What will change for our employees when they start using VoIP?

Digg This!     StumbleUpon     Del.icio.us

RELATED CONTENT IP Telephony with Jon Arnold What is more cost efficient -- VoIP or an IP telephony system? What are some good ways to measure VoIP ROI? What are some best ways to save money on a VoIP deployment without losing too much quality? How will VoIP impact the quality of phone calls on our network? What is the biggest hurdle in an efficient IP telephony migration? What is the future of VoIP in the remote emerging telecom markets? Are we too late for VoIP? VoIP in 2009? Are there any "green" advantages (like power or cooling) to using VoIP versus a traditional PBX? Configuring a cost-effective VoIP network for overseas calls VoIP Migration and Implementation How can MPLS help in VoIP implementation between a parent company and its branch offices? VoIP islands 101: How did we get here? Linking VoIP islands: The value of SIP trunking SIP trunking ROI: Linking VoIP islands and more The benefits of linking VoIP islands What are some best ways to save money on a VoIP deployment without losing too much quality? Tutorial: VoIP ROI VoIP implementation study guide What is the biggest hurdle in an efficient IP telephony migration? What is the future of VoIP in the remote emerging telecom markets?

RELATED GLOSSARY TERMS Terms from Whatis.com − the technology online dictionary G.722  (SearchUnifiedCommunications.com) SIP trunking  (SearchUnifiedCommunications.com)

RELATED RESOURCES 2020software.com, trial software downloads for accounting software, ERP software, CRM software and business software systems Search Bitpipe.com for the latest white papers and business webcasts Whatis.com, the online computer dictionary

Ideally, there should be no change. When IP telephony is deployed to spec, the experience of making calls should be the same, and no change in behavior should be needed. The phone numbers, extensions, features, etc. should carry over with the new system.

For the most part, very little should change for end users with a basic IP telephony system. That said, there are two ways things can change -- both for the better. First, depending on how sophisticated the VoIP deployment is (as well as the system being replaced), end users will benefit from a richer feature set. Beyond the everyday calling features employees are familiar with, there will typically be many new features such as visual voicemail or ad hoc conferencing. The beauty of VoIP is that end users can take on as many new features as they are comfortable with, and personalize their IP telephony as they see fit.

Secondly, the broader communications experience will change if VoIP is deployed as part of a more extensive IP initiative. In this scenario, IP telephony will be introduced along with other solutions such as videoconferencing, mobile integration, web services, etc. This is a more ambitious migration plan, but delivers a richer, multimedia communications environment. Employees will need to adapt to a set of capabilities that go well beyond everyday telephony. This may require some upfront training, but in due time, the productivity benefits will become very apparent.