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Internet
Telephony or Voice Over IP (VoIP)
Background to VoIP
What is it?
Internet telephony or Voice Over IP (Internet
Protocol) is where you use your data channels -
frequently broadband connections - for voice
communications.
Why?
VoIP is very cost-effective. There are two charges
made for traditional phone calls. First you pay for
the exchange line rental and secondly for the actual
call. Compare this with data charges. Normally you
pay for Internet access at a flat monthly rate
irrespective of the time that you use. Hence VoIP
calls are effectively ‘free’.
Free VoIP calls are typically restricted to users
who make ‘calls’ to other users who have PCs
connected to broadband. If you need to make calls
to people who are not on broadband then you can use
one of the many ‘breakout’ services such as ‘SkypeOut’.
This means that you can cross the globe on a data
network,, ‘break out’ locally at the remote end and
make a call to a traditional landline telephone or a
mobile phone at a much reduced cost. Companies like
Skype operate on the basis that you pay into a
credit fund very much like the mobile phone pre-paid
card principle.
Business travelers can also use services such as
Skype via the internet access offered in hotel
rooms, airports and other wireless hotspots. Again
this is an extremely cost-effective way to make long
distance calls without incurring expensive telephony
call charges.
In fact most telephony features are being reproduced
on these VOIP services, anything from conferencing
to voicemail.
Is this
too good to be true?
There are a number of issues surrounding VoIP. Here
we will touch on two major ones:
-
Quality of Service
One of the key issues is quality of service.
Call quality can vary dramatically. This is
usually down to the bandwidth available for
voice calls. Voice calls take up more bandwidth
than data transfers and are more susceptible to
sampling problems. Hence calls where words are
truncated or missing are not uncommon.
Variations in service can also occur during the
course of the day as more and more people log
onto data services and less bandwidth is
available for voice. Sufficient bandwidth for
all traffic is the key.
-
Reliability
Data lines have never been as reliable as the
traditional telephone land line. With the
increasing availability and reliability of
broadband this situation is changing. However,
many organizations do not want to ‘put all their
eggs in one basket’ if both data and voice
communications are mission critical.
What do you need to get started?
-
For
Businesses
The key thing is to identify a system supplier
who has experience in setting up IP systems and
sufficient expertise to ‘size’ your ‘traffic’.
There are a number of manufacturers from Cisco
to Avaya that are particularly active in this
arena.
-
For
the Home User
Ensure that your PC has sufficient memory, an
appropriate operating system and either a USB
port or 2x 3.5mm sockets for a headset
connection.
Are all PC headsets the same?
No, they certainly are not. Irrespective of which
brand of headset you are looking at, you need to
consider carefully what safety protection they
offer. The old adage that you ‘get what you pay
for’ has never been more true.
How can a PC headset at £15.00 be the same as a
headset and USB adaptor at £100.00? The short
answer is they are not.
Let’s take a look at the background to PC headsets.
Traditionally a dedicated PC headset was intended
for gaming in a 'self-contained environment'. You,
the user, inter-reacted with your own PC. You were
in control of the environment and noise levels that
you exposed yourself to.
This was never the case for telephony headsets that
traditionally had to be approved by BABT and went
through rigorous testing. Telephone headsets still
are subject to testing and CE approval and as such
must comply with the acoustic shock regulations. So
what? You might say.
Once you start to use VoIP and leave the confines of
your PC you are again liable to the spurious noises
that can be generated by the ‘communications
infrastructure’. This risk is increased if you use
services like ‘SkypeOut’ where you break out from
the data network to make a local call at the remote
end on the public telephone network. So, back to
where we started!
Manufacturers do not always advertise their safety
compliance but it is a very pertinent question to
ask your headset supplier. As a commercial
organisation you need to be able to assess the risk
of ill-equipping your staff and be ready for the
litigation if you make the wrong decision.
One final factor to consider from a health and
safety perspective is that headset consumables such
as ear cushions and microphone windscreens need to
be replaced on a regular basis. The standard,
inexpensive PC headset is a ‘disposable’ item.
There are no replacement consumables available for
them.
Here at Communications Solutions UK we are ready to
offer advice
on what is appropriate for you and your
organisation’s needs.
Let’s
look at some of the headset solutions on offer
The first question to ask is whether you are using a
hard or soft phone? A hard phone looks like a
traditional telephone handset. The only difference
is that the telephone is connected back to the IP
infrastructure. A ‘soft’ phone is a piece of
software on your PC. Frequently it will appear in a
window on your screen showing a dial key pad. To
make a call you simply click on the keypad with your
mouse or input the number from the keyboard.
Whichever type of phone you have, the next question
to ask is what type of headset interface do you
have? If it is a hard phone it is likely to be the
traditional RJ11 plug. Whereas if it is a soft
phone you may be using either 2x 3.5mm plugs, or
increasingly popular, a USB interface.
Do remember that although all these solutions are
VOIP solutions, they can also be used very
successfully with speech recognition software. Most
of the headsets that we are going to look at are of
infinitely superior quality to the standard free
speech recognition unit provided with many software
packages. This means that voice training is kept to
a minimum and subsequent dictation is speeded up.
- Hardphones
Hardphones could be looked upon as an interim
solution. These are offered by manufacturers
such as Cisco at the moment. On the positive
side they can use standard telephony headsets
with standard acoustic shock protection, though
you always need to check on ‘bottom cords’ as
these can vary from phone to phone.
