Interface Technologies NW Blog » convergence http://www.interfacetechnw.com/blog Cabling Infrastructure, Meru Wireless Network, and Avaya VOIP Blog Fri, 05 Mar 2010 03:30:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Proper preparation for VOIP http://www.interfacetechnw.com/blog/proper-preparation-for-voip/ http://www.interfacetechnw.com/blog/proper-preparation-for-voip/#comments Tue, 02 Mar 2010 03:28:14 +0000 andy http://www.interfacetechnw.com/blog/?p=73 In the past, other posts have touched on the different preparation points if you plan to migrate to VOIP.  The structured cabling team at ITN was recently given an opportunity to design and quote an emergency structured cabling solution for a client.  Most folks don’t re-wire their office on an emergency basis so you might wonder what the rush was all about.  It turns out that another vendor sold this client a ShoreTel VOIP telephone system.  While the ShoreTel VOIP system isn’t as strong as the AVAYA IP Office solution, no VOIP system should be installed onto a Category 3 infrastructure with subpar Ethernet switching.  Sadly the ShoreTel vendor may have seemed eager to “make a sale” and either never had the best interest of the client in mind or simply did not possess the basic knowledge concerning VOIP and Ethernet switching on a Category 3 cable infrastructure.  ITN was asked to provide pricing on replacing the 15 year old Category 3 infrastructure with Cat 5e so that the new ShoreTel phone system would work properly.  There is a great deal more preparation that goes into providing VOIP for business clients than just “selling a box and some phones”.

]]> http://www.interfacetechnw.com/blog/proper-preparation-for-voip/feed/ 0 Is VOIP a good fit for you? http://www.interfacetechnw.com/blog/is-voip-a-good-fit-for-you/ http://www.interfacetechnw.com/blog/is-voip-a-good-fit-for-you/#comments Fri, 26 Feb 2010 03:23:40 +0000 andy http://www.interfacetechnw.com/blog/?p=65 VOIP has been “all the buzz” the last year or two and touted as the next big tool for business, but is it really a good fit for you?  If new Ethernet switches are considered in the budget, then the overall cost of VOIP is usually higher than Digital.  Digital would never require re-wiring the office where VOIP might.  Having VOIP requires the separation of voice traffic and data traffic, or the execution of a network assessment to see how well the “network” will handle the addition of voice if voice (VOIP) and data traffic were converged. 

We take a different approach because the built-in features of the latest generation of VOIP systems are also available on the AVAYA IP Office in the digital configuration too!  Remote workers, quick phone moves, and “hotel-ing” are the primary benefits to VOIP.  The AVAYA IP Office has the ability to have VOIP, Digital, and Analog devices ALL working off of the same phone system therefore we can configure your office to be “all digital” while having your remote users on VOIP!  ITN can program the ability to do “hotel-ing” on any group of phones allowing for random access for transient workers.  When you look at the big picture, VOIP is not the answer for every business.  Maybe our competitors tout VOIP because their systems won’t do digital? 

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