Case Studies

Voice over IP (VoIP) is a technological concept that allows the use of IP (Internet Protocol) as an infrastructure-based voice communications, instead of traditional phone lines. All that can be communicated (text, image, voice or video) can be scanned and converted into data packets, thus enabling their transmission, distribution or sharing across computer data networks like the Internet.

In most cases a simply connection between a conventional telephone (wired or wireless) and an adapter is what you need to start using VOIP. This adapter uses the Internet connection for voice communication instead of the conventional phone lines. As in a traditional telephone service, you will get a dial tone when the handset is picked up and it's possible to call anyone in the world that has a classic phone or VOIP.

Alternatively, you can use an IP phone that is just like a conventional phone but connects directly to a computer data network, or you can use a software phone (softphone). In this case, your PC becomes a telephone and you can use the microphone and speaker connected to your computer. Mobile phone can also use VOIP, making telephone calls over data networks (GPRS, WiFi or others), paying the communications according to your data transfer service instead of you voice call service.

The advantage of this technology is to reduce the cost of telecommunications infrastructure (using the same infrastructure as the computer data network uses) and enhance the quality and functionality of the services, providing a better interaction with software to manage the calls and the callers. A telephone call can then be treated, using a comparison only in order to facilitate understanding of the concept, an outgoing e-mail, but in real time and with simultaneous response. It's like a chat program (like Messenger), but with devices (phones) for the that specific purpose and allowing contact from anyone who knows your phone number (as a classic system).

In recent years the services providers given away free VOIP calls between numbers registered to the same operator (one of the most recognized is Skype), however classic services providers, as a means of survival, also began to offer flat rate packages, maintaining the monthly cost of you communications bill if your calls are all made to other "land lines" or to specific destinations.

The advantages of functionality are linked to the fact that you can take your phone number with you wherever you go (as you can check your email anywhere in the world if you have Internet access). When you move to another house, there is not need to go through the hassle of changing your phone number (although some services providers allow you to choose the prefix you want to use depending on your geographical location).
You can also get a wide range of services to integrate with the computer. Not only for the use of the softphone but also the unification of services. For example, you can easily receive voice mail messages in your email or your faxes processed directly in e-mail.

A small business can create a virtual call center that unifies communications for one or more offices / shops (or home office) but it will work as a large company telephone system, allowing to give each phone an extension, or when receiving a call on prime number, all company phone ring or even transfer calls free of charge for distant destinations.

At this time, despite the great evolution and simplification of the Voice over IP, Internet telephony is not for everyone. Even though VoIP hardware and software have no more complexity than most desktop technologies (eg wireless networks), it is not as simple as connecting a conventional telephone. In addition to the assumption of a fast internet connection, there is the need to control that connection. Without proper care, the quality of Voice over IP is variable. To get good results is critical to use hardware compatible with Quality of Service (QoS) to allow prioritize VOIP traffic over the conventional one.

A Voice over IP service offers features and performance that a conventional telephone service can not. However, this disparity will tend to diminish given the inevitability of the adoption of Voice over IP by the classical voice services providers themselves (as is the case of ZON and other services providers who, despite apparently offering classical systems to customers, are using VOIP communications in their own network, where the communication is done in data packets according to VoIP protocol).

The shift to digital voice platform means that innovation will continue to speed up, and that service providers of VoIP will continue to offer new services. Teleconferencing, videoconferencing and collaborative applications will very quickly become part of the integrated offering of IP-based services.

There are however some disadvantages. Typically these devices require a power source for both the phone itself as for the auxiliary equipment of the network. This means that in case of a disaster or a simple power failure, without no auxiliary power, you can not ensure communications (unlike the classical system in which power is provided by the network service provider).

Due to the lack of association of the number to a fixed geographic location, VOIP phones can not be used for emergency calls, since you can't fast and simply locate the origin of the call.

The equipment itself (phone) and structured network (ensuring the installation of equipment with QoS) requires an extra cost, guaranteeing fast data rates (it is recommended the use of a Gigabit computer data network like Category 6). However, avoids the installation of two different cabled networks, passing the internet, telephone (voice), video surveillance systems (if any), video entry systems (if any) and even sound diffusion systems (if they exist too), in the same telecommunications infrastructure.

There is also an uncomfortable phenomenon, in some situations: in moments of silence, the system does not transmit information (in order to spare network traffic as to save energy and processing time). This causes user to feel that the call went death. The discomfort can be minimized by introducing some line noise in order to maintain a constant presence in the communication, ensuring that the call it's still alive.

However, many of these disadvantages will soon be overcome with the massification use of this system, allowing hardware to be more energy efficient, cheaper due to scale economies associated with that technology and adaptations to the procedures that allow the use this protocol in emergency situations.

In the end, the growing in the use of systems based on optical fiber technology, even at our own homes or offices will lead to a mandatory upgrade to fully digital communications systems, leaving no roam for the use of conventional telephone (copper pairs) infrastructure without specific converters for this purpose.

The cost associated with the use of these systems (VOIP) is insignificant when it is used with existing equipment (using the computer itself as a phone), requiring only a careful design of infrastructure to ensure the operation at 100% of all desired services.

Graucelsius, have extensive experience in projects of infrastructure for communications and computer data networks, being able to carry out classical communication systems or VoIP. Our technical staff is qualified to make projects regarding the ITED V2 Portuguese Standards as well for ITUR, one of the Standard (ITED) used in the interior of buildings and the other (ITUR) used in the exterior conectiong the building to the communications services provides.