Future of VoIP
Introduction
If we are to considered ourselves as the business aiming at profit increase and progressing growth , thus delivering better quality services to our customers, we have to think about our operational cost and the ways of reducing it. One such way is the implementation of Voice over Internet Protocol ( VOIP ), also known as the internet telephony. VOIP has become more popular in recent years as companies need to cut costs and improve communication between increasingly mobile employees and increasingly global customers.
The first Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) call was made back in 1995 between two PCs. Initially, this was just a technological novelty. However, by 1998, VoIP had already begun establishing itself as a low cost means of providing calls over long distances. It was estimated to carry about one percent of the US phone traffic. Thirteen years later, VoIP has managed to revolutionize the manner in which business and residential communications take place. Infonetics estimates that about 25 percent of the total international phone traffic is handled as VoIP. So what exactly is VoIP and how does it work? Let me give a few basics about VoIP.
Many people have used a computer and a microphone to record a human voice or other sounds. The process involves sampling the sound that is heard by the computer at a very high rate (at least 8,000 times per second or more) and storing those "samples" in memory or in a file on the computer. Each sample of sound is just a very tiny bit of the person's voice or other sound recorded by the computer. The computer has the means to take all of those samples and play them, so that the listener can hear what was recorded. VoIP is based on the same idea, but the difference is that the audio samples are not stored locally. Instead, they are sent over the IP network to another computer and played there. Of course, there is much more required in order to make VoIP work. When recording the sound samples, the computer might compress those sounds so that they require less space and will certainly record only a limited frequency range. There are a number of ways to compress audio, the algorithm for which is referred to as a "compressor/de-compressor", or simply CODEC. Many CODECs exist for a variety of applications (e.g., movies and sound recordings) and, for VoIP, the CODECs are optimized for compressing voice, which significantly reduce the bandwidth used compared to an uncompressed audio stream. Speech CODECs are optimized to improve spoken words at the expense of sounds outside the frequency range of human speech. Recorded music and other sounds do not generally sound very good when passed through a speech CODEC, but that is perfectly OK for the task at hand. Once the sound is recorded by the computer and compressed into very small samples, the samples are collected together into larger chunks and placed into data packets for transmission over the IP network. This process is referred to packetization. Generally, a single IP packet will contain 10 or more milliseconds of audio. Vint Cerf, who is often called the Father of the Internet, once explained packets in a way that is very easy to understand. Paraphrasing his description, he suggested to think of a packet as a postcards sent via postal mail. A postcard contains just a limited amount of information. To deliver a very long message, one must send a lot of postcards. Of course, the post office might lose one or more postcards. One also has to assemble the received postcards in order, so some kind of mechanism must be used to properly order to postcards, such as placing a sequence number on the bottom right corner. One can think of data packets in an IP network as postcards. Just like postcards sent via the postal system, some IP data packets get lost and the CODECs must compensate for lost packets by "filling in the gaps" with audio that is acceptable to the human ear. This process is referred to as packet-loss concealment (PLC). In some cases, packets are sent multiple times in order to overcome packet loss. This method is called, appropriately enough, redundancy. Another method to address packet loss, known as forward-error correction (FEC), is to include some information from previously transmitted packets in subsequent packets. By performing mathematical operations in a particular FEC scheme, it is possible to reconstruct a lost packet from information bits in neighboring packets.
This means that by implementing VOIP in our business we are not putting our communication quality into the jeopardy.
VoIP is a set of technologies enabling the carriage of voice calls over the internet instead of the conventional landline system famously known as the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). The word VoIP was created by the forum set up in 1996 which was aiming to promote and develop product interoperability and a great quality of service for internet telephony products. Originally, cutting the cost of telephone calls was the major driving force towards the development since PSTN was too expensive. VoIP development presented a major shift in telecommunications since it used IP protocols which were originally designed for the internet. What VoIP does is that it breaks up the voice calls into digital packets. For a call to be made, the different packets travel over an IP network and are then reassembled at the other end. This was therefore a breakthrough since voice calls can be transmitted in a similar manner as data. Calls made over the PSTN are usually metered such that the user will pay for the time taken in making the call. In VoIP, the user will pay a fee to obtain the internet service and then he or she can make free calls to other users with a similar VoIP service. This is indicative of its low cost.
Another advantage of VoIP is that it makes the use of the network more efficient since the bandwidth will only be utilized when there is an actual transmission of something. In addition, the network is able to handle connections from several applications and several users at the same time. These benefits have seen major carriers change their own networks to IP-enabled.
The basic process in the making of a VoIP call is as follows. First, the caller’s analogue signal is converted into digital format. After the conversion, this signal is compressed and translated into discrete IP packets. The next step is transmitting the packets over the internet or any other network which is IP based. At the receiving end, the packets are reverse translated into an analogue voice signal hence enabling communication. The transmission and digitization of the analogue voice signal into a stream of packets is done over a digital data network which carries the data packets using Internet Protocol. Since we covered a little more about VOIP scientific functionality, in other words I presented the whole mystery of voice conversion into the data packets, and its reconversion to its original state once the call is established, it is the time that we look into benefit aspect of implementing VOIP into our business.

