Objective

Many businesses and organizations are exploring the use of voice over internet protocol (VoIP) to provide enhanced telephony services to employees and customers. While there are a number of different reasons why an organization might consider VoIP, a few of the key advantages include reduced telecommunications costs and the ability to enhance productivity and communication with employees and customers alike. This blog post will discuss the various options available to today’s organizations, focusing on a comparison between traditional telephony and the cloud.

Traditional Telephony

First, it is important to understand what traditional telephony is and how it differs from VoIP. As the name would suggest, traditional telephony involves the actual transmission of voice communication over a digital network. This might occur between two people who are using application-specific devices (e.g., smartphones) to place calls or between people who are using general-purpose devices (e.g., computers) to place calls. As noted above, the key difference between traditional telephony and VoIP is in the way the information is stored and transmitted. With traditional telephony, all of the voice information is stored locally on the endpoint devices (e.g., cell phones, tablets, and laptop or desktop computers) involved in the conversation.

Cloud PBX

As VoIP and other forms of digital transformation continue to permeate organizations, businesses are experimenting with various forms of cloud-based voice mail and telephony systems. These systems store the voice data in the cloud and allow for the dynamic allocation of resources such as telephone numbers and storage. This leads to significant cost savings and a greater ability to scale the telecommunications infrastructure as needed. Additionally, organizations can avoid the hiati

HIPAA Compliant Cloud PBX

Organizations that handle sensitive information must adhere to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). In order to ensure that their cloud communications and voice mail services are HIPAA-compliant, they must take the following steps:

• Create comprehensive security policies
• Implement robust security measures
• Maintain a secure environment
• Regularly monitor and test the security of their systems

If an organization can demonstrate that it has taken all of these steps, they will be able to offer their customers a clear understanding of what privacy and security measures are in place. This in turn will lead to greater trust and confidence on the part of the organization’s customers.

Additionally, because the voice data is stored in the cloud, it is more easily accessed from any location. This can lead to greater collaboration — and productivity — throughout the organization. As a result of this increased mobility, employees might choose to use their personal devices for work even if these are not directly connected to the organization’s network. As a consequence, organizations must have a way to ensure that their data is protected when transmitted via these devices.

Considerations

Before selecting a VoIP solution, it is important to take into consideration a number of different factors. First, what type of voice mail and telephony service do you need? For example, if you need a system that just allows you to make and receive calls, then a cloud-based IP PBX might be a good fit. If however, you need a system that can also be used for video meetings, then you might need to consider a traditional telephony solution. The above sections described the key differences between traditional telephony and VoIP; now let’s examine some of the factors that you should consider before making a decision.

Scalability

One of the major advantages that organizations enjoy with VoIP is its ability to scale the service. This is particularly beneficial when dealing with rapid growth or increased demands. Instead of investing in additional hardware, organizations can simply add more servers to the network, thus increasing the number of calls that can be handled. This is not possible with traditional telephony services. In order to keep up with the increasing demands, organizations must either add more hardware or upgrade their existing infrastructure. Given the significant investments that many companies have made in telephone systems, scaling these services can be costly and time-consuming. Furthermore, since traditional telephony services are designed for use by a single organization, it is not practical to simply scale up what you have — you will end up with something that does not function as intended. As a result of this, many organizations are moving towards the cloud and the various benefits that this type of service provides.

Cost

Another advantage of working with a cloud-based service is the cost associated with purchasing and operating these services. Typically, the cost of a SaaS (Software as a Service) solution is shared by everyone in the organization. This can be a considerable cost savings when compared to purchasing and maintaining the hardware required for traditional telephony services. Additionally, because SaaS solutions are cloud-based, there is no need to invest in new hardware or update old equipment to continue using the service. Instead, organizations can simply pay for what they use.

Flexibility

Finally, because VoIP and other similar services can be readily accessed via the internet, organizations have greater flexibility in terms of the devices that they can use to get the service. This means that employees do not need to be restricted to using only company-issued devices. They can download applications on both their work and personal devices, and use these to get the service. This flexibility can be useful in many ways, allowing workers to use devices of their choice and moving beyond the traditional desk phone.

The above sections examined the advantages of working with a cloud-based communications service. While there are a number of benefits to these kinds of services, there are also some limitations. One of the primary limitations is the security of information that is stored and transmitted via the internet. In order to ensure that their data is secure, organizations must adhere to the HIPAA privacy and security regulations. In order to do this, organizations have to take the time to ensure that their servers and networks are HIPAA-compliant. In practice, this means that organizations must take the time to regularly monitor and test the security of their networks — both internal and external. Additionally, in order to maintain compliance, organizations must take the time to regularly change the passwords for all of the accounts that they use — including their network authentication credentials (e.g., PIN number) and all of the application-specific passwords (e.g., Skype, Google Voice, and etc.).

Mobility

One of the primary drivers behind the increased use of VoIP and similar services is the growing preference for greater mobility. As noted above, because information is stored and available remotely, users do not necessarily need to be located near the hardware that they are using. This increased flexibility allows for greater collaboration — and productivity — throughout the organization.

Conversely

Just because an organization decides to work with a cloud-based service does not mean that they must forego the use of traditional telephony. This is because services like Asterisk allow for the combination of both worlds — traditional telephony and SaaS.

Asterisk is a free and open-source platform that provides the functionality required to carry both forms of communication. Using Asterisk, organizations can provide their employees with the traditional desk phones that they need while also giving them the flexibility to coordinate and participate in meetings via video and voice chat. Additionally, because Asterisk is open-source, it allows for greater customization and integration with existing applications.

Ultimately, selecting a VoIP solution is not a decision that should be taken lightly. There are a number of different factors that you must consider when making this decision, including the type of voice mail and telephony service that you need, your budget, and the level of flexibility that you wish to maintain. For any organization that is looking to move to a VoIP solution — or maintain the use of traditional telephony — it is important to take the time to consider all of the potential benefits and limitations that this choice entails.