Small Business Voice over IP White Paper: Every decade or so, a technology comes along that promises to change the way small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) do business. The question is not whether these transforming technologies can help your business but how to integrate them into your existing business processes and systems. Read more on small business voice over IP, VoIP for SMB, and In-One-Solution Switch VoIP in this white paper.

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by Eric J. Adams, illustration by Peter and Maria Hoey. iQ Magazine

Moving to a converged voice and data network doesn't have to be disruptive.

Every decade or so, a technology comes along that promises to change the way small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) do business. The question is not whether these transforming technologies can help your business but how to integrate them into your existing business processes and systems. That question certainly applies to the latest transforming technology, converged voice and data networks, which take advantage of IP Communications to provide unified messaging, Web- and video-enabled conferencing, and integrated call center management for better customer service.

From Cisco: Partners Offer Real-World Expertise Smaller businesses and organizations want the benefits that advanced networking equipment can give them, but they often lack the expertise and resources to successfully plan, implement, and manage today's more complex technologies, such as a phased migration to IP Communications. Cisco certified resellers are a resource for helping customers do just that. In addition to general certification, Cisco resellers may be trained and certified in additional specialties, such as IP Communications, security, wireless, or other advanced technologies. To meet this certification, resellers must satisfy stringent requirements in network design, implementation, and support. And they are given direct access to the most up-to-date product information and service offerings. "The value of outsourcing with a reseller is that you get top-notch engineering experience without having to own that experience. You simply rent it for a while and share the cost among all the reseller's customers," says Jennifer Roback, vice president of sales at Praxis Computing, a Cisco Premier Partner. That experience, gained by helping other companies, all with different business goals and challenges, is critical to develop and execute an effective IP Communications migration plan.—E.J.A.

Seventy percent of SMBs that have made the switch to IP Communications solutions report gains in employee productivity, and 74% say IP Communications has increased their competitiveness, according to a report by Sage Research. A full 88% of companies surveyed said they saw a return on investment on IP Communications within 24 months or less.

Not surprisingly, the move to replace traditional PBX systems with IP Communications is well under way. But the fundamental question for many businesses remains: How do we get there from here? The answer depends on where you are today. SMBs commonly begin the migration journey from one of five starting places, and where they start will determine the path of the migration. A New Business

Brand-new companies, or those moving into new facilities, often have fewer technological challenges because they have the opportunity to build a business communications solution without the burden of a legacy telecommunications system or, in many cases, even an existing data network.

The success of a brand-new IP Communications deployment depends on several elements of the process:

• Planning
• Identifying risk factors
• Understanding customer service needs
• Making and following a feasible deployment plan
• Paying attention to detail

Of these, planning is the most important, according to Jack Whelan, vice president of networking research at the start-up firm BlueFin Research Partners. Whelan took his company's IP Communications network from concept to reality in 90 days and was an early adopter of the technology, now four years in place.

BlueFin's deployment was complex, including a virtual private network for secure remote network access and dedicated connections to the major U.S. stock exchanges. Whelan drafted a detailed request for proposal and a conceptual design before contacting vendors. The greatest contributing factor to the successful deployment was the work of a cross-functional team that included not only outside technical expertise from Networked Information Systems—a Cisco Gold Certified Partner in Woburn, Massachusetts—but also internal users in every area in the organization.