As a Voice over IP provider, one of the most common questions we hear is,
“What kind of call quality can we expect with VoIP?”
While it may seem a simple enough question (and a good one to ask), the answer is “it depends”. There are several factors which contribute to the quality of a VoIP call. Keep reading to learn more.
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When it comes to IP phone systems, Managed Service Providers are missing opportunities
to increase value to their clients in a variety of ways.
The Issue
IP phone systems are replacing traditional systems for a variety of reasons. The primary of which is feature sets. IP systems provide a much richer set of features than a traditional business phone system, including IVR, enhanced voicemail, and advanced call routing options. Like their older cousins, premise-based IP phone systems are largely being ignored by managed service providers. Why? Typically, it’s because the phone system is still managed and supported by the manufacturer or manufacturers rep who provided it. The MSP may simply see it as a device on the network. Understanding a bit more about how premise-based phone systems are architected may offer the MSP additional opportunities to add value to the relationship with their client and add profit to their bottom line.
Not too long ago, the telecom world was divided up nicely. Everyone had their place and 
played their role. The phone system manufacturer made premise-based hardware business phone systems. Carriers ran lines into those systems and billed the customer directly. ISP’s handled internet access, and Managed Service Providers handled the LAN. Even the copier folks only fixed copiers. Everyone was happy and everyone got paid for managing their little piece of the communications pie.
SD-Wan (software-defined wide area network), is a relatively new WAN technology.
Until now, businesses have relied on private WAN architectures like MPLS to support their remote sites. The idea being that their remote users should have the same application experience as those directly connected to the corporate LAN.
Until now, companies would have to run T1’s or some other dedicated access to small remote offices if they wanted a guaranteed quality of service. While good on the service level, ever increasing bandwith demands by cloud-based applications has rendered the old reliable T1 inadiquate as the T1 only supports 1.5 MBPS speed. Add to it that the cost of a T1 can range anywhere from $300-$500/mo on average, and a traditional MPLS installation becomes very costly depending on the number of remote offices needing support.
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As interest and adoption of SD-WAN technology continues, the question as to whether
or not MPLS networks are still relavent has naturally arisen. While it’s going to continue to be a topic of increasing debate over the next few years, here are our thoughts on the matter.
First, make no mistake, SD-WAN is the WAN technology of the future. It offers way too many benefits to be considered a companion technology to other WAN architectures like MPLS. SD-WAN leverages public internet access and uses software to intelligently route traffic. It’s nimble, dynamic, and plays better with cloud-based applications. And the cloud is where it’s at and where it’s been the past five years.
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“Every success story is a tale of constant adaption, revision and change.” – Richard Branson
The days of Managed Service Providers updating PC’s, servers, and running backups
are long gone. The cloud has changed the way businesses are using the Internet. VoIP is a mainstream technology. Printers, scanners, and copiers are now smart devices on the LAN. As more and more devices become “connected,” the demand on the MSP to be able to manage these devices has increased exponentially.
As the Voice over IP experts here in Cleveland, we know a thing or two about 
deploying VoIP, whether it be on a dedicated circuit, MPLS network, or broadband connection. Now with the splash SD-WAN is making, we’ve been getting a lot of questions about how VoIP is (or will be) provisioned over SD-WAN.
First, let’s clarify what SD-WAN is. In a nutshell. SD-WAN is a virtualized wide area network. The technology resides at the network edge and is managed via edge appliances. SD-WAN virtually bonds the transport links between sites, and it doesn’t care whether the site is using a T1, DSL, or wireless connection. It “virtually” chooses the best path available to route traffic.
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In the old days, the phone company handled voice and the ISP handled data. Nowadays with the proliferation of Voice over IP, traditional PBX systems are becoming obsolete. The internet is also being used for a lot more than just surfing the web. With so many different technologies now utilizing data networks, are there really any differences between voice and data providers? The answer is yes, absolutely. While there are many small differences among different providers, the two major differentiators are:
The first step to answering this question is determining whether a particular customer is satisfied with their service. To do that, without asking your customer, check the following:
How much time have you spent on support with this client?
If you’re spending an unreasonable amount of time providing support to your client, it might be because their internet product isn’t the right one. For example, if your support logs show increased activity during the lunch hour with complaints of slow internet speed, it’s likely because they’re on an oversubscribed broadband connection. That connection becomes congested during peak times throughout the day (like lunch). If you’ve installed and are managing an edge device for your clients, determining peak internet usage and congestion times will highlight whether or not your clients internet access is adequately serving their needs.
Are the questions your customer has about user error or the product itself?Some clients just don’t have the technical background to help themselves when something goes wrong. They can only be told to, “reboot the router” so many times. A single user with an infected machine is a lot different than several calls from the same company about VoIP call quality or data latency issues. If you’re noticing a pattern of support issues which stem from “slow internet,” it’s time to examine how they’re using it, or perhaps recommend upgrading.
Could your customer benefit more from another product?
Say, for example, your client’s internet connection was working great a month ago, but they’ve added several more devices and users to their network. Their internet speed was sufficient last month because the demands on the connection were less. This can be especially true in instances where new users are also making VoIP calls over that connection.
If you’re struggling with customers who just don’t have the right connection to the internet, the team at N2Net can help. We’ve been backing up MSPs as a reseller partner for a decade, and we specialize in making you the data and voice hero your customers need.
Uncover the hidden opportunities your customers didn’t know they needed with a little help from N2Net. We’ll make you look good to your customers by saving them money, providing them with a better product, or both.
Contact us today to find out how you can help your customers find the right connection to the internet.
Photo by Gavin Whitner
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Just as there’s a car for every driver, there’s an internet service plan for every business. Some businesses find they do just fine at the no-frills end of the spectrum, driving an economical plan with reasonable speed and capacity, like a Ford Fiesta. Other data-intensive or media-intensive businesses require a fully-featured, ultra-fast connection–the Lamborghini of service plans. In this post, we compare plans, pricing, and features so you can evaluate if you’re riding the Internet superhighway on a business internet services plan that meets your budget and your needs.
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