Are You Still On TDM? You Could Be On Death Row
VOIP is now mainstream and no longer a “leading edge” technology. TDM is nearing end-of-life. If you haven't already, it's time to make your plans.
In the world of VOIP and IP Telephony/IPT, there is a turn in the tide. Do you see it, hear it, feel it?
It is the turn of the industry from VOIP being a casual “look” to an essential component of the business technology infrastructure. It is the turn in the tide from the days of VOIP quality and issues to a stable, vibrant technology environment. It is the R&D investment by all Telecommunications CPE manufacturers and carriers in IP - period.
These industry changes are creating major shifts in the market. No longer is Telecommunications looked at as a commodity market, selling and buying on price alone, with little-to-no consideration for technology or services. Major shifts in how we use basic telephony are taking place at the core level. Mobility and remote worker acceptance are examples of this shift. Disaster Recovery/Business Continuity are essential, critical components in the organization’s business plan, and VOIP integrates well to this corporate strategy.
As technologies mature, so does the emphasis on cost savings/cost reductions. No longer is VOIP only a vehicle to reduce costs of a current traditional TDM telephony or WAN environment. It is the technology replacing traditional TDM at the root level. It is no longer considered “new” technology - issues that were prevalent in VOIP systems just a few years ago have been stabilized. Telecom Departments are now under the auspices of IT and not Facilities; Telecom is now a function of the IT infrastructure.
VOIP is a data technology and therefore the rules of the data world now apply – some of those areas include:
EXTERNAL FORCES AT WORK
For “mature” TDM systems, external forces are at work, forces you cannot control. They include:
Avaya’s Definity G1, G3, and Dimension systems (yes, there are still a few Dimension systems out there), NEC’s NEAX 2400 HDS and ICS, and 2000 IVS, Nortel’s Meridian Option 11, 21, 51, 61 and 81 (depending on Version and Release), Mitel’s SX-200 and 2000 and Intertel Axxess non-supported systems, Siemens ROLM 9XXX Series, Alcatel’s Omni PCX 4400 (depending on Version and Release), Astra Telecom’s legacy Intecom systems, Fujitsu PBX systems, Toshiba’s DK, Strata, and Perception products.
Systems need to be “currently supported” in order to get proper support for maintenance contracts and engineering support at the manufacturer and VAR levels, which equates to risk to the enterprise user’s system(s) that is not currently supported. To get systems “currently supported” by the manufacturers and VARs in many cases requires a major investment, forcing the enterprise user to “throw good money after bad”, and in some cases could require several million dollars. These costs only represent an upgrade/replacement of core equipment, and typically do not include any station/desktop equipment (leaving the end user experience unchanged).
Threats to campus environments and the ability to respond quickly and leverage communications to key personnel and all consumers or employees, i.e., Virginia Tech, Mobility, SMS and texting, IM – flexible, instant communication are expected and driving integrated applications.
