IP Softphone
The Avaya IP Softphone is designed to operate on a Windowsbased
computer. It is essentially a piece of software to be
loaded on the computer. Imagine dialing a telephone number
from your computer by pointing and clicking the on-screen
dial pad. Or as an alternative to clicking, you can simply say
aloud the speed dial name. Together with a pluggable telephony
headset, it enables voice communications and other productivity
features, including:
Crystal clear voice communications possible from alternate
work locations including home, hotels, Internet hot
spots, and customer locations
Integration with Outlook contact lists for autodial support
LDAP directory access
Phone numbers displayed
Incoming calls synchronized with directory look-ups for
simple screen pop applications
Instant messaging and presence tracking
Point-and-click dialing
IP-enabled desktop telephone features accessible from
computer
Multiple call appearances (as opposed to just the one
call you are currently on)
Point-to-point video calls application (available with
selected versions)
IT Certification CCIE,CCNP,CCIP,CCNA,CCSP,Cisco Network Optimization and Security Tips
Calling All Phones
Calling All Phones
With Avaya’s approach to IP Telephony, companies can use
their existing digital telephone station equipment to avoid
forklift upgrades and be more selective and cost-effective with
IP telephone deployment. Though telephone designs may vary
from those on employees’ desks to those in hallways or meeting
rooms, any digital phone can support IP-based telephone calls
on the LAN side, packetized VoIP-based calls on the WAN side,
and local calls off the LAN and into the PSTN as needed.
In addition, digital and IP-based telephones are differentiated
by the number and type of features they can support. Features
that have been available on most digital telephone station
equipment prior to the emergence of IP Telephony and VoIP
include:
Voicemail
Call transfer
Call forwarding
Call waiting (also known as call park or hold)
Multiple call appearances
Three-way (or more) conference calling
Redial
Speed dial
Message indicator to let them know they have voicemail
Migrating to IP Telephony does not have to mean that you
replace digital telephone station equipment to keep these
features. This equipment and their feature functions are interoperable
in the new IP Telephony environment.
Avaya’s approach to IP Telephony builds on existing feature
sets by adding IP-based features and functions that transform
the enterprise’s infrastructure into a converged communications
network. The added features and functions include:
Employees connect their IP telephone into the company’s
LAN. In addition, they connect their computer into one of
the ports on the IP telephone. In a startup company with
no existing cabling plant, this reduces by one-half the
number of cabling drops needed to physically connect
all employees to the LAN. This feature can add up to
thousands of dollars of savings for just one building or
location. It also reduces the complexity of the company’s
cabling plant. The lower-end IP telephone types have just
a single port to connect the phone itself.
In the POTS world, the carrier companies provide the
power from their equipment over their circuit-switched
lines to the telephone. (Ever wonder why the POTS telephones
don’t have power plugs?) In companies using
the conventional private telephone systems, the system
(PBX, or Private Branch Exchange) provided the power
to the telephones in the company. With quality IP telephones,
the power is down line loaded from the LAN
switch or the IP telephone can be plugged in at the
user’s desk.
All IP telephones support the IP family of protocols (at
least to a certain extent), so they are generally compatible
with the Web. Not all IP-enabled telephones are physically
able to support the full range of Web applications, but
IP-enabled telephones that have HTML-based displays
can support most Web-related enterprise applications.
(HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language and is the
main programming language used to program Web pages.)
IP-enabled telephones with HTML-based displays support
the following features:
• Dashboards (basically, lights and indicators on the
Web page area of your phone)
• Web browsing
• Corporate news and events
• Weather advisory display (Don’t forget your
umbrella!)
• Employee productivity
• Stock ticker
• Support for end-user defined applications and links
Other special features on selected IP-enabled telephones
include:
• Security alerts
• Access to corporate directory information via
industry standard Lightweight Directory Access
Protocol (LDAP) server
• Personalized ring patterns
• UNICODE support for native language display information.
(UNICODE is a 16-bit code that translates
every character of every language in the world.)
