<<<... On average, companies spend $473 per unit, per year to operate their IP-telephony system. This figure takes into account the number of staff hours companies spend per year maintaining and managing the system internally, multiplied by the average hourly rate of the staff involved. Additionally, it includes the cost of third-party management services. Those costs combined, divided by the number of end units in the system, provides the per-unit cost. For small roll-outs with fewer than 300 users in the system, the per-unit cost is $1,152.

It drops drastically for roll-outs with more than 5,000 units online. Those organisations spend only $37 per unit. The ratio of IT/telecom staff to end unit increases. Most of the work required is at the switch or the management or monitoring system. So there is not a proportional IT-to-employee correlation as the number of employees on the system increases. Savings estimates It's clear how organisations are spending money when it comes to VoIP, but how are they saving money? Despite published reports to the contrary, companies are saving money with VoIP, but those savings may not show up immediately.

We still find companies saving money in WAN costs, cabling, ongoing operational costs and administrative duties. Companies also are spending more money in other areas, including operational start-up, repair and handsets. Organisations save 15 percent to 40 percent on their WAN costs when they move to VoIP, and the average is 23 percent. The savings result from three primary areas: Migration to MPLS, typically from frame relay, ATM or leased-line networks. VoIP is the driver to switch to MPLS, but the overall costs for the same-speed circuits are less. Integrated access, whereby companies combine voice and data over the same access lines, thus eliminating underused pipes. more>>>