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What's next in telecom?
- Thread starter Irvineguy
- Start date
grumpyone60
Technical User
I think "exiting stage left" is the best plan. Telecom is not what it used to be,,, OH for the step by step days again..
VoIP is definately a big BUZZ word.
The main direction of Telecom is the convergence of voice and data. This convergence does not end at doing voice as IP or placing the set in a data enviroment, or creating VoIP trunks between systems (sites). Most vendors are introducing "APPLICATIONS" that converge voice and data.
These applications are where most of the benefits (AND PROBLEMS) are found in a converged site.
The techs that can successfully understand and perform on both sides of the applications will be in huge demand. It is one thing to enable a voice product to interface to an application, it is quite another to do that at a PC (user) level back to the voice side.
The other recent direction would be doing VoIP with the SIP standard. SIP, in general terms, will enable different product manufacturer's offerings to talk to each other at a standard level. In the begining days of VoIP, each manufacturer had their own propietary Protocol. They still do in fact, but they also have started designing their products to do SIP as well.
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Insert Witty Signature Here.
The main direction of Telecom is the convergence of voice and data. This convergence does not end at doing voice as IP or placing the set in a data enviroment, or creating VoIP trunks between systems (sites). Most vendors are introducing "APPLICATIONS" that converge voice and data.
These applications are where most of the benefits (AND PROBLEMS) are found in a converged site.
The techs that can successfully understand and perform on both sides of the applications will be in huge demand. It is one thing to enable a voice product to interface to an application, it is quite another to do that at a PC (user) level back to the voice side.
The other recent direction would be doing VoIP with the SIP standard. SIP, in general terms, will enable different product manufacturer's offerings to talk to each other at a standard level. In the begining days of VoIP, each manufacturer had their own propietary Protocol. They still do in fact, but they also have started designing their products to do SIP as well.
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- Thread starter
- #5
ALong with basic voip knowledge, it wouldn't hurt ot get some actual networking knowledge under your belt as well (CCNP etc) look at job searches for telecom, and you will find on top of basic telecom switch knowledge they are looking for network equipt cert's as well.
Not just VoIP, most jobs want Cisco certification and or experience.
Despite a number of hazards, it is clear that Telecom is becoming a mere sub-specialty of datacom.
I am familiar with the basic idea of VoIP, and I have vast experience with various Telecom stuff. Virtually every job opening I see requires VoIP and CIsco experience. Locks me out of many jobs I know well.
Human Resources does not know any better, like everyone else they have bought into the buzzword.
Good Luck
Despite a number of hazards, it is clear that Telecom is becoming a mere sub-specialty of datacom.
I am familiar with the basic idea of VoIP, and I have vast experience with various Telecom stuff. Virtually every job opening I see requires VoIP and CIsco experience. Locks me out of many jobs I know well.
Human Resources does not know any better, like everyone else they have bought into the buzzword.
Good Luck
Check out Asterisk.
"Asterisk is the most popular and extensible open source telephone system in the world, offering flexibility, functionality and features not available in advanced, high cost proprietary business systems. Asterisk is a complete IP telephony platform for business, and can be downloaded for free."
Ronster
Science is the rehab of the masses.
"Asterisk is the most popular and extensible open source telephone system in the world, offering flexibility, functionality and features not available in advanced, high cost proprietary business systems. Asterisk is a complete IP telephony platform for business, and can be downloaded for free."
Ronster
Science is the rehab of the masses.
jon24422531
Technical User
VOIP is OK, but when the network goes down how do you call for help?
Jonathan
Jonathan
![[pc]](/data/assets/smilies/pc.gif "[pc] [pc]")
Err resilient networks....
If your ISDN's fail, how do you call?
We had a idiot slice our fibres into a building, all ISDN's went down. Quick regig and we set up SIP trunking, redirected our Non Geos and bish, bash, bosh, back in business. The ISDN's we fixed 24 hours later...
Only the truly stupid believe they know everything.
Stu.. 2004
jon24422531
Technical User
Resilient networks are obviously required, but what I was trying to intimate was the reliability of the old PBX's. I used to install systems that could run for several years without needing a re-boot or any downtime. Not possible with young William Gates's ubiquitous offerings.
