Wireless networks to remain voice free unless firms invest in skills, warns the SAS Group
Wireless networks to remain voice free zones unless firms invest in skills,warns the SAS Group
A new poll of IT and telecoms decision makers from top UK companies, undertaken by the SAS Group, has found that 29% of firms expect existing IT staff to take on the support of new wireless networks without any specialist training.None of the 160 respondents indicated their companies would recruit new staff to implement and manage new wireless infrastructures.
Whilst it can be relatively straightforward for IT departments to implement wireless infrastructures that support data traffic only, the SAS Group is warning companies intending to add QoS-dependent applications, such as voice and video, to these networks, that this requires specialist planning and support. Indeed, the SAS Group believes these projects will fail unless businesses invest in the skills needed to manage them on an ongoing basis.
"Much has been said about the so-called technical shortcomings of WLANs, particularly issues surrounding security and reliability. However, whilst major advances have been made to ensure that business-critical services, such as voice, can run successfully over wireless, these have not been accompanied by the necessary investment in wireless networking skills," said
Charles Davis, CEO, the SAS Group. "With firms reluctant to recruit or train staff, wireless networks are destined to remain data only, and firms will miss out on the potential benefits of mobility."
Wireless IPT and Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) deployments not only require the correct configuration of access points and the ongoing management and monitoring of QoS, they must also ensure that users can roam from cell to cell without interruption or loss of calls. Whilst email or database users will tolerate a slight pause in data transfer as they roam between cells, any such disruption would be unacceptable for voice users.
"Services such as FMC and wireless IPT are hugely attractive to businesses with a large number of remote and mobile workers," continued Davis. "However, the benefit of these services will only be realised if underlying wireless networks are set up to let users roam. To achieve this, IT departments need to gain competencies in cellular networking; a skills set more commonly associated with mobile operators, and not in the comfort zone of most enterprises."
The SAS Group, which builds, manages and supports IP-based network and communications infrastructures for both UK and international businesses, has recently published a whitepaper, entitled 'How to implement an IP telephony-enabled mobile infrastructure,' to provide businesses with practical advice on how to plan, install, integrate and manage IPT systems across wireless and mobile networks. This accompanies an on-demand webcast, delivered by Simon Cranford, CIO, on the same topic.
Both are available from the SAS Group's website via http://www.sas.co.uk/Company/Research.asp
and http://www.sas.co.uk/WebEvents/OnDemandWebcasts/Webcast_100707.asp