Advice Corner

Common Misconceptions About IP Telephony

1. IP telephony is not a reliable and proven technology.

   While it is true that there are IP telephony solutions out there that are not highly reliable, there are some that are just as reliable as a PBX. 3Com IP telephony is or has been adopted and used by an increasing number of businesses, from People's Bank to Prudential. They have chosen this technology not only for its robust applications, but also; for its reliability. If properly set-up, the IP system can meet the five-nines requirement of critical voice applications. Five-nines means 99.999% uptime, which translates to five minutes or less of downtime over a year's time.

2. It would cost too much to upgrade my entire system.

   If the proper infrastructure exists already, then adding the IP PBX may be more affordable than you think. With 3Com IP telephony, you can employ a hybrid approach where you can migrate your system over time. You don't have to do it all at once. This saves up-front cost and allows your organization to get comfortable with 3Com IP telephony.

3. I don't have a telephone system in my budget this year.

   Do you have any plans to upgrade your data infrastructure? Many customers find that if they are doing data upgrades that this is the best time to include IP telephony in that process. Also, with 3Com IP telephony, voice is really just another application on the data network.

4. I have multiple locations to consider. The cost would be too much.

   What are you spending on Long Distance for communication between sites? That could be eliminated with a 3Com IP telephony solution. What about maintenance and upkeep for all the locations? Let our experts take a look at what your total spend is for your existing communications between sites. It is highly probable that we can show you a relatively quick ROI and substantial cost savings over time.

5. My data network cannot handle any extra load. We are performing at what we think is capacity now.

   If you are performing optimally now, what is going to happen if business and data needs increase? Perhaps it is time to engage in a LAN assessment and perhaps take a look at new data switching and technology in addition to IP Telephony to optimize business operations and increase your profitability today.

6. I am concerned about sound quality. I have tried VOIP at home and don't think it is good enough for business.

   Don't get confused by VOIP over the public Internet and business quality IP Telephony. The sound quality between VOIP on the Internet and VOIP over your business network is night and day. Pentegra and many other organizations currently utilize this technology and you can't tell any difference from the PBX systems you are used to today. Let us come out and demo the 3Com system. You can judge for yourself.

7. What we have works now. If it's not broken, why fix it?

   There are many advantages to deploying 3Com IP telephony that you may not be realizing today:
   
   

   1. cost savings through reduced labor for moves, adds, and changes
   2. potential reduction in staff (no telecom staff needed since IP telephony can be easily managed by your data staff)
   3. it is easier to deploy adjunct systems to enhance functionality and diversity to customer and vendor contact (Interactive Voice Response, Computer Telephony Integration, etc)
   4. greater flexibility for expansion (phones and numbers can follow employees anywhere)
   5. ease of telecommuting without loss of productivity (find me- follow me, softphone)

8. I don't want to have to utilize the Internet for my calls. It is unreliable.

   While the public Internet is unreliable and unsafe for business voice calls, when we speak about 3Com IP telephony for the business, we are referring to the voice signal being converted into IP data packets for transport over your private networks or the PSTN (public switched telephone system). In the case of teleworkers, the connection to the Internet and use of the office IP PBX is done through utilization of a VPN (virtual private network) tunnel; this secures it and sends it via a separate route from normal public internet traffic.

9. I am worried about my phone system being infected by computer viruses.

   There are systems that operate on a Windows based server and are highly susceptible to outside attack from computer viruses. The 3Com IP telephony solution works on a platform that is not Windows based and has never been attacked by any viruses. Also, it is vital to use a VLAN to avoid interaction with the data LAN. You may want to look at separate firewalls in addition to other methods that our IP specialist can address with you. Remember, traditional PBXs are vulnerable to outside attacks as well.

The ultimate goal is to provide the maximum benefit to our customers. Convergence of voice/data/and video allows companies to be more competitive. It also allows you to be able to communicate with your customers and suppliers in the most convenient manner possible. Please contact us at 630-941-6000 to learn more our IP Telephony solutions.