What Are The Difficulties Faced When Using Voip For Business

By Author: Daljeet Sidhu
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VoIP telephony has improved over the years and is quickly becoming a norm in various offices and homes. However, a few critical issues need to be worked out before it can replace Public Switched Telephone Networks (PSTN). The influencing factor here is dependability. VoIP is cost effective, easy to implement, tailor to specifications and manage, but it is only as reliable as the internet connection and the power supply that runs it.

VoIP - effectiveness versus dependability

Undoubtedly, VoIP is an effective technology. The phone systems can be tailored to meet the needs of personnel to near perfection. But do they promise 100% up time like the albeit conventional but dependable PSTN phone? Unfortunately not. That's because electricity and internet service outages though rare, cannot be eliminated. Servers that run VoIP applications do sometimes shutdown. Conventional phone systems sound archaic in the fast evolving digitized world but they are easy to use and rarely go out of order (not considering natural calamities, of course).

It is hardly a surprise that lots of businesses haven't opened up to VoIP ...
... yet. Their reluctance is not baseless. No business can risk the loss of phone connectivity, for however short a period. Let's discuss a few of the problems that VoIP developers must really work on to convince businesses to aggressively switch to VoIP.

Dependence on power grid

The main problem with VoIP is that it runs on the internet that is powered by electricity. Any breakdown in grid power will disrupt the phone system too. So, even with a VoIP system, a business will have to keep some backup phone system to cover itself against such instances. If not that, it will have to at least purchase a power resource that promises close to 100% up time.

Integration issues with other equipment

VoIP as yet does not integrate with equipment such as video recorders, home security systems, etc. that rely on the phone line. This deters home users from switching to VoIP as they would have to make a lot of unnecessary changes in current equipment.

VoIP makes 911 emergency call tracking difficult

VoIP works with IP addresses, not physical addresses. This becomes a limitation for 911 emergency calls as it is hard to find out the physical position of the caller. The automated mechanism is unable to transfer calls to the correct call centers and nearest Emergency Medical Service (EMS). This issue could be solved if there was some way to add the physical location in VoIP transmissions. Progress in this regard has been made in the last few years but the system is not perfect yet and prone to errors.

VoIP and the internet have the same risks

All the problems that are associated with digital transmission of data over cyberspace networks - jitter, loss of data packets, delayed transmission (latency) - are also relevant to VoIP. These problems negatively impact the sound quality leading to voice breaking, sound delays, etc. These drawbacks are not favorable to a business environment.

VoIP security issues

VoIP requires all the security procedures that are required to prevent the broadband connection from being compromised through hacking, virus assaults, illegal data interception, etc. VoIP developers are using various encryption strategies to counter this danger but more work needs to be put in for businesses to trust VoIP systems completely.

The relation between processor load and VoIP quality

VoIP phones come integrated with computer systems. If you are executing a processor intensive application on your server, there might be a sudden drop in audio quality during a call. This is not uncommon and called processor drain. Imagine you are on a critical business call and the server hangs; your call will also end abruptly.

All these issues are challenging and VoIP engineers are constantly working to crack them so that VoIP becomes more suitable for business communications. VoIP security and dependability are major factors that may stop some businesses from selecting VoIP. Advancing technology can make VoIP more reliable. That will definitely help it become a mainstream communication channel.
About Author:
Daljeet Sidhu. Read VoIP service providers, VoIP services and phone answering service advice.