Fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) - the overlapping of cellular and fixed-line telephony - is set to take off in South Africa as companies look to the technology to help them save money and boost efficiency.
That`s the word from Itec`s Mitel product manager, Hannes van der Merwe. He says that following on the convergence of voice and data on the corporate network, FMC is likely to be the next form of convergence that will take off in the enterprise.
Van der Merwe says FMC is about providing end-users with a consistent set of telecom services wherever they are and irrespective of whether they are using the mobile or fixed-line network. The end-user will be reachable through a single phone number and may even be using a single smartphone to take calls, whether he or she is in the office or out on the road.
With this one number, one phone approach, companies can make their employees easier for colleagues and customers to reach. "Customers simply need to remember one number to reach their contact at your organisation, without needing to leave multiple messages on PBX and cellular voicemail," says Van der Merwe.
"Users no longer need to worry about checking two voicemail boxes or missing important calls on their landline, since they`ll be accessible through a single number at all times." Van der Merwe says FMC offers companies potentially vast cost-savings since they no longer need to outfit every single employee with a desktop phone. Instead, users will be able to use a single a dual-mode smartphone with WiFi and GSM to make all of their calls.
These devices are becoming increasingly affordable, especially when the cost-savings on cellular calls is taken into account. One drawback lies in the relatively short battery life that most smartphones offer, but this problem will be solved over time, says Van der Merwe.
Eventually, they`ll be able to seamlessly roam between WiFi and cellular networks using devices that support the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP). "In other words, you`ll be able to initiate a call in a VOIP hot-spot, which is seamlessly handed over to the cellular network when you move out of the coverage area," says Van der Merwe.
Van der Merwe says many users depend on their smartphones to make even internal phone calls, as they walk around the office building or campus. With FMC, they`ll be able to move around freely, yet benefit from the lower VOIP tariffs while they`re covered by the office WiFi network.
"The benefits may be especially significant for end-users that travel overseas extensively," he adds. "Rather than paying exorbitant international roaming costs, they could make cheap VOIP calls from hotspots."
Concludes Van der Merwe: "The technology for FMC is maturing at a rapid rate and we expect to see strong adoption in the months to come. FMC is a powerful tool in a world where customers expect immediate response to their calls, and workers want to have flexible tools that allow them to work the same way, whether they`re at their desks or not."
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