The consolidation of voice and data networking will revolutionize network design. It will modify the services we buy from carriers. It will alter the way we manage relationships with our customers and our business partners. It will redefine our expectations for network reliability. And it will transform the way we build, maintain and use networks forever. But it won't happen overnight.
The voice-data "revolution" will be more of a long, gradual march than a jubilant liberation. There's no question packetized voice is on the rise in carrier networks, limited corporate trials and next-generation WAN access. For the past several years, many organizations have successfully deployed voice over packet for toll bypass on expensive long-haul connections. But end-to-end deployments are rare.
The slow movement isn't because the products aren't ready for customers, but rather because the customers aren't ready for the products. Many corporate network architects see long-term value in a unified network, but the reality of project priorities and the unclear benefits of consolidation have made them cautious. Installed equipment must be depreciated. A new generation of products must be understood and integrated. Organizational inertia and interdivisional politics must be overcome.
The major unification technologies--voice over IP (VoIP), voice over ATM (VoATM) and voice over frame relay (VoFR)--each have relative strengths and weaknesses, and there is no perfect technology fit for every problem. Anyone plotting network strategy for the enterprise needs to understand the trade-offs between the various approaches and appreciate that each approach is a moving target. The prognosis for each technology has changed in the past two years, and will be evolving for some time to come.
Building voice capabilities into a network isn't characterized by a single problem, nor is it addressed by any single technology solution. As a way of understanding how technologies and products fit into an overall architecture, it helps to break the problem into a number of domains (see "Voice-Over-Packet Technologies: The Where and the When," page 56). These domains are:
Carrier core networks. Here, service providers seek the reliable transmission and switching of high volumes of data for multiple customers. Many calls must pass transparently between the existing PSTN, private circuit networks and new packet-transmission technologies.
Enterprise WAN access. Access to WANs has always accounted for a substantial part of corporate network costs. Of all the parts of the enterprise, access is the most ready for the voice-over-data revolution. New technologies, such as xDSL, reduce last-mile costs while providing multiservice capabilities, particularly for small and midsize offices.
Extranets. Companies that have customer-service centers can see immediate benefits from voice-over-packet/cell technologies, which can provide a more consistent relationship between vendor and customer. Customer-service representatives can work from distributed locations, reducing call-center expenses.
PBX interconnect. These links interconnect private voice-switching systems, helping you avoid pricey toll charges. Long-haul toll bypass is the most frequently cited application for voice-over-packet technology.
Workgroup voice services. Medium-scale offices that are serviced via key systems and Centrex are a good place for trials of unified systems.
Large campus backbones. Data networks that support more than 200 clients often have a large installed base of PBX equipment and circuits, so voice integration at the large campus is rare. However, manufacturers of campus switch devices have moved traffic prioritization functions into these systems, and it won't be long before some provide packetization services for circuit traffic in the campus wiring closet.
Metropolitan access network integration. These are multicampus installations served by a single local carrier offering high-speed services, or via private fiber. Bandwidth is plentiful here, and packet voice-switching products are emerging.
Desktop endpoints. The ultimate target for many technologies, especially VoIP, is end-to-end calling using network-attached phones, PCs and PC-like devices, and wireless endpoints.
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The slow movement isn't because the products aren't ready for customers, but rather because the customers aren't ready for the products. Many corporate network architects see long-term value in a unified network, but the reality of project priorities and the unclear benefits of consolidation have made them cautious. Installed equipment must be depreciated. A new generation of products must be understood and integrated. Organizational inertia and interdivisional politics must be overcome.
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