Various Vendors

With VoIP technology steadily gaining momentum, VoIP gateway shoppers have an array of products to choose from. Leading VoIP gateway vendors include Cisco Systems, Mediatrix Telecom, Quintum Technologies, Stratus, Welltech Computer and Nortel Networks. VoIP gateways can be either hardware- or software-based. Hardware-based VoIP gateways - by far the most widely used approach - are available as standalone boxes, chassis cards or modules. Hardware VoIP gateways, while generally most expensive than their software counterparts, are usually preferred because they are viewed as more reliable, provide built-in interfaces and don't consume computer processing power.In the enterprise market, VoIP gateways come in many different configurations. Buyers can select from products that offer numerous phone, fax machine, PBX and PSTN support capabilities. Additionally, for large enterprises with offices and branch operations spread around the country or world, VoIP gateways provide an effective way to extend and distribute voice communications systems.At the market's low-end, it's possible to find a basic VoIP gateway, featuring a phone jack, Ethernet router and firewall, for under $200. A device at this price level would likely offer a minimum of three ports: a standard RJ-11 telephone jack and two RJ-45 ports - one for a broadband modem/router and one for a computer or network sharing device. Such a system would be capable of handling the voice needs of a home or small office.A mid-level VoIP gateway, costing anywhere from $400 to $2,000, offers additional interfaces supporting a wide range of phone system and network devices. These products also include various quality of service (QoS) features, network-thrifty voice compression and built-in security capabilities, such as encryption. The primary selection criteria of these VoIP gateways is the maximum packet throughput and the number of simultaneous phone calls supported. A VoIP gateway buyer needs to know just how much capacity his or her VoIP system needs, and these figures can only be arrived at by a thorough professional analysis.At the market's high end are Carrier Class VoIP gateways, costing several thousand dollars. Widely used by both telephone carriers and large enterprises, these devices support hundreds or even thousands of channels for advanced voice services, such as interactive voice response (IVR), a technology that allows callers to select an option from a voice menu. Other advanced functions supported by carrier-class VoIP gateways include voice recording, distributed voice announcements and conference calls.