Defining Basics of Voice, VoIP and IP telephony
Confusion has come along with the associated taxonomy of VoIP technology and IP telephony. Both of them refer to use the same IP network to send voice messages. But the main difference between VoIP and IP telephony is that VoIP is connecting old fashion analog phones to specific gateway device who are able to convert analog voice data into digital bits and send them across the internet bypassing the expensive PSTN telephone networks. In the case of IP telephony the phones by them selves are digital devices and they are made to record the users voice directly into digital signal and send it across IP network using special Communication manager devices that are enabling this technology to work. IP telephony technology resides on IP network and natively uses the IP network for communication.
In this article we will commence with the definition of voice over IP and bearing in mind that it is truly vital in the corporate world these days. Since voice packets are continually flowing or “gushing” across a “data infrastructure”, many protocols are needed to be arranged or set up in order to maintain it in a preserving manner, and keep a simple call going.
Example of VoIP vs IP telephony topology:
VoIP-Definition
“Packetized” voice is sent over an IP network by VoIP. Well, characteristically, an IP network can also serve as a data network, the outcome is intended quality of protection problems. But luckily, Cisco will offer you a wide collection of (QoS) quality of service. And many features related to protection and security to make sure the eminence of quality and protection of the “voice transmission”.
Several business networks can voluntarily be linked without purchasing committed rent lines between their sites or depend on public switched telephone network (PSTN) with the ability to transmit voice over an IP network. The example is internet, which does not compel to pay charges for particular and specific call types i.e. the international calls or long distance.
In order to further illuminate and exemplify the differences between IP telephony and VoIP, you can take a look at upper image. In the topmost and north segment of our figure, the endpoints of the VoIP network are in fact an analog phone which means that they are linked to an analog port through a gateway and also a (PBX) private branch exchange that have been linked to a digital port on a completely different gateway. Since none of these endpoints locally speak IP, the topology is considered to be, none other than a VoIP network.
The lower segment of our image shows a ‘Cisco IP phone’ that does not interact locally in IP. This Cisco IP phone has been registered with a Cisco Unified Communications Manager Server; this phenomenon makes the call direction-finding conclusions for the Cisco IP phone. That is why; the lower “topology” in this particular figure is considered to be an IP telephony network. These were the differences on VoIP and IP telephony. You must understand that some particular type of text may use the terms IP telephony and VoIP without any change.
The Need and Importance of VoIP
Originally, one of the primary business drivers for the adoption of VoIP was saving money on long distance calls. However, increased competition in the industry drove down the cost of long distance calls to the point that cost savings alone was insufficient motivation in order to migrate a PBX-centric telephony solution to a VoIP network. However, several other justifications exist for purchasing VoIP technology:
- Low recurring costs: In various typical PBX (centric networks), a particular digital ‘T1’ circuit traditionally can carry either 23 or/and 24 synchronized voice calls and these are based on the type of indication that is being used. A T1 naturally had 23 or/and 24 channels available. Each and every channel had a particular and specific bandwidth of 64 kbps only and it could handle one and only phone call at a time. But, VoIP networks often leverage (codecs) coder/decoders to press the voice. Every voice call can consume only less than 64 kbps of bandwidth per call, thus allowing on-top concurrent calls, when compared to this typical type of technology.
- Flexibility/Adaptability: Since these VoIP networks send some ‘voice traffic’ over an IP network, the administrator has a high concentration of manage over this voice traffic. Various clients can be arranged to have access to various voice applications examples include, a messaging application or even a communicative voice response [IVR] application.
- Advanced features & functionality: VoIP and IP telephony networks can also offer higher and much superior features, which include the following:
- Call routing: Obtainable and accessible routing protocols examples include, EIGRP and OSPF these can also be used to offer and supply fast ‘failover’ to a endorsement link if a most important network link failed. And on top of that, calls can also be routed over various network links based upon the eminence or the link’s traffic load at the time.
- Security: If the attacker were to cut off and imprison the VoIP packets, he can play them backward to listen eavesdrop on a conversation, on purpose. Another famous example, a user may enter his/her (PIN) personal identification number in the bank’s specific and particular IVR system, and so as a result the attacker may catch these packets. And so attackers may begin violent rogue devices examples include call agent servers into the network and IP phones. Luckily, Cisco will offer to you a wide and large range of technology and most suitably applicable in order to further solidify the security and protection of a particular VoIP network.
- About Messaging: An answer to such a “Cisco Unity” could also be used to supply only one storehouse for a wide diversity of such messaging kinds. Examples include a ‘Microsoft Exchange’ message store can also be used to combine the storage space of fax broadcast, voice mail and e-mail messages. Then the user can do a lot of thing, example include, call in a ‘Cisco Unity’ system and have his/her e- mail read to her by the text-to-speech conversion.
- Solutions for Call Center: Cisco can offer a large variety of answers for ‘call centers’. Examples include, Cisco’s Contact Center Express and Contact Center solutions can smartly route-up calls that are about to come in order to appropriately call the center agents. And also because the call center will use Cisco IP Phones, geographically and location wise, these can be separated (examples include, the call center agents that are working from the home).
- Customer-searching solutions: Several clients may wish to communicate by a particular chat-interface or even through email, conflicting to talk with a company’s client service envoy. Since a VoIP network can only work on a ‘data network’. The data network features for example e-mail and the chat feature can be incorporated into the client’s specific choice of various contact choice, thus, and increase is created in the client’s satisfaction level.