Market trends continue to favor cloud-based UC deployments over traditional on-site call control, but users still demand PSTN-like availability, reliability, and service quality. What many organizations that move to the cloud quickly realize is that the move does not automatically guarantee better call quality—the usual culprits that cause both voice and video quality issues are still very much at play.

In this article, we explore the issues that lead to poor VoIP and UC communications quality in cloud-based deployments and how specific technologies and devices can be used to ensure consistently high-quality services.

Hybrid and remote work have redefined the modern workplace. Teams now connect from headquarters, branch offices, home networks, coffee shops, and even while traveling — often switching between Wi-Fi, broadband, 5G, or satellite links in the process. With so many moving parts, keeping voice and video calls consistently clear can feel like an uphill battle. Dropped audio, frozen video, and lagging meetings are not only annoying, but they can be costly in terms of eroded productivity and hampered user experience.

This is where SD-WAN makes a difference. By intelligently orchestrating multiple types of connections, SD-WAN can turn this patchwork of networks into a reliable platform for communication. In this article, we’ll show you how SD-WAN helps overcome the pitfalls of underlay diversity, which mistakes to avoid when deploying it, and the best practices that ensure your UCaaS quality remains high. By the end of the article, you’ll be better equipped to assess your network strategy and support seamless collaboration no matter where your teams are working from.

In previous articles, we've discussed the high reliability of VoIP technology. That said, achieving high reliability is only possible when built into the design of the VoIP network and the underlying network infrastructure supporting the service. One of the fundamental requirements to ensure such reliability is the implementation of VoIP failover. Here's what you need to know. 

In the past, VoIP was considered a low-quality, undependable voice service delivered over an unreliable internet connection. Since then, the technology has improved dramatically, as have the methods and connections used to deliver it. VoIP now enjoys the same levels of availability and robustness as traditional telephony did at its peak.

Even so, the stigma of low quality and low dependability has followed VoIP to this day. In this article, we attempt to understand why this is the case and provide a realistic picture of the phenomenal reliability that VoIP can achieve today.

The concept of the “edge” is important when it comes to networking and telecommunications. There are two concepts in particular that use this terminology: the network edge and edge computing. These are distinct and separate constructs, but they are not entirely unrelated.

In this article, we’ll look at both and see how they differ and how they are interrelated.

A software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) is a concept that has been around for over a decade. Even so, there are still many areas of this technology that are difficult to fully understand, especially for administrators and decision-makers whose expertise lies elsewhere. However, it is important for people in management positions to be aware of the benefits of SD-WANs because they are becoming increasingly essential as cloud-based services become more ubiquitous. 

In this article, we shed light on SD-WANs and their usefulness in modern networks.

Couldn't make ITEXPO in Ft. Lauderdale last week? Here's a recap.

This year at ITEXPO we saw a number of new events and happenings. There was a good attendee and exhibitor turnout, despite the fact that all of the Chinese factories and representatives were unable to attend due to the coronavirus. Nonetheless, the products and services from these manufacturers were on full display. The attendees expected nothing less from the #TECHSUPERSHOW! 

The choice of WAN technology and how it is deployed have a huge impact on the reliability and quality of voice services. For this reason, precautions must be taken to optimize WAN services for voice. In this article, we review best practices for achieving this.

For those familiar with commercial-grade WAN technologies, connecting the internal network to the outside world may seem straightforward. However, large enterprises with thousands of employees and internal services whose existence depends on connectivity require more advanced WAN technologies, which can be far from simple. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the most common high-grade WAN technologies and the characteristics of each, to help you decide which is right for you.

An enterprise network is not truly functional unless it is connected to the internet. The types of technologies that can be used for network edge connectivity can broadly be separated into two groups: commercial-grade and high-grade WAN connection technologies.

The distinction between the two has to do with available speeds, reliability, services, and cost. High-grade WAN connectivity technologies include Metro Ethernet and MPLS, while commercial-grade options include cable and xDSL.

In this article, we examine the commercial-grade WAN technologies (cable and xDSL), how they function, and their most typical implementation scenarios.