VoWIP Quick Start: Getting up to Speed on VoIP on 802.11 Wireless LANs

f 802.11 wireless LANs promise to untether corporate users from their wired network connections, then Voice over Wireless IP (VoWIP) promises to free them from their telephone handsets. VoWIP is an emerging technology that enables IP voice to be sent over an 802.11 wireless LAN. People may use their PDAs for walkie-talkie style communications within an office building, for instance, or VoWIP may bring mobile office phones to everyone on a corporate campus. Today VoWIP is mostly used in specialized vertical applications, but as both VoIP and WLANs proliferate, VoWIP is likely to become more widespread.

Over the past several years many companies have adopted VoIP. IP PBXs enable a company to run its voice traffic over its IP data network while gaining telephony features such as voice mail and "follow me" services. Follow me or find me services enable users to have their phone calls find them regardless of their location—at home, work, or in the car. With VoIP, companies can leverage their data networks so the voice traffic rides for free, rather than build a separate voice network. Companies can also save significantly on long distances charges by routing VoIP calls through their internal networks nationwide, instead of placing calls through the public phone network. This is referred to as toll bypass. The same benefits apply when the IP voice runs over a WLAN—plus a few additional benefits such as increased employee productivity and additional cost savings from not having to wire an office for phones.