Adoption of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) promises both savings
on telecommunications costs and increased functionality. Here's how
SMBs can turn promise into reality.

By Bryan Cohen, Senior Telephony Engineer, CDW

The reasons to make the switch are compelling:

* Costs for moving, adding or changing a telephone connection. With
digital PBX, many companies typically pay up to $250 an hour for
support services every time they want to change, add or move a
telephone line. With an IP-based phone system, that cost is eliminated.
Telephones can be moved to various locations because the VoIP telephone
system software automatically recognizes it.

* Long-distance calls between offices. Many companies incur large
long-distance bills while making calls between their office locations.
These long-distance charges can be substantially reduced or potentially
eliminated by using VoIP and IP Telephony because they avoid the tolls
charged by ordinary telephone service.

* Long distance calls to clients. Many new VoIP-based telephone systems
can support IP telephony from a typical telephony services provider.
That translates into decreased long-distance costs between a company
and its clients. In addition, companies equipped with VoIP may be able
to eliminate the monthly service costs charged for dedicated voice
services such as those carried over copper trunks or primary interface
(PRI) lines.