VOIP for smallish company

[billfaith]

I work for a company with 14 analog phone lines and about 40 phones. Our phone vendor is trying to sell us on an IP Phone system since our systems is outdated. We have a fairly small network, a few switches, a router to our ISP, file server etc.. Would an IP phone system use the switches we have or do they require new ones? Also would we be getting rid of our 14 phone lines from our local phone company? If so, where would calls outside our building go to? I understand how it would work inside our building, with everything running over our data network, but what happens for outgoing calls? Do these IP systems just use the analog phone lines, or does the phone company give us some sort of IP line(s)?

[Will.Spencer]

Originally Posted by billfaith

Our phone vendor is trying to sell us on an IP Phone system since our systems is outdated.

Cool, which manufacturer of IP phone systems are you evaluating?

Are you looking at a new phone switch and all new phones?

Want to have fun with your vendor? Terrify them by mentioning Asterisk, one of the free PBX systems which support VoIP. :p

Originally Posted by billfaith

We have a fairly small network, a few switches, a router to our ISP, file server etc.. Would an IP phone system use the switches we have or do they require new ones?

That's the most complex question in business VoIP.

It's all about QoS.

What models of switches and routers are you using? What QoS features do they support? What QoS features is your VoIP vendor recommending?

Originally Posted by billfaith

Also would we be getting rid of our 14 phone lines from our local phone company?

Yes, these POTS lines will go away.

Originally Posted by billfaith

If so, where would calls outside our building go to?

Outside calls will be routed over your broadband Internet connection to your VoIP service provider.

Of course, that means that will be reevaluating the size of your Internet connection!

Alternatively, you could just use VoIP internally and then connect to the POTS are your PBX, but I'm not sure that I see the business value in that.