IP provides platform for quantum change
“Today it is rare to see a non IP network,” says Jeff Jack, manager of technology and operations at Dimension Data.
He says companies should be aiming for a single IP network infrastructure that supports data, voice and video.
Over the past five years there has been an increasing move to carrying voice traffic between branches over corporate data networks using voice over IP (VoIP). Savings on telecommunications costs are a major driver behind this trend, though some companies view their IP network as a means of doing business differently, says Jack.
For example, call-centre agents can work from home and have calls routed to them, and employees can work from any branch or hotspot and have online access to the same applications, data and services they would in the office, he says.
To get to this point, a company would need to implement intelligent routers and switches on its network that can differentiate between data, voice and video applications and treat them accordingly, says Jack.
Software is available that allows users to see who is sending them e-mail, whether they are online and available and then select options as to how to communicate with them, he says.
“With Microsoft live communication server, users can choose to communicate by e-mail, phone or instant messaging from their PC over the IP network.”
In this scenario, users can have an IP phone on their desk that is controlled by their PC to dial the number or establish a conference call, he says.
During an insurance claims process, for example, this embedded communication capability would enable a phone or video conference call to be set up between the broker, the assessor and the customer. By embedding communication into business processes, employees and management can be more productive, allowing companies to do business more effectively, says Jack.
In order to leverage the full potential of their IP networks, companies need to analyse their processes and measure the potential gains that can be achieved by implementing embedded communication capabilities. Once implemented, it is important to ensure users are trained to take advantage of the new capabilities, he says.
The company will need to quantify improvements to the business as a result of using the new capability.
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