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Infonetics Research released a report that showed WiFi IP phone sales increase 60% in 2007, with 682,000 units were sold worldwide. The report cited “increased vendor support” as the primary reason for the growth. Now, I am not sure what they mean by support; do they mean offer the phones (I.E. we support Wireless VoIP with this new WiFi phone..) or they actually support the phone (I.E. If you can’t get our phone to work, we will help you). I am going to go with the later.
In my experience, most manufacturers are horribly bad at support…and given all of the issues that could arise with a WiFi phone, they are a technical support nightmare.
While some people seem to like WiFi phones, they aren’t for the faint at heart, especially if your aren’t technically savvy. My advice, if you want to go wireless, is to pickup a DECT based solution. A little more expensive, but it works…for everyone.
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When they say “WiFi phones”, are they referring to pure-play phones that use 802.11a/b/g/n technology only, or are they referring to/including cell phones that also do WiFi? The terminology used by various folks in the industry is all over the map. Some see this and think those Skype Phones from Linksys. Others think the iPhone with some upcoming Gizmo Project/Skype software on it.
If this report is referring to pure WiFi handsets like the Cisco 7921, then I can see the numbers increasing. We’re about to switch out an old Nortel PBX with a Cisco Unified Communication Manager (CUCM) Business Edition, and our setup includes 6 Cisco 7921 phones that have performed flawlessly so far.
As part of our testing, we setup a VLAN for the phones–including on the wireless network (we’re basically a Cisco shop so the APs are Cisco as well)–config’d the CUCM for the phones, and then began walking the building while on a call. Our building, a metal shed for lack of a better term, wreaks havoc on any/all wireless. Until now any cordless phone technology meant a virtual tether of max. 30-50′ (and that’s assuming you didn’t go around certain metal walls inside the building, close a metal door between you and the base station, etc., or it was even less).
This environment also wreaks havoc on WiFi, so we have 3 APs spread through the building to give enough coverage. Using the Cisco 7921s, we were able to walk from one end of the building to the other without ever dropping a call, and the clarity was excellent.
Mind you, this is a Cisco solution front to back (including using SCCP vs. SIP), so no lower-end gear like Linksys APs connecting an Asterisk-based PBX doing either IAX or SIP to some other brand phone. But for this setup, it works perfectly, so I could see corporate environments definitely moving ahead with WiFi phones.
As for smaller shops and those using cheaper (in cost, not quality) solutions, I can’t speak to that. Given my druthers, I’d much rather use a completely open solution, such as a Trixbox or other Asterisk-based box using Grandstream/Aastra/Polycom/etc. SIP-based IP phones. In fact, that’s what started us down the path of ripping out the Nortel PBX.
But as the state-wide network we operate is predominantly on Cisco gear, and our customers mostly are using or looking towards Cisco solutions (including several already having or considering going to CUCMs), and last but not least Cisco offered us substantial discounts and this solution will be covered by our already existing Cisco support contract, in the end what was originally discussed ended up being a Cisco solution. (NOTE: Even with discounts, a solution of similar size using even well-supported/more-expensive Asterisk-based solutions like a Trixbox or Fonality appliance would run you less.)
Off-topic: I can see the power/flexibility of Cisco’s CUCM dominating the Fortune 500 market. It is incredible all the different ways you can configure a CallManager solution involving redundant boxes, trunking lines between satellite offices, etc. It has an insane array of configuration options, and it scales.
That said, good heavens is it overkill for smaller shops. I would not wish a CUCM on a shop our size unless your circumstances are similar to ours (i.e., you’re basically a “Cisco shop” ISP that offers support services to various customers using same, where having similar gear helps you in your work). And even then I might reconsider, especially if you’re looking to offere customers a cheaper solution.
If your situation is NOT like ours, I strongly suggest looking at the kinds of solutions offered by VoIPSupply.com and such. I would much prefer something that’s open-standards/ open-source based, where you’re not locked in to any single vendor. You may need to shop around for a good integration/support firm if you’re not the type to roll your own, but it will still likely save you a bundle and be far easier to maintain. The same flexibility that makes CUCMs so powerful makes them a royal headache to manage vs. something in the Asterisk-based Trixbox/ Fonality/ Elastic/ FreePBX/etc. family.
Ok, I’ll shut up now.
@ Frank:
If you have the money to do it right, WiFi VoIP can work well.
Unfortunately most people do not (or they are cheap), so they are stuck using low-end solutions that do nothing but cause disappointment.
Thanks for the valuable comments, though, I think it is a fair assessment that should help some folks!
You ever think about guest posting?
For sure the current crop of VoIP WiFi handsets are for the technically inclined. After trying out several such hand sets over the last year I am not very impressed - or amused - on how utterly bad it is possible to create a user interface to configure VoIP AND the WiFi connection.
Actually - configuring WiFi+VoIP on the Nokia cell phones are even worse.
People are used to turn on their handset and start making phone calls. Until this is possible to do with WiFi VoIP equipment, it may become a fading hype.
On the other hand - do we really need a broad deployment of WiFi to use wireless VoIP?
I do not believe so. With the advent of 3GPP on more and more hand held units - and the price for a 3GPP connection falling, I do believe that this is going to be the preferred transport channel for wireless VoIP.
So what about VoIP WiFi handsets in that setting? My guess is that it is not going to happen. Instead we are going to see a shift in how Cell Phone makers are going to go from a idea that let us not scare off the network providers by make VoIP readily available in our hand sets to a more sober approach giving the users what they want: Cheap and easy communication.
Very few GSM network owners are really happy about wireless VoIP over 3GPP. They do feel that they are loosing revenue (and they have tried, and failed, to fight back with UMA). Will they really loose revenue - maybe if the are tied to hard into the current billing models.
Nothing is going to happen unless the users is pushing their network providers regarding having a stable wireless “broadband” connection. When this happens to a larger extent that we see today - then the network providers are going to demand VoIP enabled handsets that can easily be mass-provisioned.
Until that happens WiFi handsets will give wireless VoIP a bad reputation.
Many people are simply looking for the convenience of not always having to be stuck beside the computer to make their VoIP calls. For most, I surmise that having a WiFi configuration in the living room, for example, would be sufficient for their needs, even if they are limited to that room.
In a nutshell, I’m using a Linksys SPA962 (after having tried out the SPA941 before it) with the Linksys wireless bridge. I find it more than sufficient to have my SPA941 hard wired to router in the computer room and the SPA962 working wirelessly in the living room, the main limitation being that the SPA962 needs a power source. Accordingly, unless I use a long extension cable, I am relatively limited.
However, just being able to answer the phone when relaxing without having to run to the computer room is enough for me. And, of course, nothing stops the average user from setting up as many VoIP phones with WiFi bridges as they need to equip each room they spend a lot of time in.
The only challenge for the non-expert (read: me) is to get all the VoIP phones to ring on the same DID or VoIP provider account. I have to do a bit more research on that, as I don’t want to have to set up an Asterisk PBX just to do that. I do enjoy the challenge, nonetheless, but VoIP, as it stands, is light-years from being user-friendly for the average person.
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