A VoIP readiness assessment can smooth the way for VoIP deployment and TEM can provide needed data for improved ROI on a VoIP deployment.
Many businesses are making the move to VoIP platforms. By having a VoIP readiness assessment performed in advance, it could be a cost saver for your business. A VoIP assessment is an evaluation of the connectivity, capacity, and configuration of a production network that is destined for voice and data convergence and can take the guesswork out of preparing the networks and can assure that VoIP deployment quality standards remain high.
The best practices for a VoIP readiness assessment are easy to follow and often produce revealing results that save time, money, and aggravation when deploying a VoIP service, according to an article in Internet Telephony Magazine on-line. The following is a synopsis of the article’s recommended readiness assessment steps:
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Discover the network inventory: The first step in the process is to document the network devices (routers, switches, and traffic agents) that are participating in the assessment.
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Verify the network configuration: generate traffic and take measurements is to identify any configuration problems that can skew your assessment results
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Determine the call quantity/quality threshold: Determine the maximum number of VoIP calls conveyed over the network that will meet a predetermined call quality standard
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Make necessary network adjustments: Often, a preliminary assessment will produce unexpected results. This is a beneficial aspect of the VoIP assessment process because you are detecting problems in the network that might otherwise go undetected. Once you have evaluated the situation, troubleshoot the links and make any necessary network modifications.
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Simulate a complete business cycle: After determining the maximum call volume and completing all network modifications, you are ready to perform a final comprehensive assessment. This step will serve as a dress rehearsal for your future VoIP service
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Determine service level benchmarks: At the conclusion of your VoIP assessment, you will have made critical changes to the network, documented important facts about the network environment and gathered vital information about service levels for your VoIP project to serve as benchmarks for future service and performance.
Karen Ritz, Senior Sales Executive for MTS, recommends adding an important 7th step to the process.
7. Employ a TEM solution: Just as with service level benchmarks, using a TEM Solution can help provide additional data or call tracking benchmarks that can make the transition and subsequent telecom expense management go much more smoothly when deploying VoIP.
