Voice Visionaries

1. Tom Stanton, Adtran:

It's clear that the world is moving to IP. For SMBs looking to reduce costs while increasing productivity, VoIP is a catalyst for change. The line between voice and data networks has blurred into what we now call converged networking, where voice and data co-exist on the same network infrastructure--delivering more for less. Convergence is a total solution, with products and services grouped together by solution providers that understand their customers' needs. As networks converge, a trend is emerging toward a new class of VoIP products specifically designed for the SMB market.

Emerging products provide innovative all-in-one platforms that simplify VoIP solutions and increase productivity while reducing overall communications costs. These integrated platforms combine multiple networking functions such as routing, switching, VPN, firewall and IP telephony into a single, easy-to-use system with attractive price points for SMBs. Converged solutions provide a wealth of benefits, including simplified configuration, installation, maintenance and operation. VARs will be able to create a recurring revenue stream through managed services.

Solution providers are crucial for reaching SMBs. With little or no IT staff, these SMBs depend on the knowledge and expertise of their solution providers to ensure that appropriate products and services are selected to meet their business needs. Vendors that offer reliable products and services, superior support and opportunities to generate healthy profits and recurring revenue streams will empower solution providers to achieve greater success.

The future of voice technology is promising. The SMB market is a prime target for solution providers offering converged networking solutions. VARs that affiliate with the right partners and deliver smart solutions for SMBs are ensured success.

NEXT: Alcatel's Pat Russo

2. Pat Russo, CEO, Alcatel:

Each enterprise has a unique set of needs, challenges and business objectives, but virtually all of them find communications networks critical to the way they support their customers, employees and partners.

The advent of convergence at the enterprise and network levels will enable VARs to deliver voice, data, video and mobility solutions that accommodate increasingly mobile workforces, enable legacy apps to work with new ones and provide security, reliability and redundancy appropriate to the enterprise business model.

Also, the advent of convergence has made it imperative for vendors to rethink their portfolios, partners and channels. In our case, we've recommitted ourselves to the enterprise market in North America and are expanding our global portfolio both organically and through relationships with other vendors. We need to be able to give our customers a choice.

Enterprises also can choose how to transform their networks. Some will go the traditional route, purchasing new gear and managing their own networks. Others will turn to trusted VARs and service-provider partners. Some will combine both.

In the end, the winning vendors, VARs and service providers will be those that respond the quickest, and with the most agility, to the new needs of companies in the enterprise space.

NEXT: Avaya's Louis D'Ambrosio

3. Louis D'Ambrosio, PresidentCEO, Avaya:

In the communications industry, we're in the midst of a profound shift from VoIP to communication-enabled business processes. It will be a shift no less significant than the transition from time-division multiplexing (TDM)to VoIP. At the foundational layer, there's IP communications. The bedrock of this is open standards and the "abilities"--reliability, scalability, manageability and so on.

Next is the unified communications layer, which brings together desktop applications, collaboration, messaging, conferencing, mobility and speech access, and makes them available on any device, over any network, at any location. On top of these two layers are communication applications.

This is not a future concept; it's a reality today, and companies are recognizing the value of this technology. So what's the VAR's role? Understand that communications is a core strategic asset in your customers' businesses; deliver reliable, secure and open technology and solutions; and guide them through this exciting transformation.

NEXT: D-Link's Steve Joe

4. Steve Joe, PresidentCEO, D-Link:

The Internet is vast and offers a convenient, affordable way to communicate globally, with the potential to make older communications methods obsolete. Both in business and consumer markets, VoIP will continue to blend into traditional phone service, phones will offer richer features, and the transition will become seamless.

Many market opportunities exist for vendors and solution providers to offer integrated voice, video and data through devices and services that are easy to use. The role of any segment is to converge the technologies toward a standard that can benefit everyone. VARs need to get training and develop the expertise to offer these solutions to a broader audience. Vendors must continue to provide high-end, converged products that are profitable for VARs. Carriers will continue to offer integrated solutions and look for a broader market.

All aspects of business--from SMBs to large corporations--need unified communications. Ultimately, standardization will enable end users to get what they want.

NEXT: Juniper's Scott Kriens

5. Scott Kriens, ChairmanCEO, Juniper Networks:

Unified communications is no longer just hype. VoIP, collaboration and other unified messaging technologies are changing the way business is conducted. These tools offer endless possibilities for businesses that effectively take advantage of the productivity and efficiency gains made possible by a mobile-user community that's always connected.

Unfortunately, many businesses find themselves unable to fully reap the benefits of unified communications applications because they underestimated the importance of the network to their rollout. At the crux of the success of these applications is the little-discussed role of the high-performance network infrastructure, which creates the responsive, trusted environment that enables businesses to truly realize the competitive advantages of unified communications tools.

Organizations ranging from small businesses to enterprises will need network infrastructures that integrate and optimize unified communications applications. And they'll need solution providers that understand and can execute on the security, performance and intelligence to unlock the power of unified communications.

NEXT: 3Com's Edgar Masri

6. Edgar Masri, PresidentCEO, 3Com:

The phrase "unified communications" has been used to describe what's occurring in the converging voice and data markets. But voice has become a software application that works in conjunction with other business apps. Long gone are the days of expensive, arduous computer-telephony integration. Today's VoIP integrates easily to "communications-enable" business apps.

Unified communications must be entirely open-standards based, using the most common protocol standards: SIP, Linux and Web services. Customers are tired of proprietary vendor lock-in. Unified communications must be highly scalable to meet the needs of both small and large offices with a common platform; highly resilient, providing multisite redundancy; and profitable for the channel.

The new value proposition for IP telephony is no longer inexpensive long-distance. It's increased business productivity and customer service, achieved by communications--enabling your business applications, with a particular emphasis on solutions customized for industry verticals.

In the next three to five years, the industry will be dominated by full-solution VARs that provide end-to-end solutions. By taking this approach, these VARs will be able to create new revenue streams and get better margins.