One Infrastructure Makes it Simpler

I suppose the pronoun "it" could have been "IT" to refer to simplifying the IT infrastructure. This article touches on several valid points with the focus on convergence which aims to simplify the overall technology infrastructure of an organization. There are many new advancements that seamlessly converge both the traditional phone network with the IP network.

However, what also needs to be considered when embarking on any convergence project is which existing infrastructure components can be retained and still "converged". Do you need a whole new Next Generation Network (NGN)? Ideally, you'd like to integrate much of your existing infrastructure unless it really does need a complete overhaul. Take your PBX for example. If its not easily IP enabled, do you need to replace it if you want to integrate VoIP web conferencing users? You should be able to drop in an IP gateway to do the handshaking between your PSTN and VoIP users in a web conferencing event, for example.

A lenthy read, but covers many topics that mandate consideration:
http://www.expresscomputeronline.com/20060828/convergence01.shtml

Saving The Environment and Your Bottom Line

Want to do your part to reduce green house emissions? Consider how many trips your organization takes and determine how essential it is for staff to meet face to face. Sure travel is a great perk, but it also takes away from your company's bottom line while making the sky a little more grey. For closing deals and negotiations, face to face meetings are a must. But ongoing customer support or internal training and regular product meetings are candidates for going virtual.

With the average return flight from Heathrow to New York producing an estimated 1.54 tonnes of CO2 per person, according to carbon trading firm Climate Care, you now have another factor to consider before booking that next business flight.

Here's a good article with some business travel statistics and a customer that utilized web conferencing to save millions: http://sourcewire.com/releases/rel_display.php?relid=28341&hilite=

CIO Strategy: Seeking the Execution Edge

Want to know where leading CIO's will be focusing their resources in 2007? Seems process improvement and better customer focus are leading initiatives.

Click here to review the slide show from CIO Insight: http://tinyurl.com/ymg9g8

Gartner Says Businesses Will Spend $20 Billion on Unnecessary IP Telephones With Screens

IP phones with video screens look great, but a costly strategy if you have a medium to large organization. This article by Gartner recommends a more practical strategy of purchasing low-end IP phones without a screen and logically tying the desktop to that phone with unified communications (UC) applications.

To read the article in full: http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=495712