6 things to consider when installing IP telephony
Security should be the first consideration for any IT department about to implement voice over IP on a local-area network, an executive with an equipment manufacturer says.
"When you're talking to your provider, ask them 'How am I going to protect myself from someone hacking in and listening to senior executives talking on the phone?'" said Steven Fair, executive vice-president with Phybridge Inc., based near Toronto, Canada.
Fair, who spoke to an audience of 12 during the IT360 conference in Toronto, was acting president of Avaya Canada Inc. before starting his company this year. When Avaya would install IP telephony, it usually took 18 months to complete the project because it required new cabling and they had to figure out how to plug the holes hackers could use to eavesdrop. He noted there are lots of hacking tools users could download from the Internet.
