Beware Of VoIP Promises

Step One: Install VoIP gear.

Step Two: Save bundles of cash.

Step Three: Become a big-deal hotshot, get a big fat raise, and retire early because your boss recognizes how much money you've been able to save your enterprise.

VoIP sure is simple, isn't it?

That's the common view, anyway. VoIP is surrounded by so much hype that it's threatening to hold out as much false hope as did the Internet bubble that promised so much to so many and in the end delivered so little.Believe all these myths, and you're in for serious trouble.

The truth is, there are a lot of common myths about VoIP that need debunking -- for example, that right out of the box it saves you money. In fact, it doesn't. It may even end up costing you money because of the massive network upgrade it may require.

Another myth: Voice is just another kind of data. Wrong again. It requires special expertise to get voice over data working properly.

Does this mean you shouldn't upgrade? No. Quite the contrary. The flexibility it offers, the new kinds of applications it lets you deploy, and over the long run (but not short run) the cost-savings are well worth it.

But before deploying remember to look before you leap.0