Consider the Operating Expenses

In addition to capital expenses, organizations also have to consider an increase in certain operational expenses. Although UC solutions reduce operating expenses overall, it is common for organizations deploying UC to increase IT operating expenses.

When organizations consider capital and operating expenses for UC, there will be a common theme: an increase in network costs. Network investments tend to make up the most significant capital and operating investment for organizations that are deploying UC. In a worst-case scenario, existing enterprise telephony is not IP based, and because of this, organizations will not have any real-time voice running over their IP network. This results in a major investment in network expansion.

In an optimal scenario, the organization is already using an IP-based telephony system, and the new network investment must now account for increased usage like conferencing and video.

The first scenario often requires a complete network overhaul. MPLS circuits and Internet connections must be increased, and that often comes with upgraded hardware. The second scenario involves network optimization. This is a combination of increasing bandwidth and optimizing connections to provide priority to UC traffic (Quality of Service).