Be wise, choose carefully
- Posted:
- 11:01 05 Jan 2005
- Topics:
- VoIP
One of the most important decisions
regarding convergence may not be what type of technology you buy,
but from whom you buy it.Simon Quicke offers advice on how to find
the right partner
Across the country right now discussions are taking place in
boardrooms and across restaurant tables between IT and financial
directors about when to make the funds available to introduce IP
networking into their businesses.
UK PLC is on the cusp, according to analysts and vendors, of making
a wholesale switch to embrace convergence technology. Having made
that decision, the next crucial question those customers face is
deciding which supplier to choose.
Delivering voice and data convergence is not something a wide range
of suppliers are able to do. Expertise is required in both markets,
with the additional ability to bring the technology together in a
converged solution.
Understandably, because of that, you are well-advised to purchase
from the handful of well-known players with proven track
records.
Widening capabilities
"Because communications are critical we stuck with someone well
known. Two-bit operators are okay until things go wrong," says Andy
Veale, IT manager, European operations, at Waukesha
Consolidated.
Like a large number of potential customers, Veale was looking for a
way of linking two offices and then expanding the converged
technology across a global business, thus gaining phone call
savings and widening the capabilities of the network. "We had two
sites in the West Midlands that had two different phone systems
that didn't talk to each other. I looked at the options and the
future business demands and went for voice over internet protocol
(VoIP)," he recalls.
On the list of specific demands Veale had for its supplier was the
ability to integrate IP telephony with existing Nortel legacy kit;
the ability to operate globally (the company serves the oil
industry worldwide); and provide quality hardware with ongoing
service.
Most IT directors would echo those demands and only a few suppliers
can meet them.
"You want to see a track record and see the evidence behind the
hype and look at what the supplier has done with customers," says
Mick Hegarty, general manager for ICT at BT Business. "There are
very few suppliers that have got that track record and skills in
those areas."
Any customer looking to buy converged technology needs to be
assured that the supplier has skills in both voice and data and has
the right partnerships with third-party suppliers in both
arenas.
Mike Valiant, international market development manager for
enterprise voice solutions at 3Com, believes that, ultimately, the
best-placed suppliers are those with the experience and
partnerships on the data side, because the network that forms the
bedrock of an IP solution is best implemented by those with data
skills.
End-to-end capability
"The supplier needs end-to-end capability because you are putting a
lot of applications on your network. There are not many vendors who
can do wide area networks (WAN), local area networks (LAN) and put
applications on top. Look for a company with experience on the data
side, although you are really building converged networks it is on
a data network," he argues.
One of the dividers between the men and the boys is not just
convergence skills but the ability of the supplier to back that up
with a commitment to service level agreements (SLAs).
Hegarty urges you to ask difficult questions from the outset about
the supplier's ability to assess and design the right solution for
your particular needs and to ask for evidence of where it has been
done before.
To prevent problems cropping up further down the line, a sensible
approach would be for the customer to clearly set out their
expectations before any contract is signed. "When building a
converged network, prediction and monitoring are going to be key if
customer satisfaction, business process efficiency and, ultimately,
profitability, are to be maximised," says Michael Allen, global
director of performance solutions at Compuware.
As Veale can testify, with free calls between UK and US offices
there are real cost benefits to be gained, but you will only
achieve them with the right supply partner: "We bit the bullet and
it hasn't shot us yet," he says.
Supplier checklist
According to Mick Hegarty, general manager for ICT at BT Business, there are several things a customer should look out for when looking for a convergence supplier.
- Experience Is the supplier experienced in PBXs, LANs, WANs and security?
- Breath and depth Does the supplier have quality products, relationships with third parties and the ability to knit all the elements of the infrastructure together?
- Service support Does the potential supplier have professional service packages for assessment, design, implementation and cost-benefit analysis?
- Global or local Can the supplier deal with a global company with local branch offices providing support on-site?
- Roadmap Can the supplier support a step-by-step roadmap to full convergence to help those customers that want a phased introduction to convergence and IP telephony?
