VoIP is More than Plumbing
Steve Parrott made lots of good points in his blog entry about the VoIP-is-Dead Debate, but I’d like to focus on one comment in Om Malik’s original GigaOM posting quoting Alec Saunders on VoIP. Saunders characterized VoIP this way: “Voice over IP is just a transport and signaling technology. It’s plumbing.”
While we understand the point Alec was trying to make, we have to disagree. If anything, VoIP as an application is the “liquid” that moves through the IP plumbing. But then, the other applications that Parrott talked about, such as conferencing and collaboration, unified messaging, location-based services, and instant messaging, are also liquids that the plumbing enables as much as it transports.
While the concept of carrier networks as dumb pipes may have had some validity in the past, in the IP-centric world, it’s far from true. There is so much intelligence inherent in the IP network that the plumbing comparison barely holds up anymore. If your household plumbing had the capability to reroute itself around (and repair) leaks, dynamically adjust flows, and instantly add pipes to any needed location, then maybe it would be a fair metaphor.
We’re in an age where networks have to be highly intelligent, because the applications themselves demand it. We consistently hear from our customers, who want to know how best to maximize the effectiveness of their specific applications over the new generation networks. Even voice, in instances such as wireless-wireline convergence, for example, needs the foundation of a smart, IP-based network to deliver on its convergence promise.
If you have missed out on all the VoIP dead or alive rhetoric, catch up by reading these blogs.
Obviously VoIP is Alive and Well; Those with VoIP’s blood on their hands;
Speaking the Unspeakable – VoIP; VoIP is NOT Dead!; VoIP Out for 2009; Jon Arnold Proclaims VoIP is Not Dead; VoIP in 2008 – “I’m not Dead”
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SubscribeTags: Alec Saunders, IP, IP infrastructure, IP networking, Jon Arnold, om, VoIP
January 22nd, 2009 at 6:41 am
Hi there!
I don’t know you or your blog, but thanks for citing me in your post. I generally agree with your take, which I’m glad to see. Am not sure why you cited Om as the “orginal” post, though. This whole debate began with my article, which you cited here - and I appreciate that. Om and Alec make a lot more noise than me and have much wider followings, but I’d like your readers to know how all this got started. Also, for anyone interested in continuing this dialog, my latest column ran this week, and is a sequel to my first column on VoIP’s prospects for 2009 - http://voipservices.tmcnet.com/feature/articles/49012-voip-definitely-not-dead-yet-sequel.htm
January 23rd, 2009 at 12:30 pm
Indeed Jon. I originally read about the debate on Om’s blog but it was evident that he was reacting to several other blogs in his posts. I love your sequel-
http://voipservices.tmcnet.com/feature/articles/49012-voip-definitely-not-dead-yet-sequel.htm.
This is definitely an interesting debate.
January 26th, 2009 at 6:07 am
[...] and what he heard was that if the government wants to clean out all the toxic assets from the VoIP is More than Plumbing - seamlessenterprise.com 01/21/2009 Steve Parrott made lots of good points in his blog entry about [...]
February 3rd, 2009 at 6:28 pm
[...] is dead. Long live AoIP! The VoIP is dead topic has been well covered here (and here and here) already. I’m guessing if you’ve been paying attention to Seamless Enterprise, [...]
October 13th, 2009 at 4:25 pm
Something about VOIP is that people use it and love it but for some reason no one admits to using it.