1.Network Convergence6.Video over IP
2.Applications and Case Studies7.Multimedia Standards
3.The Business Case8.Network Design Considerations
4.Voice over IP9.Implementing the Converged Network
5.Fax over IP  

1. Network Convergence

For over two decades, the networking industry has been moving toward the convergence of the integrated voice/data/video network, starting with voice/data PBXs, shared use of T-1 lines, and now moving toward voice-enabled Web sites and store- and forward-fax. The ubiquity of the Internet Protocol (IP) now makes it that much easier to design and deploy the integrated network. We will consider:

  • Legacy networks: voice, data and internets
  • Integrated applications
  • Benefits of the converged network
  • Convergence requirements - putting it all together

2. Applications and Case Studies

Theory and standards are of little value unless there are some real world uses for the technology. Explore a number of case studies that consider how voice, fax and video streams have been integrated into a single IP-based network.

  • Inter-PBX communications - voice tie-line replacement
  • Regional bank using voice and fax over IP
  • International fax over IP
  • Video over the Adirondack Area Network

3. The Business Case

Supporting new applications is important to the growth of any enterprise. However, your bottom line financial questions center on timing and cost factors. You will leave this seminar understanding the business reasons for implementing voice over IP including:

  • Business objectives
  • Usage growth
  • Revenue growth
  • Market forecasts
  • Economic analysis

4. Voice over IP

Voice over IP is one of today’s hottest topics, but what does the term mean? How do voice over IP networks operate? How do all the pieces fit together? Are the standards ready for primetime? You’ll know after you consider:

  • Key issues
  • Players in the marketplace: networking vendors, LECs, IXCs, ISPs and ITSPs
  • Call processing: the marriage of analog voice and packet data transport
  • Standards for digital telephony and codecs
  • Implementation agreements
  • Architectural building blocks
  • Network configurations
  • Voice gateway operation

5. Fax over IP

When used with the public switched telephone network (PSTN), the fax machine is a no-brainer. However, fax over an IP network is a different story with idiosyncrasies and network requirements that demand a close look. We will also highlight some of these challenges including:

  • Fax usage characteristics
  • The fax marketplace
  • Store and forward fax
  • Real-time fax
  • Fax standards from the ITU-T and IETF
  • Network configurations
  • Fax gateway operation

6. Video over IP

Transmitting video over packet networks, which may also incorporate audio streams, poses new challenges for you. It is important that you understand how video signals can be incorporated into the IP infrastructure to effectively incorporate this technology into your environment. We will cover:

  • Video communication objectives
  • Applications for video transport
  • Video codecs
  • Video standards from the ITU-T
  • Signal aberrations and packet loss
  • Network configurations
  • Video gateway operation

7. Multimedia Standards

A plethora of standards have been written that apply to voice, fax and video services over IP-based internetworks. Once you have a clear understanding of the various families of standards, it will be clear how they can be integrated to provide a comprehensive multimedia solution:

  • The ITU-T H.320 series
  • The ITU-T T.120 series
  • The ITU-T G.700 series
  • The IETF Internet standards
  • Application Programming Interfaces (APIs)
  • The VoIP Implementation Agreement
  • The importance of H.323 interoperability

8. Network Design Considerations

Voice over the Internet and voice over the corporate intranet are not the same - many design factors such as latency and packet loss must be considered. A review of some of the technical aspects of a converged network will give you an understanding of these important design factors:

  • The five nines of reliability: 99.999%
  • Traffic analysis
  • Bandwidth considerations
  • Signal coding and compression
  • Latency factors
  • Codec selection
  • Quality of Service (QoS) issues

9. Implementing the Converged Network

Digital voice, audio fax, and packet data technologies can successfully coexist. Many of the necessary resources to accomplish this are already available. However, attention must be paid to how all of the pieces fit together. We will address the following:

  • Current multimedia challenges
  • Domestic vs. international deployment
  • Implementation strategies
  • Regulatory considerations
  • Maturation of the standards
  • Trends to watch

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