Is VoIP dead? That's the debate going on in the blogosphere among some VoIP experts. Systems consultant and telecoms author Ted Wallingford points to comments by other VoIP experts declaring VoIP's passing, suggesting that VoIP is now just 'plumbing' and that it's "not the exciting thing it used to be."
In his blog posting headlined, "Those with VoIP's blood on their hands" Wallingford blames the "cable companies insisted on bundling data, TV, and phone service, and then didn’t differentiate their phone service from that of the existing LECs," and "equipment makers insisted on asinine licensing structures (are you reading this, Cisco and Avaya?) for the privilege of using their 'good enough' solutions, while scrappy, VoIP-only startups were sidelined by the general lack of decent broadband access."
In a separate post, "10 points about the death of Voice over IP", Wallingford says VoIP is an infrastructure networking skill that is "no longer no longer demanding the high pay of years past," adding that "Get a Cisco certification in voice and you might have some sort of earning premium, but with the slow-down, I doubt it."
The 10th item on Wallingford's list is less than flattering about Cisco's part in VoIP's legacy: "Cisco’s vision of unified communications sucks and they’ve foisted it upon the business world, scaring many SMBs away from VoIP altogether and elbowing open technologies like SIP out of the large business space."
Also, check out Wallingford's post, Why Cisco is owning the UC space — and what Avaya can do about it.
Is the death of VoIP greatly exaggerated?
More from Cisco Subnet:
* Cisco adds SSLVPN flex licensing to compete with Juniper’s ICE
* Cisco activates crisis management team as global manufacturing hits new low
* How to get your network back online, fast
* Your 2009 certification goals vs. the economy
* 2009 prediction: He who makes fully encrypted SD and Micro SD cards wins
* Did you pass the CCDE?
* Under the hood: Cisco unified communications
* Cisco News and Review podcast
Go to Cisco Subnet for more Cisco news, blogs, discussion forums, security alerts, training/book giveaways, and more.
The Cisco Subnet blog is written by Network World managing editor Jim Duffy and is the official blog of Network World's Cisco Subnet community. The Cisco Subnet site is managed by Online Community Editor Julie Bort. Cisco Subnet is the independent voice of Cisco customers and is your gateway to daily Cisco news, blogs, opinion, books, prize giveaways and more. Visit the Cisco Subnet home page daily and while you are there, subscribe to the Cisco Alert e-mail newsletter, which includes news and views generated by the Cisco Subnet community as well as Cisco-related stories on Network World and elsewhere on the Web.
The Leader in Network Knowledge
Dumb headline
In fact the point of the article is exactly the opposite of the headline: VoIP is less "exciting" precisely _because_ it has been so successful and is widely deployed. Just because a technology is broadly used and less exotic doesn't mean it's "dead". What's Wallingford's next news flash, "Ethernet is dead?".
Maybe not so dumb
I think you miss the point. They are not suggesting that VOIP has not been deployed, only that vendor infighting and screwball licensing has prevented it from becoming what it could have been.
VoIP Dead
Are you serious? VoIP dead? so what is everyone going to stay with analog ? get real!!!!!
VoIP is here to stay!!!! Bad story!!!
Cisco needs to improve it's
Cisco needs to improve it's licensing which has somewhat started with CUWL...... Application development needs to be in house as well..... And what's with the all the independent application's/server..... We need to scale this down.... i.e attendant console, etc.....
Post new comment