When will the converged network become a reality?

Unified Communications is a buzzword that numerous vendors such as Microsoft and Avaya have been pushing hard, but how much actual market penetration have we seen?

Last year, Andy Mattes, CEO of Siemens Communications, said “spaghetti networks” are holding back “true” converged networks where communication devices are managed under a unified domain and users have a unified access experience.

“The problem is there is no common interface,” he said. “That needs to change. Second-generation IP must be standards-based. Otherwise, the user is still hostage to the vendors’ individual features and functionalities. For this to work, open standards are a must.”

A second-generation IP network with open standards would also help CIOs save money on new network deployments, he added.

As part of Siemens’ drive to second-generation IP technology, Mattes introduced a permission-based communications concept that the company called LifeWorks, which combined all forms of communications – mobile phone, laptop, PDA and desktop phone – into a common interface that enables users to be reached any time and any place.

However, a recent survey found that nearly two-thirds of chief executives think that security is the most critical barrier to implementing a converged IP network. The survey from the Economist Intelligence Unit of 236 senior executives from 50 countries found that security was a much bigger concern than the cost of implementing a converged network within their organisations.
With this in mind we asked our experts Mathew Dickerson and Graeme Reardon: Have we witnessed the converged network rise that
we expected?