22 01732 759725 COMMUNICATIONS ...continued Do IP phones have a future? Lee Underwood gives three reasons why businesses should maintain their investment in IP phones Is the quality of your VoIP telephone calls letting you down? “POUVEZ-VOUS M’ENTENDRE?” Springer Spaniel [Canis lupus familiaris] IP telephony is key to meeting the requirements of modern corporate communications, with the added benefits of increased scalability, substantial cost savings and integration with existing infrastructure and emerging technologies such as 5G, IoT and smart buildings (see overleaf). Replacing legacy telecommunications solutions with more efficient UCC platforms should be a key part of companies’ 2023 IT budgets – even more so since hybrid working has become an integral part of modern work culture. If IP terminals are not ordered/renewed at the same time, past experience shows that investing in a new UCC solution only pays off to a limited extent. Only modern IP phones that are regularly updated via firmware guarantee the highest level of support for the UCC functions that may have been a deciding factor in their purchase. In addition, there are three other factors that ensure the continued relevance of IP phones for business users: 1. IP Terminals: Much more than just a phone When VoIP came onto the market in the late 1990s, IP PBX systems were being developed according to the paradigms of traditional telephone systems. These systems were mainly closed for on-premises operation, with one provider’s phone used exclusively. This lack of flexibility led to increased costs when changing the configuration of the system and using new services or when requiring additional connections. Today, such solutions have become virtually unusable for modern businesses. In contrast, VoIP systems are scalable at any time and, thanks to embedded open standards, can be used for other application scenarios. Via APIs, both the VoIP system and the phones can be expanded with simple updates, meaning that time and money isn’t wasted on upgrading hardware. This is even more relevant for software-based telephony
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