| rking used to be all about data. In fact, most people still | | | | network support provider that is able to expertly |
| think about data, servers, applications and the PC's that | | | | handle both IP telephony (from a call management |
| deliver them when they choose a network support | | | | perspective as well as traditional QoS) and your data |
| provider. Those that do, however, often fail to notice | | | | network. The cost of downtime is increasing |
| the fundamental shift in the network that has already | | | | exponentially as our reliance on the internet increases. |
| begun. So what is the future of the business network? | | | | The potential savings in consolidating your providers, |
| And what should you be looking out for to plan ahead | | | | and therefore reducing response times and |
| to ensure you've made the right decision about service | | | | management expense, can be huge. |
| provision for not only today, but for the coming years | | | | Sure this all sounds pretty simple, just get a provider |
| also? This article will answer these question and offers | | | | that does IP telephony well and data networks well |
| advice for those seeking a provider of IT network | | | | and problem solved. After investigating the |
| support or an IP telephony solution. | | | | marketplace however, you'll find there are very few |
| The biggest change to your business network will no | | | | vendors that have had the foresight to provide such |
| doubt be the implementation of IP telephony and video | | | | an offering. In fact, Cisco Systems is the only real |
| teleconferencing capabilities. Therefore no longer is the | | | | player in this converged network future. They've long |
| network the domain of data and the internet, but it | | | | been the leaders in networking, having invented the |
| becomes communications backbone of your business. | | | | router way back in 1984 and have subsequently |
| The convergence of voice, video and data on the one | | | | become the company synonymous with networking. |
| network has great potential. Enabling true worker | | | | But luckily they're also at the forefront of IP telephony |
| mobility, slashing travel (and carbon) costs, allowing for | | | | and video-conferencing, with the vision of providing |
| enhanced productivity and collaboration, reduced | | | | these services on top of interoperable and fully |
| telecommunications costs and greater business | | | | compatible building blocks of the network thereby |
| intelligence and agility are some of the key promises | | | | providing a previously unavailable single-vendor |
| underpinning the shift. | | | | approach. |
| This sounds great, but in practice many businesses | | | | In summary, the key points to consider for the |
| that have begun down this track are facing one key | | | | selection of an IT network or IP telephony provider |
| problem. Two once separate service providers, the | | | | vendor combination is: |
| telephony service provider and the network/IT service | | | | * Provider: Networks of the future are converged, it will |
| provider, now operate on the same platform. A | | | | save much time and money consolidating your |
| potential nightmare then arises where changes to the | | | | providers with one expert at both networking and IP |
| data network inadvertently impact the telephony | | | | telephony. |
| system and vice verse. Solving the problem requires | | | | * Vendor: Cisco systems offer the only single vendor |
| the two providers to be at the same place at the | | | | approach to the converged network, which also |
| same time, a scenario that is in practice slow and | | | | reduces support costs due to interoperability, reliability |
| difficult to co-ordinate. So how can this be resolved? | | | | and compatibility of network components. |
| Easy. Before you implement IP telephony, choose a | | | | |