If you are considering converging your voice and data networks but you have distinct voice and data staff, I have to ask you this: why? Give some serious thought to converging your voice and data groups before converging your networks. Why not begin cross-training now? Get them used to working closely with each other so each can begin to truly understand the other's point of view.

I've been lucky to work for a company whose data and voice groups have worked fairly closely for some time and have actually been a single converged department for a few years. I'm a data guy -- or at least I used to be -- so the input from our voice network staff was invaluable to me during a recent and long VOIP request-for-proposal. I was drowning in a sea of telephony technology and terminology, and they helped me to stay focused as we worked through our vendor and product selection process.

If you already have an experienced voice and data network staff, make sure to involve them every step of the way, beginning in the early stages of your research. Don't let the rush toward new technology make you overlook the superb resources you may already have available within your organization. Getting your staff involved early is a strategic investment in your project and can only increase your likelihood of success.

Stay tuned for more tips on the recognizing the hidden costs of VOIP in Part 2.

John Neiberger is the senior data/voice systems analyst for a regional financial institution based in Colorado. He was an operations supervisor at a branch office before changing careers and transferring into the network services group ,where he has been for seven years.