Convergence is a must, not a nice-to-have

Local telecommunications consultancy CommsCloud says local companies stand to realise a lot more value from converging their voice and data networks into one, IP-enabled converged network than they actually realise.

Next generation converged networks are designed to manage diverse traffic, expedite and prioritise solutions and deliver value to the business, its customers and its stakeholders. IT is now a strong enabler in business and companies that do not leverage this opportunity will struggle to compete.

“If your employees are hamstrung by IT where your competition enables its employees, your business will have a distinct disadvantage in the marketplace, says CommsCloud director Peter Walsh.

Convergence will reduce total cost of ownership, enable a company to better manage network traffic, and keep employees actively involved in servicing the customer – no matter where they are.

Although many companies have migrated to IP-based solutions intended to effect cost savings for voice traffic, they still tend to maintain dual voice and data networks. Consequently, resultant savings from VoIP-enabled calls are often eroded by the costs of running two separate networks rather than a single converged network.

The sheer complexity of a convergence project often puts companies off before they’ve even started, and stories abound of companies that have tried and either failed or gone through huge pain doing so. For most organisations, and particularly the people making the telecommunications decisions, the number and variety of telecommunications options available is complex.

It’s difficult to determine which solution will meet the company’s requirements and support its business strategy, particularly where newer technology concepts like convergence are considered. Companies should also consider how motivated their incumbent service provider is to help them reduce their overall spend.

Says Walsh: “You cannot manage what you can’t measure. Doing a comprehensive audit and analysis of a company’s telecommunications fixed and variable costs (both voice and data) and establishing a TCO, is a must do starting point.

This analysis provides insights into how a company’s networks are used, what the actual costs are and how the network (and products/solutions running on the network(s)) can be optimised or improved to better meConvergence is a must, not a nice-to-haveet the company’s business need.

Based on the audit and business needs analysis, the business can approach the market in a formal manner and ensure that input on fulfilling a specific business need is requested from multiple service providers. In CommsCloud’s experience this is best achieved by way of a formal Request for Proposal (RFP), says Walsh.

Implementing a converged network is a massive undertaking, requires keen project and change management skills, requires strong commercial agreements with service providers and is definitely not for the faint-hearted, comments Walsh. That said, real value can be gained from getting rid of unused infrastructure and replacing it with a converged network solution, that enables the business, rather than inhibits it, he notes.

Moving to a converged network is not just about costs, says Walsh, but results in a substantially better end-user and customer experience. Requirements for bandwidth and access to the internet of all things are not going to decrease, they will only rise, IT heads need to plan and prepare their networks accordingly.

QoS (Quality of Service)

On the Internet and in other networks, QoS (Quality of Service) is the idea that transmission rates, error rates, and other characteristics can be measured, improved, and, to some extent, guaranteed in advance. QoS is of particular concern for the continuous transmission of high-bandwidth video and multimedia information. Transmitting this kind of content dependably is difficult in public networks using ordinary "best effort" protocols.

QoS can be improved with traffic shaping techniques such as packet prioritization, application classification and queuing at congestion points. Using the Internet's Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP), packets passing through a gateway host can be expedited based on policy and reservation criteria arranged in advance. Using ATM, which also lets a company or user preselect a level of quality in terms of service, QoS can be measured and guaranteed in terms of the average delay at a gateway, the variation in delay in a group of cells (cells are 53-byte transmission units), cell losses, and the transmission error rate.

The Common Open Policy Service (COPS) is a protocol that allows router and layer 3 switches to get QoS policy information from the network policy server.

See also: mean opinion score (MOS), VoIP (voice over IP), CoS [class of service]

Class of Service (CoS)

Class of Service (CoS) is a way of managing traffic in a network by grouping similar types of traffic (for example, e-mail, streaming video, voice, large document file transfer) together and treating each type as a class with its own level of service priority. Unlike Quality of Service (QoS) traffic management, Class of Service technologies do not guarantee a level of service in terms of bandwidth and delivery time; they offer a "best-effort." On the other hand, CoS technology is simpler to manage and more scalable as a network grows in structure and traffic volume. One can think of CoS as "coarsely-grained" traffic control and QoS as "finely-grained" traffic control.

