Question: Is Voice over IP a feature my company needs?
Answer: First thing you should know is that VoIP is not a feature of a telephone system. VoIP is a transport. Instead of your telephone communicating over a phone cable to the telephone system it utilizes your data network. So the only feature you gain is mobility. This allows you to move a telephone set from one office to another without the assistance of a technician. You can also load software on a laptop and use your laptop or PC as your telephone set. If the staff at your company is frequently moving from office to office or you have staff that travels often you should consider a VoIP system.

Question: When should I consider a Voice over IP solution for my company?
Answer: If your company has multiple locations or branches, telecommuters, remote sales offices that are already connected to a company Local Area Network or Wide Area Network, you’re a prime candidate for a VoIP system.

Question: Do I need a Voice over IP system to have features like Unified Messaging, PRI with Direct Inward Dial, Screen Pops, Interface to Outlook, Fax to Desktop and Call transfer to cell?
Answer: No. All the systems Universal ComOne provide are capable of the above features. All of the above features can be deployed with either a VoIP system or a digital (TDM) telephone system.

Question: If my company purchases a digital (TDM) telephone system can it support Voice over IP phones and trunks at a later date?
Answer: Yes, the digital systems Universal ComOne deploys can support VoIP and SIP phones and trunks at a later date with simply installing an IP card and/or IP phones.

Question: What telephone system technology is more reliable, Voice over IP or digital (TDM) systems?
Answer: Digital (TDM) technology has been around for a long time and has a higher meantime until failure rate than VoIP systems. Keep in mind that VoIP systems rely on your data network and at a much higher standard than to run just data. Your network must be free of problems because anytime you have a network issue you will most likely have VoIP problems simultaneously. Remember VoIP is a transport that relies on your network to be functioning properly.

Question: How will power outages effect a Voice over IP system compared to a digital (TDM) system?
Answer: If uninterruptible telephone service is important to your company then there are a few things you must consider. With a digital system only one battery backup unit is needed to sustain the entire PBX or key system. It will power all telephone sets connect to the system with one battery backup unit. To provide the same uninterruptible power to a VoIP system you must provide battery backup to the VoIP system, all network data equipment like routers and data switches and to any IP telephone that is not connected to a PoE with battery backup.

Question: Do I need to be concerned about 911 issues if I purchase a Voice over IP system?
Answer: Yes. If you extend any IP phone or IP system to a remote site other than your core site you must provide a local backup 911 trunk or deploy E911 trunks at the core site.

Question: What system has the greatest cost of ownership, Voice over IP or digital (TDM) telephone systems?
Answer: At this time the cost of ownership of a VoIP system is greater due to cost of the hardware, software, battery backup and extra cost to your network. In the future this cost may come down as the systems become more popular.

Question: Does Universal ComOne recommend a Voice over IP system?
Answer: Yes, if you company has the need of mobility and your data network meets the minimum specifications to run VoIP then we would recommend a VoIP telephone system. We can deploy the latest technology that will meet your needs for today and the future. But keep in mind if you do not need the mobility you can gain all the features you need, with more reliability and at a lower cost of ownership by deploying a digital (TDM) telephone system.