| |
| |
|
VOIP Articles |
|
|
|
Security, Stability, and Interoperability Issues on VoIP Implementation
Now we have accepted that VoIP is no longer just a phone service, it has become feature rich as it merges with computer configurations. The VoIP's existence has changed considerably over the last few years, coupled with the availability of broadband connection to the Internet, plus leaps in multimedia technology in which virtual operations with remote sites becomes more enhanced, makes VoIP service a viable alternative to traditional communication offerings. Cost savings is not the only driving force for VoIP implementations, enterprises have to consider some business aspects that VoIP can bring about. VoIP creates potentials for applications that could not have been done before. Collaboration, integration, and interactivity between employees and applications are one of the several business benefits that enterprises can derive from VoIP adoption. Nevertheless, amid euphoria of VoIP technology, there are three important aspects to look at before a company goes VoIP. In the following paragraphs I will summarize the aspect of security, stability, and interoperability that play a key role in the successful implementation of VoIP. 1. Security VoIP implementations may expose new security risks and challenges that somehow become greater concern than quality and cost-efficiency among vendors and users. VoIP networks are vulnerable to all the same security risks as traditional IP data networks, including:
It is recommended that organizations should adopt a layered, defense-in-depth security strategy to address the issue with the increasing proliferation of new Internet-borne attacks and malicious activities in recent years. In this architecture, the network is segmented into secure zones protected by layers of firewall, intrusion prevention, and other security services. This strategy allows the organizations to logically split and secure voice and data networks in front of individual voice and data components and between interactive points in the network. 2. Stability One of the main issues of VoIP is the amount of bandwidth required for each call. There must be adequate bandwidth reserved and the quality of the link must be well maintained throughout each call to ensure the users are not affected. As the very nature of VoIP call is real-time, any disruption during the call would be easily noticeable and unacceptable. The two issues that enterprises usually have to deal with here are bandwidth and quality of service (QoS). VoIP calls need a data transmission speed of 64kb/s to produce the quality of voice comparable to that of a normal telephone call. That 64kb/s channel needs to remain open and unaffected for the duration of the call. Theoretically, VoIP installations would not allow such a huge bandwidth to be allocated for VoIP alone. Therefore, there needs to be a compression taking place to compact the voice data into a considerable size before it gets transmitted over a packet switching network. G.723 codec that is incorporated in VoIP standard protocol H.232 can take a 64kb/s stream of data and squash it down to a mere 5.5kb/s or so. Generally, for VoIP to work reliably over WAN links, there has to be low jitter, low packet loss, a considerably high-speed connection between the endpoints, and less than 200ms delay. 3. Interoperability Compatibility between VoIP equipment from different vendors is a very important aspect to boost the use of VoIP products. Without standardized quality of service mechanisms businesses would need to buy all the equipment and the QoS server from the same manufacturer. The VoIP world seems to be divided between many vendors with reluctance to establish interoperability and some who are trying to be end-to-end supplier but at the same time worried about interoperability. The protocols used in VoIP communication are still considered fairly complex in comparison to most of the other protocols involved in Internet applications. SIP (Session Initiation Protocol - a signaling protocol for Internet conferencing, telephony, events notification, and instant messaging), that is regarded as simple and elegant the other protocols, is still not efficient. On the bright side, however, SIP is approaching status as an IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) standard, after several years of work. With the recent version, it has achieved a greater amount of stability and changes are becoming smaller and smaller. Phone switch companies such as Nortel have recently begun supporting SIP, and now the manufacturers of handsets and related devices will soon ramp up their support. Motorola, Avaya, and Proxim have made collaboration on the creation and deployment of IP telephony solutions that will deliver new extents of communication mobility and network connectivity. Finally, with these three VoIP aspects covered, businesses will be able to maximize their investment by applying it as the backbone of internal communication such as phone conversation, videoconferencing, instant messaging, faxing, etc. Another area that will widely make use of VoIP is call centers, in which Web contacts, virtual operations with outsourcers overseas, and remote sites, such as home agents, all could improve the customer experience. New VoIP applications that we have not thought about may also come into existence as the services generates more business and profits for companies. Al Falaq Arsendatama is web entrepreneur specializing in technology and finance.