After looking at many wonderful aspects of VOIP implementation I was capable of selecting the ten most relevant reasons for implementing this great technology in our business. Number one, lower long-distance costs - We can definitely save lots of money, especially in long-distance calls, as VoIP provides unlimited number of local and long-distance calls. According to a Better Buys for Business survey, 55% of current or potential VoIP users see lower calling costs as an important advantage of VoIP. Number two, better communication between offices - Free calls for our employees scattered throughout several locations, as our own internal network can be used for making VoIP calls. As calls are sent over the Internet, an employee in one office can contact his or her colleague in another office location simply by dialing an extension number. Number three, increased productivity and efficiency - We can integrate the VoIP system with other software applications such as customer relationship management software (CRM) - Customer relationship management) is a widely implemented strategy for managing a company’s interactions with customers, clients and sales prospects). Number four, Greater flexibility - Flexibility in adding or changing phone lines via software rather than just physical rewiring. With a traditional phone system, the physical rewiring is typically done by an outside technician, which is costly and very inconvenient. VoIP eliminates this process. Number five, increased mobility - Ability to send or receive calls on an office phone number from anywhere, as long as an Internet connection is available. Since some of our employees work from home or travel often for business, this ability will help them stay in the loop and quickly stay in contact with their clients. Number six, unified communications - Having voice data on the same network as other communication (email, instant messaging, etc), also known as unified communications. For example, you can receive voice mails as emails with sound file attachments. You can also make calls via an email program such as Outlook. Number seven, Sophisticated calling features - VoIP has several advanced features, such as the ability to make calls from a web browser or add multiple numbers to a single phone. Other features include call records, recording voicemail greetings based on the time of day, and name directories so that employees can search for a contact’s number more easily. Number eight, scalable options - VoIP has three different delivery systems, which will give our business variety to choose from based on our needs and the number of employees. First is on-premise, which means that purchasing and maintenance of the system is done by ourselves. The second is hosted; the service provider stores equipment and data on their site and maintains system. Finally, there is managed system, in which we own equipment and store on-site but service provider maintains system. The managed system is a combination of both the on-premise and hosted systems. Number nine, better customer relations - Improvement in customer service or IT support as caller can dial one number and multiple phones ring at once. This can lead to quicker service as well as enhance employee productivity.

After we analyzed all the advantages of VOIP implementation into our business, is VOIP something that we as company should not be afraid of investing our money in.
What is that the future holds for VOIP, is it something that is going to retire after one year of use ? The answer is no. VoIP is the driving force that has seen a range of new options for business communications in the business world. According to Nortel’s Perry (2009), businesses are seeking to replace their initial telephone systems with PABXs which are VoIP-capable. Gartner (2005) noted that by 2010, 95% of major companies would have data/voice convergence that was based on VoIP and IP telephony. This shows that the VoIP technology is only growing and is therefore nowhere near being obsolete. Many businesses are moving towards VoIP due to various reasons.
Network convergence is one such reason. Of late, many organizations have been examining IP technologies since they are of the view that IP based systems tend to offer more reliability and fault-tolerance. Many enterprises have been piloting VoIP and according to statistics, 75% of phone calls will be made over IP networks within a few years. This has seen the development of the converged network whereby a single network has replaced the separate networks of data (LAN) and voice (PBX). This has come with massive benefits such as the reduction in total ownership costs and enhanced reliability. Additional functionalities such as portability have also been achieved whereby phone calls which are incoming are routed automatically to the VoIP phone.
The development of VoIP also seeks to extend its reach by using wireless technologies such as WiMax and WiFi. The other reason for the development is application convergence. With businesses setting up converged networks to reduce costs and increase reliability, there will be a convergence of various applications. For example there may be convergence between voice and email, and instant messaging and video. The integration of voice and data application and the use of IP will enable VoIP to offer features which are more improved than those of traditional PBX systems. Instant Messaging (IM) has been growing fast. Kerner (2005) notes that a sizeable number of IM accounts will have a direct access to VoIP. Microsoft and AOL seek to improve their current IM software with enhanced VoIP capabilities. Skype is an example of VoIP usage which has numerous subscribers and they are growing every day. This is just an indication that VoIP is here to stay.
The convergence between VoIP and multimedia is inevitable. Film and television are being digitized and this means that they can be delivered as data via IP based networks. A good example is IPTV. The combining of data, telephony and video is called triple play and as voice traffic goes the IP based networks way, then opportunities to merge voice applications with those based around other media are presented. Another sign that VoIP is a technology for the future is the convergence of VoIP and the Web. VoIP is a voice technology which is linked closely to developments in automatic voice recognition and processing systems. The working of such systems involves the combination of speech recognition, telephony, speech synthesis and digitized audio. These are becoming common in automated booking systems, information lines and call center activities. Web-based systems have converged to enable the Voice Web. It seeks to bring together the Web and interactive Voice Response applications. This allows the developer of a voice interface to possess control of the spoken dialogue between the person calling on the telephone and the automatic system.
