VoIP Blog - Tehrani.com

August 13, 2007

I recently had the opportunity to ask Emmitt Wells of Getronics about their business and the direction they are taking as a company.

 

Please outline your new corporate initiatives

 

Getronics, building on its dominance in desktop managed services has developed a subscription model for communications/computing environment of the worker. The service, named Future-Ready Workspace incorporates the modular addition and selection of options that include: PDA/Smartphones, VOIP services, Core Communications like email, voicemail, etc… The result is a rapidly deployable optimized infrastructure. At the same time, Getronics wireless group has unveiled an architecture for wireless infrastructures that embodies survivability and security into an ongoing operations model. The architecture called WISDOM, incorporates the best of ITIL, ITO, IEEE and ISO standards in security and wireless. Other initiatives include further involvement in ITIL, ASL, and TOGAF as well as ongoing ‘green’ initiatives.

 

 

IP isn’t so much changing our strategy. The applications that reside on a common protocol are enabling Getronics to be more flexible in the delivery of its services. Unified communications enable us to connect anywhere and at any time. Third generation collaboration software lets us meet ad hoc with video, white board, desktop sharing at the click of a button.

 

How has SIP changed communications?

 

IP by itself has not revolutionized communications. Setting it as a standard for call setup and tear-down has revolutionized the ability to add advanced IP telephony feature sets to better compete and in my opinion move ahead of standard PSTN.

 

What is the biggest request coming from your customer base?

 

Flash cutovers are few and far between. The biggest request that we get from our clients, is a seamless transition from their legacy telephony system to VoIP. The strength of success comes from the ability to support this transition and make both take holders and users comfortable with the new technology. Our biggest request is that of ongoing transitional support.

 

 

We have developed an offering that encompasses all needs of the client in Day Zero, One and Two support. We help our clients build a model of support that can be either performed in house or outsourced. This includes all level of services from Requirements Gathering, Design, Implementation, Management, and Training.

 

 

Just as wireless has become more prevalent in LAN environments, I think you are going to see more and more IPT implementations take advantage and augment their wired IPT deployments with wireless. As IPT set the standards bar, I think application developers have a wide open field to work with to bring advanced features and application into the everyday work and home environment.

 

 

The U.S. growth rate, depending on what you’re measuring, could be represented as a decline or increase in growth. Overall, we know the following are true and are happening: the U.S. remains the largest IT market; revenues in certain markets is declining or flat as price erosion fueled by off-shoring either out paces or offsets growth; connection points (ways to reach someone) per individual are up (email, IM, voicemail, text message); fixed lines are slowing eroding. As these conditions relate to rest of world, some nations have extremely high growth rates. The key to this are strong economic business policy requiring communications (wealth development) and laggard communications position. As a result China is likely the largest untapped potential.

 

 

I think Google is reaching a little beyond their niche. Only time will tell on how the market reacts to their entrance. I think Apple has the most to gain, even over Microsoft. Their brand seems to be taking off and with that has increased their research and development capital. The lines are becoming very blurred between application, desktop and network.

 

 

See answer above.

 

 

There is always going to be a debate related to security when it comes to discussing wireless technologies. Where I see the biggest impact is the customer facing and home markets. It is going to be a differentiator in how you offer services to your clients.

 

 

More and more device convergence. Our phones and desktop/laptops are going to become more alike and the capabilities that each will provide will become almost identical. Communications will continue to enhance the mobile worker and virtual workplace bringing more and more features. The scary part is that home and work life will continue to become more blurred. There will not be many more locations that you can just get away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August 13, 2007

 

The SMB VoIP market shows no sign of slowing down and so many companies are vying to get a piece of this market which is projected to grow for many years to come. One player in this area is Grandstream Networks, specializing in delivering easy to use products for SMBs and service providers.

 

The company says 50% of its revenue comes from selling devices into the business sector and based on the growth of this market they expect this percentage to grow.

 

Grandstream Chairman & CEO David Li tells me in a recent face-to-face meeting that his company’s products are affordable, have an uncompromised feature set, high quality and interoperate with many major players such as Sylantro, 3COM, Lucent & Avaya. Finally, Li says his company provides excellent support.

 

I asked where Li sees the company in the next five years and he told me they want to be a major player in voice and video devices for consumers and businesses.

 

When asked about competition, common names such as Polycom, Linksys and the more specialized Snom came up.

 

One interesting part of our discussion was regarding a recent customer which is a political candidate. Currently there is a thousand or so phones being used by this politician and it could scale to over ten thousand. Li could not disclose who the candidate was but Grandstream’s home state is Massachusetts so you can take a guess for yourself.

 

What makes this an interesting deployment is the phones are XML-enabled and data is pushed to phones and agents can also enter data into the telephony devices. In this case XML allows these devices to function as IM terminals.

 

The company’s GXP line of phones competes favorably with the major players with a lower price point and Li tells me we will see two new phones in this line released at Internet Telephony Conference & Expo this September in Los Angeles, CA. Both devices will support XML, PoE, multiple lines and have a full suite of features.

 

The company sells primarily through resellers unless of course you are a very large company or presidential candidate. If you are a reseller or small to medium business – or even an ITSP, drop by the company’s site for details or just be at ITEXPO in LA next month to see what’s new.

 

See also: VoIP for Enterprises: BlueNote's Approach to IP Communications

August 13, 2007

I can’t say enough good things about EVDO Revision A. I am using the Verizon variant and was able to work at broadband speeds up the New England coast. I could use OWA and remote desktop while streaming audio. I did have some trouble with high speed video as my connection just was not fast enough but I am still very thrilled with the service. The coverage area of Verizon’s EVDO is truly staggering.

 

Really what surprised me most was the hotel’s WiFi. I thought I was using it and then realized I wasn’t. I switched from EVDO to WiFi and the speed dropped by 90+%. Of course I am back on EVDO and wonder if I will ever try hotel broadband again.

August 13, 2007

I am on the road again and this time using EVDO Rev. A. So far so good. I am able to work while streaming radio. Of course I live in constant fear of getting shut off by my provider which has I believe a 5 Gigabyte per month limit before they boot customers off their network!