VoIP Now: Large-Scale Enterprise VoIP Migrations

September 01, 2006

Large-Scale Enterprise VoIP Migrations

As VoIP systems grow in favor with enterprises, the size of projects also seems to increase. Take, for example, a commercial bank in China, the Agricultural Bank of China (ABC).They have over 50,000 branches and plan to consolidate their regional call centers into a single VoIP call center. [ Sci-Tech Today via Asterisk VoIP News]

ABC has a fairly hefty list of requirements, including: switchover to PSTN lines, if the need arises, and no change or upgrade to the existing IP network. Already over 100 offices have completed the switch - in just 30 days. There is no indication in the Sci-Tech article of how much ABC is spending on the project, but with assets of US$250B, it's probably worth it to the bank if the rollout reduces their phone bill and saves money in the long-term.

So initial project costs alone shouldn't always be the determining factor in deciding whether to switch. Return on investment is often far more important. Consider that Virgin Entertainment Group of N. America saved US$700,000/year in long-distance costs after they switched to VoIP. Their cost is estimated at $330K for year 1, and a total of around $1 milion. However, they have plans to utilize the network in ways which will ultimately give them a good return in terms of savings.

SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises) shouldn't fear these project costs, though, as there are a variety of options for IP telephony systems. As mentioned in other posts on this site, knowing what functionality you intend with an enterprise VoIP system will take you a long way towards determining what type of software and IP phones you'll really need.

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September 1, 2006 in Business, Networks, Solutions | Permalink