Organisations are unaware of the level of complexity involved in implementing and supporting IP telephony (IPT), according to new research

A study carried out by vendor SAS Group found 62 per cent of companies planning an IPT project were not aware of all the components required.

Based on a series of user surveys which questioned more than 200 technology decision makers, the research shows 18 per cent of companies planning an IPT project had no technical knowledge of IPT at all.

'There is a serious and concerning lack of technical knowledge when it comes to implementing IPT which could result in costly mistakes as well as potential downtime for both voice and data systems,' said Simon Cranford, SAS Group chief information officer.

'Companies need to be better prepared for the complexities of IPT. Where once troubleshooting for voice would focus on handsets, cables and PBXs, it now has to incorporate switches, routers, bandwidth and even applications,' he said .

'IPT can significantly improve business communications and productivity, but it doesn't implement or manage itself.'

Further findings show that 50 per cent of companies employing over 500 staff believe they do not have the skills to implement IPT.

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Further reading:

VoIP spurs demand for network support services
Small firms in Asia spend big on VoIP