VoIP: Cheap calls, untapped features

07 January 2008

Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, is set to take off in 2008, according to analysts at IDC. It has already been implemented or is being rolled out by 31% of companies in Canada. Another 35% expect to do so within the next 18 months. The technology, which sends voice signals over a network in the same way as Internet traffic, carries potential cost benefits for firms currently paying heavy long-distance fees. Calling regional offices across the country or elsewhere in the world can incur heavy per-minute charges, whereas sending data to the other side of the world costs the same as sending it across the street.

Some services enable users to use their existing phones with VoIP, by installing equipment that translates voice calls to the Internet Protocol used for relaying Internet traffic. An alternative is to use an IP phone -- a smarter version of traditional phones, designed to take advantage of VoIP's features. Nortel recently released a series of IP phones targeting small businesses, which are designed to replace existing handsets. The IP Phone 1200 series comes in three models for office workers with light, moderate and high levels of call activity. They are designed to be used with Nortel's BCM50, a hardware appliance that serves as a contact centre to manage VoIP calling for up to 50 users. Nortel launched version 3.0 of this product with the IP 1200 series. The latest version of the BCM50 has new features such as "meet me" audio-conferencing capabilities for up to 18 users.