The next step in this technology is wireless VoIP. Its development has been fast in the last few years and the main focus has been in the area of Wi-Fi. The benefit associated with Wi-Fi is that once the user has been logged into the network, he or she can have access to their normal phone extension regardless of their location. A few technical challenges however face the implementation of Voice over Wi-Fi. These include battery life in Wi-Fi handsets, call quality and security.
VoIP continues to be embrace worldwide by organizations, institutions and businesses. It has been used in further and higher education whereby several learning institutions have implemented VoIP and Skype peer-to-peer system. This has led to a high level of student awareness of the technology. Other institutions are already in the implementation phases of running VoIP services over wireless networks. The technology has enabled collaborative and distance learning with web-based learning and E-learning become a major force in the current education system. According to Foreman (2003) telephone based conversation is highly effective and superior to both chat and email in the organization of distance learning experiences. VoIP systems have also enabled people with disabilities to access messages through audio, video or a combination of both. Virtual laboratories and telemedicine has been made a possibility whereby VoIP technologies are being utilized in advanced conferencing applications within remote and virtual laboratories where researchers share a collaborative space.
Future VoIP technologies are still being researched and developed. These include VoIP and identity, virtual universities and pay for services. This is an indication that VoIP technology can only advance but can never go obsolete, at least not in the near future.
The other question that comes along with a new technology is; is it affordable to the average size business and will it be expensive to make upgrades?
According to Nortel’s Perry (2009), VoIP provides an excellent option to the conventional PSTN telephony and fax systems. He notes that the option is hosted IP communications from a service provider. This solution is referred to as IP powered business. It provides a consistent and fully featured voice service which is delivered to end-users irrespective of where they are. Average businesses are attracted by the commercial advantages which are associated with using a hosted IP communications service. There is no longer a need to buy, upgrade, maintain or manage one’s own PABX. Rather, a service provider offers a variety of services for a per-month, per-user fee. These packages come with all features associated with traditional business telephony such as voice mail and call diversion. They have however grown to include multimedia features which include IM, presence, video conferencing, click-to-call, video calling and collaboration. The users can access the service through a PC client or the traditional telephone. This provides for seamless movement of users between fixed and mobile phones, cellular and Wi-Fi networks while retaining the capability to have access to a variety of content and services.
VoIP is therefore not a technology just for the big business. It is a technology which is ubiquitous, cheap and easy to use. Every business should be able to use VoIP regardless of its size since it increases efficiency, productivity, reliability and cost effectiveness. In the case of upgrades, the cost is negligible. It is not expensive to make upgrades since VoIP allows businesses to maximize on the investments that are already made in their network infrastructures. The existing networks such as LAN or WLAN which handle data flow such as email and web access are the ones which are used to accommodate the voice and hence there is no need to add and manage additional devices and wires. With the development of the converged networks, this has also been made easy whereby a network can support several platforms. Upgrades on the converged networks are much easier and less expensive since it requires no major system overhaul.
Conclusion
It is my view that the VoIP technology is here to stay. Businesses are rapidly adopting the technology. This is because it allows them to reduce communication costs dramatically. This is especially so for international or interstate companies whereby communications occur over the internet rather than incurring huge costs of long distance toll charges. VoIP has also enabled employees to be more efficient and productive since it presents them with the ability to make and receive calls anywhere provided they have a data connection through their mobile phones, laptops or tablets. It also provides for a broader range of features that the business can use with its phone system. These include the provision of an extension or local number for the staff members at no extra cabling or costs. Call routing and auto answering routines can also be set up as well as the marrying of voice messages with faxes and email in a single inbox.
Any business seeking to enhance its communications should think the VoIP option. VoIP has been reshaping the communication environment and will continue to do so for many years to come. Therefore, VoIP presents the perfect communication solutions for organizations and businesses. With this concluding remark, I close my speech.

Works Cited
Foreman, John. Distance Learning and Synchronous Interaction. The Technology Source. Retrieved. 06, Mar, 2012. http://technologysource.org/article/distance learning and synchronous interaction/
Gladwell, Powell. VoIP Discussion at the BCS Specialist Internet Group. British Computer Society. Retrieved. 06, Mar, 2012. http://www.bcs.org/server.php?show=conWebDoc
Kerner, Smith. VoIP over Instant Messaging? It’s Coming-and it’s Big. Instant Messaging Planet. Retrieved. 06, Mar, 2012. http://www.instantmessagingplanet.com/enterprise/article.php/3527401
Perry, David. The Future of VoIP: Where can it take you? ITP. Retrieved. 06, Mar, 2012. http://www.itp.net/542644-the-future-of-voip-where-can-it-take-you