As world becomes progressively more tech-orientated, networks within organisations are becoming increasingly more complex, incorporating multiple elements across many sectors. In particular, data and telephony services are becoming more and more interlinked through the introduction of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) providers, such as Skype. As VoIP is a far more cost effective means of communication, it is being increasingly used within the business sector.
VoIP services are a form of network convergence, whereby telephone services are integrated with data and video and incorporated into a single network. Network convergence from Allstream can provide a means of combining multiple forms of communication into one seamless, ultra-fast network, meaning that your business can run as effectively as possible.
Evolving While Cutting Costs
As mentioned above, VoIP plays an integral role in network convergence today, and has been the first step for many organisations in instituting convergence. However, there is more to network convergence than simply VoIP. For example, VoIP itself is expanding more and more to include video, forming a new entity known as Video VoIP (VVoIP). VVoIP is changing the way that people do business, by allowing high definition video streams that provide opportunity for video conferences and meetings across states or indeed, across countries.
The obvious benefit to this shift is the decline in the need for expensive and time-consuming travel.
Hyper Mobility
Another aspect of network convergence is the introduction of wireless technologies, making networks increasingly more convenient and allowing for organisations to have considerable mobility, while still maintaining communication with all the data and telephony services incorporated into their home and business networks. This sector of network convergence is expanding to combine fixed data networks with wireless cellular telephone networks, leading to more and more mobility and allowing employees to be consistently linked in to the networks that matter, increasing productivity.
Ultimately, network convergence allows individuals to work anywhere, anytime, from a single wireless device.
Getting the Most Out of Your Converged Networks
In order to gain the most benefit from network convergence services, businesses need to make strategic changes to their IT structures. The most important factor involved in incorporating network convergence into an organisation is to identify the features provided by this service that are most compatible with the specific aims and functions of this organisation, and use these features in a manner that best support and complement the current operating process.
For example, businesses that rely largely on call centers may choose to use automated interactive voice response services in order to cut down on staffing costs and standardization difficulties.
In addition, increasingly sophisticated technologies have allowed for the introduction and growth of web-based, aggregated businesses that combine the strengths of many players to produce benefits for all through co-operation.
Network convergence technologies have allowed for the sharing and integration of data, services and applications between partners in specific fields, leading to the formation of alliances that greatly increase the power and reach of each individual organisation.
The Times Are A Changin’
With the introduction of sophisticated technology, the business world is a constantly changing place, and it is imperative to remain on top of the latest technological changes in order to remain a step ahead of one’s competitors.
Network integration remains on the cutting edge of business technology, and is therefore imperative for any business wanting to be leaders in their field. Although initially convergence was viewed as simply a means of cost reduction, it has now become far more than this. In fact, as well as continuing to decrease costs, convergence may in fact also increase revenue, through the addition of new sources of income that were not possible in the past, by enabling the delivery of services that are perfectly aligned to the needs of the customer.
In addition, convergence allows for the incorporation of staff, telephony and data services into a single system, leading to a more streamlined infrastructure and simplifying the day to day running of the company. This is particularly useful in large enterprises, which previously had impossibly complex, overlapping infrastructures that were challenging to manage.