VOIP and YOUR BUSINESS: Why it may be good for you!

I recently sat down for a chat with the COO of SEMNAC Technologies in Fort Lauderdale, FL to learn more about VOIP. Here is a synopsis of our conversation.


What is VOIP?


VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. This is a way of using the data network witin your business or home to allow the traversing of voice packets. This means that you are actually using the network that you have for video and web surfing to actually allow audio such as a telephone over it.


Unlike the tradition or "old school" PSTN (Public Switch Telephony Network) that used copper lines to send information to each telephone number, VOIP utilizes some of the old copper technology along with fiber optics  that speeds up the communication to provide data. So essentially we are using Voice over your already existing IP, whether that IP is at your home or business.


What are the advantages of using VOIP?

1. Economical - Cost is the first thing that comes to mind when we are looking at the advantages of using VOIP. On a monthly basis I would estimate that VOIP could save you 50-75% of what you are now paying on the traditional system. SEMNAC technologies has a package where for just $29.99 per month you have unlimited national calls and depending on the system you want, you may be able to get your phone FREE. Now that is a pretty good deal.
2. Space Saving- VOIP uses a lot less equipment than the traditional TDM (Time Division Multiplexing) system. It basically requires just a server, so it takes up about 80% less space than some of the monstrous systems that I have installed in large businesses over the years.
3. Saves Time- As I think of this advantage I consider my own home and how important it is to have things up and running in no time. My wife hates to have work people all over the house doing things, she complains that it interrupts her flow and as such I may not benefit from home cooked meals for as long as the work people are in our home. That is a bomber. Like my home, when a business has it's phone system disrupted and engineers in and out for days, weeks and even months it is not only frustrating, but it affects productivity and that means a loss of money. In addition, the client who is already at a disadvantage may be paying additional labor costs for the extra hours. From my 20+ years background in PBX, sometimes it could take up to a month to install some of the monstrous systems that I have done in the past. With VOIP it could take up to six hours to be fully installed, up and running. Now that is a big deal for any business.

Is there a downside to VOIP technology?

The only disadvantage I see with it and have heard reports of is that VOIP depends on the reliability of your IP network. So if your IP network is not reliable then you may have dropped packets or a slow connection. It also depends on power, so if the power goes your IP network is going to go which is not the case of the traditional system.

What I have found that many businesses do is to have a hybrid system where they integrate both VOIP and POTS (Plain Old Telephony Service) line as a backup just in case of events like a power glitch and so on.

Finally, how secure is VOIP compared to the traditional system?

As a matter of fact I think VOIP is more secure because the levels of encryption has increased. Gone are the days when someone could walk up to your place and tap into your telephone line and record your conversation. VOIP is really data stream and we have put in place encryption and firewall to protect people's data...

Follow-up Question: and since there is a internet connection with VOIP, should people worry about their product being affected by computer viruses?

That is not a problem as most VOIP systems are on a Linux background that is essentially virus free.

Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me. I know this information will be invaluable to many people.


For more information on SEMNAC Technologies visit- www.semnac.com