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VoiceOverIP |
 We
are used to communicating through networks, these might be networks
of people, or telephone systems, or computer
networks. Though each can function as a self-contained unit, we
could increase the value of networks by integration. VOIP is a step
in that direction, combining two-way voice communication with an IP
data network. |
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 VOIP
will make the differences between networks less obvious with added
benefits. It will create the opportunity for innovation in business
applications, integration of network management and accommodate consolidation
of network equipment investment. This process is already underway;
there is an unstoppable trend for VOIP product and service development,
which is accelerating. Sooner, not later, VOIP will change the way
we communicate, the way we network.
We still rely heavily on the telephone and the fax to communicate,
but the addition of data networks to our communications environments
gives us a digital information facility (like document transfer) through
the LAN or the Internet. In the main these technologies have not replaced
traditional communications channels. We now need ever more hardware
and miles of cabling throughout our buildings,
which places a heavy financial burden on us to maintain disparate
network systems. |
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| If these communications channels could be
integrated into one network, significant benefits and opportunities
might arise. Integrating the voice telephone network into the data
network could simplify business networks design and increase efficiency.
For their customers or clients, VOIP offers demonstrable benefits
through advanced, integrated applications using a single network for
multimedia or multi-service communications |
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