Voice over IP (VoIP)
Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP or Voice over IP) means different things to different people. What's more, the benefits and future implications for VoIP are different depending on which publication you read. However, it is certain that VoIP is a key up-and-coming technology, and Opal is committed to providing access to this emerging technology to enable a range of cost-saving communications functions for business users.
What is VoIP?
Many assume that VoIP is synonymous with Voice over Internet, allowing international calls and advanced functions such as tele- and videoconferencing - all for the price of a local call. However, current infrastructure is not able to handle such large masses of additional call traffic with the astronomic growth in Internet usage. There would be delays, call dropouts and other reliability problems, not to mention security concerns.
VoIP instead means using the Internet Protocol for routing calls and desktop applications in the same way that data and video are sent now, utilising spare bandwidth over existing data links and leased lines.
Put simply, VoIP redefines the next wave of data and phone integration, creating more effective applications and lowering communications costs.
With an ever-increasing demand for this technology Opal has developed a range of VoIP integrated communication products and Media Gateways to enable seamless communication throughout your business.
What can VoIP do for your business?
With all this in mind Opal delivers high quality VoIP solutions on all our communications platforms and works hand in hand with your IT management to ensure that the right processes, standards and hardware are in place to ensure the highest quality available.
Network considerations
Opal delivers the high standard of voice communications your business requires when using our recommended solution. Issues such as Quality of Service (QoS / CoS) and Virtual Private Networking (VPN) over your LAN/WAN or Internet connections greatly affect the quality of voice traffic over these media. When these mechanisms are implemented allowing voice prioritisation over your LAN or WAN we can ensure secure, seamless high quality communications; it is also therefore vital that any future network equipment added is capable of supporting these IP Standards. With this in mind Opal would recommend a full network analysis by one of our specialist teams prior to implementing your VOIP systems and will liaise with your IT and Network teams, suppliers and 3rd party data specialists as necessary to ensure VoIP requirements are implemented by all parties.
VoIP network requirements
Voice (and video) conversations need to be conducted with the minimum of delay in transmission, unlike emails and other data which can be delayed with less obvious effects. Poor speech quality manifests itself in three ways:
- Echo induced by delay
- Warble and clipping induced by lost packets and variable delay (jitter)
- Distortion as a result of errors introduced by the conversion of speech to data and back again
Opal recommends:
- an average network delay below 100ms
- packet loss <2%
- average jitter <50ms
- no more than one analogue-to-digital conversion of speech
- sufficient bandwidth to suit voice and data requirements
- prioritisation of voice packets over data (Quality of Service)
The solutions offered by Opal include tuneable delay and jitter buffers to provide robustness to network variation. Additionally, all voice solutions recommended by Opal ensure compliance to the analogue-to-digital conversion specification.
Virtual Private Networking
Where telephone systems are to be linked, providing VoIP calls and presence information between sites, or where remote workers are using IP phones, VPN connectivity is required. VoIP networking requires the use of VPN-enabled routers at each site, including home workers. Secure access to your network via VPN will also be required for maintenance of CTI server products.
Opal engineers will work with your IT providers to ensure the practicalities of networking and remote working have been considered in a timely manner.
Interoperability
Opal has solutions supporting a full range of networking protocols; all our IP systems support one or more of industry-standard H.323, G.711, G.723, G.729 and SIP so you can be assured that your investment is future-proof and able to link to other standardised systems. We also have solutions for Fax over IP and Fax to email, which can help you reduce and eliminate separate fax machines and maintenance!