TOP 5 MYTHS ABOUT IP COMMUNICATIONS (cont.)

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MYTH #3:

There is no single "killer application" for IP-based business communications today. After all, if there were, wouldn't everyone be using it? And should organizations wait until that application is discovered to make the investment in a converged voice, video, and data network running IP Communications solutions?

THE REALITY:

There are many applications available today that cut costs, increase productivity, and improve customer satisfaction.

The true power of IP Communications lies in the convergence of voice, video, and data applications for the user. The architecture of IP Communications allows applications to be integrated with your organizations' existing applications, from existing e-mail, CRM, and calendar systems to vertical applications such as inventory lookup, hotel wake-up calls, and school attendance. Just like there is no single reason for the adoption of the Internet, there is no single reason to adopt IP Communications. The most compelling application will vary from firm to firm, and even more by user.

For example, applications like Cisco IP Contact Center, Cisco MeetingPlace conferencing, and Cisco Unity unified messaging can integrate with your organizations' existing e-mail, calendar, and CRM systems, allowing you to save time and money and to improve customer service. Furthermore, XML-based services on a Cisco IP phone can be customized to provide your users with access to information such as stock quotes, employee extension numbers, or any Web-based content.

Enterprise applications that are readily available on desktop PCs, such as e-mail, unified messaging, corporate directories, conference room booking, and expense reporting, can also be provided on IP phones. This way, the phone serves as an always-on communications and information vehicle for business-critical and time-sensitive communication with your employees-anytime and anywhere.

MYTH #4:

IP-based business communications systems are less secure than hybrid systems with a mix of IP-based and traditional communications. For many people, there's just no arguing the fact that IP Communications solutions are less secure than hybrid systems.

THE REALITY:

IP Communications solutions are secure and reliable.

Security is an important issue-whether or not you are running voice on your data network. But the real myth is that hybrid systems are more secure than end-to-end IP Communications solutions.

Everyone is familiar with how a traditional digital PBX is put together. With these systems, you have to protect against toll fraud, masquerading, and war dialing. And with traditional systems, unauthorized access or eavesdropping can often be accomplished with a simple pair of alligator clips. However, some people think that you don't need to worry about network security if you opt for one of the "hybrid" migration strategies being promoted by the traditional phone system vendors. Not only do you have the same security considerations as if the entire solution was on the IP network, but you also have to manage two separate networks, without realizing the benefits of having an integrated solution on a single, converged network.

There's no denying that security is an important factor in deploying IP telephony, whether you are deploying a native IP solution or a hybrid solution. Cisco is the only vendor that addresses security at all levels of the IP Communications infrastructure-the IP network, the voice systems, and the applications, providing the "defense in depth" necessary to make your IP Communications systems as secure as they can be.

When protecting against the types of vulnerabilities common to voice and voice-related systems, it's important to focus on three critical components:

• Privacy-Via secure connectivity. Technologies such as IP Security (IPSec) and SSL virtual private networks (VPNs) help to ensure that communications over both the wide-area network (WAN) and LAN are secure.

• Protection-Via threat defense systems. Technologies such as firewalling and intrusion prevention systems combat threats from both internal and external sources.

• Control-Via trust and identity systems. Access control servers and the Cisco Network Admission Control (NAC) program enable organizations to control access to information, letting the right people get the right information at the right time.

Secure connectivity starts with Cisco IP phones and Cisco CallManager call processing software. Cisco IP phones support automatic classification of voice traffic into a high-priority queue to minimize latency and jitter. They are the first point at which the network is dynamically partitioned into two separate logical networks-one for data and one for voice. With the appropriate solutions deployed, when a user makes a phone call, the call signaling is both encrypted and authenticated with Cisco CallManager. If desired, the voice traffic can also be encrypted for maximum privacy. For further protection, the software image running on the phone can only be installed if it has the appropriate signature. All of this is made possible by trust and identity capabilities based on industry-standard digital certificates and related authentication and authorization technologies.

Protection against threats is afforded throughout the system as well. On the Cisco CallManager side, Cisco Security Agent is used for intrusion protection and the NAC architecture helps to ensure that corporate security policies are enforced consistently across the enterprise. In the network, host intrusion detection sensors detect and identify unusual activity, and isolate it before it can affect the network. Using stateful packet inspection, Cisco firewalls lock down unneeded application ports and help to ensure that only authorized traffic is allowed to reach critical internal segments.

Because of the unique reliability and security capabilities of the Cisco solution, it is possible to achieve higher levels of security than that possible with traditional PBX systems. By applying security according to the guidelines, Cisco IP Communications solution offer a one of the most secure IP voice solution available.

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