Implementing Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) into your Office

Implementing Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) into your Office

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) the buzz word today in business, using the technology has many benefits; however an improper install can make your days crazy. When you are finished reading this article you will know what you need, why you need it and how it will impact your business.
The Wikipedia definition of Voice over Internet Protocol, also called VoIP, IP (Internet Protocol) Telephony, Internet telephony, Broadband telephony, Broadband Phone and Voice over Broadband is the routing of voice conversations over the Internet or through any other IP-based network.

First here are the parts needed for a proper install

Data Cables also known as Cat5e cable Quality of Service (QOS) Switch VoIP Capable Phone Systems VoIP Phones

Then we will discuss the services you can use and need

VoIP Trunks Internet Services MPLS Phone Lines

VoIP technology has eliminated the need for you to have a phone network and a computer network. Cat5e, Plenum and computer cable is what your VOIP system should run on. Running your system on the same network will allow you to keep wiring costs down. In addition, as the systems become more elaborate you will already be prepared for changes and updates.

One of the most important if not the most important piece of equipment is the QOS Switch. This single piece of equipment can eliminate many voice quality problems for you and your staff. Not using it can cause your calls to be delayed, echoed, or jumbled. These switches come in many sizes based on the number of potential ports or users in your office. If you are planning on growth you should purchase one to cover that growth. In addition, they can be purchased to power your phones reducing the amount of wires around your desks. The QOS switch will act as a traffic cop for your network ensuring that your phone call traffic takes priority over other traffic.

There are three types of VoIP systems Hosted, Premise, and Hybrids. The hosted solution is provided by your phone company. Basically they own all the equipment and you pay a per seat fee for the system as long as you are on their service you will have their phones, the phone company handles all changes or they will allow you via the web to make changes yourself. A major shortfall of the hosted system is creating a redundant solution. When the phone company goes out you could never use another carrier as a back up plan during an outage. Hosted systems can ONLY use VoIP Providers. A popular hosted solution is Packet8. Premise based equipment is owned by the Agent. Generally they pay a Professional to handle programming. The majority of work being performed can be done remotely reducing your costs to make changes with your phone guy. Using a premise based system allows you to pick and choose your carrier. In addition, allowing you to create a back up solution in case your service has an outage with your primary carrier for Telecommunications. The premise based system will allow you to use VoIP carriers and Traditional phone companies like AT&T. Some premise based systems are Cisco, Inter-Tel, and Avaya The hybrid system combines many features of the two systems and adds to them. For example, some will have a built in Firewall for your computer network. In addition, some will act as a hosted solution for remote offices. The hybrid system will work with VoIP and Traditional Carriers. There are many features in the hybrid system that your agency can use to grow into other markets more rapidly. Some Hybrid systems are Allworx and Fonality.

A list of benefits for Premise and Hybrid systems

* Cleaner and simpler infrastructure. * Lower operating costs. * Simplified equipment and maintenance. * Unified communications. * Improved scalability and growth. * Improved features for business operations. * Improved technological features and capabilities.

Purchasing phones is where the majority of money can go depending on the number of users and their ability to use their computer. In VoIP communications you are not locked into a particular phone you will just have to verify with the equipment if it is compatible. In fact you may not have to purchase a physical phone period. Some systems have the ability to use Software based phones in your computers. For example the XLite phone has a free version with limited functionality; even though it is limited it can use streaming video for Video calls, store contact info for click to dial and Instant Messenger. The physical phones can be used to take remotely anywhere you can connect to a broadband connection. In addition, using presence management can help you keep in contact with potential clients calling your extension while out calling on customers without having to give out your cell phone number.



What to ask before you buy a VoIP system?

* How many employees are in your organization? * How many locations do you have that need VoIP service? * How many remote or mobile users do you have that will not have a local office? * What are your current broadband connection details - bandwidth, type, lines and so on? Make sure to have as much information available as possible, including your supplier and level of service. * What is your current network load and available unused bandwidth? Your provider may want to test your network to determine this information for them, and if you don't have enough you may need a network or broadband upgrade. * What type of servers does your system run on? Your service provider may need manufacturer, model number and, most importantly, operating system details. * What are your existing phone system details - manufacturer, number of lines, connections and so on? * Will you need to or want to keep existing lines? * Will you only be upgrading part of your organization? * What is your budget? What is your total project cost limits and target cost per month per user? * What is your mix of calling - average amount of internal, local, long-distance and international calls per month? If you don't know, have a few months of current phone bills handy. * What is your percentage of inbound versus outbound calls?

