The More Things Change the More They Stay the Same:
Understanding the Impact of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)
David M. Houle, MS, CPP
By converting our endless blend of dialects, accents, and tones into 0s and 1s, VoIP is primed to serve as the universal application that will further integrate the networked world that colleges and universities operate in. For example, by utilizing today’s VoIP systems you can trade documents, transact business, and integrate all communication platforms (email, IM, and fax).
A 2008 survey conducted by ACUTA, the Association for Communications Technology Professionals in Higher Education indicates that a growing number of colleges and universities have signed on to VoIP technology. The survey showed that 66 percent of ACUTA member schools are now using VoIP (compared with 43 percent two years ago). However, more than four out of five ACUTA members surveyed (82 percent) said their VoIP network still covers 25 percent or less of their campus, and just 9 percent of the schools surveyed said that coverage exceeded 50 percent. More than half the schools surveyed (62 percent) said that they plan to expand their VoIP networks within the next 18 months, while another 14 percent had long-term plans, which means that fully three-quarters of schools that have begun the transition to VoIP are planning to expand usage of the application on their campus in the coming months and years.
According to the ACUTA survey there are many issues that a VoIP system must overcome as the technology reaches critical mass. These include:
The productivity implications are appealing and far-reaching. Just imagine the ability to leverage one network that simplifies your software, hardware and management costs, as well as allows users to port their work number anywhere there is a VoIP connection available.
Businesses, governments, and education continue to migrate to a world of digital interconnectivity, while policymakers still search for the “killer app” that will expand high-speed communications access and usage to the community at large. Ironically, in the end it may be that the oldest application (voice) ultimately plays the lead role in converging our applications onto a single network platform.
David Houle is a consultant in our Management and Information Technology Consulting Group. If you would like more information on Voice over Internet Protocol, please contact David at dhoule@bdmp.com or (207) 541- 2218.