Convergence
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a rapidly-maturing communications technology that enables enterprises to minimise costs and expand telephony functionality by integrating voice and data services into a single network infrastructure.
VoIP converts voice conversations into packets of digital data that can be transmitted over your network before being reassembled into a voice stream at the receiver's end.
Because voice is treated as 'just another form of data', this approach allows voice and data services to be handled on a common converged network, eliminating the need to duplicate expensive corporate communications infrastructure while reducing call costs.
How can VoIP benefit your business?
VoIP may benefit your business for several reasons:
Cost
The obvious starting point is toll bypass. This can begin by switching inter-office voice communications onto converged IP links carrying both voice and data traffic, plus a vast number of other cutbacks can help you to streamline corporate costs.
Infrastructure rationalisation
Convergence of corporate voice and data networks into a single architecture delivers significant capital and operational savings through reduced cabling, gradual retirement of dedicated voice switching equipment and lower staffing requirements.
Centralisation of management
Centralising network management through integrated software consoles delivers economies of scale and can improve IT processes such as network diagnostics, trouble-shooting and problem resolution.
Extra phone capacity
Extra voice capacity can be added without heavy infrastructure investment.
New functionality and applications
VoIP will fuel new applications that bring together telephony and information technology.