VoIP trunks are equal to phone lines. Basically it is the number of concurrent phone calls your service provider will allow you to make at one time. Do not include internal calls if calling your remote office using a like system. When purchasing your Trunks DO NOT include Fax and Modem Lines at this time VoIP carriers are unable to transmit these types of services. This is not a bad thing for your Agency because in times of an internet outage or service outage you can use Fax and Modem lines as back ups to reroute your calls out. One very important thing to verify is that the VoIP carrier has been tested and proven with the manufacturer of your VoIP System. Many carriers and Phone manufacturers will set up test accounts with each other to run testing on their service to ensure interoperability between the two.

Choosing Internet Service should be fairly easy. It is strongly recommended to use at least a T-1 for your VoIP Trunks to travel across. There are many advantages to using a T-1 over DSL and Cable besides speed. For example, Tier 1 providers are required by the FCC to start fixing any service problems in under 4 hours vs. 2 days for DSL and no time frame for cable. In addition, unlike Cable and most DSL you will be able to send and receive information at guaranteed speeds both coming into your office and going out. When determining your bandwidth needs you will need to know from your VoIP Trunk provider how much you will use if all of your trunks are in use then add at least 512 kilobytes to that allowing for other data to transmit.

When you are connecting remote locations that will have heavy voice and data traffic back to the main office connect them using a MPLS with Class of Service capabilities. Basically what this does is ensures your Video and Voice traffic takes priority over the internet. With out this you could experience latency and jitter between your locations. Many companies currently are using MPLS so that all their data is stored at one facility.

Learning what is VOIP

Learning what is VOIP

by voipservices

There are virtually so many methods to talk on the internet. And VOIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is very much similar and our phone also included in it. You get a box that is provided by the company offering VOIP services and you just have to connect your phone to it and it is also known as modem. The modem gets connected to the cable or DSL modem and you can talk with your phone on the internet, the broadband or internet should have high speed.
VOIP also prove helpful if you have international business, you just have to purchase rechargeable phone card whenever your balance is low. Using your cell phone you can make a call anytime and anywhere across the world. Nowadays the calls are also kept at very competitive rates. Following are some of the VOIP providers-

Different VOIP providers:

Vonage- The name is included in of the most famous VOIP providers at very competitive rates. The company have healthy customer base and offer their customers the best packages and services. They have a customer service through emails and toll free phone service.

The new entry is Sun Rocket which is giving tough competition to the already established VOIP providers. For their customers they offer both limited and non-limited services. Sun Rocket's customers don't have to deposit any activation charges. After a gap of time the company organizes schemes offering lots of services.

Packet 8- It offers their customers cost as low as USD 20. Under this they provide their customers with free of cost activation and free one month. They also offer their customers free helpline services.

Lingo- Lingo's benefits the customers who have to make calls in Western Europe at very cheap rates. Their customers are offered unlimited calls across Europe in seventeen countries and at the payment of small amount you can also have two free phone numbers.

VoIP recording

VoIP recording

by Anoop Kumar

VoIP mean Voice over Internet Protocol. By using this facility peoples can contact each other within and out side the organization. But the thing is that it works within the limit of the IP network reaches. Now a day VoIP becomes popular between the peoples. The main reason for this is that the low cost and the cost per call is very lees than the normal phone service. Many peoples have doubts about its functionality and reliability. But the thing is that it is simple and reliable. Now most of the companies are looking to VoIP network. They are looking to combine the voice network and data network into a common network.

There may be problems for this service when net connection failure happens. But the chance is very rare.

The features of VoIP service are, the phone and software that are using in this service have the facility of call recording, call waiting, and conference calling. In call holding facility you can hold up to five or six lines depends on your phone. This has call conference facilities also. The call conference feature makes us to talk with friends together or family members. This is a good feature. Like a family or friends meeting itself you can talk through the phone. VoIP recording facility enables you to record your phone conversations and you can hear it later you want.

Because of the reliability and service and the lower cost the VoIP service are getting better. You will get the voice recording equipment and normal phone facility in a single unit. So make your VoIP service from today itself.