• Call log lists of incoming and outgoing calls
• Integrated speakerphone
• Infrared port for PDA and PC application integration
• Multiple call appearances
ü
With Avaya’s approach to IP Telephony, companies can use
their existing digital telephone station equipment to avoid
forklift upgrades and be more selective and cost-effective with
IP telephone deployment. Though telephone designs may vary
from those on employees’ desks to those in hallways or meeting
rooms, any digital phone can support IP-based telephone calls
on the LAN side, packetized VoIP-based calls on the WAN side,
and local calls off the LAN and into the PSTN as needed.
In addition, digital and IP-based telephones are differentiated
by the number and type of features they can support. Features
that have been available on most digital telephone station
equipment prior to the emergence of IP Telephony and VoIP
include:
Voicemail
Call transfer
Call forwarding
Call waiting (also known as call park or hold)
Multiple call appearances
Three-way (or more) conference calling
Redial
Speed dial
Message indicator to let them know they have voicemail
Migrating to IP Telephony does not have to mean that you
replace digital telephone station equipment to keep these
features. This equipment and their feature functions are interoperable
in the new IP Telephony environment.
Avaya’s approach to IP Telephony builds on existing feature
sets by adding IP-based features and functions that transform
the enterprise’s infrastructure into a converged communications
network. The added features and functions include:
Employees connect their IP telephone into the company’s
LAN. In addition, they connect their computer into one of
the ports on the IP telephone. In a startup company with
no existing cabling plant, this reduces by one-half the
number of cabling drops needed to physically connect
all employees to the LAN. This feature can add up to
thousands of dollars of savings for just one building or
location. It also reduces the complexity of the company’s
cabling plant. The lower-end IP telephone types have just
a single port to connect the phone itself.
In the POTS world, the carrier companies provide the
power from their equipment over their circuit-switched
lines to the telephone. (Ever wonder why the POTS telephones
don’t have power plugs?) In companies using
the conventional private telephone systems, the system
(PBX, or Private Branch Exchange) provided the power
to the telephones in the company. With quality IP telephones,
the power is down line loaded from the LAN
switch or the IP telephone can be plugged in at the
user’s desk.
All IP telephones support the IP family of protocols (at
least to a certain extent), so they are generally compatible
with the Web. Not all IP-enabled telephones are physically
able to support the full range of Web applications, but
IP-enabled telephones that have HTML-based displays
can support most Web-related enterprise applications.
(HTML stands for Hypertext Markup Language and is the
main programming language used to program Web pages.)
IP-enabled telephones with HTML-based displays support
the following features:
• Dashboards (basically, lights and indicators on the
Web page area of your phone)
• Web browsing
• Corporate news and events
• Weather advisory display (Don’t forget your
umbrella!)
• Employee productivity
• Stock ticker
• Support for end-user defined applications and links
Other special features on selected IP-enabled telephones
include:
• Security alerts
• Access to corporate directory information via
industry standard Lightweight Directory Access
Protocol (LDAP) server
• Personalized ring patterns
• UNICODE support for native language display information.
(UNICODE is a 16-bit code that translates
every character of every language in the world.)
• Call log lists of incoming and outgoing calls
• Integrated speakerphone
• Infrared port for PDA and PC application integration
• Multiple call appearances
ü
Getting the most from your IP telephone
Getting the most from your IP telephone
You can use an IP-enabled browser
phone such as the Avaya 4630SW IP
Screenphone to accomplish much of
what you can do on your desktop
computer. For example, Joann works
for one of the top healthcare insurance
providers headquartered in the
Northeast. Her company has 17 locations
connected over a VoIP supported
Wide Area Network (WAN).
Throughout her typical day, Joann
uses an IP-enabled browser telephone
to receive announcements,
make phone calls, and send and
receive e-mail.
Joann starts her day by checking
her IP telephone’s Web page for
announcements. One morning, she
read that her friend and coworker
Rae Lynn had a baby boy the night
before. She made a note to send Rae
Lynn’s family a card.
As part of her job, Joann reviews and
approves/denies healthcare claims
that do not fit the normal criteria for a
final decision by the utilization review
(UR) department. Much of Joann’s
communications relate to the status
of the claims she is investigating. She
regularly communicates with people
located at her home office and other
sites, usually the site of the claim(s)
origin. Joann also interacts with staff
from their company’s huge healthcare
provider network to determine
the fine details of each claim she
receives for disposition.
