Study: speciality IP telephony management tools best for enterprise VoIP costs

In Network World, Nemertes Research executive vice president and senior founding partner Robin Gareiss provides highlights of a study that quantifies the cost savings of specialty IP telephony management tools for enterprises that are deploying VoIP.

"What we have found, " Robin writes, "is companies that buy specialty IP telephony management tools — such as those from Infovista, Integrated Research (better know by its product name, Prognosis)- (depicted at top of post-Russ) Fluke Networks, NetIQ, NetQOS, and several others — spend less per employee to operate their VoIP system than those who rely on PBX or no tools at all."

Robin then describes the methodology of Building the Successful Virtual Workplace, a study in which 120 IT executives were posed several VoIP cost questions. The goal was to arrive at an operational cost-per-unit number.

According to Robin the study found:

* With no IP telephony management tools, companies spent $1,262 per unit per year to operate the system.

* Those using tools from the IP PBX vendor spent $405 per unit per year to operate the system.  

* Those who use specialty IP telephony management tools spent only $113 per unit per year in operational costs.

"The numbers speak for themselves," Robin concludes. "If you’re considering or deploying VoIP, you’ll save on operational costs by using monitoring/management tools from the PBX vendor, and even more by using specialty IP telephony management tools. Keep this in mind when developing your budget and your return-on-investment analysis."