Understanding Voice Over IP

VoIP can be a boon or a nightmare, depending on how you implement it. A good implementation means doing your homework before you touch a cable or spend a penny on hardware and software. So before making the switch, read Five Steps to Take Before Implementing VoIP. It'll help you set expectations, make the business case, test, plan and choose the right vendor. And to make sure that you're going in with your eyes wide open, check out Six Myths About VoIP before you make the leap.

VoIP is simple, right? Do a little bit of network configuration, plug in a VoIP phone and voila--instant IP telephony!

That's wrong, of course. Plenty of tough work goes into a VoIP deployment. But that doesn't mean you need to hire a passel of consultants and wait six months to get started. In fact, you can get a head start on things if you follow our 10-Minute Guide to Deploying VoIP. It gives you the rundown on everything you need to know before you get started, from figuring out how you'll manage it to doing a network inventory and more.

As you might imagine, deploying VoIP is tricky business, and there are plenty of potholes you'll encounter along the way. What to do about them? Read about The Five Biggest VoIP 'Gotchas'. You'll find out how to watch out for gotchas such as making a premature vendor choice and how to decide whether the IT department or the old telecommunications department should oversee the VoIP migration.

Before going full-bore into a VoIP deployment, you may first want to start off with a low-cost pilot project, and it doesn't have to be an expensive proposition. If you want advice on how to do a quick-and-dirty pilot VoIP deployment, check out VoIP on the Cheap.Perhaps you've already deployed VoIP, but it's not working out as you hoped. You have the software and the VoIP switches. You even have the cool phones that plug into the RJ-45 Ethernet jack on the wall. But something's not quite right. What to do? Find out how to Break Through Your Biggest VoIP Roadblocks. You'll learn how to overcome management roadblocks, network roadblocks and more.

Networks are inherently insecure--and VoIP brings along its own set of security problems. So you should go into a deployment with your eyes wide open, ready to tackle security issues. Depending on your enterprise and network configuration, VoIP may or may not have serious security problems. To get help on deciding whether VoIP is safe enough for you, look at Is VoIP Secure Enough For Prime Time?.

And if you want to make sure that your existing or future VoIP system will be safe against external attackers as well as the danger within, get advice from The Inside Secrets of VoIP Security

You have plenty of choices about how to deploy VoIP, and a significant one is whether to manage VoIP in-house or instead go with a VoIP service provider. How to decide? Should You Outsource VoIP or Manage It In-House? gives you advice on how to make the right choice.

Often the best way to decide on an implementation is to find out what the experts recommend. So to give you help, we've enlisted the help of four experts to come up with the ideal IP phone and VoIP network architecture. Together they've composed a list of requirements that should be on anyone's shortlist for desktop phones. They've also designed an elegant VoIP network that you can use as a template when planning your own VoIP deployment. To see what they came up with, turn to The Ultimate VoIP Solution.Finally, despite the hype and the many real benefits, VoIP isn't necessarily for everyone. There are plenty of reasons why VoIP might not be right for your network--yet. So read Five Reasons Not to Implement VoIP if you want help in deciding whether it's time to hold off.

Links in this Story

Five Steps to Take Before Implementing VoIP

Six Myths About VoIP

10-Minute Guide to Deploying VoIPThe Five Biggest VoIP 'Gotchas'

VoIP on the Cheap

Break Through Your Biggest VoIP Roadblocks

Is VoIP Secure Enough for Prime Time?.

The Inside Secrets of VoIP SecurityThe Ultimate VoIP Solution

Should You Outsource VoIP or Manage It In-House?

Five Reasons Not to Implement VoIP