The VoIP network which IT Synergy has established and deployed in service of the RBAS is based on open standards-compliant VoIP gateways which have been designed to operate with the minimum of fuss. The service provided by proprietary VoIP operators operates over a network which, by virtue of being based on proprietary closed standards and being owned and operated by the operators, is entirely outside the domain of control of the UNDP, the beneficiary of the service. This serves as an initial highlighting of the fact that the IT Synergy offering is fundamentally different from that of proprietary VoIP operators: what we are doing is not only providing VoIP services, we are setting up and delivering a full-fledged and wholly owned network for voice communications.

The issue of open standards is highly relevant: with an investment in the proprietary VoIP operators' solutions, future scalability of the network is dependent entirely on the service provider and their network. With the IT Synergy VoIP service, the network is based on open standards and protocols and the network is owned by the UNDP; the scalability is transparent – nothing further is required.

In a nutshell, the primary difference lies in the fact that the IT Synergy service is an entirely different offering from proprietary subscriptions: IT Synergy gives you a clean and scalable VoIP network; all others simply give you VoIP service.

Summary

The VoIP network developed and implemented by IT Synergy for the UNDP is not comparable to the services provided by a commercial proprietary VoIP provider. From a technical standpoint, our solution is easier, more cost-effective over the long term, and far better suited to a large organization like the UNDP.

While commercial off-the-shelf offerings have their place in residential environments in developed countries with strong telecommunications infrastructures, for a mission-critical network like the UNDP VoIP network only a dedicated and tailored network like the one we have implemented can be considered appropriate.