Pharmaceuticals companyGlaxoSmithKlinehas developed a
service model to make it easier for departments to deployvoice over IP
(VoIP)and video services on their
networks.
The model enables departments to identify through audits whether
their infrastructure is able to run the applications. It also gives
IT staff knowledge of how to manage VoIP and video before they go
live.
Speaking at the IP07 networking event this month, Terry Delmar,
senior network analyst at GlaxoSmithKline, outlined the appeal of
voice and video and the challenges it presents for network
managers.
"Voice and video have been around for a long time and there is a
clear understanding that by doing things over infrastructure you
have already bought and paid for is going to save you money.
"But the issue is whether your network can cope with extra
demands. It is something new, and people are quite rightly worried
about change because they have to maintain their existing
infrastructure and make sure their business keeps generating
profit."
GlaxoSmithKline conducted a series of pilots using test networks
and then gradually refined video and voice services to the point
where they were suitable for general use on the network. This
allowed the company to draft the service model for use across the
company.
Going through a staged migration plan, from having no knowledge
of how applications would react on a test network to the point
where the company was confident about where it could deploy
applications on demand and reduce uncertainty, has been the main
benefit, said Delmar.
He said converged services were "just another application", but
IT managers should develop service models to optimise the delivery
of applications across the network.