Integrated Researchs PROGNOSIS named as predominant solution for managing Big Business VoIP
Announcement posted by Integrated Research 29 Jun 2006
Nemertes Researchs release of a major benchmark study on Convergence & Next-Generation WAN Technologies concludes that successful voice-over-IP deployments require specific VoIP monitoring, management and reporting tools and cites PROGNOSIS IP Telephony Manager as the product of choice for larger-scale deployments.
This comprehensive study of around 100 senior US and international IT executives explores trends and best practices for monitoring, managing and securing converged networks. Managing a converged network can be one of the most challenging pieces of the entire project, yet its a piece that doesnt get the attention or budget it deserves up front, said Robin Gareiss, Executive Vice President and Senior Founding Partner for Nemertes Research.
According to the study, specific management of the IP telephony service layer has quickly become one of the most important components of successful convergence projects. The benchmark strongly recommends IT executives should assess and consider third-party tools for their converged networks, particularly when they have more than five locations and support numerous applications with varying performance requirements.
Gareiss adds, Of concern is the fact that the vast majority of organisationsabout 85%do not budget for third party or add-on management tools when they plan their voice over IP or broader convergence projects. IT staffs are confident they will have the management capabilities they need through either existing tools or those that come with the IP PBXs. Almost universally, they discover the need for more sophisticated tools 12 to 18 months into the project.
Nemertes Research found that the larger the rollout, the more complex the network becomes and the more in demand management tools are. Based on number of employees and phones managed, PROGNOSIS was the tool used by the largest deployments. It was among the top three specialty vendors cited overall for VoIP management. IT executives and managers of large enterprises are frequently turning to PROGNOSIS because its giving them the insight to monitor and troubleshoot VoIP, Gareiss says. They also say the product continually improves, with new features and capabilities that come directly from their input. They like the fact that the vendor listens to what they need.
We didnt budget initially for a VoIP management tool. But later, we wanted to do something proactive and didnt think the vendor tool suite was robust enough, says the telecom manager for a 28,000 employee, high-tech company. We monitor [VoIP] via PROGNOSIS, and the LAN team uses CiscoWorks for the network. PROGNOSIS sends alarms to it.
The study views several vendors who offer products that provide testing, design, and planning tools, including PROGNOSIS by Integrated Research, and explains the key to choosing a vendor is to assess the full VoIP management suite to make sure that it will grow with the network. IT executives want to see the capabilities (cited in the table below) either in the tool or on the product roadmap.
What measurements/information/features do you want in VoIP management tools?
Dropped calls, switch/link outages 38%
Bandwidth utilisation 35%
Packet loss, jitter, latency 26%
QOS data 24%
Visibility of traffic & call patterns 18%
Drill-down capabilities 15%
Root cause 15%
Application layer reporting 12%
Integration of tools 12%
Policy-based management 9%
Alerts 9%
Automated problem-resolution 6%
MOS-end user call-quality perception 6%
Business impact of outage 6%
Configuration 6%
Asset management 3%
User-friendly GUI 3%
Optimisation measurements are the most desired but that doesnt mean you can discount the less demanded features. Another respondent, a Vice President of a financial-services company interviewed for the benchmark study, revealed, A lot of people say they want tools but they dont know what they want to get out of them. We use PROGNOSIS to tell us the health of the system. We dont have to sit here and watch; it will alert us via pager. And it gives us reports. It does what we need.
To access a copy of the full benchmark study visit: www.prognosis.com/benchmark
About Nemertes:
Nemertes Research Inc., founded in 2002, specialises in analysing the business impact of emerging technology. Nemertes works with the worlds leading communications vendors and carriers, as well as enterprises, to gather in-depth data and best practices around the latest IT trends.
About PROGNOSIS for IP Telephony
PROGNOSIS for IP Telephony is a comprehensive suite of IP telephony lifecycle management software products spanning Voice over IP (VoIP) network-readiness assessment, pre-deployment assurance testing, and ongoing performance management for Cisco Unified Communications environments.
PROGNOSIS has been involved in IP telephony from the start, and now manages more than 200 of the worlds largest IP telephony implementations.
About Integrated Research Ltd
Integrated Research the people behind PROGNOSIS - is a publicly listed company with an 18-year heritage of providing precise performance monitoring solutions for business-critical computing and IP telephony environments.
