Voice over IP is a method of converting your voice telephone conversations into data. To explain further, this enables the voice conversation to be transmitted along side the data on a converged network.

The telephone call is converted to IP, and then sent along a data circuit which connects two sites. The call is then reconnected at the other end and changed back into a voice call. This has the advantage that the same circuits can be used for voice and data simultaneously and using this method can greatly reduce the operating costs of your business.

There are numerous situations in which VoIP can bring benefits to your business, and these include:

• Site to Site VoIP – This will enable your business to use VoIP to connect calls between sites.
• Site to Remote Worker VoIP – This brings huge benefits to the way businesses work today. With more staff working from home this solution can connect remote or homeworkers to the head office or to one another without the need for installing telephone systems at individual sites.
• Local Area Network VoIP – This uses IP telephones on the local area network and reduces the requirement for additional CAT5 cabling by utilising your data sockets.
• VoIP Systems and SIP Telephones – Some systems are software based and only require a basic IP phone called a SIP phone. These handsets can work on various telephone systems, providing the platform is SIP compliant.
• VoIP using SIP Trunks – This technology uses VoIP to make calls via broadband circuits and therefore reduces the costs of the telephone calls saving your company money.

With all new technology it is sometimes easier to see a visual interpretation of how it can be incorporated with your existing communications platform.

A Picture Tells a Thousand Words So: Here we have detailed some technical drawings to explain various scenarios and options available to your businesses.

1) IP Enabled – This would mean inserting an IP Card into your legacy PBX to enable you to use IP appliances

Advantages

With this solution your organisation can benefit from keeping your existing PBX, and upgrading your backend solution. This will keep the financial investment required to a minimum, and still allows you the opportunity to venture into the field of VoIP.

Disadvantages

Technical integration of existing with new IP appliances can be somewhat difficult if not project managed by an experienced and reputable supplier. You may experience limited functionality on your PBX and depending on call traffic may suffer some congestion issues.

2) IP Only – Using a new IP Infrastructure with limited PBX integration

Advantages

This scenario offers a true IP solution which can integrate applications easily, whilst offering the benefit of being able to maintain a small legacy PBX. This is a perfect solution when expanding into new offices or branching out to new locations.

Disadvantages

Technical integration of existing with new IP appliances can be somewhat difficult if not project managed by an experienced and reputable supplier. The long term plan when the existing PBX comes to the end of its life would be to expand the IP infrastructure.

3) IP Plus Traditional Approach, allows for the integration of two technologies to run in tandem

Advantages

This scenario offers all the functionality of a traditional PBX with the added advantage of IP integration, allowing your business to move into new technology with the comfort factor of your existing system

Disadvantages

The longer term future means that there may be a requirement to change your old PBX, but integration using protocols such as DPNSS means that this is not an immediate necessity.

Standards

VoIP is no different to any other new technology in that there are standards to be maintained in order to offer the consumer the levels of service they expect to run a business. The main standards, which are relevant, are voice compression, which enables voice calls to be compressed to either 64K (G711) or left at 8K (G729).

In addition to this there are differences in protocols. The main developmental work is being undertaken on SIP, which has replaced the older H323 standard. Further information can be found under SIP Explained.