Network convergence: how it affects your bottom line and how to implement it the right way.
First of all, let’s clear
the air a little bit. Convergence is not some magic self-healing
network fair dust that some IT guy sprinkles on your equipment, nor
can it be purchased off the shelf at some super store. Simply put,
convergence is the bringing together of all of your applications
such as voice, video, security, and data onto a single physical
network. It’s a concept in which your network begins to give
something back instead of draining your profits year in and year
out. It is also the result of in-depth application knowledge and
some very careful planning and execution.
Many organizations don't
realize it, but most have two and sometimes three or four physical
networks, all chipping away at the company's profit margin. You have
a telephone network with its equipment and wiring, a data network
with computers, servers and their wiring, a security network, and so
on. All of these networks work independently of one another, likely
don’t work together toward any common purpose, and definitely cost a
lot of money to operate and maintain.
Why don’t we put them all
together? A converged network does exactly that. In the past 20
years or so, IP has been settled on as the method by which most
devices should communicate, giving birth to VoIP, video over IP, IP
security, and many others. There are many great benefits that come
with this technology and some drawbacks as well. Let’s discuss a
few.
Convergence Benefits
One of the most obvious
benefits of convergence is the reduction of infrastructure: less
copper cable, less equipment. Cabling is expensive, and so is the
labor to install it correctly. The more things we run over a single
cable the less expensive initial construction will be. Equipment
costs go down since we no longer have a rack full of DVR’s to record
camera footage (it’s on a single server now) and now long have a
telephone system on the wall full of expensive cards and packs.
Another great benefit is a
huge reduction in management. Since everything rides a single
network, there’s a single point of management. This reduces those
expensive service calls which over a period of time can really add
up.
Applications can also be
integrated to work together, offering fantastic productivity
boosting tools.
Real estate foot prints
can be drastically reduced by letting (or making) employees work
from home.
Finally, one of the most
overlooked benefits of a converged network is a reduced carbon
footprint. Power is expensive. The less you use the more money gets
to stay in the company coffers. Using the most “green” equipment
available is a start, but can be taken a big step further. Switches
can be programmed to turn off power to devices such as IP phones
when out of business hours or turn off motion detectors during
business hours. It can even go as far as recognizing when you badge
in and out and power your particular
workspace devices (phone, PC NIC card, lights, etc.) accordingly.
The idea is to turn it off if it’s not in use.
Convergence drawbacks
Every organization wants
to take advantage of the many benefits that network convergence
offers, however, not all networks are created equally. Improperly
engineered networks and equipment that is not up to spec can wreak
havoc on applications such as VoIP and video conferencing causing
echo, dropped calls, choppy video, as well as grind your data
traffic to a halt. This is where all the horror stories come from.
Not every “IT Guy” is a Network Engineer (most aren’t, though they
are generally wonderful PC and server support folks) and not every
“Phone Guy” is a VoIP guru. Ask questions, demand answers, and
remember that the phrase “I’ll take a whack at it” or anything
similar should never be heard.
Equipment expense: Though
there’s much less of it, the up-front costs of individual equipment
components to make all this happen is sometimes more expensive than
what you may be used to spending on similar items.
Summary
Now more than ever
organizations are forced to trim expenses any where they can. The
long term benefits of a converged network outweigh the equipment
expense by far, and disaster can be easily avoided with knowledge,
proper planning, and careful execution. Have you considered what
your existing networks are costing you? Think about all the power
being consumed in the middle of the night and on weekends that
you’re paying for. How many service calls did your phone vendor,
security vendor, and cabling vendor make? How much did all that
equipment for the telephone system, security system cost when you
initially purchased it? How much is spent on travel for meetings and
conferencing services? How many employees could work from home
instead of occupying expensive real estate?
IS IT TIME FOR AN UPGRADE?