Converged communications bring efficiency

Market forces, rather than a push for something new, are increasingly driving successful technology trends. The need for e-mail on cellular phones led to a better technology as opposed to cellular phone manufacturers telling their consumer that e-mail is what they want.

In the same light, the demand for greater business efficiency has led to the emergence of converged communications.

In the past, software and technologies were developed and sold into business as the saviours of the day. "Install this and your company will save millions of rands while reducing operating costs."

The truth is, on most occasions, the systems were not able to integrate properly, or the cost to integrate the technology mitigated the projected savings. Applications and networks were seen as mutually exclusive elements, independent of each other from a planning and management point of view.

They had never been designed with each other in mind. Networks were designed to deliver a certain degree of functionality and applications were designed to handle a certain task. Integration was an afterthought.

Now, with the emergence of Internet Protocol (IP) as the standard universal networking protocol, networks can carry voice, data and video over a single network, eliminating the need for separate networks.

Finally, applications and networks were officially married and no longer worked in a mutually exclusive environment. And with this, it opens a world of opportunities for enterprises to adopt a truly integrated approach to IT that is able to deliver adaptability and organisational agility on a single converged network.

Sounds confusing, but take the situation with mobile phones: Apart from phone calls and text messages, a telephone is able to send and receive e-mail, provide access to the Internet and even store and edit documents without having to heave a notebook computer around - once the ultimate mobility tool. Convergence is being built into almost every device today and business networks are the same. It is a demand-generated solution.

Networks were purely for internal communication and to provide employees with access to a centralised server or Internet and e-mail connection. Business meetings were conducted in person by physically commuting to a meeting place.

Staff complements in support roles remained substantial and the integration and management thereof was complex; all at a high cost to the business.

Businesses are demanding a more streamlined approach to technology.

Mayan Mathen is an IP convergence practice manager at Dimension Data Africa.

But in the constant cycle of trying to find ways to drive down costs, businesses are demanding a more streamlined approach to technology, something that can take all existing resources and condense them into a single system. Converged communications is the answer.

It takes a company's backbone; its voice, data and video facilities, links them all together and provides a single point of management for everything. Security can be monitored from anywhere in the world. Critical data can be stored virtually or in multiple locations, removing it from harm's way in its physical form. Natural and terrorist disasters do not mean the loss of critical company information which could cost millions.

New technology developments can be quickly incorporated and information is available to any permitted person anywhere in the world at any time through virtual connections. Productivity is increased as the office is only ever an Internet connection away and even physical terrestrial phone line extensions are removed from the telephone handset point and available on the network through any network connected device instead.

Costs are dramatically reduced, as phone calls within a network are free of charge and calls terminated on a landline are only charged for at a local rate. Worldwide offices become no more than a video conference away and all over the same network that handles existing voice and data. Centralised management means that fewer support teams and costs are required and global roll-outs of applications or notifications can be handled from a single point at one time.

Some may argue that convergence has blurred the line between personal and office life, but without the need to travel around the world or physically remain in the office. The power has been put into the hands of the individuals who are now able to spend more time with families while the enterprise reaps the rewards of greater employee efficiency and cost savings.
* Mayan Mathen is an IP convergence practice manager at Dimension Data Africa.