Moving to VoIP

We communicate in many ways. It has been the regular telephone and telegraph. Then Internet changed the way we communicate. Email is certainly the best thing that happened to us. Instant messaging and Chat rooms opened up another mode of communicating in real time. Innovative chat rooms with audio and video are being used effectively by many either for personal or for business purposes.

Money saved is money earned. Every company try to cut costs on all possible expenditure. Communication is one such area one can optimize the costs, by leveraging technology.

The standalone phone systems may vanish in a few years from now. This will be particularly true to midsized to large enterprises as their communication costs run into hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) allows voice communications over the Internet and has been steadily gaining ground. Corporate spending on VoIP is likely to touch $5.5 billion by 2008. The cost of VoIP based office equipment is becoming cheaper by the day and it is expected to cost between $75 and $600 per line, down from the current pricing of $375 to $1,000 per line.

To Move or not!

There is no hard and fast rule that a solution fits all. One needs to analyze the need for change and study the advantages and disadvantage of any new process. While there are many benefits to having a VoIP system, it doesn't mean that VoIP technology is right for you. It may benefit you or may not make a big difference.

You may have budgets and willingness to move over to VoIP. But it is advisable to seek an expert opinion. If you have good technical resources, form a committee to undertake a thorough telecommunication assessment. Else, you may opt for a neutral third party consultant, who specializes in all aspects of telecommunication. Do not hire a consultant who specializes in VoIP alone.

Define the goal of the project clearly. Do not indicate your intension of moving to VoIP. The telecommunication assessment shall study the needs of the organization and the available solutions.

Let the telecommunication assessment undertake evaluation of the following:

Current scenario

Without looking into what is required, first the current situation shall be studied and identify the issues as well as advantages. Even if the current system, you feel, may be good, but the market may offer something better. Take stock of all minute details. Compile data of Internal calls ( with in the company), Customer communication, Cold calls of sales/marketing teams, Contact center/support calls, fixed line telephone costs, mobile communication charges of all staff, National calls, international calls, Video conferencing etc

Network capabilities

Data network of your company plays a major role. It is important to ensure that, it strong enough to handle data and voice loads. The quality of service (QOS) is very important. A small delay of few second may not effect the data transfer. Probably the data transfer may take a bit longer. But any delay in signals, the voice transmission becomes an issue resulting in unclear communication.

Telecommunications equipment

Take stock of the telecommunication equipment. You may be surprised to know the existing system has some advanced features, which you are not using. The features may include VoIP capabilities. Even the older analog phones can be used by procuring some additional Adapters.


Once you have completed the above, look for the appropriate technology that suits you. And VoIP will certainly be one of the options. VoIP helps because most of the analog phones and/or the existing phones can easily work with VoIP as mentioned above.


Deployment costs

Though you are able to make use of the existing phone, you need to allocate some finances for new VoIP phone system. This depends on the number of employees, divisions, location and not to forget scalability in future. The investment could be between $20,000 and $150,000.


Return on investment (ROI)

This is where you really appreciate VoIP. You have already documented the total expenditure on communications in your organization. Now, you have the deployment costs. Estimate the training needs and the expenditure. Calculate the amount you are going to save due to VoIP. VoIP certainly cuts the Long-distance phone bill.

Other benefits to Moving to VoIP

Telecommunication infrastructure

Any organization would look for telecommunication and may have installed a telephone system much before the actual operations have started. More often, they would select a system they think is suitable then. And as the company grows, the system gets loaded. The company would replace the Telephone system, once they find it is performing below the expectation. Some companies would replace, if the equipment is 3 or 5 year old.

If you are running old system, the equipment is prone to failures. While the disruption of telephone systems not only result in the loss of revenue in case of missed potential business calls as well as unsatisfactory customer service.

Moving to VoIP will not only solve the phone system problems but also offer more reliable and deliver cost savings. VoIP also eliminates voice leased-line costs.

Reliability and cost savings

VoIP offers better service at lower costs. As the Broadband and the dedicated Internet connectivity has improved significantly, it is becoming easier to implement VoIP. Internet Service Providers, now, offer greater uptime and hence your VoIP enables you to be available for voice communication as long as your Broadband is on. Hence Moving to VoIP ensures reliability along with great cost savings.

Improved customer interaction

The VoIP deployment enables many features as it is an integral part of Internet connectivity. One could even integrate online chat and instant messaging for increased productivity and improved customer service. The customer service agents can share data/information with clients easily.

You need to study your needs and decide to move on to VoIP. And you are sure to benefit from it. If you are upgrading your Internet connectivity infrastructure, have a look into Telecommunication infrastructure too, as you can leverage the new technologies and achieve a better ROI.

