Interconnects of course need to be at this session because VoIP is their future. I have been telling interconnects they need to learn about convergence since my days at the head of CTI magazine. Still, many of these dealers/telecom resellers haven’t gotten on the VoIP bandwagon – at least yet.

The window of opportunity is closing for these companies as data VARs are charging into the VoIP space looking for new ways to generate revenue and lock in customers.

There are a host of ways to make money in this business from reselling different types of service to equipment or both. Perhaps the most lucrative part of the business is the systems integration end where tens if not hundreds of millions will be made by companies that help their clients navigate the complexity of a proper large-scale VoIP deployment.

Systems integration is really a big business in the service provider and large enterprise space. There are so many areas of opportunity to be aware of. From securing VoIP networks to ensuring quality of service on networks carrying voice. Oh and don’t forget integrating VoIP into various corporate applications. For a service provider this could entail OSS and billing while for an enterprise VoIP may need to tie into a CRM system.

A tremendous amount of money will be made integrating VoIP and related technologies into service provider networks. Remember that service providers will make money from VoIP and as such are in a rush to purchase solutions that will allow them to sell VoIP services and enhanced services immediately.

I am always asked about the most risk-free ways to profit from this market. The two surefire ways to benefit from VoIP are to focus on security and network monitoring as both of these markets are extremely immature and are desperately needed.

Amazingly there is really no really strong solutions leader in the vendor community for either of these problems.

Companies will soon wake up to the fact that if they don’t have adequate security on networks carrying VoIP traffic they could end up in a situation where company employees dial 911 and nothing happens. This is obviously unacceptable. There will also soon be the realization that networks are living breathing entities and need constant monitoring.