IP Telephony Requires Time for Proper Planning

"Don’t just replace your TDM switch the fastest way you know how," warned Michel Weller of PlanNet Consulting (www.plannetconsulting.com) at the VoiceCon 2005 seminar on VoIP implementation, presented jointly with his colleague, David Stein. "A successful IP telephony deployment is a carefully choreographed interaction of people, processes, products, tools, services, best practices, and methodologies," Weller said. And you need to plan for the whole voice environment, even though you intend to start migration with only a small part, he cautioned. Deployment "is usually more difficult and takes 15%-20% longer than expected," Weller said. Moreover, the move to IP "normally is part of a broader project, often triggered by a relocation. Video and security are involved. They demand bandwidth" and must be encompassed in planning. In terms of time required, "the Planning : Design : Implementation ratio is typically 3:1:2½," David Stein said. Among the high points of their presentation: Manage SurprisesUnpleasant surprises are inevitable in new product adoption, but they can be reduced in number and impact. Among preventive measures:Define at the outset how success will be measured. Learn what current expectations are and, when necessary, modify them. Examine the project for weak points—the most likely sources of surprises. Deal with the baggage—those who are unenthused—and get them on board. Minimize RFP PainEvery inch of thickness in a Request for Proposal printout will produce four inches of response—from every vendor—which can set in motion an uncontrolled and enormously time-consuming process. Weller and Stein advise using every available means to reduce the effort involved in the RFP. For example:Develop and communicate a procurement plan—different from the way you did it in the past. Narrow the field by conducting one-on-one pre-bid sessions with vendors. Vendors answering RFPs try to use boilerplate—so be very specific in specifying requirements. Don’t Leave Planning to the Integrator Why can’t the customer have an integrator draw up a plan and submit it for approval? Because the integrator:Owns only part of the project. Does not know your environment as you do. Often has only slightly more experience than you do. Is likely to base their plan on a template, one that is not specific to 20% of your environment. And that 20% will cause 80% of the problems. Enlist Users in Feature DefinitionPeople are better at saying what they don’t want than what they want. A questionnaire is thus useful in helping users to express their needs. PlanNet Consulting proposes asking users to define features such as the following, specifying "Must have," "Nice to have," or "Don’t care." Hands free dialing Speakerphone More than one line per phone Call forward Phone from PC Retrieve voicemail while in e-mail Address a voice message by spelling name Voicemail distribution lists Speed up message playback Multiple voicemail greetings

IP Telephony Requires Time for Proper Planning

News | March 4, 2005

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