Secure VoIP, an Achievable Goal 103
An anonymous reader writes "ITO is running a comprehensive article on VoIP security issues and how one can protect against them: "VoIP creates new ways of delivering fully-featured phone services that promise big cost savings and open the way for a whole new range of multimedia communication services. After years of 'will it, won't it' speculation and unfulfilled predictions of universal adoption, Gartner is now positioning VoIP firmly on its way to the 'plateau of productivity' on its widely-respected technology hype cycle. But questions about its security and reliability persist.""
Gartner.......respected..... in which universe? (Score:1, Insightful)
Gartner's 'hype' cycle is widely regarded as a joke in my experience. Guess what, the press and marketeers AND Gartner play up new technologies. Guess what, even after the stories stop some of them continue to make lots of money. Gartner reports are just about always *after* the event - and they don't tell you anything about which ideas will succeed and which are just VC fodder. Gartner keeps getting it wrong, even though they are so late - they miss out on the importance of softer issues and overplay potential market sizes, particularly for the benefit of important customers.
If you want to make the right plays and understand where things are headed, you are much better off having good people advising you that you can trust personally and that know the business. Gartner have earnt no credibility amongst real experts.
Re:I'd like to be able to hear the pin drop first. (Score:3, Insightful)
First, the PSTN uses 64kbps, even if the sampling is only over 4khz of spectrum. Thus it is misleading to look at the spectrum when in most cases this is entirely adequate and not where the problem is.
Secondly, VOIP runs over packet networks as a streaming service. Packet networks were never developed with voice traffic in mind, unlike the circuit switched PSTN. This means that network traffic or congestion has different effects in these two networks. With PSTN, you get a message saying that "All circuits are currently busy" while with VOIP, you get jitter on the line as packets get delayed by appreciable yet random fractions of a second. This second problem is not solvable without the development of a fully two-tiered internet (something I don't want to see happen).
Dont get me wrong-- my company offers VOIP solutions and we see it as an important technology. But it is not a replacement for a traditional TDM-based telephone connection.