TM Editorial

From the Editor’s Desk… Jurassic PBXOne day last month the call centre of a large Canadian organization was brought down. When agents arrived for work, they could not log in.The problem turned out to have an unexpected source. The LDAP server that provides the call centre with login authentication had stopped communicating with the Automatic Call Distributor. Service was restored within a few hours. Still, by call centre standards, it was a major outage, with an unusual cause—authentication failure. Only a few years ago, such a problem was virtually unheard of. Authentication was built into the "box"—part of an integrated circuit-switched system crafted by a single vendor. But last month’s failure occurred in a state-of-the-art IP-based call centre, riding on a converged voice-data system, with its key functions, including authentication, dependent on a network of servers and switches scattered across the data environment. As we know, IP Telephony can bring great benefits, and overcomes many limitations in the older systems. But this comes at the cost of increased complexity. We’ve become familiar with its new challenges: assuring quality of service, protecting against viruses, adding redundant switches and routers, achieving a secure power supply, and managing change in the data environment. But this observer, at least, never thought of the threats lurking in authentication. It’s all a bit like Jurassic Park. Remember Ian Malcolm, the chaos theory mathematician who wandered around the dinosaur island, muttering warnings of impending catastrophe? He kept saying that if reality gets complex enough, it will become subject to chaotic, unpredictable breakdowns. Welcome to Jurassic PBX. Be sure to keep all the dinosaurs locked in their pens. Call-Net Purchase Holds Promise for UsersRogers’ deal to purchase Call-Net Enterprises, which operates as Sprint Canada, is good news for business telecom users—probably. For several years, Call-Net has struggled for survival, skillfully deploying its limited resources against far larger rivals. Its successes have been registered in loss reductions, rather than profits. Through Rogers’ $330-million purchase, which is unlikely to be challenged by rival bids, the financial muscle will finally be available to strengthen Call-Net’s offerings, including in the business arena. Rogers will also be able to utilize Call-Net’s just-completed purchase of former 360networks assets that include access to 1,000 buildings. The business market can now advance from three to four strong national competitors, with good results for business telecom users. But will Rogers choose to expand and develop the business side of Call-Net’s operations? Rogers’ main target in this acquisition is Call-Net’s 400,000 local lines, which give Rogers a leg up in its plans to provide local service. