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Small and medium-sized businesses are embracing the idea of running voice and video services on their data networks. Let us look at how voice and video over IP (VoIP) affect a hierarchical network.
Legacy Equipment
Convergence is the process of combining voice and video communications on a data network. Converged networks have existed for a while now, but were only feasible in large enterprise organizations because of the network infrastructure requirements and complex management that was involved to make them work seamlessly. There were high network costs associated with convergence because more expensive switch hardware was required to support the additional bandwidth requirements. Converged networks also required extensive management in relation to Quality of Service (QoS), because voice and video data traffic needed to be classified and prioritized on the network. Few individuals had the expertise in voice, video, and data networks to make convergence feasible and functional. In addition, legacy equipment hinders the process. The figure shows a legacy telephone company switch. Most telephone companies today have made the transition to digital-based switches. However, there are many offices that still use analog phones, so they still have existing analog telephone wiring closets. Because analog phones have not yet been replaced, you will also see equipment that has to support both legacy PBX telephone systems and IP-based phones. This sort of equipment will slowly be migrated to modern IP-based phone switches.
Advanced Technology
Converging voice, video, and data networks has become more popular recently in the small to medium-sized business market because of advancements in technology. Convergence is now easier to implement and manage, and less expensive to purchase. The figure shows a high-end VoIP phone and switch combination suitable for a medium-sized business of 250-400 employees. The figure also shows a Cisco Catalyst Express 500 switch and a Cisco 7906G phone suitable for small to medium-sized businesses. This VoIP technology used to be affordable only to enterprises and governments.
Moving to a converged network can be a difficult decision if the business already invested in separate voice, video, and data networks. It is difficult to abandon an investment that still works, but there are several advantages to converging voice, video, and data on a single network infrastructure.
One benefit of a converged network is that there is just one network to manage. With separate voice, video, and data networks, changes to the network have to be coordinated across networks. There are also additional costs resulting from using three sets of network cabling. Using a single network means you just have to manage one wired infrastructure.
Another benefit is lower implementation and management costs. It is less expensive to implement a single network infrastructure than three distinct network infrastructures. Managing a single network is also less expensive. Traditionally, if a business has a separate voice and data network, they have one group of people managing the voice network and another group managing the data network. With a converged network, you have one group managing both the voice and data networks.
New Options
Converged networks give you options that had not existed previously. You can now tie voice and video communications directly into an employee's personal computer system, as shown in the figure. There is no need for an expensive handset phone or videoconferencing equipment. You can accomplish the same function using special software integrated with a personal computer. Softphones, such as the Cisco IP Communicator, offer a lot of flexibility for businesses. The person in the top left of the figure is using a softphone on the computer. When software is used in place of a physical phone, a business can quickly convert to converged networks, because there is no capital expense in purchasing IP phones and the switches needed to power the phones. With the addition of inexpensive webcams, videoconferencing can be added to a softphone. These are just a few examples provided by a broader communications solution portfolio that redefine business processes today.
Separate Voice, Video and Data Networks
As you see in the figure, a voice network contains isolated phone lines running to a PBX switch to allow phone connectivity to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). When a new phone is added, a new line has to be run back to the PBX. The PBX switch is typically located in a Telco wiring closet, separate from the data and video wiring closets. The wiring closets are usually separated because different support personnel require access to each system. However, using a properly designed hierarchical network, and implementing QoS policies that prioritize the audio data, voice data can be converged onto an existing data network with little to no impact on audio quality.
In this figure, videoconferencing equipment is wired separately from the voice and data networks. Videoconferencing data can consume significant bandwidth on a network. As a result, video networks were maintained separately to allow the videoconferencing equipment to operate at full speed without competing for bandwidth with voice and data streams. Using a properly designed hierarchical network, and implementing QoS policies that prioritize the video data, video can be converged onto an existing data network with little to no impact on video quality.
The data network interconnects the workstations and servers on a network to facilitate resource sharing. Data networks can consume significant data bandwidth, which is why voice, video, and data networks were kept separated for such a long time. Now that properly designed hierarchical networks can accommodate the bandwidth requirements of voice, video, and data communications at the same time, it makes sense to converge them all onto a single hierarchical network.
