The Challenges of VoIP...and How to Overcome Them

July 11th, 2012 by admin

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology has been prescribed as a cure-all for business communication, especially in the recent years. Driven primarily by the significant cost savings associated with the technology, small to midsized businesses (SMBs) have been quick to adopt this technology. While its popularity continues to grow many businesses have found that there are many challenges associated with VoIP, but are seldom discussed. The main concerns revolve around complexity, security, network quality of service and overall reliability. Business owners need to understand the challenges associated with VoIP in order to successfully adopt the technology and reap its remarkable rewards.

The first issue associated with VoIP is its inherent complexity. As with any technological breakthrough, the average IT professional needs some time and experience to get a firm grasp on how to handle a new technology. VoIP requires network managers to learn new technical terminology, integrate VoIP into existing data networks and gain expertise in an entirely new skill set. Many business owners are consulting with unified communications providers in order to bypass these hurdles.

Another concern with VoIP is that it isn't as secure as traditional telephone systems. The nature of IP-based technology exposes businesses to eavesdropping or malicious hackers because when all communications used to run through one entity, the phone company, today's communications are running through the Internet, and must go through several servers before reaching their intended recipient. Some quick ways to avoid such headaches are by utilizing encryption or other security mechanisms that are designed specifically to counteract malicious acts. In fact, when appropriate preparation is made, many businesses actually experience improved security by shifting their communications to VoIP.

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