VoIP

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(No Transcript)
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Purpose of the Study

• To examine the criteria used in the adoption of
  VoIP
• Overview of the Study
• 4 criteria sets
• Economic Financial criteria
• Technology Usability criteria
• Legal Regulatory criteria
• Sources of information
• Research Question
• What criteria do small and medium sized
  businesses use when they decide to adopt VoIP?

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Significance of the Study

• Evolution of telephony
• Other than the invention of the telegraph, in
  1876, nothing else will do so much to
  revolutionize the way individuals communicate
  more the IP telephony -David Greenblatt
  
• New technology (and a new industry) but a lack of
  formal independent research
• SMBs are fundamentally different than a large
  organization
• No formal procedure for the adoption of new
  technology
• Lack of financial bandwidth to research/develop
  strategies for technology adoption
• Provide independent information to both the
  consumer (SMB) and the vendor (ITSP)

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Conceptual Framework
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Conceptual Framework (continued)
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Conceptual Framework (continued)

• Focus on 2 of the 4 criteria sets
• Economic Financial criteria
• Technology Usability criteria
• Independent Variable 1 - Economic Financial
  criteria
• Long-distance toll savings
• Cost of Technical Support
• Cost of On-going Maintenance
• Return on Investment
• Equipment Costs
• Cost to Expand System
• Time Lost during transition

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Conceptual Framework (continued)

• Independent Variable 2 - Technology Usability
  criteria
• Ability to Expand System
• Proprietary System
• Security of Communication Channel
• Ability to Integrate with current network
• Ease of Use

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Research Design Data Collection

• Requirements
• Provide a snapshot perspective
• Need to complete the study in 6 months
• Help keep costs down
• Help to reduce resource consumption
• Work within a budget of 50,000
• Population
• SMBs with a credit score
• DNB has over 18 million in their database

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Research Design Data Collection (continued)

• Sample
• What is a SMB?
• Combine statistics from the SBA and the U.S.
  General Accounting Office.
• The SBA has a clear definition for a Small
  Business
• There is no formal definition from the U.S.
  government for a Medium sized Business
• Small Business
• Has 1 to 500 employees
• Earns 0.00 to 7 million per fiscal year
• Medium Size Business
• Has 1 to 500 employees
• Earns 7 million to 500 million per fiscal year
• An SMB is a business that has 1 to 500 employees
  and earns less than 500 million per fiscal year.

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Research Design Data Collection (continued)

• Sample (continued)
• The Hartford - the list of businesses by Industry
• 109 industries in the U.S.
• Categorized by 5 groups
• Services
• Contractors
• Educators
• Manufacturers
• Wholesalers
• Need to purchase a list
• DNBs list will cost 1.2 million and have 18
  million entries
• InfoUSAs list will cost 3,956.40 and have
  16,500 entries
• This list will provide company demographics, IT
  or Communications Director contact information,
  line of business, employee size, sales volume and
  credit score.

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Research Design Data Collection (continued)

• Sample (continued)
• Randomly select 1 company from each industry
• Repeat this process 5 times
• This results in 545 respondents
• Problems with the sample
• Must individually contact all 545 respondents
• To ensure accuracy and confirm participation
• Must randomly select new company if previously
  chosen respondent does not wish to participate
• The Plan
• A cross-sectional analysis that includes an
  online self-administered survey in the form of a
  questionnaire
• Babbie states that a cross-sectional analysis is
  appropriate for studies observing a sample at a
  specific point in time.

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Research Design Data Collection (continued)

• Data Collection
• Types of Data
• Fixed response questions
• Numbered scale (1 though 5)
• Semantic Differential (Very Positive through Very
  Negative)
• Costs
• Labor costs
• Facilities costs
• Equipment and supplies (including the electronic
  list)
• Indirect costs
• GA
• Financial Administration
• Audit
• Miscellaneous

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Findings
Total Number of Companies 545
Small Businesses 465 85
Medium sized Businesses 80 15
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Findings (continued)
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Findings (continued)
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Findings (continued)
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Findings (continued)
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Recommendations for Future Studies

• Recreate this study - develop a trend study
• Examine the other two criteria sets
• Legal Regulatory criteria
• Sources of Information
• Examine Small Businesses only

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The End

• Q A - Are we drinking beer tonight or tomorrow
  night?