With the exception of any calls made
in the local calling area, all Joann’s
telephone calls are carried on the corporate
VoIP network. When the call is
to a provider located off-net near one
of the company’s other locations, the
call travels from Joann’s IP telephone
over the corporate VoIP network to
the distant site’s location where it
goes over the company’s LAN at that
location, out the gateway there, and
into the local calling area of that location.
As a result, for all Joann’s telephone
calling, her resulting, monthly,
off-net, billable telephony charges are
minimal and for the most part are
billed as local calls.
All the claims Joann’s company
receives are transmitted to their UR
department via the Web. If a claim
cannot be approved for payment
upon receipt, the UR department forwards
it electronically via the corporate
VoIP network to Joann, with a
copy to the medical director of the
respective source location and a
copy to the headquarters’ medical
director.
Joann works frequently with the medical
director at the headquarters’ location
because of the technical nature
of many of the claims she receives. On
average, Joann calls this medical
director 7 to 10 times per day on
claim related matters. Therefore, she
includes this medical director in her IP
telephone buddy group and makes full
use of the “presence” feature alert
indicator on her IP telephone. If the
presence indicator is lit, she knows
not to waste her time calling the
medical director because he is on the
telephone with someone else. Joann
also has a presence indicator set up
for her immediate report and the
coworker that must fill in for her (and
vice versa) when she is not at her
desk.
Much of Joann’s day is spent on her
IP telephone. She uses it to process
inbound or outbound e-mail from the
company’s various locations. Sometimes
the content of a claim requires
Joann to contact other personnel in
the company. When she needs to do
this, Joann accesses her browserbased
directory to retrieve the
person’s contact information and
automatically dial their IP telephone
number. Or, if Joann is on the road,
she can use Avaya’s Speech Access
application feature to have the
system automatically dial anyone in
the directory by simply speaking their
name.
Needless to say, Joann is a busy
woman. About 30 minutes before her
workday ends, she checks the
weather advisory corner of the Web
page on her IP telephone. She wants
to know whether she needs to bring
her umbrella when she heads over to
the subway station. She checks her
voicemail and typically opts to have
the remaining unheard voicemail
messages printed so she can read
them on the subway ride home.
You can use an IP-enabled browser
phone such as the Avaya 4630SW IP
Screenphone to accomplish much of
what you can do on your desktop
computer. For example, Joann works
for one of the top healthcare insurance
providers headquartered in the
Northeast. Her company has 17 locations
connected over a VoIP supported
Wide Area Network (WAN).
Throughout her typical day, Joann
uses an IP-enabled browser telephone
to receive announcements,
make phone calls, and send and
receive e-mail.
Joann starts her day by checking
her IP telephone’s Web page for
announcements. One morning, she
read that her friend and coworker
Rae Lynn had a baby boy the night
before. She made a note to send Rae
Lynn’s family a card.
As part of her job, Joann reviews and
approves/denies healthcare claims
that do not fit the normal criteria for a
final decision by the utilization review
(UR) department. Much of Joann’s
communications relate to the status
of the claims she is investigating. She
regularly communicates with people
located at her home office and other
sites, usually the site of the claim(s)
origin. Joann also interacts with staff
from their company’s huge healthcare
provider network to determine
the fine details of each claim she
receives for disposition.
With the exception of any calls made
in the local calling area, all Joann’s
telephone calls are carried on the corporate
VoIP network. When the call is
to a provider located off-net near one
of the company’s other locations, the
call travels from Joann’s IP telephone
over the corporate VoIP network to
the distant site’s location where it
goes over the company’s LAN at that
location, out the gateway there, and
into the local calling area of that location.
As a result, for all Joann’s telephone
calling, her resulting, monthly,
off-net, billable telephony charges are
minimal and for the most part are
billed as local calls.
All the claims Joann’s company
receives are transmitted to their UR
department via the Web. If a claim
cannot be approved for payment
upon receipt, the UR department forwards
it electronically via the corporate
VoIP network to Joann, with a
copy to the medical director of the
respective source location and a
copy to the headquarters’ medical
director.
