"We're taking a very cookie-cutter approach and have a system from go to whoa in one day [because] configuring the gear is real easy," he said. "Stuff gets ordered for small and large sites and we know how much a 150-user site will cost."

The other main benefit with VOIP is reach because unlike many other organizations, the AFP's data network reaches more places than the traditional phone network - including staff in some 40 countries overseas.

"The biggest issue is for people to be in touch with family, so it's a cheap way to contact them and their satisfaction rises dramatically," he said.

Regarding processes, Barrett said VOIP has all but eliminated time-wasting moves, adds, and changes (MACs) which used to require four or five "people interactions" from the helpdesk. Now end users simply log off and log on again.

With the "easy wins" complete, Barrett is now looking to do more "deeper" application integration, including videoconferencing.