In the office where I work we have suffered several power outages recently, and the old PBX comes back without a murmur every time. The stampede to digitise everything (phones, cameras, TV etc) does not always represent an improvement in QOS.
Jonathan
In the office where I work we have suffered several power outages recently, and the old PBX comes back without a murmur every time. The stampede to digitise everything (phones, cameras, TV etc) does not always represent an improvement in QOS.
Jonathan
I'd agree, uptime is the problem, but if you chuck the money at it you can.
Wer'e now looking at multiple gateways, at multiple site feeding a group of core telcoms systems, that have auto fail over (SQL replication). The IP Gateways will switch over to the backuyp system automatically at a given point of time, the phones will then redirect themselves
Do that with a POTS !
Only the truly stupid believe they know everything.
Stu.. 2004
Wer'e now looking at multiple gateways, at multiple site feeding a group of core telcoms systems, that have auto fail over (SQL replication). The IP Gateways will switch over to the backuyp system automatically at a given point of time, the phones will then redirect themselves
Do that with a POTS !
Only the truly stupid believe they know everything.
Stu.. 2004
>I used to install systems that could run for several years without needing a re-boot or any downtime. Not possible with young William Gates's ubiquitous offerings. <
Which is way Asterix, and most VoIP systems don't use Bill Gates' creations. They use Linux which is based on Unix which was developed by Bell Labs!!
But, IMHO is that everyone these days, corporate officers in particular, want <b>cheep</b> and are more than willing to sacrifice reliability if they save $.
I can't prove this, but suspect this has to do that when most corporate officers are found to be duds (despite making thousand of dollars and hour) they get a bonus once fired.
Which is way Asterix, and most VoIP systems don't use Bill Gates' creations. They use Linux which is based on Unix which was developed by Bell Labs!!
But, IMHO is that everyone these days, corporate officers in particular, want <b>cheep</b> and are more than willing to sacrifice reliability if they save $.
I can't prove this, but suspect this has to do that when most corporate officers are found to be duds (despite making thousand of dollars and hour) they get a bonus once fired.
jon24422531
Technical User
Cynicism aside 
, there is no doubt VoIP is where it is going.
You have the choice of VoIP from someone that knows telecom and presumably makes a reliable system (Avaya, Nortel, Mitel, etc etc) or from Cisco who clearly does not understand Telecom (look at their web site). It may or may not be running on a PC under a generic OS.
If you look at the want ads though, if you want to be with "what's next" getting Cisco certification will help you get better work.
You would think with all these wannabe data guys trying to do Telecom the opportunity for guys who know an E from an M lead would be good, but it isn't.
Ah well, the only thing constant is change!
, there is no doubt VoIP is where it is going.You have the choice of VoIP from someone that knows telecom and presumably makes a reliable system (Avaya, Nortel, Mitel, etc etc) or from Cisco who clearly does not understand Telecom (look at their web site). It may or may not be running on a PC under a generic OS.
If you look at the want ads though, if you want to be with "what's next" getting Cisco certification will help you get better work.
You would think with all these wannabe data guys trying to do Telecom the opportunity for guys who know an E from an M lead would be good, but it isn't.
Ah well, the only thing constant is change!
And for those in doubt of VoIP being the "next big thing" take into account that BT (the Major player in the UK) is rolling out it's 21CN system. They intend to make the UK's telephone backbone pure IP over the next decade.
Only the truly stupid believe they know everything.
Stu.. 2004
Only the truly stupid believe they know everything.
Stu.. 2004
carrierquotes
IS-IT--Management
Sorry but my opinion is 100% the opposite of this. I work as a carrier services consultant so I speak to a lot of these people every day. Reliability is very important to 85% of the people I speak with. They rather pay a hundred bucks a month more for a more reliable carrier with more disaster recovery options and don't opt for the cheaper carrier / reseller.
And I see reliability and security becomming more and more important in the future as a larger part of a business' operations are IP based. And when you look at all the security products carriers are developing that supports this view.
A few years ago I would never have sold a PBX fraud prevention and monitoring package. Nowadays sometimes customers ask about it themselves.
Sorry for this long post I hope I didnt take this thread too much from the original topic.
(Next big thing: VoIP over Ethernet based network access and more data and voice convergence with MPLS)
Marco @
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