Some small and medium sized companies can be so keen to take advantage of the benefits offered by business VoIP that they end up making a leap of faith with a solution that turns out to be completely inappropriate to their needs.
The following are some of the frequently occurring errors that can catch out the experienced regarding VoIP (voice over internet protocol) and internet protocol (IP) telephony.
Firstly, businesses which lack high capital resources can sometimes be tempted by cheaper, ‘off-the-peg’ business VoIP solutions. Whilst these ready-to-use packages can suit some companies very well for a limited time-span, they generally do not take into account the particular commercial or logistical needs of a business. They are also highly unlikely to be able to adapt to any changing operating conditions.
Thus, whilst appearing to be an economical option, ‘one size suits all’ business VoIP solutions can, in a very short space of time prove to be a rather expensive throwaway technology.
A second error is to unnecessarily mothball a perfectly workable and functioning conventional private telephone exchange system rather than simply adapting it for IP telephony. Adaptation can be achieved cheaply and efficiently through technologies such as session initiation protocol (SIP) trunking, whereby gateways are opened up for IP signals.
A third error for those businesses confident in being able to afford bespoke IP business phone systems is to fail to take into account the need for the necessary technical support, either through staff training or the recruitment of those fully versant with IP telephony expertise.
Concern over such errors would naturally lead many businesses to opt for a hosted solution from a business VoIP provider or a sub-contracted VoIP reseller. The affordability, technical support, and scalability of a hosted solution have obvious advantages. It is important to ensure however that any hosted solution does not include any long-term contractual tie-in agreement.
