Every carpenter or seamstress knows the adage "Measure twice, cut once." And if you've been involved in a converged network migrations, you probably have your own variation of this, covering your need to measure and assess your data network infrastructure and voice usage before you implement and migrate your voice traffic to IP. Let's call it "Measure twice, implement once".
Earlier this week, I had a chance to talk with Integrated Research, a Platinum DevConnect partner, and they made a very profound observation to me. It's not enough to simply measure and assess voice and data usage before migrating to a converged network. You have to continue to do this across the entire spectrum of UC applications, including email and IM usage, etc.
And in particular, they noted, you have to continue doing it even after implementation as your data application mix changes from premise-based to cloud-based computing. While your initial assessments may have considered the impact of moving from TDM to SIP trunks, or looked at how much external email traffic is generated on a weekly basis, once you shift your entire salesforce to using a cloud-based CRM tool like Salesforce.com, the utilization of data network pipes coming into and out of your enterprise changes dramatically. And this can easily stress and strain your network to the point that voice services, which you so carefully planned for in your initial convergence migration, become impacted.
It was an "ah-hah" moment for me. It's not just adding voice to your existing data network; it's adding applications to your existing converged voice and data network. You have to consider the entire UC ecosystem, with tools for real-time visibility and control. It's your network, your IP and VoIP vendors, and your applications that collectively define the overall usability of your enterprise IT environment.
Integrated Research is making it very easy for Avaya customers to continue this ongoing assessment by giving away CDs with 250 licenses for their PROGNOSIS VoIP Monitor. Stop by booth #915 at Voicecon and pick up your free copy, or download it today from www.voicequality.com.
Measure twice. Implement once. And measure again. And again. And again.
Posted 30 Oct 2009 at 10:42 AM