The company services customers in more than 50 countries through direct sales offices in the USA, Europe, and Australia, and via a global channel-driven distribution network. Customers include the worlds largest bank, telecommunications company, stock exchange, computer hardware manufacturer and Internet service provider.
This comprehensive study of around 100 senior US and international IT executives explores trends and best practices for monitoring, managing and securing converged networks. Managing a converged network can be one of the most challenging pieces of the entire project, yet its a piece that doesnt get the attention or budget it deserves up front, said Robin Gareiss, Executive Vice President and Senior Founding Partner for Nemertes Research.
According to the study, specific management of the IP telephony service layer has quickly become one of the most important components of successful convergence projects. The benchmark strongly recommends IT executives should assess and consider third-party tools for their converged networks, particularly when they have more than five locations and support numerous applications with varying performance requirements.
Gareiss adds, Of concern is the fact that the vast majority of organisationsabout 85%do not budget for third party or add-on management tools when they plan their voice over IP or broader convergence projects. IT staffs are confident they will have the management capabilities they need through either existing tools or those that come with the IP PBXs. Almost universally, they discover the need for more sophisticated tools 12 to 18 months into the project.
Nemertes Research found that the larger the rollout, the more complex the network becomes and the more in demand management tools are. Based on number of employees and phones managed, PROGNOSIS was the tool used by the largest deployments. It was among the top three specialty vendors cited overall for VoIP management. IT executives and managers of large enterprises are frequently turning to PROGNOSIS because its giving them the insight to monitor and troubleshoot VoIP, Gareiss says. They also say the product continually improves, with new features and capabilities that come directly from their input. They like the fact that the vendor listens to what they need.
We didnt budget initially for a VoIP management tool. But later, we wanted to do something proactive and didnt think the vendor tool suite was robust enough, says the telecom manager for a 28,000 employee, high-tech company. We monitor [VoIP] via PROGNOSIS, and the LAN team uses CiscoWorks for the network. PROGNOSIS sends alarms to it.
The study views several vendors who offer products that provide testing, design, and planning tools, including PROGNOSIS by Integrated Research, and explains the key to choosing a vendor is to assess the full VoIP management suite to make sure that it will grow with the network. IT executives want to see the capabilities (cited in the table below) either in the tool or on the product roadmap.
What measurements/information/features do you want in VoIP management tools?
Dropped calls, switch/link outages 38%
Bandwidth utilisation 35%
Packet loss, jitter, latency 26%
QOS data 24%
Visibility of traffic & call patterns 18%
Drill-down capabilities 15%
Root cause 15%
Application layer reporting 12%
Integration of tools 12%
Policy-based management 9%
Alerts 9%
Automated problem-resolution 6%
MOS-end user call-quality perception 6%
Business impact of outage 6%
Configuration 6%
Asset management 3%
User-friendly GUI 3%
Optimisation measurements are the most desired but that doesnt mean you can discount the less demanded features. Another respondent, a Vice President of a financial-services company interviewed for the benchmark study, revealed, A lot of people say they want tools but they dont know what they want to get out of them. We use PROGNOSIS to tell us the health of the system. We dont have to sit here and watch; it will alert us via pager. And it gives us reports. It does what we need.
To access a copy of the full benchmark study visit: www.prognosis.com/benchmark
About Nemertes:
Nemertes Research Inc., founded in 2002, specialises in analysing the business impact of emerging technology. Nemertes works with the worlds leading communications vendors and carriers, as well as enterprises, to gather in-depth data and best practices around the latest IT trends.
About PROGNOSIS for IP Telephony
PROGNOSIS for IP Telephony is a comprehensive suite of IP telephony lifecycle management software products spanning Voice over IP (VoIP) network-readiness assessment, pre-deployment assurance testing, and ongoing performance management for Cisco Unified Communications environments.
PROGNOSIS has been involved in IP telephony from the start, and now manages more than 200 of the worlds largest IP telephony implementations.
About Integrated Research Ltd
Integrated Research the people behind PROGNOSIS - is a publicly listed company with an 18-year heritage of providing precise performance monitoring solutions for business-critical computing and IP telephony environments.
The company services customers in more than 50 countries through direct sales offices in the USA, Europe, and Australia, and via a global channel-driven distribution network. Customers include the worlds largest bank, telecommunications company, stock exchange, computer hardware manufacturer and Internet service provider.