Silicon Investor (SI) -- The First Internet Community

STOCKTALK

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor. We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community. If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.

Technology Stocks : Voice-on-the-net (VON), VoIP, Internet (IP) Telephony -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Kenneth E. De Paul who wrote (2843)	9/7/1999 7:30:00 AM
From: Frank A. Coluccio	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3178

Hi Ken, "I would like to know if this is circuit switch dependent if you get a chance. Wouldn't it be funny if the first big VoIP service gets deployed on the old circuit switches?" All the hype of IP this and Gatekeeper that, aside, most VoIP applications which are becoming commercially available today are predicated, and to a large extent mimic, the PSTN and its constructs. For the most part, when you come across a service that is even half way decent, they are very likely to be employing a closed IP architecture or private intranet cloud (as opposed to riding over the public Internet) in the mid-section, and very likely using PSTN End Office Switches and increasingly also using SS7 links in order to get calls set up and torn down between here to there. Caller ID and other CLASS functions of the type mentioned here are usually attributable to the use end office switches, as you suggested, under the direction of of SS7 and AIN data bases. While there are some emerging alternatives through the use of some CTI workarounds to this, the manner which I have described is the prevalent one today. And the more common uses of PSTN constructs are in line with the means which you suggested would be funny, if true. Commercial deployments of VoIP do not follow the usual IP philosophy, as it turns out. Vendors and established (as well as emerging) carriers have seen fit to emulate core network intelligence principles such as those which have been used for decades on the PSTN, as opposed to waiting out the time necessary to perfect purer forms of IP telephony using end point- and edge- dependent controls. In taking this direction, IMO, these startup and established purveyors, alike, have short circuited and derailed the progress that could have otherwise been achieved by developing in a more concerted manner many of the protocols which are more aligned with true IP. They call this getting there in stages. I wonder. Regards, Frank Coluccio