10 tips for smooth transition to manageable VoIP

The transition to VoIP will incur a huge cost for enterprises. This requires a lot of time and money.

From the largest enterprise to the smallest enterprise, manageable VoIP has become a reality. Many companies just don't have time to do this on their own. They need to hire a service provider to monitor the transition to VoIP and ensure high reliability and performance. However, even with manageable VoIP services, enterprises still need to know something before choosing their partners and deciding who manages the voice applications that take on important tasks.

According to Laurie Shook, an IP Phone Manager managed by Verizon Business, enterprises need to focus on the quality of voice applications and who can best meet their needs, instead of doing this on your own.

She said enterprises need to realize that there are many risks in trying to do this by themselves. Enterprises generally do not regard their telephone systems as an IT system.

Shook said that when considering a vendor to provide manageable VoIP services, enterprises should do this on their own mainly because of two incorrect concepts. They often underestimate the readiness of existing Wan to accommodate VoIP and the complexity of managing VoIP.

Some vendors evaluate the preparation for running VoIP Based on the pass-fail method, while other vendors provide a more comprehensive analysis and suggestions. According to Shook, research shows that about 85% of users seeking to manage VoIP services need to upgrade the WAN in some form to accommodate IP phones.

She said there are not many problems with the IP system on the TDM system. However, when you encounter an IP address problem, it is difficult to determine where the problem occurs.

According to Shook, enterprises should be careful with ten things when considering the transition to managed VoIP. Although these steps can help smooth implementation of the transition, these steps are certainly not a panacea.

According to Shook, Verizon Business's suggestions to enterprises are:

Evaluate the capabilities of service providers and system integrators in terms of service bandwidth and product flexibility.

◆ Ensure that the provider is financially stable and can engage in this business for a long time.

◆ Determine whether these resources are available when and where they need them.

◆ Find a service provider built on the basis of existing hardware and software investments.

◆ Determine the scope and scale of Service Provider responsibilities.

◆ Access the company's network management infrastructure and meet with people who are monitoring the network.

◆ Ask about employees and site certificates.

◆ Select a service provider with internal system redundancy.

◆ Obtain fully archived service solution programs.

◆ Consider vendors that want to continue investing in network operations and system integration.

Shook said that enterprises should evaluate managed providers before signing the agreement. This is actually "who can you establish a trusted relationship ?" Can this vendor meet your requirements?

In some cases, the vendor provides help through implementation, but does not further manage it. Enterprises must also consider whether they need a separately managed and centralized solution, and determine how much of the infrastructure they need to reuse.

However, more importantly, enterprises need to pay attention to the service-level agreements proposed by service providers. The terms of this service level agreement determine whether the repair time and response time need to be paid. Some service providers do not explicitly specify what services they provide before a problem occurs.

According to Jim DeMerlis, vice president of the service managed by Verizon Business, the above ten skills do not have to be very rigid. These tips are just a guide designed to ensure a smooth transition with as few surprises as possible.

DeMerlis says these suggestions are not a panacea for success. Organizations must spend time and resources to develop a comprehensive IP Call transition strategy. Integrating these suggestions into this workflow helps ensure smooth transition.

1. Push your enterprise to transition to VoIP
2. Implementation and network organization of Enterprise VoIP