There are three main CoS technologies:

• 802.1p Layer 2 Tagging
• Type of Service (ToS)
• Differentiated Services (DiffServ)

802.1p Layer 2 Tagging and CoS make use of three bits in the Layer 2 packet header that can be used to specify priority. Since three bits does not allow for much sophistication in managing traffic, a new protocol, Differentiated Services (DS or DiffServ), has been developed in draft form by an IETF Working Group. Differentiated Services uses a different approach to managing packets than simple priority labeling. It uses an indication of how a given packet is to be forwarded, known as the Per Hop Behavior (PHB). The PHB describes a particular service level in terms of bandwidth, queueing theory, and dropping (discarding the packet) decisions.

The Differentiated Services protocol exists as a set of related working documents from the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). [http://www.ietf.org/]

What’s the Hype about VoIP?

Why the excitement about voice over Internet Protocol? Should I care? How will it affect me, my business, my costs?

These are just a few questions the man in the street is asking since February 2005 when VoIP burst onto our newspapers, TVs and radios. To many the answers are immaterial. If you don’t already have a fast, broadband Internet connection at work or at home, VoIP is currently not within your reach. But for those who have broadband, understand there may be some cost savings, quality improvements and access improvements, VoIP is already being quickly snapped up as a very preferable service to existing fixed-line telephones. Let’s look at some basics:

What is VoIP/Internet Voice?

VoIP allows you to make telephone calls using a computer network, over a data network like the Internet. VoIP converts the voice signal from your telephone into a digital signal that travels over the internet then converts it back at the other end so you can speak to anyone with a regular phone number. When placing a VoIP call using a phone with an adapter, you'll hear a dial tone and dial just as you always have. VoIP may also allow you to make a call directly from a computer using a conventional telephone or a microphone.

How Can I Place a VoIP Call?

Depending on the service, one way to place a VoIP call is to pick up your phone and dial the number, using an adaptor that connects to your existing high-speed (broadband) Internet connection. The call goes through your local telephone exchange to a VoIP provider. The phone call goes over the Internet to the person you called for the completion of the call. Another way is to utilize a microphone headset plugged into your computer. The number is placed using the keyboard and is routed through your modem.

What Kind of Equipment Do I Need?

A broadband (high speed Internet) connection is required. This can be through a modem, or high speed services such as ADSL or a local area network. You can hook up an inexpensive microphone to your computer and send your voice through a modem or connect a phone directly to a telephone adaptor.

Is there a difference between making a Local Call and a Long Distance Call?

Some VoIP providers offer their services for free, normally only for calls to other subscribers to the service. Your VoIP provider may permit you to select an area code different from the area in which you live. This means you may not incur long distance charges if you call a number in your area code regardless of geography. It also means that people who call you may incur long distance charges depending on their area code and service.

Some VoIP providers charge for a long distance call to a number outside your calling area, similar to an existing, traditional fixed-line telephone service. Other VoIP providers permit you to call anywhere at a flat rate for a fixed number of minutes.

If I have VoIP service, who can I call?

Depending upon your service, you might be limited only to other subscribers to the service, or you may be able to call any phone number, anywhere in the world. The call can be made to a local number, a mobile phone, to a long distance number, or an international number. You may even utilize the service to speak with more than one person at a time. The person you are calling does not need any special equipment, just a phone.

What Are Some Advantages of Internet Voice?

Because VoIP is digital, it may offer features and services that are not available with a traditional phone. If you have a broadband internet connection, you need not maintain and pay the additional cost for a line just to make telephone calls.

With many VoIP plans you can talk for as long as you want with any person in the world (the requirement is that the other person has an Internet connection). You can also talk with many people at the same time without any additional cost.

What Are Some disadvantages of Internet Voice?

If you're considering replacing your traditional telephone service with VoIP, there are some possible differences:

• Some VoIP services don't work during power failures
• Not all VoIP services connect directly to emergency services
• VoIP providers may or may not offer directory assistance/white page listings.

Can I use my Computer While I talk on the Phone?

Yes

Can I Take My Phone Adapter with me When I Travel?

You may be able to use your VoIP service wherever you travel as long as you have a high speed Internet connection available. In that case it would work the same as from your home or business.

Does my Computer Have to be Turned on?

Not if you are making calls with a phone and adaptor or special VoIP phone, but your broadband Internet connection needs to be active. You can also use your computer while talking on the phone.

How Do I Know If I have a VoIP phone Call?

It will ring like any other call.

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by Greg Hatfield, General Manager, VoIS Solutions, Internet Solutions [www.is.co.za]