Legacy Equipment
Convergence is the process of combining voice and video communications on a data network. Converged networks have existed for a while now, but were only feasible in large enterprise organizations because of the network infrastructure requirements and complex management that was involved to make them work seamlessly. There were high network costs associated with convergence because more expensive switch hardware was required to support the additional bandwidth requirements. Converged networks also required extensive management in relation to Quality of Service (QoS), because voice and video data traffic needed to be classified and prioritized on the network. Few individuals had the expertise in voice, video, and data networks to make convergence feasible and functional. In addition, legacy equipment hinders the process. The figure shows a legacy telephone company switch. Most telephone companies today have made the transition to digital-based switches. However, there are many offices that still use analog phones, so they still have existing analog telephone wiring closets. Because analog phones have not yet been replaced, you will also see equipment that has to support both legacy PBX telephone systems and IP-based phones. This sort of equipment will slowly be migrated to modern IP-based phone switches.
Advanced Technology
Converging voice, video, and data networks has become more popular recently in the small to medium-sized business market because of advancements in technology. Convergence is now easier to implement and manage, and less expensive to purchase. The figure shows a high-end VoIP phone and switch combination suitable for a medium-sized business of 250-400 employees. The figure also shows a Cisco Catalyst Express 500 switch and a Cisco 7906G phone suitable for small to medium-sized businesses. This VoIP technology used to be affordable only to enterprises and governments.
Moving to a converged network can be a difficult decision if the business already invested in separate voice, video, and data networks. It is difficult to abandon an investment that still works, but there are several advantages to converging voice, video, and data on a single network infrastructure.
One benefit of a converged network is that there is just one network to manage. With separate voice, video, and data networks, changes to the network have to be coordinated across networks. There are also additional costs resulting from using three sets of network cabling. Using a single network means you just have to manage one wired infrastructure.
Another benefit is lower implementation and management costs. It is less expensive to implement a single network infrastructure than three distinct network infrastructures. Managing a single network is also less expensive. Traditionally, if a business has a separate voice and data network, they have one group of people managing the voice network and another group managing the data network. With a converged network, you have one group managing both the voice and data networks.
New Options
Converged networks give you options that had not existed previously. You can now tie voice and video communications directly into an employee's personal computer system, as shown in the figure. There is no need for an expensive handset phone or videoconferencing equipment. You can accomplish the same function using special software integrated with a personal computer. Softphones, such as the Cisco IP Communicator, offer a lot of flexibility for businesses. The person in the top left of the figure is using a softphone on the computer. When software is used in place of a physical phone, a business can quickly convert to converged networks, because there is no capital expense in purchasing IP phones and the switches needed to power the phones. With the addition of inexpensive webcams, videoconferencing can be added to a softphone. These are just a few examples provided by a broader communications solution portfolio that redefine business processes today.
Separate Voice, Video and Data Networks
As you see in the figure, a voice network contains isolated phone lines running to a PBX switch to allow phone connectivity to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN). When a new phone is added, a new line has to be run back to the PBX. The PBX switch is typically located in a Telco wiring closet, separate from the data and video wiring closets. The wiring closets are usually separated because different support personnel require access to each system. However, using a properly designed hierarchical network, and implementing QoS policies that prioritize the audio data, voice data can be converged onto an existing data network with little to no impact on audio quality.
In this figure, videoconferencing equipment is wired separately from the voice and data networks. Videoconferencing data can consume significant bandwidth on a network. As a result, video networks were maintained separately to allow the videoconferencing equipment to operate at full speed without competing for bandwidth with voice and data streams. Using a properly designed hierarchical network, and implementing QoS policies that prioritize the video data, video can be converged onto an existing data network with little to no impact on video quality.
The data network interconnects the workstations and servers on a network to facilitate resource sharing. Data networks can consume significant data bandwidth, which is why voice, video, and data networks were kept separated for such a long time. Now that properly designed hierarchical networks can accommodate the bandwidth requirements of voice, video, and data communications at the same time, it makes sense to converge them all onto a single hierarchical network.
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