7 Common VoIP Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

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1) Having No Real Business Case for Implementing VoIP.

Don't deploy VoIP just because it's the latest and greatest technology! Instead ask yourself ‘what is the business or operational issue we're trying to solve or improve upon?' Here are few solid business reasons for deploying VoIP that will reap you return on investment:

• To reduce monthly recurring costs (i.e., leverage data infrastructure for voice; lower line costs, lower per minute charges)
• To unify multiple branch offices and/or have centralized administration nationally or globally
• To accommodate work at home employees, telecommuters or field representatives
• To have a local phone number in a targeted area where you don't have a physical office

2) Forgetting About Your Data Network.

Voice Over IP (by definition) is voice packets running over your local or wide area network. So if your network is a mess, the lifeline to your business will be a mess too! Don't invest in a great VoIP phone system if you're going to leave in place consumer-grade network switches, for example. If your network has bogus traffic on it and high latency, the result will be terrible voice quality. Conduct a professional network analysis so you can plan according to facts.

3) Under-Estimating the Bandwidth Required.

You can't stuff a pumpkin down a garden hose! And if you try, your customers will hate you because they can't hear anything other than garble and echo. Any sales person who says your $29.95 DSL will work fine should be escorted to the door immediately. You may need to upgrade your bandwidth or replace a DSL, for example, with a dedicated T1. It all depends on the projected amount of voice traffic. Consult your trusted telecom professional to accurately gauge the amount of bandwidth required for your application.

4) Assuming Voice Over IP Means "Free Calling."

Forget the TV commercials for residential VoIP. It's a different world for business. Commercial VoIP usually still has a measured per minute or bucket of minutes cost. While cost per minute is often lower than standard long distance (especially for international calling), commercial VoIP doesn't mean unlimited free talking. Work with your telecom advisor to find a VoIP calling plan that matches your calling patterns.

5) Not Owning Your Phone Number.

If you're deploying a hosted VoIP model and are issued a new phone number, sometimes you are only "renting" that number, so don't get too attached to it!  If you port your existing phone number to the hosted VoIP carrier, ask the carrier who "owns" your phone number if you should ever discontinue service.

6) Assuming 9-1-1 Works as Usual.

When a 911 call is made via a traditional phone line, location information is transmitted to emergency service providers. Due to the virtual and mobile nature of a VoIP handset, calls may not originate from a "physical" location, complicating the transmission of address information. Make sure your VoIP phone system and/or service provider properly configures 9-1-1 so each handset is mapped to the right physical address. Then conduct a test by calling 9-1-1.

7) Not Having a Failover Plan.

Because VoIP is delivered over Internet Protocol, phone system features can be extended to any location or handset with an Internet connection. But what happens if there's no Internet connectivity? Is your company or that remote worker able to operate that day? Identify alternative call delivery mechanisms that still provide call control capability to your company or remote workers.