VoIP De-Mystified

Updated: April 26, 2008

VoIP De-Mystified

How to

CompareShop forChoose

The optimal VoIP plan for your needs.


Persimmon Telecommunications

Brings together a team of experts to help you make the best choice for your

Telecommunications services

Cost Effective Connections


Joe Budelis

• Harvard PhD in Decision & Control

• 30 years experience

• Areas: Project Management, IT, Analysis, Telecommunications

• Long Term Positions: – Mobil Corporation– Morgan Stanley Dean Witter– ShopForT1.com, Telarus, Commission River


What we bring to you

• Telecommunications expertise

• Consulting services – To help you find the best option(s) for your

Telecommunications needs– To assist you with questions or issues that

arise during provisioning and during the contract term

– To help you determine if contract renewal or a switch to another service is most beneficial


Specialties

• T1, DS3 and Fixed Wireless lines – Fractional, Full, Bonded, Point-to-Point Ts– Data, Voice and Integrated Ts

• OC3, MPLS, Ethernet and DSL lines• Phone Service

– Local and Long Distance Phone Service– Toll Free Service– VoIP– Cell Phone Service– Audio Conferencing

• Domain Registration and Web hosting• Fax Services


What is VoIP?

• Voice over Internet Protocol– Uses broadband internet connection for

phone service

• Also known as:– Broadband phone service– I-net telephony– Internet phone service– IP Phone service


How does it Work?

• Router shares broadband connection with PC(s)• Digital Terminal Adapter (aka dta or phone adapter) is

interface between– Router and– Normal analog phone

• Alternatively, some plans use an IP phone


VoIP Background

• Initially VoIP was implemented PC-to-PC – Using a PC as your phone is still an option

with some plans

• Voice quality was originally poor– Improvements in technology have greatly

improved voice quality– Most users can not tell the difference most of

the time


VoIP Advantages

• Low cost toll calls• Phone portability – you can use your VoIP

phone from “any” broadband connection• Low cost to have phone numbers in distant

locations• Many features available via software at a low

cost or no additional cost• Features are upgradeable via software

download• Calls to others on same service are always free


VoIP Disadvantages

• Phone line is down if broadband connection is down

• Phone adapter and/or router occasionally must be rebooted

• Voice quality degrades if internet connection has latency, jitter or significant packet loss


911 Service

• Not all VoIP vendors offer 911 service in all areas and, when they do: – You must enter into a database precisely the

location where you will be using the dta– You must update the location in the database

when you move the dta– Some vendors require that the shipping and

billing addresses be the same as the address where you will use the service


Basic VoIP ServiceTypical Features

• Voice mail• CallerID – with or without name• CallerID Blocking• 3-way Conferencing• Call Waiting• Call Waiting ID• Call Forwarding• On-line Account Management• Call Transfer• Virtual Numbers


Basic Home, Home Office Plans• Pay Monthly - Annual Plans

– $9.99 and $14.99 plans for 200 and 500 mins– $19.99-$24.99 per mo for unlimited calls to

USA, Puerto Rico, Canada numbers and some other countries

• All-Inclusive Annual Plan– Unlimited call plans– $199 per year– Extra charges for DA and International– Various charges may add up to about $5/mo


Business Options

• Basic VoIP Service – Vendor provides IP phone or dta that you can use with any analog phone or phone system

• Hosted PBX Service – Vendor provides dta and phone instrument with features that, in the past, were only available on high end PBX systems

• Integrated T1 – T1 shared between voice and data; carrier provides QoS to voice


Hosted PBX ServiceTypical Additional Features

• Autoattendant– Customizable– Dial by extension– Dial by name– Company directory

• 3- or 4-digit extension to extension dialing• Conference bridge• Multiple Call Handling• Ring Groups• Switchboard• Call Park / Call Pickup• Do Not Disturb


Hosted PBX Option• Virtual Office

– $49.99/month Unlimited USA & Canada calls– $99.99 equipment cost

• Virtual Office Speakerphone• DTA

– $1.50/mo FET – 3% Federal Excise Tax– $1.50/mo RRF – Regulatory Recovery Fee– $1.99 E911 Service Fee– $39.99 activation fee– $24.99/month metered extension @ 250 outbound

mins/mo + 2.9 cents a minute thereafter – 30-day (max 300 minutes) money back guarantee


Basic VoIP Business Options• Business 2000 Plan

– 2000 inbound/outbound mins/mo USA and Canada

– Includes voicemail, caller ID, call waiting, three-way calling, find me/follow-me, simultaneous ring, call forwarding, and more.

– Unlimited calls to other Packet8 numbers – $39.99 per month– 3.5 cpm for additional USA/Canada outbound

calls after 2000 outband mins


How to Choose a VoIP Plan?

• See Plan Comparisons on the VoIP Comparison spreadsheet at:

http://shopforld.com/VoIP.xls

• Use the first column as a checklist of features – which are most important to you?

VoIP De-Mystified

Documents

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