Tips for a Successful VoIP Rollout
By: DreamWorld Solutions
Voice over IP (VoIP) can help save both money and time for many businesses. If your business involves a lot of domestic long distance calls or international calls, Voice over IP may be the most economical way to make calls. VoIP also comes with many other features that can be very useful to you and your employees. For example, VoIP makes it possible to run all your voice and data through one network instead of having different networks running different systems. While all this looks pretty good, making the switch is not easy. Many people use Voice over IP technology in their call centers or businesses but not everybody gets it right. To help you along the way, we have compiled some helpful tips that will ensure that you have a successful VoIP rollout.
The first step in a VoIP rollout is to assign responsibility. Remember, when you are planning a VoIP rollout you need to decide and assign the different responsibilities for each feature of Voice over IP to the respective person. We know that there are companies where the telephone system is not a part of the IT infrastructure; rather it is managed by employees other than the IT department. Where as, in the case of Voice over IP, the telephone system is a part of the IT infrastructure and is managed by its respective staff. While using a Voice over IP service, you should make sure that the people managing your IT infrastructure are well aware of the ins and outs of VoIP technology. When you hire new employees, you should train them on VoIP and should periodically be given refreshers courses and additional courses on new features.
The second important step is to plan a multiple stage VoIP rollout. A multiple stage VoIP rollout will help avoid risks that are involved in switching all your phones over to VoIP at the same time. The best method is to set up a leading project for one department or a group of users first. This gives you the opportunity to see if there are any unexpected problems with the VoIP rollout. It also allows you to see the impact of VoIP on your business on a small scale and if there is an issue, you can find a solution before company wide implementation.
In order for your VoIP rollout to be successful and long term, you must develop or plan a security strategy. Remember, your voice packets are subject to the same threat as normal data traffic on the internet. This is because your VoIP calls are transmitted over public internet just as other forms of data. There can be numerous threats, such as illegal capturing of voice packets to listen in on your conversations, man-in-the-middle, viruses, IP-based Denial of Service (DoS) attacks and various other forms of call tampering can damage your VoIP calls. That is why before your VoIP rollout you need to plan a strong security strategy to guard your VoIP calls. You can use firewalls, encryption, and virus protection software to protect your VoIP transmissions just as you do to protect your data. You should develop your VoIP security strategy from the very first day. A back-up plan for your internet connectivity is important as well. Since VoIP relies on this connection, having an alternative or redundant connection is essential.
The next VoIP rollout stage is to maintain performance and quality of service. VoIP calls are more vulnerable than other forms of IP transmissions such as email. Packet loss, latency and slow network performance can easily disconnect your VoIP calls or degrade the voice quality. Encryption and other security can also slow down the network performance. Users expect high quality service from their VoIP service providers because they have been enjoying the same with their traditional telephone networks. In order to provide high quality service you must ensure a network that has sufficient bandwidth and high speeds for proper VoIP transmissions. This includes evaluating and upgrading the network regularly. In order to make sure that all the cabling, switches and other network components are of sufficient grade and speed, you should conduct a complete assessment of your network. Also, don’t forget to check with the necessary infrastructure changes such as creating separate VLANs for voice and data.
An important thing to remember in the beginning o your VoIP rollout is the future needs of your business. That’s why a good thumb rule is to plan for the future growth of your business and leave room for additions. If you are planning to upgrade your network now to support the existing number of VoIP users, you should consider upgrading it to a level that would address your future needs instead of ripping it down and doing it all over again.
Extra power supplies and cooling equipment are essential in running a successful VoIP system. If the power goes down, the VoIP service will also go down. You will therefore need backup power systems or power generators for your VoIP server and switches in case of a power failure. A large number of VoIP phones could put a heat overload on your wiring closets. The moment you increase the number of electronic components, these phones will start generating more heat. This will need extra cooling equipment. Therefore, you need to consider the heat factor and the need to keep it cool.
One more important thing is to take necessary measures to ensure your client’s privacy. Just as any other industry, your Voice over IP network is subject to the same government rules and policies. It is extremely important to provide maximum protection and privacy to client’s data.
Switching to Voice over IP technology might be an easy decision but making the transition can be hard. In addition to doing research yourself, it is important for you to at least take into consideration all of the above concepts before and during your VoIP rollout.
