Whether the need is to know or be known, almost everyone (a good 70% per a recent study) first turns to the Internet. How many times do you see something of interest on TV, in a print ad, or mentioned by a friend and say to yourself, “Oh, I’ll look that up on the Internet.” I say that to myself a few times each day. Then I sit down with my laptop, open the browser, and invariably get lost in a web of meaningless minutia. Two hours later, I have hard time recalling what it was that launched me on my web quest. Oh yes, I remember now; it was dieting. I can probably tell you about every amino acid and its effect on metabolism but I’m clueless on how to lose weight. I once asked a nurse who works for a diet center what their special secret is. “Take in a few less calories than you use in a day,” she said. Hmmm, I did not need an Internet search to figure that out.
Looking up VoIP on the worldwide web is no different. If you plug VoIP into a search window, you are invariably led into a forest of technical specs — site after site of the latest in IP PBX’s, release 3.0 and 9.5’s, gateways, media servers, Internet Protocol, real-time protocol, and a yellow brick road with lions, tigers, and bears. The simple fact is that most executives, “just want their phone to ring”, as a friend of mine who’s responsible for quality at a major engine parts manufacturer put it. Most business managers aren’t sure why they need VoIP other than to keep up with the Jones’s.
Executives take note: VoIP will affect every employee and every desktop in your organization — and at no small expense. VoIP is a technology that impacts every business and every consumer. Traditional phone lines will soon become a thing of the past. Therefore, knowing what VoIP is and why it matters can help save some time and money while mitigating the risk of business disruption during VoIP deployment.
When it comes to the bare technical essentials of VoIP, there are just a few things that are a “must know”. These include: Why you need a network assessment, what deployment model best fits your organization, and how VoIP can help with disaster recovery and other mission critical business issues. And, oh, picking a vendor who can make the phone on your desk ring.
If you have five more minutes, our “CxO Five Minute VoIP Guru Guide” can give you what an Internet search will not uncover in five minutes, or perhaps even five hours! The best part is that it’s free. Just click and download CxO 5 Minute VoIP Guru Guide
Editors’ Note: Peggy Gritt teaches Eogogics’s VoIP courses for decision-makers and technical professionals.