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There's been a lot of chatter of late about Voice over IP. Advocates of VOIP hail it as the latest and greatest in technological advances, and recommend it for any new business phone system. But while Voice over IP has some advantages over traditional digital telephone systems, LANstar, one of the valley's leading providers of IT services, VOIP phone systems and IT support, reminds you that it has some disadvantages as well. Here is a list of frequently asked questions LANstar uses to help you decide if VOIP is right for your business.
 Q: If I buy a system that isn't compatible with Voice over IP (VOIP), will it become obsolete quickly?
A: No it won't. A VOIP phone system simply means that the phones communicate with your main phone system box using VOIP. However, when a call is made outside the office, the call is converted to conventional analog or digital technology for use on the phone lines from the phone company. The phone company has just now started offering VOIP lines, and Non-VOIP systems will be viable for at least another 20 years, probably longer.
Q: Does VOIP eliminate long distance?
A: Usually no. Multi-location business can eliminate toll costs between offices using VOIP. However, any call made to someone not in another office of the same company will still incur toll charges regardless of whether their phone system is VOIP or not. If you have only one office, the answer is always no.
Q: Is VOIP easier to deploy?
A: Possibly. If your office was cabled over 10 years ago, there is a good chance that it has Cat 3, in which case VOIP (which uses Cat 5) won't work. If your office was cabled recently (or you know it has Cat 5), then yes, VOIP can plug directly into the network and does not require a technician to do a bunch of exotic wiring in your phone room.
Q: Can VOIP be run on my existing data network, so I don't need another jack Cat 5 or otherwise?
A: Yes, with a caveat. While VOIP can be run on an existing network, you will need to have routers that can perform what is called QoS (Quality of Service). This means that voice traffic is given priority over data packets. Without QoS, the quality of the voice calls will drop to a potentially unintelligible level during times of heavy data traffic on your network.
Q: Is VOIP less expensive to deploy?
A: It can be. Only one cable is required to run both the phone and computer, so cabling costs an be reduced. However, QoS routers that are required to have both on the same network are more expensive than non QoS routers. Moreover, VOIP phones are typically more expensive than digital phones by the same manufacturer.
Q: Is VOIP easier to maintain?
A: Probably. Moving a conventional phone requires a technician to move wires in the back room. VOIP phones will retain their programming when moved, so typically no technician is required assuming there is a working network jack at the new location.
Q: Does VOIP offer more features than digital/analog phones?
A: Absolutely. The most compelling reason to migrate to VOIP is for the features-specifically the mobility features. VOIP allows a user to have a phone at his/her home and still have it connected to the phone system. The same is true with remote offices. Distant phones and offices can be easily and seamlessly integrated into a VOIP system so that calls may be routed to the distant phone exactly as if the calls were located in the office.
If you are considering VOIP, know that digital systems, while less expensive, are probably going to be less functional in the future. The best option is a digital system which is already VOIP capable. This allows for cost savings in the short-term, while not requiring a forklift upgrade should VOIP become the industry standard in the future.
Whatever your choice, there is no denying that VOIP is here to stay.
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