Quality of Service of Voice over Internet Protocol for Enterprise Use - Essay Example

Unless quality of VoIP reaches quality level suitable as an enterprise product, the demand for VOIP will not be fully realized. Developments in VoIP have been able to establish not only as a communication option but as a valuable e-service as well. However, there remains to be key issues that are critical in its adoption into companies or as an enterprise. The main issue is regarding its cost and the quality of services (Biddlecombe, 2005). In 2004, the telecommunications industry saw the launch of mass-market VoIP services that followed the traditional interface models of Plain Old Telephone System (POTS) and by 2005, free services began their entry to the market (Dean, 2003).

Among the first one to offer services for free ware Skype which remains to be a significant market leader today. Following the success of Skype other online services began to include VoIP as part of their interface and retooled products as seen in the launch of Microsoft's Window Messenger Live, Yahoo's Yahoo Messenger with Voice and Google's Google Talk among others. However, the greatest potential for VoIP use is in corporate applications. The main benefit is in the communication and networking capacity it can provide.

The utilization of VoIP operations using it to traffic PSTN calls locally and internationally (Cave & Mason, 2001). IP Multimedia Subsystems (IMS's) have allowed the incorporation of internet technologies into current systems as well facilitated the actual interface of VoIP infrastructure with PSTN and mobile phones ("Voice over IP", 2006). However, most industry analysts believe that the major issue that companies consider in shifting an IP communications system is its ability to suit the operations and needs of the company (Dean, 2003).

It is easy to understand this concern because VoIP adaptation costs a significant amount of capital and maintenance. The service desired is one that does not only exceed traditional PSTN communications but also one that is the most cost effective, easiest to maintain and upgrade. At the moment, there is no standard model for the evaluation of VoIP systems and since it is still being developed, standards of performance are also continually changing (Loyola et al, 2006). The US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has already set standards for security and communication standards of VoIP service but has yet to be able to cope up with more comprehensive service standards (Hickman, 1998).

It is estimated that as the quality of VoIP services increase, the greater its potential to be the premiere communication revolution of the age. VoIP services is not seen just as a revolutionary means of communication but it is the most significant development in the convergence of modern communication technologies. Quality of Service: QoS VoIP quality and reliability has been progressed as networking hardware, software and the speed of internet connections. Paul Travis (2005) estimates that by 2010, VoIP will already adapted by the majority American households, institutions and business.

Though the primary consideration according to most studies is the cost of VoIP, analysts believe