MORE RESOURCES:
VOIP - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Does Voice Over IP Telephony Spell the End for Traditional Telephones? Just What is Voice Over IP Telephony?Voice over Internet Telephony is technology that means you can hold telephone calls over the Internet or an IP network. It eliminates the need for having separate lines for your Internet connection and dedicated voice transfer lines. VoIP - What is the Problem? In the beginning, when the Internet Protocol was first designed, no one was thinking about the possibilities of sending audio and video. Real time communication was not an issue. Is VoIP Good For The Home? There is no doubt that you have heard about VoIP by now. It's made headlines and is plastered everywhere both in online and TV advertisements. Do You Text Chat (IM) Online? IM (Instant Messaging) - man, we thought we had it made in the shade when we stumbled over this unique way to communicate! Outside of talking person-to-person on the phone, IM was the next best thing. Texting talk was endless and cost was nonexistent. How VoIP Will Affect Every Household and Business in the World Seattle venture capitalist, Greg Gottesman, calls it "?one of the most important changes in communications in the past 100 years."The Boeing Company announced plans to move its 150,000 employees to an internet-based phone system, and several Seattle area residents are using internet telephones to get cheap rates or, in some cases, free international phone calls. VoIP in the Home VoIP is set to revolutionise home communications. With VoIP you can make telephone calls over your broadband connection for free! Well in some cases you can, in other cases you might need to pay a monthly subscription to a VoIP service provider. Introduction to VoIP What is VoIP?First things first, VoIP stands for Voice over Internet Protocol. At a base level that means phone calls over your broadband connection. The Calling Card Alternative For a few years now, the calling cards business is booming. Everywhere you go, everywhere you search you might find one: in WallMarts, grocery stores, newspaper stands, vending machines in coffee shops. VOIP: A Basic, Basic Intro What is it?Most people are familiar w/ NetMeeting and other software that let you talk to others over the internet. VOIP is similar. Voip - Voice Over IP and Business: Is It For You? VoIP allows users to make phone calls using their high-speed Internet connection. This translates into free, or very low cost long-distance calling. What Is VoIP and How Does It Work IntroductionThe way we make phone calls is changing. In fact in many circumstances things have already changed. Broadband Phone Technology - Top 5 Reasons You Should Take Notice For the uninitiated, the term broadband phone is loosely used to describe the technology currently available where one can make telephone calls from a telephone system that sends the voice signal over your internet connection. The call may terminate at a regular phone line or another broadband phone. What's Your IQ on Basic PC Phone (VoIP) Knowledge Short T/F quiz1. T / F You can save a significant amount of money using VoIP rather than traditional telephone/cell phone calling methods. VoIP 101: Voice over IP for Beginners For those who have never heard about the potential of VoIP, be prepared to radically change the way you think about your current long-distance calling plan. VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) is very simply, a method for taking ordinary analog audio signals and turning them into digital signals that can be sent over the Internet. VoIP Phone Home? The movie Extra Terrestrial (ET) coined the phrase "phone home" and each year American's look for more cost effective ways to do just that. The past 10 years have seen the development and growing popularity of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technologies to achieve cost savings over the traditional circuit-switched telephone networks. Use your Computer to make Cheap Long-Distance Telephone Calls What is 'VoIP'?Simply put, VoIP refers to the carriage of voice signals over the Internet. PC to Phone VoIP refers to using your 'Internet-connected' computer to make calls to conventional telephones around the world. Is VoIP the "Next Big Thing" in Telecommunications? VoIP or Voice Over Internet Protocol has been simmering for the past few years. This year the market has heated up. The Lowdown on VoIP It seems like technology is headed for a massive telephone change over. The traditional Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is looking to be replaced by VoIP. World On IP Community versus Telecoms Monopoly World on IP community versus the TELECOMS' monopoly or a dream of a visionaryWhy VOIP will grow over the usual telephonyWithout qualification, if one had to choose between usual telephone lines or IP telephony for carrying the voice, the first would be a better fit for the needs of voice communications. Also, IP telephony is generally subject to transmission delays. VOIP This article contains the excellent information about the Voice Over IP Protocol.Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology is the wave of the future in terms of telephone communication via the Internet.
|
| home | site map | Voip Friends | Resource Directory |
| © 2006 |
