--- title: How important is a lab system? - ECG description: "How important is it to have a lab replicating your production (VoIP) environment? 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By: Mark Lindsey 1 min read Sep 29, 2008 How important is it to have a lab replicating your production (VoIP) environment? Conventional wisdom says that everybody has a lab: some people just host their production users on it. Having a lab incurs a lot of additional cost and work: -- You have to buy the lab equipment, and the software. -- You have to install and integrate the lab system. -- You have to keep it up to date and secure. -- To use the lab, you have to do everything twice: first on the lab, then once it's proven, on the production system. It's often easier to buy the lab gear in the first place than it is to do all the work to actually use the lab. ![](https://www.ecg.co/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/missing-image-Mar-25-2024-07-03-19-7278-AM.png?width=1&height=1&name=missing-image-Mar-25-2024-07-03-19-7278-AM.png) ## Similar posts [![What Is the “Spam Likely” Label, and How Does It Impact Business Calls?](https://www.ecg.co/hubfs/ecg-featured-spamlikely.png)](https://www.ecg.co/blog/what-is-the-spam-likely-label) ### [What Is the “Spam Likely” Label, and How Does It Impact Business Calls?](https://www.ecg.co/blog/what-is-the-spam-likely-label) [![Interop Lab Testing for VoIP Devices (2008 edition)](https://www.ecg.co/hubfs/ecg-site/blog-listing-placeholder.jpg)](https://www.ecg.co/blog/46-interop-lab-testing-for-voip-devices-2008-edition) ### [Interop Lab Testing for VoIP Devices (2008 edition)](https://www.ecg.co/blog/46-interop-lab-testing-for-voip-devices-2008-edition) [![Verizon does agree with Jeff Pulver – but neither realizes it](https://www.ecg.co/hubfs/ecg-site/blog-listing-placeholder.jpg)](https://www.ecg.co/blog/33-verizon-does-agree-with-jeff-pulver-but-neither-realizes-it) ### [Verizon does agree with Jeff Pulver – but neither realizes it](https://www.ecg.co/blog/33-verizon-does-agree-with-jeff-pulver-but-neither-realizes-it) ## Need Help With Your Network or AI Project? 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