Your customer using a legacy phone system decides to switch to voice over internet protocol (VoIP). They install an IP PBX and buy some IP phones. Great, they’re all set, right? Wrong. Without configuring their data network for quality of service (QoS), they will experience a severe deterioration in voice quality and may regret making the decision to switch. Yes, the IP PBX and the IP endpoints will already be configured for QoS. But what about other parts of the network like the pre-existing routers, switches and firewall? All it takes is one missing link for the whole system to be compromised.

QoS is a big topic. In this article, we’ll look at two main approaches to QoS: IntServ and DiffServ, their strengths and limitations, and when to use which one.

Over the past few weeks we’ve looked at different ways to structure multisite VoIP deployments. The truth is, each business is unique and sometimes a customized architecture is needed. In this article we look at a hybrid solution. A hybrid call processing deployment allows you to craft a solution that is perfectly tailored to a specific customer’s needs.

Last week, we discussed centralized call processing and its benefits and potential pitfalls. In this article, we’ll examine another type of telephony infrastructure design for multisite enterprises: distributed call processing.

Enterprises with multiple sites have a variety of options when it comes to their IP telephony infrastructure. Which setup will best meet their needs depends on the answers to questions such as:

• Where should the call processing take place?
• Where should calls to the PSTN exit the network?
• Where should incoming calls connect to the corporate network?

These decisions depend on the nature of the underlying network infrastructure that will carry the IP telephony services, as well as other considerations such as the location of the remote sites, the dial plan, and cost.

In this article, we discuss the centralized call processing model and how to avoid common complications with its deployment.

Product Review

Last week, Yealink launched the W53P DECT IP phone package and the WF50 Wi-Fi dongle for IP phones. These products further enrich Yealink’s suite of wireless enterprise solutions. We take a look at both of these products in this article.

Implementing telephony solutions in an enterprise environment can be daunting. The level of difficulty and complexity usually escalates with the number of end users. Implementing a telephony solution in a multisite environment takes the complexity to a different level altogether.

In this article we offer up some tips for streamlining the implementation of a multisite VoIP deployment so the company can derive the maximum benefit from the solution.

The world is changing. Businesses are moving from a workforce that is chained to a desk for eight hours a day, five days a week to a more flexible employment model. This flexibility means that much of a company’s workforce may be spread throughout a city or even throughout the planet at any given time. Although this has been shown to improve employee productivity, certain tasks are more efficient when accomplished face to face.

This phenomenon has caused videoconferencing to go from nice to have to essential in businesses of all sizes.

To meet the needs of a dispersed workforce, Yealink has developed one of the most flexible, cost-effective and feature-rich set of solutions on the market. This article reviews Yealink’s videoconferencing systems, including its innovative cloud-based VCMS platform.

TeleDynamics is proud to partner with companies that have a rich history of success and innovation. For this reason, we are pleased to showcase Polycom, a company that has been manufacturing state-of-the-art unified collaboration endpoints and equipment for almost three decades.

This week we take a closer look at Polycom and the impressive solutions that have made it a market leader in conferencing and collaboration.

If you work with educational institutions, you should know about Yealink and its communications solutions specifically tailored to the needs of the education sector. When you take advantage of Yealink’s Education Reseller Program, you will be able to deliver a robust and reliable solution at a highly competitive price point.

In this article, we review Yealink’s education solutions and what makes this manufacturer a great choice for learning institutions.

The U.S. mobile worker population will grow steadily to 105.4 million in 2020, according to a forecast from International Data Corporation (IDC). By the end of the forecast period, IDC expects mobile workers to account for 72% of the total U.S. workforce.

If your communications infrastructure is not set up to handle the needs of mobile workers, your business could be missing out on gains in productivity and employee loyalty. Since adequately equipped mobile workers can do their job anywhere, they can perform on the go without having to wait until they get back to their desk to implement certain tasks. A study conducted by Staples found that 76% of telecommuters are more willing to put in extra time on work and report being more loyal to their company since telecommuting.

Here are six ways that you can leverage your VoIP telephony system to enable workforce mobility.