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Telephones & VoIP

Telephones ruled the communication field for a long time and they will continue to do so. PSTN or IP PBX, phones are required.

When Voice over Internet was designed, probably, they may not have envisaged that phones can be used to leverage the same so quickly. VoIP was designed to communicate through internet using Microphone and head phones.

Then Skype entered the field and innovative manufacturers brought out a phone that can be connected to internet and make calls as if you are using a regular telephone line. The difference is that, it is connected to your internet.

New Adapters are introduced that can be plugged into the Internet one side and the regular phones are plugged into the other side. Using this adapter, ordinary telephone can work on VoIP.

New developments in future will see dual-mode IP phone that works as WiFi phone inside the building/campus and as cellular phone outside the network.

We are likely to see cellular phones in future with software that can identify the location of the target and routes the call to the user by identifying the best available connection. If a user receives a call at the workplace IP PBX number, the PBX checks if the person is available at the regular telephone extension. If the person is not reachable, it looks for the person’s cell phone and routes the call to the cell phone. Here, the difference in rates of call will be an issue. Who pays for this? Enterprise is expected to pick up the bill as people and communication are important to any business.

Cell phones are likely to become intelligent. The equipment installed in shopping malls, will know where you are at a particular time. They follow you where you go and when are next to apparel store, a message will prompt you to enter into that store to avail discounts. And this discount may be just for 5 minutes, to tempt the buyers.

Similarly, when you are in a conference, you may set the parameters you are interested in as well as define your preferences. The system searches for similar profile and establishes a contact. These can be made possible using VoIP.

A typical VoIP USB Phone may be supplied with an LCD screen to show call information, call time, time and identify which of your contacts are online and available. The main features include controls for your voice, ring and key tone volume. To make it fun to use, many ring tones will be made available. One can make and/or receive phone calls even if the monitor is turned off. Echo cancellation and noise reduction are taken care of.

The audio is independent from the computer and you can listen to music or play a game while making a call.

Other typical features are PC-to-PC and PC-to-phone operation, compliance with USB1.1 specification and compliance with H.323, MGCP, SIP protocol.
These neither need a sound card nor the external power supply. Handles Full duplex communication.

When it comes to software, they generally support Windows 2000/XP/Me/98 in OS and come with VoIP Software compatible with MSN, NetMeeting, Yahoo Messenger, Skype etc.
Generally these products require an existing internet connection for operation. The keypad can only be used with VoIP telephony programs, which may require subscription and/or additional cost.



Main advantage in future will be your ability to carry your wireless VoIP phone anywhere you want and enjoy the same number. Imagine a phone in future , your wireless VoIP phone tracking the nearest Internet service provider, login into the network and you are ready to talk!!

Wireless VoIP

Wireless VoIP is Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) running over a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), which are typically the 802.11 standard compliant. The callers can make and receive calls over WLAN using VoIP enabled handset, within the WLAN access point.

Skype bought a revolution in voice based solution through internet. Wireless VoIP got a good support from Skype, which introduced special handset to link callers to the Skype service via Wi-Fi connections. The users can log into the WLAN Access point with their user ID and passwords. Once they are logged in, they can access internet as well as place and receive calls. This avoids the need to have a computer or Laptop to log into the regular network which is connected to Internet.

While the users can leverage the Wireless VoIP using handsets, Internet Service providers (ISPs) will need to offer better services to their customers. ISPs can now offer Wireless VoIP services using the products/services of xG Technology or other similar companies.

These users may use a phone that supports Wireless VoIP to make calls. These phones communicate with the local access point/antenna. The call would then be relayed to the ISP handling the VoIP. The ISP facilitates the calls to other IP phones or the traditional phones.

Wireless VoIP is very useful in industries like health care and retail. The problem with Wireless VoIP is that, implementing and maintaining could be time consuming and expensive. Another problem is the risk of eavesdropping.

VoIP has already affected the revues of the fixed land line telephone network. Wireless VoIP could pose a threat to the mobile network operators. Wireless technologies like 3G, Bluetooth, WLAN and broadband wireless access can change the dynamics of voice revenues of mobile network operators. One advantage for mobile operators now is that the voice quality is better than that of VoIP and at cheaper cost.

However wireless voice applications in a limited area can leverage Wireless VoIP, as the mobile operators may find it difficult to provide a customized solution. WLAN may soon replace Bluetooth, which has limited range.

One problem with wireless VoIP is the coverage area. While WiFi, the most popular wireless solution, can support broad-coverage network, the WiFi access points can cater to a short range.

