Communication Advantages - Case Study Example

(College) Converged Network Solution Converged communication network seem to be the way forward in succeeding organizations. Effective communication improves efficiency of an organization due to good human relations. Both one-way and two-way communication forms are pivotal in business deliverance. In any organization, employees realize that effective communication is a contributing factor towards their team work. This is one reason as to why communication has become so vital in companies to an extent of being the basis of their, the companies, very existence. With all these in mind, the implementation of a reliable communication network which is cost effective is one of the biggest challenges faced by organizations. Organizations of all kinds are therefore only taking communication advantages that come with new technology with an aim of improving performance. Introduction Converged network solution involves the coexistence of telephone, video and data communication within one network. Embracing the expansion of communication infrastructure by involving network convergence is a strategy that has to be put in place for the sake of continuity and business growth. During the development of this document, requirements are set up and analyzed in attempts to achieve one of the best telecommunication and converged communication networks at large. Other factors accounted for in this article are increased operational efficiencies and security, while further demonstrating cost reduction, ensuring quality levels as well as the engagement of newly evolving technologies of voice and data. To succeed in obtaining efficiency, implementation of proposed requirements in this study is recommended. This study therefore purposes on providing converged network solution and achieving a better communication network. 1.0 Requirement Analysis 1.1 Layered Security Layered security involves the practice of providing multiple security controls in order to protect resources and data. International Communication Union (2004) provides the following technique of building layers: SECURITY AUDITING SECURITY TOOLS SOFTWARE FOR TELECOMMUNICATIONS MONITORING PHYSICAL SECURITY NETWORK ADMINISTRATON Table 1. Six layers of network security The first layer, network administration, it is the most important asset in the network security of an organization. Allocation of enough resources to this layer is essential and a lot much more economical than installing an expensive firewall. Physical security is the second layer. Practically, this layer involves letting system administrators access the consoles and policies governing the information given to the public concerning the organization. It is meant to work against hackers. Monitoring which is the third layer is based on system maintenance. By scrutinizing system logs at least once a day increases the complexities of breakthrough by unauthorized personnel. The forth layer is software for telecommunication. One vital evaluation process when purchasing a software is checking for bugs. Software in servers are selected and installed based on their purposes. Examination of the fifth layer, tools, include things as firewalls, proxies and intrusion detection soft-wares. Once these tools are compromised, especially firewall, the whole system is laid wide open for attacks. Finally, security audition which is the final layer should be used in testing every aspect of network security. Given that network security is a moving target people come up with soft-wares every day to compromise these security measures. Areas where auditing should be performed include mail server, DNS, domain, web and FTP servers. 1.2 IP Codecs IP stands for Internet Protocol while codec stands for coder-decoder. We can therefore refer to an IP Codec as a piece of software used to compress or convert an analogue voice signal into a digitally encoded version that is ready for transmission over the interned based a given set of protocols. Ray (2013) affirms that IP codecs use the internet as a transport medium and that they came after ISDN which is a digital dial up service. 1.3 Bandwidth In the context of networks, Bandwidth can be taken to mean a measurement of bit-rate of available or consumed data communication resources expressed in bits per second or (bit/s). Band width also takes the following forms: network bandwidth, data bandwidth, or digital bandwidth. "Bandwidth in a cellular network is precious and it is currently used to transfer voice and data services"(Paul, 2011, pp. 11). Higher bandwidth can also be used to deliver high quality video. 1.4 Cloud Computing Typically, this is a type of computing that relies on sharing computing resources rather than having local servers or personal devices to handle applications. The word cloud is a metaphor for internet. This computing provides index- pensive, practical and on-demand access to computing resources (Bacon 2013, pp. 1). Cloud computing is a new technology currently being integrated into organizations as businesses. 1.5 Out of Band Management In this kind of management, dedicated channels are used in managing network devices. Network operator establishes trust boundaries in accessing management function and applies it to network resources. "Out-of-band management uses separate, secure communications paths into the production infrastructure to minimize downtime" (Wither, 2005, pp. 3). Figure 1. Converged network solution 2.0 Technology Solution Converged network solution including Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) is the solution for an improved communication network. VoIP can be achieved by a business through implementation of IP Codec. By going beyond ISDN and embracing the new IP Codec technology quality information can be sent worldwide within a short time-frame. Reliability is a crucial factor that cannot be ignored whatsoever in a business and is only achievable through employment of reliable inputs such as high bandwidth. It is through fast internet connections that the business will be able to address urgent matters almost at the same time they arise. Advanced communication means as video conferencing can also be relished by high bandwidth. Cloud computing is yet another technology that helps in reducing or completely doing away with internet traffic problems. Cloud computing is an alternative to reduce congestion in a business site. All that needs to be done is to purchase a required amount for storage at that particular time. Out of band management is important in the sense that connections between administration points and devices such as power managers are completely separate from production channels. Therefore, a single management console can support all infrastructure components. One of the core central technological requirement in a business organization is a layered security. As long as the security system cannot be compromised the organization will forever be safe from ill-wishers. 3.0 Converged Solution Implementation of all the proposed technologies as one will reveal the most newly advanced business organization. In this case layered security, IP Codecs, bandwidth, cloud computing and out of band management is treated as a self-dependent communication network. Failure to comprehend the requirements and understand the manner in which they collectively work might raise negative doubts concerning their success. 4.0 Cost-Benefit Analysis The entire proposal is generally cost effective when integrated into an existing business communication network; it is simply an upgrade system. Instances of cost effectiveness are evident in IP Codecs. "...for just the cost of the Internet service you already have installed, you can literally transport audio all around the world...” (Ray, 2013). High bandwidth on the other hand comes with high profits meaning there will be nothing to lose altogether, just a normal business risk is involved. Other sectors such as cloud computing only need to be substituted by purchase of physical storage. Cloud computing is cost effective given that no storage space goes to waste at all, only required amount of space is acquired at a particular time. Layered security and out of band management if treated as a shift in management causes minimal or no financial strain to the firm. 5.0 Conclusion We have discussed converged network solution towards the betterment of business communication network. Evidently, applying the implementing the proposed requirements is not a big deal. The problem will only be on how to handle challenges resulting from the implemented proposal just like in any other business. Works Cited Baco, Eyers, Masquier, Signh, Papagiannis, Pietzuch. Information Flow Control for Secure Cloud Computing. IEEE Service Management, 2013, pp. 1-3. Web. Retrieved on November 29, 2014. International Telecommunication Union. Telecommunication Networks Security Requirements. ITU-T Rec. E.408, Switzerland, 2004, pp. 3-4. Web. Retrieved on November 29, 2014. Paul. Digital Video Distribution in Broadband, Television, Mobile and Converged Networks: Trends, Challenges and Solutions. John Wiley and Suns, 2011, pp. 271-275. Print. Ray, III CPBE, AMD, DRB. Beyond ISDN: Welcome to the Age of IP Codec. 2013, pp. 1-4, Web. Retrieved from http://www.talkers.com/2013/12/25/beyod-isdn Retrieved on November 29, 2014.Wither. 10 Ways to Improve Network Performance. Networking, IT Employment, 2005, pp., 2-4. Wither. 10 Ways to Improve Network Performance. Networking, IT Employment, 2005, pp., 2-4. Read More