- USB
Softphone
Most manufacturers have at least a couple of USB
adapter options that you can use with a standard
telephony headset. This at least means that
when you transition to a VoIP solution you can
use some of your existing equipment. It also
means that you continue to be protected by the
acoustic shock protection built into these
traditional telephony headsets.
The difference between USB offerings tends to be
whether they have software ‘bundled’ or
‘downloadable’ for them. Typically the software
will provide extra functionality. The ‘Avaya
version’ of the GN8120 provides softphone call
controls for the most common call handling functions
such as
- Answer or hang up calls
- Place calls on hold
- Speed dial
- Raise or lower call
volume
- Mute the microphone
Some good examples are the GN8110 and the GN8120.
The GN8110 is a simple USB Adapter with no
software. It is a ‘plug and play’ device. Great if
you wish to ‘keep it simple’.
By comparison the GN8120 can be used without
software, but the software available provides
functionality to the buttons on the adapter. The
software download is governed by the ‘system’ that
you are using so that the button functionality can
vary from system to system. Currently there is
proprietary software available for the GN8120 for
both Avaya and Cisco systems. (Avaya
PDF)
Plantronics also offer the USB adapters. There are
two readily available, the DA55 and the DA60. The
DA55 is ‘plug and play’ without any proprietary
software, whereas the DA60 is supplied with a CD to
load the Persona software that enables call centre
managers to measure and track compliance with
European legislation on employee sound exposure.
When cordless headsets are becoming a much more
widely accepted business tools to boost
productivity, it is unfortunate that most USB
adapters today are hard wired and ‘again require you
to be ‘chained to your desk’. There are however one
or two exceptions to the rule.
The CS60 USB is currently unique. This is a product
which plugs into your PC USB and is completely
cordless. The headset has a battery life of up to 9
hours and will then need re-charging. This is great
if you need mobility as well as VoIP.
One other solution to the need to ‘walk and talk’
for VoIP or ‘dictation software’, is to use a
cordless headset together with a USB adapter such as
the GN8110 or the Plantronics DA55. With one extra
cable we can connect a GN9120, GN Ellipse or
Plantronics CS60 to a PC. With the GN9120 this
gives you the option of two headsets on one cordless
base unit and the opportunity for VoIP conference
calls or ‘listening in’ training for new starters.
Gaming USB Headsets
How can you quickly identify a headset intended for
gaming rather than VoIP, despite what it might say
about Internet chat on the packaging?
There are some significant differences between
dedicated gaming headsets and USB adaptors with a
traditional headset.
-
There is usually no quick disconnect for ease of
use.
-
There are no consumable items available such as
replacement ear cushions or microphone
windscreens. These are a ‘must’ in businesses
where Health & Safety should be an employer’s
paramount concern
-
The
Gaming headset is not typically CE marked and
hence does not comply with any of the acoustic
shock legislation with one or two exceptions.
This leaves employers open to prosecution by
staff alleging instances of acoustic shock.
-
They are nearly always CHEAPER.
Gaming headsets are primarily designed for
individuals to use at home. You need to make an
informed decision whether you are prepared to run
the risk of acoustic shock. Businesses should
certainly never expose their staff.
GN Netcom has recently launched two gaming USB
headsets that will ‘cut off ‘ at 118db providing
acoustic shock protection. These are the GN502 and
GN503. (PDF)
However, it is worth noting that the Plantronics
range of DSP headsets offer NO acoustic shock
protection despite being advertised for internet
telephony.
Gaming Headsets with 2x 3.5mm plugs
There are many such budget headsets around including
the GN501 and the well established Plantronics
.audio range. However none of these have any
acoustic shock protection.
All of these headsets are inexpensive gaming
headsets intended for use in a ‘self-contained’
environment. They are NOT subject to any legislative
or safety constraints.
Other nifty gadgets for users with 2x3.5mm plug PC
connections that you may not have heard of:
-
Select Switch
This is an inexpensive way to convert a PC with
3.5mm plugs for internet telephony. The select
switch will allow you to convert your telephone
line to PC working. This device has a rocker
switch which enables you to switch between phone
and PC. Great if you have one phone line and
dial up internet access.
-
GN8050 and the Plantronics MX10
Where you need headset working on a ‘ system ‘
phone and access to a PC via 3.5mm plugs for
speech dictation, listening to recordings,
training material or conferencing over the
internet, the GN8050 and PLX MX10 provide the
interface. These devices connect into any
proprietary system telephone and enable you to
switch between PC and Phone.
Taking this one stage further the Plantronics
CA40 performs the same function but provides the
user with a cordless headset.
-
Speech Dictation
For real freedom, especially for speech
dictation, use a GN9120 or Plantronics CS60
cordless headset with a USB adaptor. This
provides for real ‘walk and talk ability ‘and is
used in many applications from Solicitors to
Medical staff reporting on post-mortems. This
freedom and ease of use has also proven
indispensable to many physically disabled users
who have found corded headsets restrictive.
If you have an application that you would like to
discuss, please call our sales team who will be
happy to offer help and advice on the most
cost-effective solution for you.
Call Communications Solutions UK Limited on Tel.
0844 477 1622 or email us on:
info@com-solutions.co.uk
Below is a list of relevant brochures in PDF format
for more information:
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