Governments turning to VOIP

This article on some of the savings that have taken place when Governments have switched to a VOIP system was interesting. Part of the longer piece:

Government agencies that use VoIP like the return on investment, but acknowledge that implementing these solutions involves more than buying a bunch of IP phones and plugging them in. Making sure the network is ready to handle the increased traffic is critical, observers say, and that can turn into a hefty expense up front.

The price tag can be daunting, but current VoIP users say it's worth it.


Worth Every Penny
The Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (DLI) took an inside-out approach. First the department deployed VoIP in its central office -- with 300 employees -- two years ago, said Cindy Valentine, CIO of the DLI. It then outfitted seven other DLI offices with VoIP in June. Overall, the DLI deployed 450 IP phones, she said, producing substantial savings in several key areas.

The DLI's monthly phone bill dropped, and the agency consolidated functions.

"Before we started the IP phone system in the main office, our phone bill was about $21,700 per month," said Mary Benner, project manager of the DLI's VoIP implementation. "Our bill following the installation was about $13,400. Those [monthly bills] include costs we were paying for two small call centers we administered externally through the Department of Administration, which runs our central mail hub and is the traditional telephony provider."