Joann works frequently with the medical
director at the headquarters’ location
because of the technical nature
of many of the claims she receives. On
average, Joann calls this medical
director 7 to 10 times per day on
claim related matters. Therefore, she
includes this medical director in her IP
telephone buddy group and makes full
use of the “presence” feature alert
indicator on her IP telephone. If the
presence indicator is lit, she knows
not to waste her time calling the
medical director because he is on the
telephone with someone else. Joann
also has a presence indicator set up
for her immediate report and the
coworker that must fill in for her (and
vice versa) when she is not at her
desk.
Much of Joann’s day is spent on her
IP telephone. She uses it to process
inbound or outbound e-mail from the
company’s various locations. Sometimes
the content of a claim requires
Joann to contact other personnel in
the company. When she needs to do
this, Joann accesses her browserbased
directory to retrieve the
person’s contact information and
automatically dial their IP telephone
number. Or, if Joann is on the road,
she can use Avaya’s Speech Access
application feature to have the
system automatically dial anyone in
the directory by simply speaking their
name.
Needless to say, Joann is a busy
woman. About 30 minutes before her
workday ends, she checks the
weather advisory corner of the Web
page on her IP telephone. She wants
to know whether she needs to bring
her umbrella when she heads over to
the subway station. She checks her
voicemail and typically opts to have
the remaining unheard voicemail
messages printed so she can read
them on the subway ride home.
Gaining Flexibility with VoIP
Gaining Flexibility with VoIP
VoIP is a win-win for everyone. With VoIP, customer satisfaction
and productivity increases for your entire company.
A few VoIP features, such as voicemail and call transfer, have
been around in the POTS world for quite some time. On the
other hand, integrating data, voice, and video applications to
run over a single network and work with wireless phones are
more recent innovations made possible by IP Telephony. As a
result, many new features under IP Telephony have become
available.
As with any new technology tool, VoIP with all of its many
end-user benefits is quickly replacing traditional POTS alternative
technologies. Indeed, VoIP is even becoming a superior
replacement for many former computer-only applications.
VoIP is a win-win for everyone. With VoIP, customer satisfaction
and productivity increases for your entire company.
A few VoIP features, such as voicemail and call transfer, have
been around in the POTS world for quite some time. On the
other hand, integrating data, voice, and video applications to
run over a single network and work with wireless phones are
more recent innovations made possible by IP Telephony. As a
result, many new features under IP Telephony have become
available.
As with any new technology tool, VoIP with all of its many
end-user benefits is quickly replacing traditional POTS alternative
technologies. Indeed, VoIP is even becoming a superior
replacement for many former computer-only applications.
Reaching out with VoIP
Reaching out with VoIP
From the individual mobile end-user and small single-site LAN
to the sophisticated, multi-location WAN that supports domestic
and international connectivity, Avaya is a world leader in
secure and reliable IP Telephony systems, communications
software applications, and full life-cycle services.
Each LAN in a multi-location enterprise network is connected
to the larger WAN. If you are located at the headquarters in
Pittsburgh, and you call a coworker located at the office in
Los Angeles, your call begins as an IP Telephony call on your
LAN. It then travels from your LAN through an edge device.
Edge devices include products such as the Extreme Networks’
Unified Access enabled switch. The edge device is programmed
to re-packetize your call and encode the larger VoIP packet
with the additional necessary information such as the address
for the destination LAN or the mobile end-user. For a singlelocation
company, other options for the edge include using
the Avaya G650 Media Gateway which connects directly to
the PSTN.
The process of packetization is referred to as encapsulation
by the network gurus. A good analogy for this fancy techno
term is like when you put a letter into an envelope for mailing.
The difference is that these encapsulated packets contain the
content of the telephone conversation in digitized form. You
would not be wrong to call it Voice Signals Inside IP Packets.
In order for the LAN to participate in the company’s VoIP WAN,
each LAN needs at least one edge device such as a router,
From the individual mobile end-user and small single-site LAN
to the sophisticated, multi-location WAN that supports domestic
and international connectivity, Avaya is a world leader in
secure and reliable IP Telephony systems, communications
software applications, and full life-cycle services.