Wireless VoIP typically relies on active communications mechanisms. Due to the constant pinging, both the receiver and transmitter leave a dedicated communication channel open, leading to a very large load on the access points. Hence the system needs an automatic means of load balancing that hands signals off from an access point that is loaded more to a less busy access points.

A good wireless VoIP system shall handle collisions very quickly. VoIP signals are unpredictable in nature. When the access points get overloaded or too many signals are received at the access point, the delay in signals may compromise the voice quality.

Wireless VoIP device remains active both in a call and out of a call in order to properly handle the signal. Hence the battery life is reduced and the manufacturers of Wireless VoIP devices are working on technologies to preserve power during VoIP communication.

Voice over IP in future on WLAN on a single Chip

Many communication services using WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) are being introduced. Wireless local data networks are now finding their way into residential, commercial, industrial and public areas. In earlier days, it was practically impossible to log into Internet from your Laptop in a hotel or Airport. Now all major air ports offer wireless hotspots and you can log into the Internet, if your laptop supports wireless access. Similarly Hotels, Shopping malls, coffee shops offer Wireless LAN.

It is very easy to add client access once the basic infrastructure of WLAN is in place. WLAN provides flexible network configuration and access with a low cost. WLAN is now on the increase in campuses and conferences. WLAN caters well incase of data communications such as e-mail, web browsing and internet. As new Voice over IP applications are being launched at regular intervals, voice over WLAN is becoming popular.

A typical VoWLAN (Voice over WLAN) system may be as below:

Voice over WLAN needs to address various discrete components like Microprocessor, LCD controller, peripherals, Keypad, WLAN MAC, Memories, RF etc. It also need to address user interface logic, audio interface etc.

All the above elements, if handled separately, it costs money. Hence the manufacturers and researchers are planning to integrate as many functions as possible into a single Chip.

Models and Suppliers

Motorola has launched its T31 Series VoIP handset for Windows Live Messenger service. This VoIP phone consists of a base station and a handset, where the base station connects the PC for enabling calls over Windows Live Messenger service and to a phone jack for placing standard PSTN calls.

This can display online contacts and phonebook. This facilitates caller ID with visual call waiting features. The advantage is its ability to contact users online quickly using the PC Connect button. Once can access low cost long distance Internet calling to standard landline phone numbers from T31 handset. Alarm clock, speakerphone in the handset, Mute and Hold facility, Voice mail are some other features.

Uniden and Philips are the other two vendors who offer a cordless solution for Windows Live Messenger. Microsoft claims that there are more than 240 Million registered users on Live Messenger.

Wireless VoIP - Future Changes

Many VoIP devices that provide excellent voice quality are available for you. They may offer some features very specific to the vendor and vendor’s VoIP equipment. You need to evaluate your requirement and the suitable product for you.

Demands and requirements of the users keep changing with time. Hence, pick up a phone/equipment that is scalable.

Changes in Wireless

Though most of the WLAN products follow 802.11b or WiFi, ever increasing demand of bandwidth by VoIP applications and/or wires video etc, new high bandwidth standards are needed to satisfy the future growth. Access Point proximity dictates the exact effective data transfer rate. Newer standards are expected to meet the demands of the bandwidth hungry applications.

ISM band seem to be crowded and poses a possibility of interference problems in case f Bluetooth, RFID tags, cordless phones, microwave ovens etc. 802.11a based wireless voice devices are not readily available on the market.

If one has 1Mbps bandwidth, it is good enough to have a good quality wireless voice quality. Some vendors who are mostly 802.11b compliant have announced support of 802.11a or 802.11g for a wireless VoIP application. However, in future when they do actually become compliant, they need to address the battery life.

Other standards to be addressed are Quality of Service or voice prioritization (QoS) by 802.11e and Security to address authentication and encryption by 802.11i. It is important to see how enhanced encryption can be utilized on existing hardware.

It is important to understand the impact of the new standards with regard to the required voice quality of the wireless voice application. One need to address the latency burden also. The existing mobile devices may need to be replaced, if the new encryption standards are to be implemented.

VoIP PROTOCOL

As VoIP technology is changing rapidly, the vendors have their own VoIP protocols, that suit them well. This is due to the fact the global/international standards are not mature for implementation across the world.

Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is emerging stronger, but does not seem to meet the requirements of many corporate customers and is still in the process of evolving to a richer set of features. However, we need to see the standards sooner to avoid interconnectivity issues arising later, as user shall not get stuck down with vendor specific VoIP and wireless equipments.