The Lippis Report

October 16th, 2006

By ConSentry

In addition to admission control features of user authentication and host posture check, some NAC offerings also support post-admission controls such as role-based access. Some NAC solutions rely on virtual LANs (VLANs) to provide this user-based control. However, implementing this capability via VLANs requires organizations to re-architect their LANs, making substantial changes to their VLANs and Access Control Lists (ACLs). This daunting task requires extensive implementation and ongoing work, negates some key operational uses that VLANs provide, and leaves IT with very limited post-admission control. This paper will explore these VLAN challenges and contrast them with the simplicity of ConSentry Networks´ system for deploying flexible role-based access controls independent of VLANs.

October 16th, 2006

By Network Physics

A critical application is slow. Users are complaining. Perhaps WAN optimization or application acceleration is the answer. But how do you know for sure? What metrics are important? How do you evaluate, choose, justify, and manage an optimization or acceleration solution?

Enterprise network managers trying to improve application performance are faced with many different application acceleration and WAN optimization technologies, but their tools, techniques, and training often aren’t sufficient to let them make a choice with the confidence that it’s the right one. In such a fast-changing market, it’s no surprise that there’s a lot of confusion about the various technologies available, what situations each is best at addressing, how to evaluate them, how to justify a purchase, and how to manage the chosen solution on an ongoing basis. To find answers to these questions download this white paper.

October 2nd, 2006

While IP telephony deployment growth rates are doubling every year and projected to get even stronger in 2007, thanks to Microsoft´s Unified Communications, IP contact centers have lagged. Contact center managers are all too aware that they are at the epicenter of customer contact and are fearful of unreliable, unmanageable and un-interoperable systems impacting corporate performance. But how much of this fear is justifiable? Contact center manager´s fears are being tested by a new wave of IP telephony contact centers entering the market equipped to address changing business requirements and booster reliability. Companies such as Avaya, Cisco, Siemens, Nortel, Mitel, Syntellect, Aspect Software, Genesys Telecommunications, NEC and others are promoting SIP-based IP contact centers as a means to lower operational cost, improve agent responsiveness and reporting.

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October 2nd, 2006

In this fourth and final special edition "essons Learned" podcast, Mr. John Poole, President and CEO, and Mr. Mike Taylor, CTO, both of Strategic Products and Services, discuss their experience, both pro and con, about deploying VoIP networks for 1000s of companies. As one of the largest system integrators in the VoIP space John and Mike have seen it all and they offer up a wealth of lessons learned for any company at any life cycle point of a converged network. Issues such as WAN provisioning, PoE budget planning, the top five issues that negatively impact voice service quality and more are discussed. The first three podcasts in this series are available in the Lippis Report Download Library. This is a must listen podcast for corporations serious about implementing VoIP. Special thanks to Viola Networks for sponsoring the "essons Learned" series. Enjoy, Nick

October 2nd, 2006

In this Part Three Special Edition "essons Learned" podcast, Dr. Ron Marquardt, Director Broadband Access Technologies at Covad discusses their experience, both pro and con, about deploying a nationwide VoIP network. As the largest VoIP service provider for business, Covad had many challenges to overcome which many of their competitors are now just starting to experience. Dr. Marquardt discusses how Covad took a life cycle approach to their VoIP deployment and now offer three distinct and unique VoIP services. The first two podcasts in this series are available in the Lippis Report Download Library. This is a must listen podcast for corporation series about implementing service provider VoIP. Special thanks to Viola Networks for sponsoring the "essons Learned" series. Enjoy, Nick

October 2nd, 2006

By IQ Services

Voice business solutions involve menu-driven processes that allow customers to perform a wide range of self-service activities. A key requirement for successfully implementing and maintaining these business solutions is the ability to test them before and after they have been deployed, in order to confirm they work as designed. To thoroughly test the solution, every path a customer can take, including those associated with entry errors, must be tested. Within the industry, this kind of testing is referred to by many different names including, ?¢‚Ǩ?ìunit level testing," ?¢‚Ǩ?ìfeature testing," ?¢‚Ǩ?ìfunction testing," ?¢‚Ǩ?ìregression testing," ?¢‚Ǩ?ìflow testing" or ?¢‚Ǩ?ìdialog traversal testing." The purpose of this white paper is to discuss the testing requirement as it relates to voice business solutions. IQ Services refers to this type of testing as ?¢‚Ǩ?ìFeature/Function Testing."

October 2nd, 2006

By synTelate Corp.

The contact center agent is the first and sometimes the only contact a customer may have with the company. In today´s environment of increasingly demanding consumers and ever tighter profit margins, many organizations have become dependant on their contact centers to generate revenue or to maintain customer loyalty through the provision of efficient and effective customer service. Even with these high level strategic objectives as the main drivers for the contact center itself, there is often a lack of detailed attention given to how agents perform specific tasks and whether or not they have the correct tools at their disposal to make sure the contact center achieves its overall objectives as efficiently as possible. This white paper looks at the vital role the contact center agent plays in customer service and examines how the provision of accurate, timely and relevant information via the desktop PC can impact the overall efficiency of the contact center.

October 2nd, 2006

By Citrix

Converged applications have been positioned as entirely new applications that were not possible before IP telephony. In reality, the applications that offer the highest value to IP telephony are existing phone applications and call-control functions that have been redesigned to take advantage of these new IP telephones and converged infrastructure as well as computers and wireless devices such as cell phones and PDAs. This white paper will show that the real value of IP telephony applications is not in over-hyped, ?¢‚Ǩ?ìwhiz-bang," industry-specific applications, but rather because it centers on delivering existing telephony applications and call-control functions with vastly improved usability.

October 2nd, 2006

By Avaya

Over the past three years, the discussion of IP telephony has transitioned from ?¢‚Ǩ?ìwhat is it?" and ?¢‚Ǩ?ìhow does it work?" toward ?¢‚Ǩ?ìwhy should I use it?" The purpose of this paper is to answer the more specific question, ?¢‚Ǩ?ìWhy should I use VoIP and IP telephony in the contact center?" The compelling value of IP telephony is not just about creating converged networks with its toll (long-distance) call avoidance and simpler Moves, Adds, and Changes (MACs). The significant business value is in a continuum of contact center solutions that include: Voice Server Consolidation, Virtual Site Consolidation, Enterprise Resource Optimization and Contact Center Globalization.
All of these solutions cost justify themselves in stand-alone implementations. However, the true power to alter business fundamentals is unleashed when these solutions are deployed in combination across the solution continuum. Find out how by downloading this white paper.

October 2nd, 2006

By AGN Networks

While all the IP telephony vendors have embraced SIP proxys and end-points, service providers are starting to offer SIP trunking between facilities. SIP trunking eliminates gateways, legacy PRI and POTS lines enabling end-to-end SIP connectivity between sites, reducing WAN charges and extending features. SIP functionality includes features such as Instant Messaging, Presence Management, centralized call control, and simplified Moves, Adds and Changes. In this white paper AGN Networks describes SIP trunking and the value of building a multi-site IP telephony with SIP trunks.