Each LAN in a multi-location enterprise network is connected
to the larger WAN. If you are located at the headquarters in
Pittsburgh, and you call a coworker located at the office in
Los Angeles, your call begins as an IP Telephony call on your
LAN. It then travels from your LAN through an edge device.
Edge devices include products such as the Extreme Networks’
Unified Access enabled switch. The edge device is programmed
to re-packetize your call and encode the larger VoIP packet
with the additional necessary information such as the address
for the destination LAN or the mobile end-user. For a singlelocation
company, other options for the edge include using
the Avaya G650 Media Gateway which connects directly to
the PSTN.
The process of packetization is referred to as encapsulation
by the network gurus. A good analogy for this fancy techno
term is like when you put a letter into an envelope for mailing.
The difference is that these encapsulated packets contain the
content of the telephone conversation in digitized form. You
would not be wrong to call it Voice Signals Inside IP Packets.
In order for the LAN to participate in the company’s VoIP WAN,
each LAN needs at least one edge device such as a router,
IP Telephony
IP Telephony
IP Telephony enables voice communication over Internet
Protocol (IP) networks. It unites an organization’s many
locations—including mobile workers—into a single converged
network. It promises cost savings by combining voice and
data on one network that can be centrally maintained. But
more importantly, it brings advanced features and applications
that enhance productivity throughout the organization.
A large percentage of calling patterns within corporations
indicates that many calls will never leave the LAN. An IP
Telephony call to a coworker at the same location would never
leave the LAN. Similarly, a call to another department in your
building would never leave the LAN. In these examples, the
packets remain simply packets that travel over the LAN to the
called person. These packets do not need to include other
vital data inside them to direct the packet over longer distances
to other locations. As a result, IP Telephony calls result
in shorter-sized packets when compared to VoIP calling packets
that would need to go off the LAN.
IP Telephony works a lot like the computer works on the LAN.
But all users do not necessarily need an IP-enabled telephone.
Avaya implements IP Telephony in a manner that can protect
your investment in preexisting telephone equipment (for
example, enabling IP to digital and even IP to analog telephone
stations).
You can acquire IP telephones in several different styles. But
they all have one important thing in common: The IP telephone
has a network interface card (NIC) built into it just like
a computer must have a NIC inside of it to connect to the LAN.
The NIC is the single most important component for any LAN
device because it provides the device with its physical address
on the LAN. This address is simply called the MAC address.
MAC means media access control. The MAC address uses a
standardized 6-OCTET address and is usually represented in
IP Telephony enables voice communication over Internet
Protocol (IP) networks. It unites an organization’s many
locations—including mobile workers—into a single converged
network. It promises cost savings by combining voice and
data on one network that can be centrally maintained. But
more importantly, it brings advanced features and applications
that enhance productivity throughout the organization.
A large percentage of calling patterns within corporations
indicates that many calls will never leave the LAN. An IP
Telephony call to a coworker at the same location would never
leave the LAN. Similarly, a call to another department in your
building would never leave the LAN. In these examples, the
packets remain simply packets that travel over the LAN to the
called person. These packets do not need to include other
vital data inside them to direct the packet over longer distances
to other locations. As a result, IP Telephony calls result
in shorter-sized packets when compared to VoIP calling packets
that would need to go off the LAN.
IP Telephony works a lot like the computer works on the LAN.
But all users do not necessarily need an IP-enabled telephone.
Avaya implements IP Telephony in a manner that can protect
your investment in preexisting telephone equipment (for
example, enabling IP to digital and even IP to analog telephone
stations).
You can acquire IP telephones in several different styles. But
they all have one important thing in common: The IP telephone
has a network interface card (NIC) built into it just like
a computer must have a NIC inside of it to connect to the LAN.
The NIC is the single most important component for any LAN
device because it provides the device with its physical address
on the LAN. This address is simply called the MAC address.
MAC means media access control. The MAC address uses a
standardized 6-OCTET address and is usually represented in
Packet-switched telephony:
Packet-switched telephony:
From POTS to packets
Unlike circuit-switched POTS, which always require use of the
Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), VoIP technology
has enabled telephony and other new and novel features and
services to run over dedicated and wireless networks including
even your computer network. These newer network types
use packet-switched protocols.
