Voice Over Internet Protocol VoIP: Separating the Limitations from the Possibilities.

Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, has been attracting a lot of attention lately among RGTS clients and staff and in the business world at large. And for good reason: this developing technology offers many new, valuable possibilities for business communications.

But, like so many new high-profile technologies, VoIP is now enduring the familiar cycle of widespread confusion and myths that cloud a realistic picture of the possibilities – and of the attendant challenges that remain to be resolved.

The big (true) promise drawing all the attention is that: One - voice telephone traffic can travel on the same pipelines that carry data and Internet traffic; and that Two – voice traffic can be managed by IP (Internet Protocol – the technical language standards of the Internet).

If a single, unified pipeline and protocol can be achieved successfully for voice, data, e-mail, and Internet access, then that's something truly new. It opens a door to all sorts of new, imaginative, efficient ways to coordinate and leverage business systems and human efforts.

But, the promise of VoIP does not mean that:
1. Voice is “just another application” in the data stream.
2. IP open standards guarantee compatibility among all components.
3. VoIP is plug-and-play simple; it works without a problem; and
4. All you need is an IP-compatible telephone.
5. VoIP is a sure way to cut costs.
6. You can send telephone calls over the Internet free.
7. If some VoIP aspect is not perfect now, an industry standards committee will perfect it shortly.

A Look at Some Current VoIP Myths
1. Voice is “just another application” in the data stream.
Two people could hardly conduct a tolerable, coherent telephone call if their voices were subjected to routine stop-and-go delays of LAN data traffic. Acceptable voice quality requires considerably more-demanding technology and expertise.
2. IP open standards guarantee compatibility among all components.
Most call servers are open source and network neutral, and they will work flawlessly with most VoIP systems. But the telephone switches, handsets, and applications that run on those open-source servers typically have proprietary software extensions added by their manufacturers.
3. VoIP is plug-and-play simple; it works without a problem; and.
4. All you need is an IP-compatible telephone.
Successful VoIP service demands considerable interoperability work and software tweaking among equipment vendors and service providers. Numerous disparate service components are involved.
5. VoIP is a sure way to cut costs.
Cost savings depend on the specific situation. Enterprises with high call volumes among widely dispersed offices have achieved large savings. In other situations, the costs are the same or even higher.
6. You get to send telephone calls over the Internet free.
This may be one of the cruelest myths perpetrated at the dawn of VoIP. Fortunately it has begun to recede. All telephone calls incur a cost and engage the public switched telephone network at some point. Some service providers have promoted “free” calls tied to fixed monthly service fees. Any net savings, as trial customers have come to learn, must be weighed against the quality of the service and support delivered.
7. If some VoIP aspect is not perfect now, an industry standards committee will perfect it shortly.

This second-stage myth is also an admission that some initial myths were, well, myths. The communications industry's Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), for example, is aimed at resolving some equipment interoperability issues. But while SIP-compliant handsets from disparate vendors will likely work with each other, the standards won't guarantee performance of all of the proprietary features each vendor includes.

Promises Delivered On So Far
Now, having considered some of the current myths and caveats, it's well worth seeing some of the VoIP promises delivered on so far.

In the past two years that RGTS has implemented VoIP solutions, clients and staff have found significant service gains for businesses with outlying offices. “We've been using VoIP in our Rockefeller Center infrastructure to deliver integrated services to clients who have offices in Manhattan and remote cities,” said Kent Heacock, RGTS client advocate.

In typical instances, RGTS provides high-speed Internet access to remote clients by establishing and leasing high-bandwidth communications links from its Rockefeller Center infrastructure to the clients' remote offices across town or across the country. These links are leased from Verizon, AT&T, and other carriers, with guaranteed performance and reliability levels. By applying VoIP, RGTS is now able to use these same links to transmit and manage its remote clients' voice telephone calls - with the same sound quality and with considerably more efficiency and versatility than available over the standard public switched telephone network (PSTN).

For Javelin Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a New York client with headquarters in Boston (featured above), RGTS manages most of the company's calls with VoIP through its Rockefeller Center infrastructure, while a very small system installation in the Boston office manages the calls that originate and stay within Boston. At both locations, Javelin employees use just an internal extension to reach any colleague. Whether the person is in the next cubicle or 250 miles away, the speed and sound quality are indistinguishable.

“We're not doing VoIP for the sake of VoIP; we're doing whatever makes the most sense with the client and the existing infrastructure in a given location,” said Charles Steinman, RGTS systems engineer. “VoIP isn't always the best solution, but it has opened many great possibilities that didn't exist before.” It's now more efficient for RGTS to establish and reconfigure sophisticated voice and data services for clients at remote locations.”

Ultimately VoIP's true potential will evolve and will be better understood as the technology is permitted adequate time to mature. As the technology matures, it may be wisest to approach it, as promising as it is, with a measure of caution. RGTS has embraced this new technology and has addressed its challenges head on. RGTS is continuing to deploy VoIP solutions based on clients' requirements.

Author: Ella Rucker, Service Management Team

Print this article