With the wide-spread adoption of Internet Protocol (IP)-based technologies, it is practical and compelling to run voice, video, and data over a single physical data infrastructure rather than over separate networks. This convergence is enabling new enterprise business solutions—converged networks which provide performance to voice, video, and data communications across the enterprise. The eight papers in this issue of Intel Technology Journal (Vol 10, Issue 1) on "Converged Communications" explain why and how the unification of voice, video, and data service infrastructures for both stationary and mobile devices is inevitable. Included are papers that look at actual test beds within Intel's enterprise that test solutions designed to fit into a complex business setting. These papers describe in detail the compelling usage models which are the key drivers for the unification of voice, video, and data services.

The introductory paper discusses a converged voice, video, and data network architecture and its uses in today's enterprise. Most enterprises today support at least three separate networks (LAN, WLAN, and voice) for static data, mobile data, and voice. This paper looks at the unification of voice, video, and data service infrastructures for both stationary and mobile devices. Currently there is rapid adoption and migration by telephone, cable, and media vendors and industry to move to IP in order to take advantage of converged networks.

The second paper looks at Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), a signaling protocol which is a widely adopted standard in the industry. SIP enables data and voice convergence for voice, video, Instant Messaging (IM), and other media, and facilitates presence- and location-based services. In this paper we focus on the emerging capabilities of SIP within real-time communication technologies while addressing challenges within the areas of interoperability, security, and enterprise network integration. We describe how the seamless integration of presence-based SIP, VoIP, Mobile IP, SIP mobility support, unified communications, and applications can lead to converged communications.

The third paper examines Advanced Telecom Computing Architecture* (AdvancedTCA*), a set of industry-standard specifications for the next-generation carrier-grade communications equipment. AdvancedTCA incorporates blade (board) and chassis (shelf) form factor optimized for carrier-grade telecommunication applications, with support for carrier-grade features such as NEBS, ETSI, and 99.999% availability. This paper explains the current state of AdvancedTCA and how to mature to the next level as AdvancedTCA industry brings together the component suppliers, system vendors, and service providers in a concerted effort to specify, develop, certify, and deploy interoperable modular solutions.

The next two papers look at test beds around Intel on converging voice, video, and data in Intel's own enterprise with case studies on some real-world applications. The fourth paper examines a case study based on Intel's own experience of deploying VoIP with voice quality within a campus and converging voice and data on the existing local area network (LAN). The methodology used to enhance end-to-end voice quality includes ensuring bandwidth, enabling QoS, and optimizing IP telephony endpoints. This case study demonstrates that even a basic voice quality and QoS strategy can produce high-quality results with minimal infrastructure upgrades. This project implemented a very basic voice quality and QoS strategy, proving that VoIP can be layered on top of an existing infrastructure with minor upgrades.

The fifth paper explores Intel's recently completed trial of standards-based real-time multimedia collaboration tools running on laptop computers over an Internet Protocol (IP) network. Key goals for the trial included validation of usage models and user benefits while utilizing the multimedia collaboration tools in a production work environment. Trial participants were equipped with a multimedia "softphone" application, a headset, and a Webcam that enabled them to establish high-quality small-group (multiparty) voice and video calls.

The sixth paper describes the role of the media server in traditional Public Switch Telephone Network (PSTN), Internet Protocol (IP), and next-generation networks. We examine the Intel^® building-block technologies and their use in developing powerful, cost-effective multimedia communication solutions. We show how processors based on Intel^® architecture and Intel^® Integrated Performance Primitives (Intel^® IPP) can offer world-class performance of media processing algorithms such as audio and video codecs.

The seventh paper summarizes the results of Intel's recent market analysis on unmet consumer communication needs and shows how the collected data suggests the need to develop a general, standards-based framework for digital home communications as well as two new specific device classes. We first show the results of a recent study on unmet consumer needs for communications. We then describe two new digital communication device classes suggested by the CMR data: a Home Communications Server (HCS) and a Digital Communications Adaptor (DCA). The requirements for the proposed digital communications framework are compared with the existing Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) framework for digital home entertainment. We conclude with an overview of similar architectural components that will be needed to establish the digital home communications framework.

In the eighth paper, we present Intel's Seamless Collaboration Architecture for VoIP on WLANs using notebooks based on Intel^® Centrino^® mobile technology. We describe our QoS architecture for VoIP that enables "softphone" applications to take advantage of QoS features over WLANs. We also describe other hardware/software such as array microphones, Intel IPP, and the Bluetooth* wireless coexistence solution.

These eight papers in this issue of Intel Technology Journal (Vol 10, Issue 1) describe the many compelling usage models which are the key drivers for the inevitable unification of voice, data, and video services into truly converged communications.