Meet your new friend VoIP

Volume 20, Number 6 • June 2000

Meet your new friend VoIP
by Michael Schuyler

THE VIEW FROM THE TOP LEFT CORNER column discusses the use of T1 lines for long distance phone calls. Says that voice terminals (VTs) have replaced telephone sets in Voice over Internet Protocol (IP) (VoIP). Notes that the VT has an IP address, and can translate analog speech into digital packets, launch them over the Internet, and translate them back into speech. Explains how true VoIP can be achieved using a rack-mounted NT server, with redundant power packs and RAID 5 disk controllers, the Call Manager software program ($10,000), and up to 2,500 VTs ($200). Claims that voice traffic will travel over the same Ethernet Category 5 wires as data, using a very small part of the bandwidth. Mentions that Call Manager provides a modern phone system complete with voice mail, music on hold, and call groups.