Hi All,
Boy, it certainly is refreshing to see some work taking place towards interoperability between PSTN, VoIP, and wireless (GSM). I have just recently began to study the VoIP technology and markets and I have sensed a common thread running through the articles and postings that I have read. There appears to be this "US vs. Them" mentality that is prevalent in these discussions and articles which are usually centered around Packet vs. Circuit, Regulated Vs. Non-Regulated, or Tariffed Vs. Non-Tariffed. It was especially disheartening to see almost all interoperability discussion is focused on IP Gateway providers. This issue of allowing multiple vendor IP Gateway systems to communicate with each other is merely one of the the first hurdles in the race. I have to giggle when I read these articles that state the embedded circuit switched network is going to be replaced by the next generation IP Telephony system. True, packet switched networks will outpace circuit switched purchasing at some point since they are much more cost effective for delivering comm. traffic, but to assume this replacement is going to take place on a grand scale within the foreseeable future does not appear to be financially sound. In my humble opinion, the ability for these networks to interoperate between each other will greatly accelerate the growth of IP applications such as VoIP, FoIP, and others. Solving this issue permits the applications to become truly ubiquitous and rise above the niche applications they are today.
When I use the term interoperability, it refers to not only delivering the packets to the end-user, but also to provide a mechanism for clearing, financial settlement, roaming, call validation/delivery, and user authentication. I was hoping that I would find a few companies that are working on bringing to market a solution for this "Global Network Interoperability" for investment purposes. It would certainly be refreshing to hear some discussion on the issues, obstacles, and proposed methods of companies or individuals who are attempting to solve these issues. Any Comments?
Just My Opinion,
Crash |
