Q. We need to upgrade our phone system. Our IT guy is talking about a cloud-based solution. All sounds good but is all very new to me. Do you have any experience in this area?

A. I presume your tech support person is talking about Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP). VoIP is a family of technologies for the delivery of voice communications over internet protocol (IP) networks, such as the internet. For a general practice, it means moving phone communications from fixed landlines to broadband. It would certainly be worth looking at VoIP to reduce your costs and rationalise your use of phone lines. Here are some thoughts:

• Find out which companies provide broadband services locally. You need fast, high-quality broadband
• Talk to your existing phone provider and ask for advice on how to reduce your costs and better manage your communications needs
• If UPC is in your area, that is a good place to get advice
• VoIP is dependent on electricity and a broadband connection, if either fails then you have no phone communication via VoIP
• Fax may not work with VoIP, get advice
• If your premises has a lift, there may be safety issues around use of VoIP for a lift
• You should consider keeping some landlines for emergencies and power or broadband outage
• Review any outside data links; do you use an online backup service for your data?
• Ensure you can keep your existing phone numbers
• Clarify issues, eg. call-forwarding, call-holding and diverts
• Ensure your PABX will work with VoIP
• Ensure your alarm will work with VoIP
• Try to get VoIP handsets not locked to a particular provider
• Talk to your potential VoIP provider about contingency plans for when their service is down.

This is potentially a major project for the practice, so it will need time and resources on your side to look at the options and implement the changes. Don't underestimate the disruption. Even if you investigate and decide not to go the VoIP route, you may uncover ways to reduce your costs from their present levels. Useful link: www.blueface.ie.