To VoIP or not to VoIP: How to make the right decision

There's been a lot written about Voice over Internet Protocol, the security issues that wrap around it and the integration issues inherent to deploying a new type of network. Lots of ink has been spilled over the cost savings factor when compared to traditional networks but often those savings get eaten up by rollout costs. And that's not to mention the potential for dropped packets--something that's almost impossible measure in terms of business loss. The best approach is differentiating between the hype and the reality, which can only be done by observing how other enterprises have determined if VoIP is a good solution or not. As one manager discovered, VoIP was the perfect choice as it let him build telephony services almost on the fly--a key aspect for making sure that his construction business is connected at every site. That provisioning ability also grabbed the attention of a port-management company that was moving operations between buildings and locations. For other organizations, the ability to unify messaging--voice, data and the emerging 'presence' capability, is the big lure. But while cost savings do come into play for every scenario, deployment costs aren't anything to sneeze at. For example, a 1,000 line network brings an average price tag of $750,000, according to one analyst report. That's one reason why other companies are mixing VoIP with traditional PBX depending on their actual network needs. Knowing all the capabilities, keeping in mind the costs tied to every aspect and mapping out what you really want in network functionality are the key steps in deciding whether VoIP is what you need to impliment in your network. Article

PLUS: Why extra security work is a must with VoIP deployment. Article