VoIP is coming!

I had a couple of pre-briefings today, both of which reminded me that nothing in networking is easy. Apparently, ensuring QoS in VoIP and IPTV networks is likely to make network operators long for the good-old less complicated, less operationally expensive days of SS7 and circuit switched networks.

"What did you say," I can hear you saying.

Yep, all those darned distributed elements in next-gen networks make network monitoring quite the complex chore. Not to mention all the networks that are networked together in order to deliver IP services. And, as if video isn't difficult enough to deliver, personalize it and see what happens! Not that there aren't solutions available to help with make life easier. There are, and many will be showcased at VON. It's mildly amusing to me to become increasingly aware that these packet networks which were supposed to make everything so easy and cheap have just pushed complexity of the "public network(s)" into a new pocket or two.

Simply put, networking is complex. You can't get away from that any more than you can get away from the fact that talking about deployment and installation of new networks, network elements and services, is a whole different than actually doing it.

Yes, VoIP and IPTV are bringing lots of great new capabilities and functionality to network operators and end users alike. But reality says we have to deal with the added complexity and security issues that are coming along with good stuff. Like the colonists, we will win the war with complexity, but there are going to be some battles to fight along the way.