22 August 2006

Enterprise voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) solutions come in two distinct flavors: the hybrid or converged IP-PBX products — capable of supporting both TDM and IP communications — and the next generation of pure IP solutions, often referred to as softswitches.

Pure IP solutions have all the advantages in a "greenfield" (i.e., starting from scratch) environment, including better economic value, ease of deployment, greater manageability and standards-based architectural designs that enable integration into IT applications and processes. However, in the real world, each organization must weigh more than mere technological advantages in making a "pure IP" versus "hybrid" buying decision.