potential
    – New way of doing business
    – Needs careful planning well before deployment

   Decision to use VoIP should be made on
    case by case basis.
    – ie. applications in call centers make a natural fit

   Overall we recommend careful integration
    – perhaps a pilot program