Help for VoIP-challenged SMEs

Stuart Corner
Monday, 30 April 2007 07:03

Business IT - Technology

SETEL, the Small Enterprise Telecommunications Centre, has produced a guide to assist small business operators to make an informed decision about VoIP. However it offers no 'quick fixes'.

The SETEL guide looks at what VoIP has to offer from a small business perspective, rather than a technological perspective. It recommends that "Small businesses must skill up on VoIP before venturing into this new domain...[and] must carry out their own self-assessment to determine if VoIP is suitable for their business practices and situation...
Small business must be alert as there are almost no VoIP consumer protection measures."

Despite these caveats, SETEL says: "The attitude towards VoIP is positive provided time is taken to gain the necessary knowledge – not necessarily a simple task for time-poor small businesses."
For the latest information on technical aspects the guide directs

The guide aims to present balanced information. "For example, the small business situations where the benefits of VoIP will not apply are described together with the potential for productivity gains from the increased communications functionality of VoIP.

The guide is available from the SETEL web site.