| Many businesses are considering changing their | | | | simply reading the content (no data transmission at all). |
| business phone systems from traditional PBX or | | | | So what happens to the unused capacity; it is idle |
| Centrex systems to VOIP (Voice Over Internet) | | | | capacity that you are paying for and not using. |
| systems. Often the conclusion of management is that | | | | You can probably get a reading on the amount of |
| changing the underlying technology of their business | | | | data traffic you are using by asking your IT person or |
| phone system might not be worth the risk: fear of the | | | | network installer to monitor the traffic through your |
| unknown, if you will. | | | | router. You may find that you are using only 10% of |
| What most business managers don't realize is that a | | | | that capacity. As far as voice traffic is concerned, |
| large proportion of their business phone traffic is being | | | | figure that you are using about 65Kb/sec for each |
| carried by VOIP already. All of the major telephone | | | | ACTIVE phone call. Active is the key word; what you |
| companies have already switched to VOIP; it is simply | | | | need to consider is what is the maximum concurrent |
| inherently more efficient to send voice traffic in | | | | number of phones in use at any one time. Look around |
| packetized form rather than dedicating a line to the | | | | and see how many phones are in use AT ONE TIME |
| traffic. So, the question isn't: "Should I switch to VOIP?", | | | | during your peak hours. |
| because it's likely you already have. | | | | So, the real decision is simply one of capacity. Add up |
| The real question business managers and IT managers | | | | the maximum phones in use, multiply by 65Kb, and then |
| should be asking themselves is this: "Am I making | | | | add your data usage. Add on a safety margin and that |
| efficient use of my internet connection(s)?" | | | | is the capacity that you need for your internet |
| For example, if your business has 24 phone lines, | | | | connection. |
| when they are all in use, you are using approximately a | | | | And by routing your calls over VOIP, you may avoid |
| T1 connection (1.5 Mb/sec in each direction). But, when | | | | many "toll charges" currently imposed by your phone |
| only 12 lines are in use, only 750 Kb are being used. | | | | company. The reason for this is that VOIP calls are |
| What is happening to the rest? It is simply idle capacity | | | | routed over the internet until they reach the destination |
| that you are paying for and not using. | | | | city and then they are processed as a local call to the |
| The same thing is true of your business data line. If you | | | | recipient. |
| have a T1 connection for your business internet and | | | | So, if you have been obsessing about "the risk" of |
| data connection, how much is actually being used? | | | | switching to VOIP, quit worrying; start thinking instead |
| Such things are web browsing and email checking use | | | | about your internet capacity and your ability to use it |
| very little connection time; most of the time the user is | | | | efficiently. |