Simplifying Administration
Almost every mid- to large-sized corporation has a large data infrastructure and
along with it, they probably have a large infrastructure built for voice-based
traffic.These networks, while both crucial to the organization, share no common
thread. Although they may share the same cabling, and even in some cases the
same protocols (such as IP), they are still very different types of infrastructures.
Two different groups within the corporation administer them, they utilize the
equipment of different vendors, both require separate leased lines or plain old
telephone service (POTS) lines, and funding for both probably come from different
budgets.With the IP telephony solution, these two infrastructures are collapsed
into one IP-based network, allowing all communications to share the same
administration, ultimately saving time and money for the corporation.
As we discussed earlier, an organization typically has two groups, a voice group
and a network group. Under the old world telephony solutions, these two groups
perform very different functions, and in a figurative sense, almost speak different
languages.With the IP telephony solution, these groups are collapsed into a single
resource pool.Voice and data, while still very different types of traffic, are administered
by the same group. Customer service and satisfaction will also benefit
from this type of infrastructure. Instead of an end-user having to call the network
group for one problem and the voice group for another, the user has a single
point of contact for their communication needs.