The appeal of an integrated, unified messaging system and other operational efficiencies has made VoIP hot. To be sure, there are advantages, but there are also hidden pitfalls.

The first thing to remember is that VoIP is a data application running over your existing network, so it needs bandwidth and ongoing support. Without these, the performance of your phone systems and every one of your business applications will be affected. Don’t forget: a downed network means no applications and no voice communications.

And while VoIP is a data application, its success depends heavily on how well you understand and manage traditional voice providers — the phone companies. Even many seasoned IT people don’t understand telecommunications requirements. Conversely, you can’t expect the phone company to help determine network readiness — data networks are not their business.

Finally, before you buy from one of the many vendors ready to sell you VoIP — or, more likely, some piece of VoIP — make sure that vendor can analyze and support your complete voice-data implementation — including your phone services. You can’t afford a VoIP vendor who tells you that voice is not their business.

Regardless of the nature of your business, your first step into VoIP requires expertise in cost-effectively integrating the disparate worlds of voice and data.