The newest wave of integrated connectivity is converged networking which offers numerous benefits to companies.
"Converged networking is a trend that brings together voice, video, and data traffic on a single network," says Wolfgang Held, Network Consultant at 3Com South Africa.
This tighter network integration encompasses every level of communication, he says. For instance:
Payload convergence enables different data types, such as data and video, to be carried in the same communications format.
Protocol convergence is the movement from multi-protocol to single protocol networks.
Physical convergence occurs when payloads with different service requirements travel over the same network equipment and cabling.
Device convergence is the ability of network devices to support different networking paradigms in a single system.
The networking convergence trend also impacts applications, organisations, and basic networking technologies. Converged technology offers a number of potential benefits to organisations, including reduced equipment and support costs; improved network flexibility and functionality; and improved standardisation, Held continues.
"What`s more, converged networking provides support for today`s sophisticated, integrated applications that put new demands on networks."
To avoid compatibility and scalability issues, the fundamental technologies of converged networks need to be standards-based, and the network deployment should be incremental. Delivering on the promise of converged networking requires the use of emerging technologies, Held maintains.
The following scenario, he says, is an example where a converged network will provide the solution: A network administrator has been asked to push his organisation`s network to its limits. His company needs remote training and conferencing centres at each of its four branch offices. Besides offering smooth, clear video, the centres have to handle real-time voice and data seamlessly. Quality of Service is key, and the solution has to be affordable, yet flexible enough to grow with the company.
Next, Held provides some case studies that illustrate how organisations can migrate to a converged network. Firstly, call centres are business units that accept telephone calls to provide customer service and support.
These centres may be third-party outsourcing businesses or organisations within a large corporation. Call centres rely on proprietary automated call distribution (ACD) servers, which tie a public switched telephone network call to a PC. These servers are complex, expensive, and difficult to scale.
"By replacing proprietary ACD equipment with standard, off-the-shelf hardware, organisations can build a foundation for more flexible call centre applications," Held says. "A dedicated call centre LAN enables an organisation to packetise voice traffic, then forward and manage traffic over multiple sites as requirements grow."
Secondly, by adding additional security features and integrating the voice system with financial transaction applications, an organisation could leverage its voice traffic for reliable, powerful customer interaction.
One of the most common applications is SAP, which is used for accounts payable and receivable, manufacturing, shipping and receiving, Held advises. SAP is based on a client-server model, with a dedicated, separate back-end sub-network for its database servers.
"This sub-network is expensive to implement and manage, and many organisations are motivated to integrate it into the primary enterprise network. By implementing a robust, routed network with monitoring tools and resilient, over-provisioned LANs (and WANs in the future), organisations can set the stage for a reliable network capable of integrating SAP applications, as well as prioritised voice, video and data."
Thirdly, for educators, government and the corporate enterprise, virtual classrooms and conference centres can open the doors to improved communication and collaboration. Their basic architecture consists of a studio equipped with audio and camera equipment, and one or more remote classrooms.
"With its capability to seamlessly carry voice, video and data, a converged network provides an ideal foundation for virtual classroom applications."
By establishing multi-application edge LANs connected by a packet-switched backbone, an organisation can build a foundation for multiple-media networking. Implementing 802.1p/Q tagging and prioritisation can help ensure the necessary level of service for video and audio traffic, and the remote sites can be connected to a WAN as the organisation expands in the future.
As equipment and telco costs make packet-switched networking more economical, organisations could eventually offload their toll traffic to packet-based WANs for enhanced call handling and lower cost. By leveraging a pair of H.323 gateways connected by a packet-switched WAN, an organisation can reduce tolls between branches using existing PSTN services.
"By increasing call management and network redundancy, as well as adding services, security and standardisation, carriers can offer increasingly integrated voice and data networking services and new business applications."
Held adds that 3Com has developed a variety of solution families that offer the features, scalability and standards-based architecture needed for building a converged network.
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