When to choose a KIRK IP DECT solution over a Wi-Fi solution
For an organisation wanting to acquire wireless phone mobility the important issues are:
- How important are coverage, reliability, security and voice quality?
- Does an existing Wi-Fi network reach everywhere that voice communications are required?
- Will an existing Wi-Fi network need to be upgraded to reach the necessary standards?
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Read about one company's experience of using a KIRK IP DECT solution and why it changed from a Wi-Fi solution here. |
KIRK IP DECT technology should be chosen when the following factors are important;
| KIRK IP DECT | Voice over Wi-Fi |
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QoS |
A KIRK DECT solution provides robust quality of service. |
Voice over Wi-Fi solutions are susceptible to dropping voice packets if there is a spike in data traffic. |
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DECT is a secure voice technology (the DECT standard includes as part of its definition encryption for maximum call security). |
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KIRK DECT solutions provide robust handover between base stations and repeaters (access points in a Wi-Fi solution) when the user is roaming. The handover between is transparent to the user. |
Wi-Fi provides freedom from wires. It does not necessarily deliver trouble free mobility (roaming whilst making a call). In a Wi-Fi solution voice calls can be dropped or degraded during the handover between access points. | ||
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KIRK handsets offer in excess of 20 hours talk time and 200 hours stand by time. Maximising battery life, and thus talk and standby time, is a built into the DECT technology standard . |
Wi-Fi handset technology is such that handsets are only able to offer typical as little as 4 hours talk time and 20 hours standby time. | ||
| KIRK DECT solutions provide quality of speech comparable to that of a wire line telephone system. | |||
Coverage |
A KIRK DECT solution can provide coverage indoors and outdoors. Outdoors a range of up to 300m can be achieved. |
Wi-Fi has limited range. A typical Wi-Fi access point might have a range of 45m indoors and 90m outdoors. To provide coverage for voice calls in the work space may mean adding many more Wi-Fi access points. |
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Deployement and on-going costs |
KIRK DECT solutions offer potentially a lower deployment cost and DECT handsets benefit from a low manufacturing cost base due to the long run and volume manufacturing savings which have been achieved. |
Voice over Wi-Fi solutions can be costly if access points employing the needed security and QoS technologies are used. Additionally, the Wi-Fi handsets do not enjoy the same low manufacturing cost base as DECT handsets. | |
A KIRK DECT solution is robust against RF interference. The KIRK DECT solution works in a dedicated frequency band and built into the DECT standard is the requirement to minimise the effect of RF interference. |
Wi-Fi solutions operate in a shared frequency band and other wireless devices, such as RFID equipment, microwave ovens, security cameras, and Bluetooth devices which can cause significant interference. |
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KIRK DECT solutions offer cost advantages - there is no requirement to upgrade the wireless network to use enterprise grade Wi-Fi access points. |
Wi-Fi solutions need access points approved for the QOS standard used. |
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Future technology planning |
KIRK DECT is standards based. There are no proprietary solutions and inter-operability is provided for. The technology is evolving but remains standards based. | ||
A hosted telephone solution is used |
KIRK solutions can be deployed on hosted telephone solutions. | Many WI-Fi solutions work only with CPE solutions. | |
The issues
KIRK IP DECT offers a secure, dedicated voice-only wireless link in an assigned frequency band. Susceptibility to interference is minimised and systems typically require less planning than Wi-Fi solutions and consequently are more easily scalable.
Compared with Wi-Fi handsets KIRK DECT handsets deliver better talk time and stand by time (up to 10 times better) and include versions which can be used in hazardous environments.
The KIRK IP DECT solution offers advantages over Wi-Fi solutions. The wireless DECT handsets and infrastructure assure fixed line quality for mobile employees with no interference issues from 2.4GHz systems. It delivers all the benefits expected of a mobile Voice over Wireless IP (VoWIP) solution, offers easy scalability and is often less expensive than alternative Wi-Fi solutions.
KIRK IP DECT solutions provide the wireless voice link into a VoIP telephony solution and like the Wi-Fi access points used in voice over Wi-Fi solutions KIRK wireless servers connect directly to the LAN in VoIP telephony solutions. |
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