Telecoms staff: 'learn convergence or lose your job'

31/10/06

Telecommunications workers face replacement if they fail to gain an understanding of IP convergence, a new study warns.

Technology specialists are urging telecoms managers to retrain in convergence in order to keep their jobs, as it becomes increasingly popular in modern enterprise workplaces. A recent market study found that three out of five companies plan to introduce converged networks, just 17% of which would be supported by telecoms staff.

Leading reseller SAS Group claims that staff whose companies opt for IP convergence face a potential loss of status afterwards if they are not well-versed in the new technology, with much of their responsibility passing to the IT department.

SAS chief technology officer, Dameon Boyle, said: "It's much easier for IT people to learn about voice, than for telecoms staff to understand data, that’s because in a converged network voice is data."

Mr Boyle advises telecoms staff to "seize every opportunity they get" to learn about data and IP communications.

The convergence of voice and data communications systems is offering companies a range of useful products and services via the internet, including video conferencing, internet telephony and new correspondence options, as well as cost savings and efficiency improvements.