Convergence message starts to sink in

Survey finds nearly half of CIOs planning to converge voice and data in 2004

Converging voice and data onto one network is moving up the corporate wish list, according to a survey of 100 UK chief information officers (CIOs).

The research, which was carried out by independent research firm TNS and commissioned by Nortel, found that 43 per cent of interviewed businesses will have voice and data running over the same network by the end of 2004.

Ian McKeown, CIO at Nortel, said voice and data convergence is higher on the CIO agenda because businesses are looking further than just cost savings.

"It was initially seen as being good for cost saving, with voice and data running on one network, but now it is down to the applications that run on it," he said.

According to McKeown, the efforts of the industry to promote the advantages of voice and data convergence are "beginning to get the message across".

Keith Humphreys, analyst at EuroLAN Research, said convergence sales have been slow because they are being made when PBXs come up for replacement.

But he added: "The benefits of voice over IP are strong enough if you consider applications such as CRM."

Humphreys said resellers are essential in pushing the technology. "The channel plays a key role because they are the guys that are in constant contact with end users," he said.

"Traditional data resellers are selling the most convergence. It is new business that offers the type of margins they are used to. The voice channel is used to higher margins."

McKeown said: "There will always be channels that sell voice and data separately, but some will move towards offering the converged product."