WAN optimization is important for UC traffic because of its sensitivity to network performance
As I’ve noted in previous posts, the deployment of UC is significantly stressing IT teams. Outsourcing is a viable option, and with UC the options include managed solutions for VoIP, unified messaging, e-mail, instant messaging, audio/video conferencing, and Web conferencing, with a variety of on-premise footprints ranging from zero (for UC dashboards or softphones) to hard-phones and on-premise IP PBXes and assiciated conferencing gear.
If your organization decides to outsource, selection criteria likely include UC-specific capabilities (do they offer web conferencing? telepresence?) as well as SLAs and geographical support.
But don’t overlook an equally important criterion: Does the provider support WAN optimization for UC traffic?
You should care about optimization options because UC traffic is especially sensitive to network performance variations and problems. Not only is it sensitive to latency, it is responds badly to variations in latency (jitter) and very badly to packet loss. Packet drops are a consequence of network congestion, typically, and can occur even on links that are to all appearances vastly overprovisioned: a WAN link that runs at 40% utilization on average may have peak usage in excess of 90% pretty regularly. Setting up class of service and quality of service on the network may be enough to protect UC traffic. WAN optimization is a more robust way to protect UC traffic.
Many service providers, primarily carriers, are now offering managed optimization services. As recently as two years ago, there were no options for this outside traditional IT outsourcing. Now, many carriers offer WAN optimization as a service. And, because of their position as owners of the pipes connecting branches to data centers, carriers can do something no other kind of MSP can do: they can provide optimization as a cloud service, with no on-premise footprint at all.(This is useful for optimizations that do not compress traffic, but instead make it behave better.)
Trying out the managed service option has several benefits, even for folks with existing WAN opt in some locations: it should require a lower initial investment to expand optimization to more locations, and should offer a choice of technologies. Currently, about 5% of organizations use managed optimization services; but 42.9% are interested in doing so.
Assess your own needs for optimization: how many branches do you need to provide UC among? How are they connected to each other? Are you already using WAN optimization in some of the locations? What does your current WAN carrier offer? In what is still a buyers market, negotiate hard with potential providers to get the maximum flexibility in deployments: ask about in-cloud as opposed to CPE-based deployments, press for a try-out with your first choice technology and the option to swap in another brand if performance is not what you need. If this is the right choice for you, you will probably be able to make a deal you can live with — carriers want your business, and they look at value-add features such as optimization as their future revenue drivers.
