Re: Voice over IP
- From: buhrow@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (Brian Buhrow)
- To: jfw@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Mon, 18 Oct 2004 21:18:12 -0700
Hello. First of all, it's worth pointing out that Voice over IP, or
VOIP, as it's called in the popular press, is a generic term, much like
"word processor" is a generic term which applies to ssoftware packages
which produce written documents. Whether or not a VOIP system is any more
accessible than a traditional digital PBX depends on a number of factors --
including:
O The specific vendor and package your company has selected
O Whether or not you plan to use a hardware handset, i.e. a device that
looks like a phone, but which plugs into the network instead of a phone
jack, or whether you plan to use software on your computer that turns it
into a telephone when you need it.
O Whether or not you can talk to the people in charge of the
implementation and discuss your needs with them before they install
equipment.
Some suggestions:
1. I don't recommend using a "soft phone" as they're called. Although I
believe you could get one to work with Jaws, I believe it would be
operationally challenging to use smoothly while managing a caller on the
other end of the phone. If you want to try it, I strongly recommend you
get a USB hand set to plug into your computer so that you don't have to
listen to Jaws and the caller through the same speaker. Jaws demands very
snappy performance from the computer tin order to make it usable, and
either jaws or the call voice quality will suffer, I believe, if both are
used simultaneously. Also, Jaws uses a number of questionable techniques
to get at data in the computer, and those techniques render the computer
less stable than it would be under ordinary conditions. This is not to say
that I believe Windows is stable under any conditions, but users of screen
readers are running on thinner ice than most Windows users. With that
said, I wouldn't want to be in a position where I had to deal with an
important phone call, while trying to look something up for that caller
using Jaws on the same computer. Again, you might want to play with it,
but if your job depends on good phone technique, I recommend you only play,
not work.
2. If the system your company has selected supports it, there are devices
called "ATA's" or analog telephone adapters which allow you to plug
traditional phone equipment into a VOIP based system. These are typically
placed in places where traditional phone equipment cannot be replaced by a
newer VOIP alternative. For example, ATA's are often used to allow fax
machines to be used on VOIP systems. You could have one of these ATA's
installed in your office and then plug a talking caller-ID box into it, as
well as a traditional desk phone. These ATA's will allow you to get at
most of the features of the VOIP system, i.e. call-waiting, message-waiting
indication, and caller-ID, through your standard desk phone. For example,
most ATA's indicate that the user has voice mail waiting by sending a
stutter dialtone to the phone when the hand set is lifted. So, you'll be
able to tell you have voicemail by lifting the handset periodically and
listening for the stutter dialtone.
3. Finally, If your company is using a SIP-based VOIP solution, or is
using a Cisco-based one, ask to have a Cisco 7960 telephone installed on
your desk. Don't be daunted by the large video display on the phone. It
is very easy to learn to use many of the features of this phone, and it has
the stutter dialtone feature I mentioned for the ATA's, meaning you can
very quickly determine if you have voicemail waiting. Although it uses
"soft keys" to implement call conferencing, call waiting and call transfer,
I believe you'll find that you can master using these functions quicly and
reliably without using the screen.
I hope thhese comments are helpful. If you'd like to take up a discussion
off-list, feel free to mail me back directly.
-Brian
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