Is VoIP the Right Match for You? Dave Tainer Director, Information Systems, GMHC August 13, 2008

© 2008 Dave Tainer | GMHC All Rights Reserved. Page : 2 What will we talk about today? Voice over IP is a technology whose time has come. We have been, for at least the last few years, at the convergence point where the promises of the technology have met the reality. If done correctly, the system will be secure, easy to manage, reliable, and very cost-effective. It is not an easy task to project manage and bring to completion, but it is well worth it to try for the social profit sectorsocial profit sector

Why VoIP?

© 2008 Dave Tainer | GMHC All Rights Reserved. Page : 4 Why VoIP? Does it make sense for your organization? Cost! (capital vs. budget) Unified Communications –This is also called “convergence”: where you will be able to be reached by anybody with the ability to know “how” you can be reached Concept of “presence” –Cisco calls it “TelePresence” –Microsoft just calls it “presence” Chat, TXT, mobile phone, desktop VoIP phone, WiFi VoIP phone, videophone, etc. –Ties in to other technologies such as SharePoint

© 2008 Dave Tainer | GMHC All Rights Reserved. Page : 5 Why VoIP? Cost! Cost! –Capital vs. Budget A one-time purchase that you make that allows amortization over several years (telecom is usually a 7- or 10-year schedule) –Overall cost Cost of repairing old system (budget, usually) Cost of being down Monthly cost of the provider and calls made/received –Current Network Infrastructure upgrade… This is more cost, but should also be in the capital budget

© 2008 Dave Tainer | GMHC All Rights Reserved. Page : 6 Why VoIP? Cost!

Getting Ready for VoIP

© 2008 Dave Tainer | GMHC All Rights Reserved. Page : 8 Getting Ready for VoIP Infrastructure!!! Current T1/DSL, etc. connections QoS—what does it mean? –“Quality of Service” is the end result, but the term is actually a reference to being able to provide different priority to different types of network traffic. In this case, it is VoIP traffic –The floor, or first layer, of the network is reserved for the highest priority in VoIP –This could also be used for video-conferencing and other types of streaming, if that is important to the organization –QoS simply gives voice the priority so that there is no breakup to the packets of voice data, which would result in high latency, clipped and distorted speech, and continuity to what is spoken/heard

© 2008 Dave Tainer | GMHC All Rights Reserved. Page : 9 Getting Ready for VoIP: QoS

© 2008 Dave Tainer | GMHC All Rights Reserved. Page : 10 Getting Ready for VoIP Planning for implementation –Like much in IS, there is no one-size-fits-all solution, however… –How many data ports at each workstation? Phones with switches? Separate ethernet to workstation and VoIP phone (Speed/flexibility) –Fax lines –Analog lines for credit cards, social security processing or other –WiFi VoIP Phones? –Lining up the providers –Active Directory up-to-date and properly set up And LDAP directory if not using Cisco or WinX (even if, for that matter…) –SIP trunking or PRI Gateway

© 2008 Dave Tainer | GMHC All Rights Reserved. Page : 11 Getting Ready for VoIP SIP Trunking –Session Initiated Protocol –Basically an indirect connection to a telecom trunk via the cloud –Why you would use it? Cheapest phone rate Great WAN capabilities Only 1 (or two) T1 needed for data and telecom Maximum VoIP phone compatibility –Why you wouldn’t use it? Security –DoS attack-prone Echo and Latency Old/Outdated network infrastructure Security –Malware threat

© 2008 Dave Tainer | GMHC All Rights Reserved. Page : 12 Getting Ready for VoIP PRI –Primary Rate Interface –24 lines at T1 speed, built in QoS –Why would you use this? Separation of data path with telecom path Security –No DoS on PRIs –Not associated to your domain name VoIP on PRI is still cheaper than PBX on PRI Organizational Size (multiple options, though, discuss…) –Why you wouldn’t use this: Expense of maintaining separate functional T1 (also an advantage) Added network/network infrastructure complexity

© 2008 Dave Tainer | GMHC All Rights Reserved. Page : 13 Getting Ready for VoIP: Security Issues Security details: –Most secure system is costly and not as easy to unify (separate network)

© 2008 Dave Tainer | GMHC All Rights Reserved. Page : 14 Getting Ready for VoIP: Security Issues Security details: –Most cost effective system is easier integrate for unified communication between Active Directory/LDAP and VoIP in Multi-VLAN environment

© 2008 Dave Tainer | GMHC All Rights Reserved. Page : 15 Getting Ready for VoIP: Security Issues Security details: –Best Practice system mixes security of PRI, in a separate domain, but allows unified communication via AD/LDAP in Multi-VLAN environment

The Vendors

© 2008 Dave Tainer | GMHC All Rights Reserved. Page : 17 VoIP Vendors Follow the phone… –Pluses and minuses of the different brands Cisco, Nortel, 3Com, Foundry, Enterasys-Siemens, others (PolyCom OEM) –Pick one, and use all of their equipment together If you only listen to one thing I’ve said today, make it this one! Use Platinum Vendors –In-house vs. VoIP consultant Depends on staffing and expertise, and to some extent, money

Endgame for VoIP Systems

© 2008 Dave Tainer | GMHC All Rights Reserved. Page : 19 Endgame Plugging everything in and getting ready to go live –Parallel systems for at least two weeks Start with one department, then keep adding as you see the system working –It will cost more, and be a pain to the staff because they will have to maintain two voice mails, but you’ll be glad you did it Switchover to the new system –Hopefully after a succesful parallel run, you won’t just be crossing your fingers! Successful Implementation –ROI is the best selling point to senior management for this –Keep track of costs going forward and compare to the previous year/s