[asterisk-biz] Does VoIP Really Work for Serious Business?

[Linus Surguy]

> Discussion...is VoIP really ready for serious business use.
> So...are we alone.  Is it possible to get VoIP LD to be as good as TDM 95% 
> of the time, and if so how?  We dont have the time to try calls with every 
> carrier to every area code every day!
>
> (and please, no responses from VoIPjet, Voxee, Junction, broadvoice etc 
> etc saying how you are different.  We know that you all suck to varying 
> degrees!)

I know you just specifically said that you don't want providers to say why 
they are different, but we are a provider, and I'd like to answer your 
question, so I'll do so without saying if we do any of the following!

It is perfectly possible to get VoIP LD to be as good as TDM LD 100% of the 
time. However, you won't achieve this on a public internet circuit.

What you can manage is to get it to be as good as the weakest link of the 
chain, and that will be the DSL (or other) link from the customer site to 
the internet backbone. Choose a reputable supplier for this part who you 
know operates a network with low contention and good connectivity. If this 
supplier is the same as your VoIP LD supplier, even better.

If you sort this bit out, then the rest is easy as long as you ensure that:

- your VoIP LD supplier do not themselves handoff your calls over the 
internet, pick one with either private IP links to Tier-1 carriers or better 
still TDM links to its suppliers.

- your VoIP LD supplier purchases good quality IP connectivity, ideally one 
that manages its own BGP routing with multiple Tier-1 IP transit 
connections.

- your VoIP LD supplier is as close as possible in network terms 
(transmission time) to both your customers and to where most of your traffic 
is terminating.

- if your customers IP connection fails, you have a backup plan!

Linus
Magrathea