Why we need IP telephony

 

The reasons for and against IP telephony are the source of endless discussions between technologists. I finally heard a statement that may be useful in deciding whether or not the technology is as useful as its proponents claim:

IP telephony makes your phone as reliable as your computer.

Comments

[John Weald]

Having spent 7+ years in the IP Telephony industry I could not pass up the opportunity to comment!

IP Telephony is a broad term that can mean anything from Skype type services on my PC to IP back haul in the core of the PSTN.

While I agree that if you have a soft IP Telephony client on your PC you have indeed reduced your phone to the reliability of your PC. However there are many, many cases where VoIP is as reliable as the PSTN (note I did not say mobile networks).

For example if you are making a long distance or international call from your analog phone at home, the odds are that your call is being transmitted over VoIP in the core of the telephone network.

Most of the cable and phone companies "triple play" services of TV, Internet access and telephony use VoIP, both Comcast and at&t's Universe services are VoIP.

If I recall my data correctly: IP-PBX sales in the enterprise passed sales of TDM PBXs systems a few years ago.

Bottom line: VoIP over a managed network (e.g. MPLS network) can be as reliable as the old PSTN. VoIP over un-managed networks, such as the Internet, has a long way to go.

The Internet has devoured all applications in its path, it is just a matter of time until IP Telephony becomes one of them.

Cheers!