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Technology > VoIP/IP Telephony/PBX
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is one of the most debated, most misunderstood technologies of the last decade. Some of the misunderstanding stems from the way the term "VoIP" is used. Any of the following terms may be referred to only as VoIP
- VoIP - Voice over Internet Protocol. A protocol is an agreed upon method for communicating The English language is a protocol.
- VoIP over the Internet - this is the routing of VoIP packets over the Internet. When VoIP is routed across the Internet, there is often a significant decrease in audio quality.
- VoIP over a private data network - this is used by many companies to route calls from one location to another. Audio quality is determined by the configuration of the company's network.
- VoIP over a carrier network - many carriers packetize voice into IP in their networks. This is transparent to end users.
- IP Telephony - telephone automatically converts voice to IP. Telephone acts more like a computer than a traditional phone, or phone emulation software runs on a computer.
VoIP, and IP Telephony in particular, has been called unreliable, expensive, and poor quality. the truth is IP Telephony and VoIP
- can be less expensive to install, operate, and maintain than traditional PBXs (Private Branch Exchange)
- can be more reliable than traditional PBXs and TDM based voice networks
- can be more feature rich than traditional PBXs
- can sound better than traditional PBXs
- can use very little bandwidth
- can increase the productivity of your staff
- can be a source of frustration for end users, if not configured properly from the start
Of course, all of the "can"s above depend on good planning and a knowledgeable integrator. Innovative Thinking will clear away the confusion, and help you see how you can exploit this technology. Innovative Thinking is highly experienced designing, implementing, and maintaining IP Telephony, VoIP, Unified Messaging, PBXs, and voice applications. By taking advantage of our knowledge, you can avoid the cost of training and pilot systems. Let us help you manage your migration and turn the "can"s into "does".
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