VoIP systems are becoming increasingly popular due to the benefits they offer to businesses, from cost reductions to scalability and integration with CRM systems.
Transitioning from traditional telephony to VoIP is fairly straight forward. After all, you already have internet infrastructure in place; however, you still need to carefully plan and test prior to deploying a VoIP system to ensure your business won’t be left without any means of contact with the outside world. Here are six key steps to take when planning to transition to VoIP.
Is your network ready for the extra traffic?
VoIP calls don’t use a vast amount of bandwidth, but the extra traffic adds up. You need to ensure that your internal infrastructure and your data connection are up to the task of handling the extra traffic at peak periods.
You should investigate your network usage with some network analysing tools, and consider implementing quality of service (QoS) to prioritise voice traffic.
Pick a provider that is right for your usage
Like any other service contract, you want the provision to match your needs. You should consider the number of minutes you are likely to use, the locations you call, and whether you want to go with a traditional provider or a wholesale VOIP termination provider such as https://www.idtexpress.com/.
How will your system be hosted?
VoIP systems can be deployed in a number of ways. For larger enterprises, self-hosting is still probably the best option, while smaller businesses can save space and up-front costs by exploring hosted and managed VoIP systems.
Ensure your network security allows the VoIP traffic
Network security is a big deal; therefore, if you are not currently using VoIP, you might have software in place that could interfere with VoIP traffic. Ensure that firewalls and other network protection you use is configured to allow the VoIP traffic.
Set up a testbed before you deploy
Before you put your business through a major transition, you should set up the system in a controlled environment to iron out as many problems as possible before widespread deployment.
Monitor traffic, quality and feedback
Your work is not done after deployment. You need to continue to monitor network traffic to ensure your infrastructure can cope with the increased traffic, paying close attention to feedback related to call quality to ensure everything is working properly.