Dispelling the myths of VoIP.

Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, has been attracting a lot of attention lately among property manager and owners and tenant representatives alike.

And for good reason: this developing technology offers many new, valuable possibilities for business communications.

But, like so many new high-profile technologies, VoIP is now enduring the familiar cycle of wide-spread confusion and myths that cloud a realistic picture of the possibilities--and of the challenges that remain to be resolved.

With all the myths out there about VoIP, there remain two promises that VoIP does indeed deliver: Voice telephone traffic can travel on the same pipelines that carry data and Internet traffic and voice traffic can be managed by IP (Internet Protocol--the technical language standards of the Internet).

If a single, unified pipeline and protocol can be achieved successfully for voice, data, e-mail, and Internet access, then that's something truly new. It opens a door to all sorts of new, imaginative, efficient ways to coordinate and leverage business systems and human efforts.

Here is a look at come current VoIP myths and why these are myths and not facts:

Voice is "just another application" in the data stream.

Two people could hardly conduct a tolerable, coherent telephone call if their voices were subjected to routine stop-and-go delays of LAN data traffic. Acceptable voice quality requires considerably more-demanding technology and expertise.

IP open standards guarantee compatibility among all components.

Most call servers use standard protocols and are network neutral, and they work flawlessly with most VoIP systems. But the telephone switches, handsets and applications that utilize these standard protocols have proprietary software extensions added by manufacturers.

VoIP is plug-and-play simple; it works without a problem; all you need is an IP-compatible telephone.

Successful VoIP service demands considerable interoperability work and software tweaking among equipment vendors and service providers. Numerous disparate service components are involved

VoIP is a sure way to cut costs. Cost savings depend on the specific situation. Enterprises with high call volumes among widely dispersed offices have achieved large savings. In other situations, the costs are the same or even higher.

You get to send telephone calls over the Internet free.

This may be one of the cruelest myths perpetrated at the dawn of VoIP. Fortunately it has begun to recede. All telephone calls incur a cost and engage the public switched telephone network at some point.

Some service providers have promoted "free" calls tied to fixed monthly service fees. Any net savings, as trial customers have come to learn, must be weighed against the quality of the service and support delivered.

VoIP is not all about myths. It has had significant success in providing service gains for companies with satellite offices.

A VoIP service provider can offer high-speed Internet access to remote clients by establishing and leasing high-bandwidth communications links from a central location to the clients' remote offices across town or across the country.

Ultimately VoIP's true potential will evolve and will be better understood as the technology is permitted adequate time to mature.

As the technology matures, it may be wisest to approach it, as promising as it is, with a measure of caution.

The key thing to remember is to not do VoIP for the sake of VoIP. Do whatever makes the most sense for the existing infrastructure in a given location. VoIP isn't always the best solution, but it has opened many great possibilities that didn't exist before.

BY MIKE SALZ, CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER ROCKEFELLER GROUP TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS