Cisco: How to select the right VoIP integrator

Cisco's Unified Communication Implementation Adviser Stephanie Carhee has a few tips on how to choose the best VoIP integrator for your enterprise. Apart from the obvious: "Don't just choose your best friend" and "the cheapest integrator is probably not the best," Carhee has a checklist of questions to keep in mind:

• Does the partner have the appropriate certification and specialization in the technology you are rolling out?
• Can they produce a reference list that mimics your environment (the number of employees, solution selection, and so forth)?
• Do they understand your vertical market, your key concerns and the ways in which your industry is capitalizing on this technology?
• Can they provide the necessary geographic service-level agreements?
• Can they deliver services for the complete life cycle of the project, from planning and designing through implementation and operation?

For more advice from Cisco's Carhee:
- see this column in VoIP Magazine