Come Clear on Reliability

A certain Gurgaon-based MNC once deployed an IP (Internet

protocol) network with a solution from a leading IP vendor. Nothing unusual

about that. However, the company was not able to use the network for six months.

The reason? An unknown bug in the network that the vendor

could not diagnose and rectify. Such cases strengthen the argument of the

circuit-switched brigade that IP solutions still have a long way to go to reach

the level of reliability that circuit switches have been offering for more than

100 years now.

To be fair, we should not be comparing the two on the degree

of reliability. Circuit switches have behind them, more than a century of

existence while IP-based networks are still in their infancy. However, the more

important issue here is the oft-arrogant refusal of IP solution vendors to admit

that IP networks have their limitations.

When questioned about reliability issues, they usually prefer

to play with words. Recently, when a leading vendor was asked about reliability

of IP networks, he blamed India’s restrictive IP telephony regulations and a

myriad other factors. Some talk of the successful deployments that they have

made. And most vendors, instead of clarifying issues, end up trashing circuit

switches.

Technologies need time to mature. And IP is no exception. And

nobody doubts IP’s capacity to transform and revolutionize the way businesses

communicate within and outside their organizations. It is IP that is behind the

numerous multi-service converged network deployments. IP is about one network

and hundreds of applications. There is no doubt about the fact that QoS issues

have long dominated the IP world. However, QoS capabilities are being added to

IP with IPv6 and other alternative next-generation Internet protocol.

Many of the quality and reliability problems of VoIP are

expected to be addressed by overall network improvement innovations like

DiffServ, IntServ, and MPLS. Several VoIP vendors are already offering

proprietary products that enhance call quality.

Besides, there are others who offer standalone products for

QoS improvement. Irrespective of whether these doubts are real, they heavily

influence the way IP is viewed. Still other enterprises consider IP to be too

mature a technology to be relied on for their critical operations.

IP solution vendors would be doing a great service to

themselves and their prospective customers if they work towards removing these

doubts.

To be fair to some of the vendors pushing IP switches, they

do admit that reliability is still a challenge. What is needed, however, is a

sustained campaign to tell the truth. If vendors have problems, they must share

them with their customers. And sharing these facts would do not harm them as

things are considerably in favour of IP networks. IP networks have proven cost

saving capabilities and are far more efficient then their circuit switch

counterparts. IP encourages and supports successful resource sharing too.

Ravi Shekhar Pandey/V&D