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Perhaps you read my earlier article VoIP: Is It Ready for the Enterprise?, reviewed some of the pros and cons and are raring to go and implement internet telephony in 2006. Do you know what to expect from an enterprise-wide implementation of VoIP? Are you truly ready to take the leap? Let the following questions guide you to an informed answer.

Are you clear on the expected benefits, how to measure them, and how feedback will be monitored?
With an undertaking this significant, you absolutely must have a well thought out business case. In addition to the basic dollars and cents of your proposition, you need to be very clear on your expected benefits, the timeline it will take to realize these benefits, and how you will measure them. Even more important, but often forgotten, is a clear channel for feedback.

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Let's face it, changing the way everyone uses their telephone has far-reaching impact at all corners of the organization. How do you propose to receive feedback from all the affected stakeholders? Will people be able to provide you feedback almost real-time? How will you design the feedback loop so people are encouraged to be honest and are willing to take the time to provide feedback — the good, bad, and ugly — in a way that yields long-term benefits? As with any network that is geographically dispersed, what works one way in "Location A" may not act the same way in "Location B."

Do you have the resources and expertise to evaluate and implement VoIP services?
As with any new technology, a great deal of research and evaluation is needed to choose the right service provider and products. To complicate matters, VoIP is an area that crosses multiple disciplines. At a minimum it encompasses Internet technology, networking, and traditional telephony services. Do you have a plan in place to include all the key people early in project planning process? And, once you have everyone involved, do you have a workable and well laid out plan with who is responsible for what during a phased implementation?

Is your infrastructure ready?
With VoIP, one thing is certain: your network will suddenly experience exponentially more traffic. Is your existing infrastructure ready and able to provide the real-time, quality, class of service reliability required for voice business communications?

Infrastructure concerns are not limited to capacity. Security is another key factor that needs a thorough audit. Is your security organization informed and ready to tackle the added responsibilities of securing the organization's voice communications? Voice communications transmitted through the network suddenly become vulnerable to all the usual network security breaches — worms, viruses, spam, etc. — that were not even on the map with traditional landline communications.

Do you have a solid end-user training plan in place?
Let's face it, everyone knows how to use a regular telephone. And, while the phones used for VoIP are not radically different (after all, you still listen, speak, and push buttons), people faced with yet one more change and added technology will need some support getting up to speed. For the most technophobic, it will be particularly unsettling as you take away the most familiar tool from their workday toolbox.

Can you handle disruptions in communications?
Every system implementation comes with its own set of bumps and unexpected glitches. Can your organization handle disruptions in voice communications without bringing business operations to a halt? With the change to VoIP, you need to consider not only the possibility of an outage of voice communications, but also disruptions and annoyances along the way as any quality of service issues is addressed. We've come to take clear and reliable landline communications and voicemail for granted. As you work out the kinks in equipment and infrastructure you may experience some periods of less than ideal service. Is your business prepared to run unencumbered even if the answer to the question "Can you hear me now?" is "Not really"?

The Bottom Line

While VoIP remains the exception versus the rule, especially in large enterprises, new developments such as the new telecom bill that proposes to treat VoIP like other phone services and the emergence of hosted PBX services may help to swing the pendulum. Given the dynamic nature of the VoIP space, anyone considering taking the plunge needs to stay abreast of the latest developments.

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Other Resources

from Intranet Journal

Intranet Journal Discussion Board VoIP: Is It Ready for the Enterprise?

from JupiterWeb

VoIP Planet Discussion: bandwidth priority for VOIP (Virtual Dr.)

from the Web

The Challenge of Securing VoIP (Help Net Security) Understanding VoIP: An Executive Persepctive (Intel)