Deploying Wi-Fi Telephony in the Enterprise

2. Ben Guderian SpectraLink Corporation Deploying Wi-Fi Telephony in the Enterprise

3. Enterprise Wi-Fi Telephony • Cordless and cellular technologies are not suited for enterprise environments • Coverage • Reliability • Telephone system integration • Cost • Wi-Fi and VoIP technologies are lowering cost of deployment • Return on investment • Soft dollars: productivity, responsiveness, customer service • Hard dollars: wiring costs, MAC

4. Target Markets • Vertical markets • Compelling need for telephone communication among a mobile workforce • Return on investment based on productivity, responsiveness, and customer satisfaction • General enterprise markets • Opportunity to leverage economies of Wi-Fi and VoIP technologies

5. Enterprise: Business features Investment protection Security Voice quality Consumer: Personalization Obsolescence Ease of use Network ubiquity Enterprise vs. Consumer Priorities

6. Strategic Impact • Mobility requirements • Telephone support for mobile data device users • Enable true “mobile workplace” • Infrastructure implementation • Leverage investment in wireless network • Interoperability allows “best of breed” solutions • Return on investment • Productivity gains • Reduced downtime or lost time • Reduced wiring costs • Competitive advantages

7. Device Decisions • PDAs as phones • Audio capabilities – many don’t support full-duplex audio • Acoustics – limited by form factor • Wi-Fi functionality – minimal security, no QoS, poor roaming, poor power management • Cellular functionality – not bad • Phones as data devices • Limited user interface, display size • OS, processor and memory limitations • Good for messaging applications • General issues • PBX functionality • Security • Administration and management

8. Management and Administration Perspectives • Enterprise Wi-Fi telephony overlaps the traditional telecom and datacom worlds Dumb terminal Class of service Extensions Feature assignments Application platform Security & access User assignment Frequent updates

9. Workplace Wireless Requirements • End user • Access to critical information • Corded voice quality throughout • Telephone switch features • Ease of use, minimal training • Workplace-sensitive ergonomics, durability • Information Systems / Telecom • Scalability for various applications and future expansion • Leverage existing infrastructure • Easy to maintain • Privacy and security

10. Enterprise Wi-Fi Telephony Implementation Issues • Voice quality • Security • Roaming • Functionality • Capacity

11. Wi-Fi Telephony Implementation Issues • QoS is a must-have for Wi-Fi telephony • Voice applications have little tolerance for delay and jitter • Availability, reliability, and quality must be nearly equivalent to wired telephones for enterprise use • QoS implementation impacts voice quality, capacity, and battery life • QoS solutions • SpectraLink SVP “stopgap” has broad industry support • IEEE 802.11e defines reservation and polling based mechanisms • Wi-Fi Alliance WMM is based on 802.11e drafts • Voice quality • Security • Roaming • Functionality • Capacity

12. Wi-Fi Telephony Implementation Issues • “All or nothing” security approach poor for voice • Significant interruptions for authentication process during handoff • User interface and usability issues • Good interim solutions are available • Policy-based access control using MAC address • Separate VLAN for voice devices • Voice-friendly proprietary schemes • Standards • WFA’s WPA/WPA2 with pre-shared key is acceptable • Secure roaming techniques still necessary (802.11r) • Voice quality • Security • Roaming • Functionality • Capacity

13. Wi-Fi Telephony Implementation Issues • Comprehensive coverage is critical for voice applications • Voice devices are used everywhere – stairways, smoking areas, bathrooms, etc. • Voice users are highly-mobile • Within the Wi-Fi network • Roaming between wireless LAN access points must be transparent • Subnet roaming requires solution to maintain VoIP call • To/from cellular network • Possible with dual-radio devices • Various enterprise and carrier-based solutions available • Voice quality • Security • Roaming • Functionality • Capacity

14. Wi-Fi Telephony Implementation Issues • Enterprise users expect business telephone functionality • Multiple lines or extensions, display features, voicemail integration • Enterprise telephone integration • VoIP standards offer minimal functionality, inconsistent levels of support • SIP, MGCP, H.323 • Proprietary VoIP protocols offer richest functionality, but unique implementation for every switch platform • Cisco SCCP, Nortel Unistim, Avaya CCMS, Mitel MiNet, etc. • Voice quality • Security • Roaming • Functionality • Capacity

15. Wi-Fi Telephony Implementation Issues • Network factors: • Access point bandwidth • Density of access points • Reservation for data applications • VoIP factors: • Sampling rate • Codec • Protocol overhead • Real-world implementation • 802.11b supports up to 12 simultaneous calls; sufficient for 30+ users in typical enterprise applications • 802.11a can meet high density applications • Voice quality • Security • Roaming • Functionality • Capacity

16. Wired vs. Wireless Office Costs

17. Summary • Different users need different devices • Opportunities to innovate, exploit niches • Enterprise management issues must be considered • Today’s Wi-Fi technology addresses enterprise challenges • QoS, security, capacity • Enterprise Wi-Fi and VoIP adoption will drive costs down • Meanwhile vertical market opportunities will continue to dominate • Standards will lower costs, drive innovation • Network TCO will continue to drop with lower equipment cost, better management and administration • Resistance to truly open VoIP protocol will maintain current enterprise market paradigm

18. Thank you • www.spectralink.com