Packet-switched VoIP puts voice signals into packets. Along
with the voice signals, VoIP packets include both the sender’s
and receiver’s network addresses. VoIP packets can traverse
any VoIP-compatible network. Along the way, they can choose
alternate paths because the destination address is included in
the packet. The routing of the packets is not dependent on
any particular network route.
In a circuit-switched network, the destination address is not
included in the signal; routing directions are determined physically
by the actual POTS line. So the routing must follow a
specific network line similarly to how a train follows a designated
set of railroad tracks. If the line is down, the call cannot
go through.
In a packet-switched network, if one of the network lines is
down, the packet can switch while in route between locations
to another working route to keep the call up. Using VoIP, voice
signals can be packetized like computer data packets. This
enables companies to consider using the same network
infrastructure to support both data and voice applications.
Companies can consolidate their physical networks (while
maintaining redundancy in their routing patterns) and build
an enterprise-class communications network with the latest
advanced IP-based features.
VoIP makes possible other services that older telephony systems
cannot do. The VoIP protocols, or simply IP, as many
have begun to call it for short, are interoperable. This term
means that the IP protocols will work well with all kinds of
networks. VoIP is valuable because it fundamentally operates
the same way in all network types. IP protocols are also highly
portable. This means they will work with any IP-enabled enduser
device such as an IP telephone, computer, or even a
Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). VoIP works everywhere!
From POTS to packets
Unlike circuit-switched POTS, which always require use of the
Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), VoIP technology
has enabled telephony and other new and novel features and
services to run over dedicated and wireless networks including
even your computer network. These newer network types
use packet-switched protocols.
Packet-switched VoIP puts voice signals into packets. Along
with the voice signals, VoIP packets include both the sender’s
and receiver’s network addresses. VoIP packets can traverse
any VoIP-compatible network. Along the way, they can choose
alternate paths because the destination address is included in
the packet. The routing of the packets is not dependent on
any particular network route.
In a circuit-switched network, the destination address is not
included in the signal; routing directions are determined physically
by the actual POTS line. So the routing must follow a
specific network line similarly to how a train follows a designated
set of railroad tracks. If the line is down, the call cannot
go through.
In a packet-switched network, if one of the network lines is
down, the packet can switch while in route between locations
to another working route to keep the call up. Using VoIP, voice
signals can be packetized like computer data packets. This
enables companies to consider using the same network
infrastructure to support both data and voice applications.
Companies can consolidate their physical networks (while
maintaining redundancy in their routing patterns) and build
an enterprise-class communications network with the latest
advanced IP-based features.
VoIP makes possible other services that older telephony systems
cannot do. The VoIP protocols, or simply IP, as many
have begun to call it for short, are interoperable. This term
means that the IP protocols will work well with all kinds of
networks. VoIP is valuable because it fundamentally operates
the same way in all network types. IP protocols are also highly
portable. This means they will work with any IP-enabled enduser
device such as an IP telephone, computer, or even a
Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). VoIP works everywhere!
Getting Down to Business with VoIP
Getting Down to Business
with VoIP
In This Part
Understanding the basics of VoIP
Making full use of VoIP and its many features
Getting to know your IP phone
Technological innovation is hurling itself upon us once
again. This time it is coming in the form of improving the
way we make telephone (voice) calls. It brings with it several
new capabilities that really change the meaning of the phrase
telephone call. VoIP is the name of this new communications
technology. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol.
Basically, VoIP means “voice transmitted over a digital network.”
VoIP is often referred to as IP Telephony because it uses the
latest innovations with the popular and familiar IP protocols to
make possible enhanced voice communications throughout the
enterprise. IP networking supports corporate, private, public,
cable, and even wireless networks. IP Telephony unites an
organization’s many locations—including mobile workers—
into a single converged communications network.
And by the way, don’t let the “voice” part of the acronym fool
you — telephony calls using VoIP go above and beyond the
call of duty. When it comes to placing telephone calls, VoIP
provides a range of support services and features unequalled
in the world of telephony. More on that later in this part.
How Does VoIP Work?
VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, means basically what the
acronym states: Voice travels over the Internet. When VoIP
was first developed, it worked only with the Internet and nothing
but the Internet so help us all. Today, VoIP operates over
most network types, including those used throughout the
corporate sector. But the “I” has stuck with the acronym. The
“P” represents the term Protocol. Protocol refers to the type
of rules that the network uses to send and receive signals.
