Some of the current Premise-Based Telephone Systems can accommodate three station/telephone types; analog, digital and IP. (IP can be proprietary or SIP standards based)
IP phones are the newest and most talked about of three. IP capable telephone systems (IP-PBX’s) equipped with IP phones work by converting voice into data packets and then sending the data packets over a data network. This is often referred to as Voice over IP (VoIP).
Traditional digital and analog telephones require separate wire runs to each telephone. This means one wire run for the phone and another for a workstation/PC/computer. IP phones can share the same wiring as the workstation/PC/computer, one jack for both the phone and computer. This provides a business with primary cost savings in physical material like wiring and modular jack installations. An added benefit of running voice on the data network is decreased management costs. Because voice becomes just another application on the data network, conceivably, current IT staff can manage both voice and data systems.
The most important application provided by today’s IP (VoIP) capable systems is telecommuting. An employee no longer needs to be in the office to use the phone system. Employees equipped with a VPN connection, computer, and an IP phone can connect remotely through the internet to a company’s IP (VoIP) enabled telephone system. They can use computer applications and communicate on the company telephone system seamlessly as if they were in the office.
Considerations
Usually within your company’s local data network, Voice over IP (VoIP) quality will be excellent. If any quality issues do arise, they are usually not due to the devices themselves but to the quality of the connections between devices. Quality of service issues occur more often when using VoIP over the public internet (ie; over a VPN connection). Echo, jitter, and latency, to name a few. In today’s market though, VoIP quality is very good and the benefits of using VoIP most often outweigh any possible shortcomings.
IP telephones are an excellent option for small or large businesses today. IP (VoIP) systems create an enhanced work environment by decreasing maintenance costs and increasing telecommuting opportunities for remote users.
When purchasing an IP (VoIP) system it is important to consider use, features, price, support and warranty, but most critical is your choice of vendor. You need to select a vendor that you have confidence in and that you can see yourself working with over a long period of time. Check references. Listen to your gut feelings. Once these factors are all considered, figuring out which phone system to purchase will be an easy decision.