| Diane Myers of Infonetics Research published a | | | | user within the office. Some IP telephone systems and |
| survey and an article in the 2nd quarter of 2010 on | | | | most Hosted VoIP services will allow the user to plug |
| statistics of the business telephone industry. She | | | | the telephone into any place where it can access the |
| concludes that most business telephone systems | | | | Internet. |
| shipped today are based on VoIP. VoIP telephone | | | | *The company needs to expand or contract in |
| systems has out shipped digital systems for years and | | | | markets outside of their local calling area. Hosted PBX |
| now has gained a sizable share of the installed base. | | | | services allow customers to publish local telephone |
| The trend is virtually all future growth will be in VoIP | | | | numbers in most United States and some foreign |
| platforms either hosted or customer-owned equipment. | | | | markets. |
| Hosted services are delivered by VoIP Providers and | | | | *The company has a limited budget for capital |
| is called various names in the telephone industry | | | | expenditure. Most Hosted VoIP services save capital |
| including Hosted PBX, Hosted VoIP, IP Centrex and | | | | expense by only requiring purchase of VoIP |
| Virtual PBX. The customer may only purchase | | | | telephones and not the central equipment. |
| telephone instruments, if any equipment at all, with | | | | *The company has high long distance bills. VoIP |
| Hosted VoIP services. Instead the VoIP provider | | | | telephone systems and Hosted VoIP services can |
| maintains the central equipment at their | | | | eliminate long distance between remote offices and |
| Point-of-Presence (POP) saving the customer from | | | | workers in remote areas. Some Virtual PBX services |
| large capital outlays. | | | | package domestic long distance with their calling |
| Infonetics claims that the sweet spot for Hosted VoIP | | | | packages. |
| is small businesses under 100 employees. They also | | | | *The company has seasonal business causing their |
| believe that the number of extensions on Hosted VoIP | | | | phone needs to expand and contract. Hosted services |
| will nearly double between 2010 and 2012. | | | | will accommodate these rapidly changing needs. |
| Is VoIP Right for Your Business? | | | | *Individuals or departments need their own telephone |
| You should only purchase a VoIP enabled telephone | | | | number yet the expense of a PRI circuit from the |
| system or select a Hosted PBX provider if you have | | | | telephone company is not affordable. |
| business needs for VoIP technology and your network | | | | *One or more offices are located in disaster prone |
| is ready to support VoIP. Obviously, if you have the | | | | areas of power outages, hurricanes, tornadoes, |
| needs but not the network, the network can be | | | | earthquakes and floods. Hosted PBX services can |
| improved. | | | | keep processing calls when the office may no longer |
| Here are some of the needs that VoIP will solve. In | | | | be standing. |
| some instances, Hosted PBX or Hosted VoIP | | | | If your company has one or more of these needs, |
| providers are specifically required to solve the issue as | | | | then it is time to determine whether your network is |
| opposed to purchasing a VoIP enabled telephone | | | | ready for VoIP. |
| system. | | | | Is Your Network Ready for VoIP? |
| *The company has multiple offices with daily | | | | *Data cabling is required at all locations where VoIP |
| communication between them or the need to | | | | telephones will be placed. |
| consolidate departments spread out among the | | | | *For Hosted VoIP service and to bring outside |
| offices. VoIP telephone systems provide the ability for | | | | telephones onto the VoIP telephone system, the |
| phones spread out among a diverse geography to | | | | Internet connection must be healthy. It should have |
| seamlessly communicate using data networks as if | | | | enough bandwidth to support the desired number of |
| they were all in one building including dialing extensions | | | | concurrent calls and the data traffic and it must not |
| and transferring calls. | | | | periodically lose service. |
| *Remote or Work-at-Home employees that need to | | | | *The internal network must contain 100MB Ethernet |
| be a part of the company's telephone system. | | | | switches at a minimum. Absolutely no hubs should be |
| *The company's budget does not support cabling for | | | | in the network. Chaining Ethernet switches should be |
| both the data network and telephones. VoIP | | | | avoided as much as possible. |
| telephones can share the same cabling to each desk | | | | This is a cursory view of determining whether your |
| with the computer. | | | | business and network is ready for the tremendous |
| *Telephones are regularly moved from office to office. | | | | advantages of VoIP communication. Your VoIP |
| Unlike digital phones that require a service technician to | | | | provider should do further analysis on both needs and |
| move them, VoIP telephones can be moved by the | | | | network readiness. |