FEATURES
This
Old Enterprise
Kevin Mayer and Dan Callahan
Communications
infrastructure renovation, like home renovation, poses
a conflict: on the one hand, you have the eagerness to
realize a vision; on the other hand, you have the fear
of excessive costs. The conflict becomes all the more
acute when the economy sours, and you feel the mood
shift from ambition to caution. Such a shift is
influencing the acceptance of the IP-PBX. While IP-PBX
deployments continue apace, the justifications for new
deployments (and enhancements of existing deployments)
emphasize immediate returns, or "quick hits," more
than long-term visions of extended or virtual
enterprises.
Creating
Flexible IP Networks With SIP
Dwight Irving, Intel Corporation
In the next-gen network,
SIP is a lightweight, text-based protocol that has
many uses and advantages, including the concept of "presence,"
the ability to function as a proxy server, and the
distribution of intelligence to terminal devices.
Intel's Dwight Irving takes a look at the power of
SIP.
Customer
Attrition Vs. Value Attrition
Steve Gallant, Xchange
In the tightening economy,
most companies feel the pressure associated with
losing customers. However, it is more important to
focus retention efforts upon preserving profitability
rather than preserving customers. Steve Gallant
explains.
Channeling
Your Energies Wisely
Tony Surak, TalkingNets
Enterprises are seeking
next-generation networks and services that convergence
enables. Service providers and system integrators must
offer a combination of next-generation -- not legacy --
telephony and Internet services to their customers.
Tony Surak explores the advantages of partnering with
a telephony ASP.
Seeding SMB Growth
Dan Callahan
While the information
superhighway is a fine thing, it still lacks for
access ramps, not to mention service roads and
connecting side streets. This shortcoming may be
resolved only gradually, as broadband connectivity
over the last mile becomes available to more and more
subscribers. And which subscribers are first in line?
Small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs), particularly
those conveniently concentrated in office parks or
multi-tenant units. Traditionally underserved, these
SMBs may yet be well served, now that various
broadband services solutions are emerging.
NEWS AND VIEWS
Breaking News
Letters
To The Editor
Corporate
Solutions
Carol Bancroft,
Managing Editor
The days of closed
collaboration systems are over. A new generation of
collaborative technologies is on the horizon. Carol
Bancroft points to several examples of companies that
are making some exciting, new developments.
|
PUBLISHER'S OUTLOOK
Leap
Of Faith
Rich Tehrani, Publisher
A communications
solution, no less than any other technology solution,
faces the familiar challenge of "crossing the chasm,"
making the dangerous leap from a relatively indulgent
and cooperative constituency, the early adopters, to a
relatively demanding constituency, the mainstream
adopters. Typically, the challenge inspires isolated
feats of daring on the part of individual innovators.
However, it may be possible, as Rich suggests, to
approach the challenge as a cooperative and ongoing
venture, a joint effort on the part of innovators and
their various constituencies to bridge the chasm.
EDITOR'S OUTLOOK
Shreds
And Patches
Kevin Mayer, Editorial Director
To date, wireless handheld computing
has emphasized consumer applications. Consequently,
many people are preoccupied with the flashy new
devices, and the rising or falling fortunes of the
device platforms, which include the familiar Palm OS
and Windows CE/Pocket PC environments. However, as
handheld computing shifts its emphasis to enterprise
applications, a device-centric outlook may be
inappropriate. It may, in fact, be best to consider
wireless software infrastructure more broadly, since
enterprise-scale applications are more complex, more
specialized, traversing multiple application layers,
from back-end databases, to mobility servers, to core
network services, to carrier services, and (finally)
to a variety of devices.
TOM KEATING'S CC:
Nightmare
On CRM Street
Tom Keating, Executive Technology Editor
With all the
hub-bub about CRM solutions, you'd think that
companies are implementing the latest and greatest
technologies to make their customers' lives easier
(and happier). Unfortunately, Tom Keating hasn't found
that to be the case with two large corporations:
Microsoft and WorldCom. Perhaps you'll commiserate as
you read his tragic tales of bad customer service.
REVIEWS
MCK
Communications' Mobile EXTender Via The PBXgateway II
NICE
Systems' Customer Experience Management v. 8.5
NetReality's
WiseWan 201 With WanXplorer 5.0 Software
DEPARTMENTS
Analytical Views: The
2000 Vintage: Not Telecom's Best
Brian Strachman, Cahners In-Stat Group
While the year 2000 is
predicted to be a stellar year for Bordeaux wines, it
didn't shape up to be so great for many telecom
companies. Brian Strachman sorts through the figures
and offers a few explanations for why this happened.
Inside Networking:
Navigating
A VPN Roadmap
Tony Rybczynski, Nortel Networks
VPN technologies have
evolved to include "voice over" capabilities. Tony
Rybczynski explains how to navigate the available
options.
eBusiness Solutions:
Creating
A Contact Strategy For The Enterprise
Karl A. Walder, eshare communications
All relationships, whether
they are business or personal, are dependant upon
communication for their growth and survival. Karl A.
Walder explains how understanding the overall value
chain and the associated customer interaction points
is essential to adding multiple communication channels
to a strategy for building stronger relationships with
customers.
|