VoIP Requirements list

VoIP Requirements list

by Kristen Kiya

Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP as it is commonly called, is a revolutionary technology that has created an upheaval of sorts in the domain of long distance communications. End users can now use their personal computers to talk to friends and relatives - who could be located in another part of the globe. A reliable broadband connection is used for the purpose. The need for conventional telephone lines can be done away with; low cost calling made available through IP telephony solutions is increasingly taking the place of traditional phone networks among residential as well as corporate users.

However, certain requirements need to be met for the most satisfactory use of this high-end technology. The equipment used, for one, has to be of the highest quality. Broadband connection in a computer is necessary for good audio quality, for instance. The experience can also be optimised using PC speakers and microphones.

A basic VoIP requirements list has to be in place for users to make the most of the VoIP phone services. As is well-known, the flexibility of voice over IP makes it more user-friendly as compared to traditional telephone networks. Users are able to make quite a few calls over a single connection. A stable Internet connection is all that is needed â€" and one can make calls from almost anywhere in the world. Innovative features include video integration, fast and efficient exchange of data files, and audio conferencing. Quite a few security features are in place; and users can be sure of security of their calls. Other functionalities found in PSTN networks are also found in IP telephony. These include caller ID, automatic redialing and call forwarding. And with the latest trends in technology, it has become easy to make VoIP enabled calls through mobile devices as well.

VoIP security is not that difficult to implement. Quite a few voice over IP solutions are supported through encryption which make them very much reliable and user friendly. Security is also implemented through patented audio codecs and compression techniques.

Moreover, one should ensure that the broadband connection through which the calls are routed are not congested. This rules out voice drop-outs and long delays.

One can say that the VoIP phone is perfect for quite a few people â€" from frequent travelers, bored housewives to high-end professionals and busy executives. People who are not near to any fixed line phones or who are traveling the world find these solutions very much affordable and easy to use. With prepaid VoIP phone cards easily available in the market, there are no problems involved in making such calls.

However, when using VoIP products or subscribing to a VoIP service, users must make some provisions against untoward circumstances such as power failures and the services of broadband carriers going down.

What's The Story With VoIP?

What's The Story With VoIP?

by James Johnson

Unless you've been residing in a cave for the last couple of years, you've probably at least heard the word "VoIP" even if you didn't realize what all the excitement is about.

VoIP stands for "Voice over Internet Protocol" and it's going to change the way you think about making long distance phone calls. Basically, VoIP technology turns analog audio signals (like the sounds you hear when talking on your regular telephone) into a digital signal (which is then transmitted over the Internet.) So why is VoIP revolutionizing the industry? Because it means that by acquiring your hands on some of the free software that's available right now, you can totally bypass your telephone company, and start making long distance phone calls for free!

Here's what's got the phone companys buzzing: This revolutionary technology has the ability to completely change the phone system of the entire world! Maybe you've seen television commercials for one of the pioneers of VoIP - Vonage. Vonage brands itself as the "broadband telephone company", and offers enticing perks to customers who switch to its service, like low-cost 800 numbers, very cheap international rates (fees are waived from the American to Canada, and how about .03 cents a minute to call Paris?) But Vonage isn't the sole company who is interested. AT&T is setting up VoIP calling in many areas of the U.S. and there are more major players on the scene as well, such as Skype, who is relying on viral advertising to get the word out.

One of the really interesting thing about VoIP is that there's not just one way to make a call. There are actually three:

ATA - is the most commonly used VoIP method right now. Using the ATA (analog telephone adaptor), you connect your regular telephone to your computer or Internet connection. The ATA is an analog-to-digital converter and it takes the analog signal from your phone and converts it into digital data and transmits it over the Internet.

This is how Vonage does it, and AT&T 's CallVantage will be doing it. The ATA is free with their services. And utilizing an ATA is so simple that anyone can do it. Open the box, plug the cable from your phone into the ATA instead of the wall socket, and you're set. Based on your computer, and where you live, and what type of Internet connection you have, you might have to also install the software onto your computer, but even my grandmother knows how to do that these days.

