FEATURE VOIP
Data Networks in Next Generation Communication Along the Line By Geoff Wilde, Installations Product Specialist, Nimans
VoIP or (Voice Over Internet Protocol) is renowned as a cost effective, reliable and flexible communication medium - where ‘packets of voice’ are carried over data networks. VoIP has played a key role in shaping the convergence of voice and data applications - opening the door to a new wave of sophisticated and seamless solutions. The take up on the deployment of
It may have taken many years to achieve, but VoIP has finally emerged into the mainstream technology arena; a familiar phrase not just for those that work in the communications
industry but also general office staff and even members of the public thanks to the popularity of products such as Skype.
IP technologies in the workplace is growing day by day. We can see it with the increase of IP end points of all kinds, spreading beyond the traditional communications arena into areas such as security surveillance. More and more telecoms system
technology is being switched to IP, with the upwards trends set to continue. Home working, mobility, virtual private networking and presence capabilities are helping fuel demand along with today’s Unified Communications trends. Third party suppliers are also coming to market with IP camera equipment. These kinds of bolt-on services create great opportunities for the traditional telephony dealer and network installers to expand into new areas of activity. As more and more businesses
become more aware and confident with IP the whole process starts to snowball. Today there are no real issues with system crashes. When assessing their telecommunications infrastructure, most people today are looking towards a single platform. It makes sense in so many ways, from installation to actual usage. Faster, cheaper broadband and
reliable hardware solutions from leading vendors have laid the foundations for long-term market growth – accelerating demand. Nimans itself recently invested in a new IP-based telecoms system for its staff across two sites. There is now more pressure on
distributors to supply products with ever higher levels of technical support, across both the voice and data arenas. VoIP brings tremendous benefits to the end user, with low cost networking and cheaper calls the most obvious advantages. As further advances in technology are made, then the cost benefits for end users, such as making international calls, are considerable, so this will add to overall demand and the
18 NETCOMMS Volume I, Issue 4 2011
appeal of IP communication. Network resilience and the lowering cost of broadband has been a major factor in these trends. I think the fear factor of end
users embracing new technology is disappearing now, because telephone manufacturers have worked particularly hard to make IP technology within voice communications very resilient. It is dependant on quality of service from the data network, to ensure it is fit for voice purposes, as without the correct infrastructure it would be a bit like trying to build a house on sand. Unless you have a solid foundation, it is not going to work, but, in fairness, most businesses have a data network which is more than adequate for voice. Using a single infrastructure
generates a host of benefits. Today’s IP voice technologies and systems are predominantly software driven, so to improve systems and applications it is no longer necessary to throw everything away and start again. There is less disturbance in the business. Certainly, from an applications point of view, seamless integration of voice communication platforms into data applications such as Outlook and Microsoft Lync make businesses so much more efficient and potent. They open the door to unified communications, mobility and home working opportunities. No longer are people tied to a fixed desk, because they can log on anywhere and carry all class of service as if they were behind a desk at work – with just one convenient telephone number. VoIP can now no longer be
considered new or emerging technology. If we refer back 12 months, the emergence of VoIP has almost become old news now, because it is being deployed by most resellers. SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) is the ‘next chapter’ in converged communications. SIP is a protocol which is increasingly being used in next generation networks, and is predicted to emerge as one of the biggest market forces, with the potential to overtake ISDN. As we move further down the SIP
and SIP trunking route, this will herald a further new era, as it provides another indication of where we are heading
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with fully converged solutions and single areas of communication platforms serving multimedia applications. So how can resellers and installers
get the most out of the new opportunities available? The biggest issue to address is the
Quality of Service (QoS). The factors which influence this are deciding which bandwidths are used for voice and which are used for data. The cabling environment is also vital, the quality and structure itself will all affect QoS. It’s important to have the correct platform in place, otherwise problems will be experienced in terms of call quality, etc. There is a balance between
initial investment and future service requirements. Bandwidth is crucial here. There’s a danger users can lose the quality of voice calls if the capacity is not there. You can’t cut corners. It’s a fine line, as initially a business may be able to get by with 2 meg bandwidth, but if they expand and more staff go on line they may start to struggle and experience poor QoS. You have to balance the requirements
of today with a customer’s future plans. If you get one of these factors wrong, an end user may spend a fortune on technology that they don’t need, or they could run out of capacity having not made the appropriate size of investment at the beginning – which would more than pay for itself in the long run. Another important consideration
for installers is how equipment such as IP telephones will be powered. We believe that Power Over Ethernet (POE) switches provide the answer here.
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