These signals are the high and low electrical or optical pulses
often represented by the more familiar 1s and 0s of digital
networking.
IP Telephony works by converting voice communications into
data packets. Conveniently, it runs on the popular Ethernet
LAN (local area network) technology, which currently supports
over 96 percent of all companies’ needs for LANs.
Circuit-switched telephony
Before digital networking took off, everyone had to use the
one and only Plain Old Telephone Services (POTS). POTS runs
over a network called the Public Switched Telephone Network
(PSTN). The PSTN has been around since Mr. Bell invented the
telephone. That is why most companies today have POTSrelated
systems in place. These POTS telephone systems use
the old tried-and-true (and more expensive) method of telephone
service known as circuit-switched.
Believe it or not, a good illustration of POTS and PSTN is the
experiment where your fifth-grade teacher had you take two
tin cans and a length of wire to create an archaic telephone
system. As strange as it seems, this antiquated method of
telephony is the principal means underlying the operation of
POTS operating over the PSTN.
What changes in the real POTS-based telephony system is
the number, length, diameter, and type of wire or cables used.
These elements have grown immensely in variety and type.
In addition, the types of telephone equipment have changed
dramatically both at the customer end and at the carrier
provider end. But POTS telephony continues to use “circuitswitched”
rules (or protocols) of operation.
with VoIP
In This Part
Understanding the basics of VoIP
Making full use of VoIP and its many features
Getting to know your IP phone
Technological innovation is hurling itself upon us once
again. This time it is coming in the form of improving the
way we make telephone (voice) calls. It brings with it several
new capabilities that really change the meaning of the phrase
telephone call. VoIP is the name of this new communications
technology. VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol.
Basically, VoIP means “voice transmitted over a digital network.”
VoIP is often referred to as IP Telephony because it uses the
latest innovations with the popular and familiar IP protocols to
make possible enhanced voice communications throughout the
enterprise. IP networking supports corporate, private, public,
cable, and even wireless networks. IP Telephony unites an
organization’s many locations—including mobile workers—
into a single converged communications network.
And by the way, don’t let the “voice” part of the acronym fool
you — telephony calls using VoIP go above and beyond the
call of duty. When it comes to placing telephone calls, VoIP
provides a range of support services and features unequalled
in the world of telephony. More on that later in this part.
How Does VoIP Work?
VoIP, or Voice over Internet Protocol, means basically what the
acronym states: Voice travels over the Internet. When VoIP
was first developed, it worked only with the Internet and nothing
but the Internet so help us all. Today, VoIP operates over
most network types, including those used throughout the
corporate sector. But the “I” has stuck with the acronym. The
“P” represents the term Protocol. Protocol refers to the type
of rules that the network uses to send and receive signals.
These signals are the high and low electrical or optical pulses
often represented by the more familiar 1s and 0s of digital
networking.
IP Telephony works by converting voice communications into
data packets. Conveniently, it runs on the popular Ethernet
LAN (local area network) technology, which currently supports
over 96 percent of all companies’ needs for LANs.
Circuit-switched telephony
Before digital networking took off, everyone had to use the
one and only Plain Old Telephone Services (POTS). POTS runs
over a network called the Public Switched Telephone Network
(PSTN). The PSTN has been around since Mr. Bell invented the
telephone. That is why most companies today have POTSrelated
systems in place. These POTS telephone systems use
the old tried-and-true (and more expensive) method of telephone
service known as circuit-switched.
Believe it or not, a good illustration of POTS and PSTN is the
experiment where your fifth-grade teacher had you take two
tin cans and a length of wire to create an archaic telephone
system. As strange as it seems, this antiquated method of
telephony is the principal means underlying the operation of
POTS operating over the PSTN.
What changes in the real POTS-based telephony system is
the number, length, diameter, and type of wire or cables used.
These elements have grown immensely in variety and type.
In addition, the types of telephone equipment have changed
dramatically both at the customer end and at the carrier
provider end. But POTS telephony continues to use “circuitswitched”
rules (or protocols) of operation.
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