[Asterisk-Users] What business IP phone to use

[Colin Anderson]

>How does one justify the extra cost of a managed switch for an office of no
>more than 5-10 users with limited SMB file sharing and lightweight internet
>access going over the thing? It's just not doable. In larger organizations,
>I agree entirely, a managed switch *is* worth its weight in gold, but not
>for small businesses.

Simple formula:

1. Total Revenue
2. % of revenue derived from phone usage
3. =Cost of downtime by using SoHo or consumer gear. 

It's not a question of if a SoHo or low cost device will screw up, it is a
question of when. This is 23 years of experience talking.

Where I work, the value of #3 above is $16 Cdn a *second*. We are below 500
employees, so we fall into the SMB segment. Sometimes I'm appalled by
statements that a $700 switch or a $400 phone isn't worth it. Huh?? Maybe in
your home office, or whatever, but in any kind of meaningful business
context, you *always* buy the best, and you only cry once. If you argue that
your business can't support that kind of cost (which is really, actually
quite cheap. Anyone remember $6000 switches? I do.) then perhaps you may
want to re-evaluate whether it's appropriate to use VoIP in your business in
the first place. 

Sure, a managed switch is not a silver bullet - but it is part of a quality
implementation that *is* a silver bullet. Weakest link, and all that.