Interpersonal communication is challenging, and the globalization of business makes it even more so. As organizations become more geographically dispersed, they need technologies that facilitate effective collaboration. These technologies need to overcome traditional limitations with new ways to share information and enhance discussions ultimately leading to better decisions and business growth. That's why businesses need IP communications today.

It exemplifies the systemic approach inherent in intelligent networking. In the past, networks traditionally provided connectivity only. Today they can also solve business problems.

Industry analysts and vendors alike agree that network convergence using IP technologies is inevitable, yet conversions occur only when there is a strong business case for them. According to Meta Group research, the business case for IP communications must prove operational cost savings, end-user productivity gains, capital expenditure savings over private branch exchange (PBX) replacement, and a competitive advantage through new capabilities. Another Meta Group study says that (January 2004) some businesses wait for current PBX contracts to expire, others deploy it in new facilities or branch offices, still others-especially small- and mid-sized businesses-will only converge as IP centrex services become available from service providers.

Different Strokes for Different Folks
A technology solution becomes a killer application when no one can live without it. This application can differs widely within IP communications depending on the nature of the business. Fortunately, the horizontal nature of IP communication allows deployment of not one but many killer applications, such as enterprise-wide employee communications, integrated access to data from enterprise business applications such as CRM, customized for a specific department or use in a vertical market segment.

Meta Group's research indicates that the number one application driving network convergence is conferencing. Other popular drivers are IP phone-based productivity applications such as integrated directories or local transit schedules, remote user access to mission-critical applications, user mobility, and networked voice mail.

The enterprises that most successfully adopt IP communications are those with a solution-oriented corporate culture, however they first need to converge their data and telephony groups. The converged staff can cross train so that data people acquire telephony skills, and telecom people learn IP. And despite dire predictions several years ago, network convergence does not equal job loss. In fact, as skill sets increase, higher compensation can be commended!

Video Telephony
Traditional videoconferencing and corporate television have been cost-prohibitive for widespread business use. However today, solutions allow existing IP communication infrastructure to talk to traditional networks. Traditional video bandwidth, like traditional videoconferencing, was expensive and its deployment was limited to in-house television networks and videoconferencing systems. Ethernet was less expensive than television coax or leased lines, and the cost continues to drop. For branch offices and tele-workers, the cost of broadband services has put video telephony within reach.

With IP, picture quality does not suffer and video compression techniques are smooth. Also, traditional videoconferencing gear was notoriously difficult to use, often requiring dedicated staff to operate it.

So Do I Need It?
The issue is, even with the economic and technological issues of video telephony resolved, do enterprises really need it?

It can enhance collaboration between design teams in the US and Europe, manufacturing in Asia, and sales and distribution centers worldwide

Will it replace face-to-face meetings? Absolutely not.

Is it a great augmentation to voice? Absolutely. It changes the tenor of a conversation and builds bonds between people. Corporate users spend about half their time in conference calls, and video telephony solution supports multipoint conferencing capabilities for any combination of video-enabled and voice-only users. Video automatically switches to the speaker during conferences.

Building Understanding
While unified messaging has been available for more than a decade, customer adoption has been slow as it was difficult to implement. That is not the case anymore.

IP communication offers tremendous potential for easing the logistical barriers of time zones and geographic dispersion. For example, it can enhance collaboration between design teams in the US and Europe, manufacturing in Asia, and sales and distribution centers worldwide. It simplifies the process of connecting with customers, while enhancing the value of your interactions with rich-media sharing and video telephony.

Mathew Varghese, principal consultant– ITS Cisco Systems India