Two factors make VoIP important, almost critical, to businesses these days. One, VoIP can reduce communication costs significantly. Two, it offers enhanced features, helping businesses improve their professional image. UK’s Business Buyguide lists the following business benefits of VoIP:

• Lower costs
• Improved control over technology
• Simpler system management
• Bundled services
• Improved network efficiency
• Potential for future application enhancement and development

In spite of the edge VoIP promises to give a business, businesses don’t deploy it fearing the complexity of its management.

Is there a right way of VoIP management? The management will largely depend on the business’ infrastructure, needs, and the service bought. However, certain elements are integral to the management of VoIP.

• Feasibility study: It is important to understand if the current infrastructure can accommodate VoIP. Standards are set at this time in order to see if VoIP deployment is feasible.
• Pre-deployment testing: Before the final deployment, one has to see if the VoIP solution can meet the set standards.
• On-going monitoring and troubleshooting: Once the VoIP solution has been deployed, it needs continuous performance monitoring. The management has to see to it that problems, if any, are rectified at the earliest.
• Security management: It is important to see that the VoIP network is not vulnerable at any time.
• Optimization: A VoIP management solution should take measures to optimize the VoIP network’s results.

The above-mentioned elements make up the VoIP management lifecycle. A management solution should cover these elements.

Keep watching this space for news and views from the world of telecommunications.