By Nancy
March 19, 2007
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is a technology that allows a user to make a phone call through a broadband Internet connection instead of a regular (or analog) phone line. It is a method for taking analog audio signals, like the kind we hear when we talk on the phone, and turning them into digital data that can be transmitted over the Internet. It is also one of exiting technologies that are meant to make most benefits out of the popularity of Internet. However, by looking at the ultimate goal of having VoIP: treating voice calls as just another form of data to be moved around the IP network to reduce the cost of calls and making call handling more flexible and intelligent, will it worth to upgrade from conventional phone line to this more advance technology? Will VoIP live up to the expectations set by vendors? This report offer analysis and impact of this technology on end users like a corporation.
Detailed Technological Issues:
VoIP technology uses the Internet’s packet-switching capabilities to provide phone service. VoIP has several advantages over conventional circuit switching. Another three or four calls could easily fit into the space used by a single call under the conventional system. And this doesn't even factor in the use of data compression, which further reduces the size of each call. In addition, telephone networks immediately gain the ability to communicate the way computers do.
Most VoIP provide the features that normal phone companies charge extra for when they are added to your service plan such as Caller ID, Call waiting, and Three-way calling. With many VoIP services, we can also check voicemail via the Web or attach messages to an e-mail that is sent to our computer or handheld. But behind these inflated expectations, there is an uncomfortable truth for the VoIP enthusiasts: sound quality. Until recently, an integral part of a telephone call is still considered far from satisfactory. Since VoIP is possible due to the Internet technology, limitations and drawbacks are also cause by Internet connection issues which will be further discussed in the following section.
One of the major drawbacks of VoIP is that it is dependent on wall power. The current phone runs on phantom power that is provided over the line from the central office. Even if power goes out, a telephone (unless it is a cordless) still works and this is very important for an emergency call. With VoIP, no power means no phone. A stable power source must be created for VoIP.
Another consideration is that many other systems in a house may be integrated into the phone line. Digital video recorders, digital subscription TV services and home security systems all use a standard phone line to do their jobs. There is currently no way to integrate these products with VoIP. The related industries are going to have to get together to make this work.
Internet Connection and PC Performance Issues:
Because VoIP uses an Internet connection, it is susceptible to all the hiccups normally associated with home broadband services. All of these factors will affect call quality such as latency, jitter, and packet loss. Phone conversations can sometimes become distorted, garbled or lost because of transmission errors. Some kind of stability in Internet data transfer needs to be guaranteed before VoIP could truly replace traditional phones. VoIP is also susceptible to worms, viruses and hacking, although this is very rare and VoIP developers are working on VoIP encryption to counter this.
Another performance issue associated with VoIP is having a phone system dependant on individual PCs of varying specifications and power. A call can be affected by processor drain. Opening a program that consume PC processor memory unit can cause voice quality loss. In a worst case scenario, the system could crash in the middle of an important call. In VoIP, all phone calls are subject to the limitations of normal computer issues.
Cost Issues:
VoIP can turn a standard Internet connection into a way to place free phone calls. The practical upshot of this is that by using some of the free VoIP software that is available to make Internet phone calls, we are bypassing the phone company (and its charges) entirely.
Some VoIP services offer features and services that are not available with a traditional phone, or are available but only for an additional fee. Cost of paying for both a broadband connection and a traditional telephone line may be avoidable. However, not all VoIP software and services can offer all of the features listed above in the technical session. Prices and services can be varied. Even though the cost of using the service may seem minimal, however, tools of using VoIP service including ATA (an analog-to-digital converter that takes the analog signal from the traditional phone and converts it into digital data for transmission over the Internet), IP phone (specialized phone that has RJ-45 Ethernet connector), and computer are considerably high cost investment. Especially, for a corporation who like to switch entirely its base line phone to VoIP, this costs high amount of money.
Mobility Issues:
VoIP allows users to travel anywhere in the world and still make and receive phone calls if only there is a connection to the Internet. Incoming phone calls can be automatically routed to VoIP phones, regardless of where they are connected to the network. Subscribers of phone-line replacement services can make and receive local phone calls regardless of their location. This would gain the most benefit especially an international call that will be treated as a local call with a connection to the Internet.
Security and Reliability:
As mentioned earlier, since VoIP relies entirely on the Internet connection, many security issues emerging from Internet such as virus infection, Malware and Trojan are major concerns. It is relatively easy to eavesdrop on VoIP calls and even change their content. There are several open source solutions that facilitate sniffing of VoIP conversations. A modicum of security is afforded due to patented audio codecs that are not easily available for open source applications, however such security through obscurity has not proven effective in the long run in other fields. Some vendors also use compression to make eavesdropping more difficult. However, real security requires encryption and cryptographic authentication which are not widely available at a consumer level.
Emergency 911 calls also become a challenge with VoIP. Due to some limitations in its technical issue, there is no way to associate a geographic location with an IP address. So if the caller cannot report the 911 operator where he or she is located, then there is no way to know which call center to route the emergency call to and which EMS should respond. To fix this, perhaps geographical information could somehow be integrated into the packets in the future development. VoIP providers may or may not offer directory assistance/white page listings.
The current Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) is a robust and fairly bulletproof system for delivering phone calls. Phones just work, and everyone all come to depend on that. On the other hand, computers, e-mail and other related devices are still kind of flaky. An e-mail can go down for 30 minutes and it's expected from time to time. On the other hand, a half hour of no dial tone can easily send people into a panic. So what the PSTN may lack in efficiency it more than makes up for in reliability. But the network that makes up the Internet is far more complex and therefore functions within a far greater margin of error. What this all adds up to is one of the major flaws in VoIP.
Conclusion:
The appeal of voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) services is by far already attracting Internet users. This is also a technology that is being driven by consumer demands on trying to better a telephone call with gadgets found from Internet technology. However, there are still some technological difficulties that are needed to be resolved to make it perfect for Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) replacement.
In my opinion, maybe not within these upcoming years, however, these problems will eventually be fixed. Many grounds will be made up and there is a possibility that this technology will be the future audio signal transfer. For now, I think, home users will gain most benefit out of VoIP service. They can use their own computer and give VoIP a try before fully adopt it. In addition, cost of personal use is relatively small for the changeover. While there is still considerable excitement about VoIP within the business corporation, there is also a growing body of evidence of how implementations have fared to date. The capital cost of transition from PSTN to VoIP including equipment, software, and service providers are needed to be considered. With many unresolved issues as stated above, switching wholeheartedly into VoIP right now, in my thought, is not a right decision. If a CIO in a corporation would like to do so, he/she needed to check with the VoIP service providers he/she choose to confirm any advantages and limitations to their services. Underestimating the impact of VoIP on the IT infrastructure can lead to poor quality of service and worse, can impair a company’s ability to serve its customers.
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