IP Phones - They look just like the phones we're used to. They have a handset, cradles and buttons. But an IP phones use an RJ-45 Ethernet connector instead of the standard RJ-11 phone connectors. It connect directly to your router and all the hardware and software is already built inside to handle your IP calls. Look for Wi-Fi IP phones to be available in the near future, which will allow you to make VoIP calls from any Wi-Fi spot. (Can you see the power of that? Just take your IP phone with you when you travel, and stop in at any Internet café, hotel or other location where you can use your Wi-Fi laptop, and you can "phone home" wherever home happens to be!

Computer-to-Computer. This is arguably the easiest way to use VoIP. Not only do you not have to pay for long distance calls, there are several corporations that are offering free or low-cost software right now for you to make use of the VoIP technology. All you need is the software, a microphone, speakers a sound card and a broadband or cable DSL Internet connection, and your loved ones sound as if they're in the next room. And, except for your normal monthly ISP fee, there is no charge for any computer-to-computer call...no matter how far.

And guess what? Chances are, you've already been using the VoIP technology without even being aware of it, any time you've made a long distance telephone call recently. Many of the major phone companies are already applying VoIP technology to reduce their own bandwidth . It's a simple matter of routing thousands of phone calls through a circuit switch and into an IP gateway. Once received on the other side of the gateway, the calls are decompressed, reassembled and routed back to a local circuit switch.

IP telephony is the wave of the future. It makes sense in terms of ROI, from both an economic and infrastructure point of view. It may take some time, but sooner or later all of the current circuit-switched networks that are in use now will be replaced by packet-switching technology. More and more businesses are already installing VoIP systems. And as the technology makes our way into our everyday language our lives, and our homes, it will continue to grow in popularity.

According to Forrester Research, they predict that nearly 5 million U.S. households will have VoIP phone service by the end of 2006. The 2 biggest benefits for home users so far are price and flexibility.

There are some advanced features that make VoIP something worth looking into. With some carriers, you can set up call-filtering options, and actually have some control over how calls from certain numbers want to be handled. For example, you can: · Forward the call to a particular number · Send the call directly to voicemail · Give the caller a busy signal · Play a "not in service" message · Send the caller to a funny rejection hotline

With most VoIP services, you can also check your voice mail on the Internet, or attach messages to an email that is sent directly to your computer or handheld. (By the way, if you're interested in any of these features, not all VoIP companies are created equal, so do a little looking around first, because prices and services do vary).

The second benefit that makes VoIP so attractive for home and small business users is the flexibility. Using VoIP you can make a call anywhere you can get broadband connectivity. Since the IP phones or ATAs broadcast information over the Internet, they can be administered by any provider. For business travelers, this means they can take their phone or ATA with them on the road, and never miss a home phone call!

In a way, VoIP is just a "better mousetrap." But it looks like it's one mousetrap that's here to stay.

Call Center Solutions: Offers instant solutions

Call Center Solutions: Offers instant solutions

by Kristen Kiya

Call Center solution provides instant assurance of customer satisfaction. This is made possible with an innovation of automated system of online solutions. To maximize market opportunity, call center solutions are essentials for data management. This helps to ensure business success of clients in promotion and selling of products with considerable increase in profit margin. Call center services include voice based responses and Internet transactions like e-mail, instant messaging and online communication. Thus, considering their services and problems, solution providers have come up with call center solution to assist them. Well, while pacing up with modern era sales challenges, contact center solution provides latest marketing tools that are offered by experts.

While focusing on solutions for its call center clients, efficiency and professionalism of customer service is essential. Considering this fact, an expert enhances on timely e-commerce solutions for getting orders and credit card authorization, online marketing, FAQ and processing of product inquires. This automated system of management ensures security with industry standards to assure or increase confidentially in business transaction. With the development in communication technology, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) has made things easier. With VoIP client, avail efficient and cheaper way of communication with solution providers across the world. In addition, VoIP services allow businesses to set up number of lines to provide instant solution when required.

So, to meet desired parameters of call center or increase productivity and profitability, solution provider of VoIP provide various valuable services to its clients. For instance, to meet global market, solutions for call centers are easily available round the clock i.e. 24x7. Contact center solutions help to gain huge reduction in capital expenditure. Solution provider let their clients enjoy mobility and flexibility of operations. While providing solutions, these centers make best use of intelligence survey to make its presence felt in the market. Therefore, for maintaining offshore customer relations, call center solutions offer best alternatives for success!