|
Executive summary
VoIP is a set of technologies that enable voice calls to be carried over the Internet (or other
networks designed for data), rather than the traditional telephone landline system—the Public
Switched Telephone Network, or PSTN. The potential for very low-cost or free voice calls is
driving the use of the technology but in the long-term, VoIP is more significant than just free
phone calls - it represents a major change in telecommunications. The fact that VoIP transmits
voice as digitised packets over the Internet means that it has the potential to converge with
other digital technologies, which in turn will result in new services and applications becoming
available.
However, the adoption of VoIP is not without complications. The traditional PSTN telephone
infrastructure has been built up over the last one hundred years or so and has developed into a
robust voice communications system that provides reliability figures of nearly 100%. In
contrast, VoIP is a relatively new technology with a fledgling architecture that is built on
inherently less reliable data networks. This means that there are therefore justifiable concerns
around the extent to which it is deployed.
VoIP has developed considerably in recent years and is gaining widespread public recognition
and adoption through consumer solutions such as Skype and BT’s strategy of moving to an
IP-based network. This adoption is spreading into the F&HE domains, with a number of
institutions implementing VoIP, and through work being undertaken by UKERNA.
The technology offers opportunities for the development of new applications and educational
services, particularly through the potential for converging voice with other media and data. In
the long-term, VoIP is likely to impact on some of the bigger picture developments within
further and higher education such as virtual universities, identity management, and integration
with enterprise-level services and applications.
Page 4 |
|
