Networking PipelineSo how aware is the user community -- in both the enterprise and service
provider space -- of these challenges?
Richard Tworek It depends on the community. One of the characteristics of the VoIP world is that a "new" set of people are taking ownership of the phone system. Traditionally, the phones have been owned by a building manager or by a telephony manager, whose focus was solely on phones. These folks were frequently the people with a leather toolbelt and a test handset. For them, the concept of managing a phone system is quite foreign. That was what a service level agreement was for... or the phones simply worked when the wires were punched down.
But the new VoIP phone systems are often being managed by the IT departments. These are the same people who have managed data networks and storage networks and other networking equipment for years. And when they see a VoIP system, which is architected a lot like a data network, they immediately look for tools to monitor and manage the system.
So the short version? A year ago, the topic of VoIP management was not being widely considered. Today, it's about the most important area in VoIP.
Networking Pipeline How can these challenges be managed most effectively?
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