Voice Over IP and Voice
Over Frame Relay
No, no more profound words or reasoned
argument for or against packetised voice from experts with a vested
interest in one camp or the other.
It is a fact that all the worldclass
datacoms suppliers are now aggressively marketing enterprise data
network solutions which include your SME (small to medium sized
enterprise) PBX customers some of whom already have voice networked
switches and some who will certainly add voice networking in the
future.
Not all installations to date
are providing a perfect voice solution but as network designers
and system installers are gaining experience this situation is steadily
improving. We are now approaching a rapid growth situation, similar
to that experienced in the newly liberalised early to mid 80's on
PBX installations with AC15A analogue voice networking followed
by DPNSS and finally QSIG digital voice networking. This creates
exciting opportunities for the sales of new voice switches, but
in the real world, existing switches will be upgraded and re-programmed
to interface to this new generation of equipment.
The winners of new PBX sales will largely
be organisations who have been involved in the earlier successful
upgrades. The datacom fraternity can at times underestimate the
complexities of voice - do not underestimate how key your skills
and experience can be for the successful operation of a new packetised
voice network installation.
Connection of voice circuits from the new generation networking
equipment to the voice switch will be digital (2Mbps), long line
extension (extension telephone port to loop-calling trunk port or
telephone) or DC5A. Most packetised voice products will not support
the widely used AC15A signalling standard and the majority of current
vendors have certified the Kenton/Microtel ASC300 signalling converter,
for use with routers to convert from AC15A to DC5A for onward transmission.
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