VoIP Planning

When implementing Voice over IP (VoIP), technical teams often overlook key elements. Without proper planning, these issues will come back to bite you. Here are three things to include in your plans to ensure a successful deployment. Make sure that there is a 911 emergency services location reporting. With VoIP, phones usually talk to centralized servers in the network and calls are often routed out of gateways not local to the site. This wreaks havoc on accurate 911 location reporting, so you must plan accordingly. Another important fact to consider is the compatibility with the current infrastructure that exists within the business. Sometimes the integrations are obvious, such as a voice mail server or an IVR that distributes calls from the main line. Some are less so, such as a paging system in a warehouse, a call accounting software package that only finance uses, or an automatic dialer that makes reminder calls to customers. Lastly, make sure that you are willing to take the time and money to train the users on these phone systems if they are not family with it.