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While VoIP often promises cost savings compared to traditional phone systems, these penny-pinching perks can easily be offset by an exorbitant implementation price tag.

Just ask Jon Oltsik, a senior analyst, Enterprise Strategy Group: “Unfortunately, many of the cost savings and supposed operational benefits of implementing VoIP are often compromised because customers underestimate the demands that IP telephony will place on their existing systems and personnel that supply and manage network identity services supporting the VoIP application. Enterprises and their VoIP integration partners can benefit greatly from upgrading these key systems as a part of their VoIP rollout.”

Addressing the issue of high implementation costs is Infoblox Inc., a developer of essential infrastructure for identity-driven networks (IDNs). The company has just announced the availability of its new Infoblox Network Services for VoIP package, which delivers highly reliable, secure and easy-to-deploy IP address assignment and management (DHCP/IPAM), file transfer (TFTP/HTTP), and network time (NTP) services - all essential for the operation of an IP phone system.

By eliminating key problems that typically arise in IP telephony deployments and operations, the Infoblox solution - ideal for mid-to-large distributed enterprise customers - provides benefits to end users, integrators and VoIP equipment vendors while adding less than 5 percent to the IP phone system cost. It reduces IP phone system implementation effort, operational cost, downtime and security risk for end users. And, it greatly enhances effectiveness - and profitability - for VoIP system integrators by differentiating their offerings and enabling faster, easier deployments.

Infoblox appliances with the new Network Services for VoIP package deliver integrated, nonstop DHCP, IPAM, TFTP/HTTP, NTP and RADIUS proxy services. The hardened appliance design delivers these services with higher security and reliability and easier management than the traditional approach -- typically software deployed on general-purpose servers.

Further, the Network Services for VoIP package includes the Infoblox Keystone upgrade that links a group of distributed appliances into a unified, resilient ID grid. This enables customers to centrally manage all appliances and services and automates time-intensive tasks such as distributing IP phone firmware images to TFTP or HTTP servers at remote sites.

The Network Services for VoIP package also provides diagnostic and troubleshooting capabilities that are especially useful for supporting VoIP deployments at remote sites that may be too small to staff with dedicated IT personnel. For example, file download attempt logging and correlation allows easy identification of failed or missing phone configuration downloads. The solution also provides extensive high-availability services that ensure local survivability and redundancy for enterprise-wide “dial-tone” like VoIP system reliability.

What’s the number one VoIP conference in terms of attendance? What’s the leading VoIP expo for exhibitors in terms of lead generation? And which VoIP industry event will feature special attractions for service providers, resellers, and the enterprise and SMB market as well as an overview on the Future of IP Telephony? Answer: INTERNET TELEPHONY Conference & Expo, WEST, which runs October 10-13, 2006. See you in San Diego!

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Cindy Waxer is a Toronto-based freelance journalist specializing in business and technology. She has written for publications including TIME, Fortune Small Business, Business 2.0, Computerworld, Canadian Business, and Workforce Management. To see more of her articles, please visit Cindy Waxer’s columnist page.