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Making VoIP Work for You

Chances are you've been hearing a lot about the potential of voice over IP (VoIP) technology. You may even be intrigued enough to consider VoIP as an alternative to your traditional PBX voice system.

If so, you'll be glad to know that the benefits of VoIP technology surpass cost-effectiveness, low cost of ownership, and ease of installation. VoIP can enhance employee productivity and sharpen your competitive edge well beyond what traditional PBX systems could ever do.

Here's a glimpse of some of today's most popular VoIP applications — and the specific business advantages they can provide companies like yours.  Read on....

 Wireless Meets Small Business

These days, wireless computing means freedom in business. No longer must people be tethered to their desks, bound by the mass of cables and cords that connect their equipment. Wireless means work can be done beyond office walls, from anywhere there is a wireless hotspot - which these days seem to be everywhere - the airport, coffee shops, hotels, and many homes. The possibilities for mobile working increase exponentially with wireless, translating into increased productivity. At the same time, wireless introduces a new set of security issues, and all too many businesses are jumping on the wireless bandwagon before they understand the technology and all the risks associated with it.

In July, the Yankee Group released a survey indicating that spending on wireless voice and data services by small and medium-sized businesses will grow by 93 percent this year. With dropping costs of entry and more stable standards, going wireless is easier than ever for small businesses. While the benefits of wireless can be great, you need to consider your unique situation, and whether you have the time and expertise to manage the security issues that can accompany wireless.

If you can identify with either of the following, then wireless may be the right connectivity solution for your small business:   Read on....

Why are IT managers using VPNs?

The main reason cited is to cut communications costs.
What they use the VPN for is another matter.

There are several benefits to implementing a Virtual Private Network (VPN). The first is remote access, where the VPN provides an alternative to traditional dial access. This is the most popular use of the technology. In this application, a user dials into a service provider's network and then launches VPN client software. The software typically encrypts the data from the user's PC and uses tunneling protocols to safeguard the connection. The data stream is embedded into packets and transported over the Internet to a VPN gateway or server sitting in the corporate headquarters.

There are several benefits of using a remote access VPN. First, communications charges can be reduced. The remote user typically is dialing a local phone number to reach the ISP's point of presence. This is in contrast to paying a long distance or toll-free number charge to make the same connection directly back to the corporation.

With the deployment of a VPN, long distance phone charges can be cut significantly. Additionally, the return on investment when moving to a remote access VPN is relatively quick. Many companies start their remote access VPN efforts by buying a VPN gateway or stand-alone dedicated VPN device. They may also VPN-enable a router or firewall.  With such an initial investment, many IT managers have said that the payback period for the equipment is measured in months.

A VPN also can reduce the cost to manage and operate access equipment. Specifically, a remote access VPN lets a company outsource its modems to an ISP. Instead of maintaining huge banks of modems or remote access servers or concentrators, an IT manager can move users to a VPN and have that traffic carried into the company over a dedicated Internet access line.

The second most common VPN application is for site-to-site connectivity. Site-to-site provides a cost savings when link branch offices through the VPN. If a company has a regional frame relay network, the cost of equivalent-speed dedicated links into an ISP's network would often be about the same as the frame relay connections. However, the more geographic ground a network covers, the more likely a VPN would save money.

Branch-Office VPNs
Many companies first look to VPNs to help cut the long distance phone charges they incur from remote users dialing into the corporate network. This remote access VPN approach has been the most common use of the technology to date.

But now, as companies and IT managers get more comfortable with the security and performance of VPNs, they are increasingly looking to use the same technology to connect branch offices and remote sites.

Pretty much all VPN equipment today has the ability to pass SNMP alarms and alerts up to an enterprise management system. But IT managers need to look carefully at each vendor's management implementation to be sure it will work with existing management systems.

Deployment issues
Your users likely are accustomed to a certain level of connectivity service. They may know, for example, that when they send an e-mail to someone within the company, it gets there in a very short time. Or, they may know that when they hit return when entering an order they will get an immediate acknowledgment displayed on their workstation, even though the system replying is located at another site.

If you move all of this traffic over to a VPN, users will certainly expect the same type of performance.  Regardless of your reasons for needing a VPN, Panurgy can help guide you to a VPN solution that will best work for your organization.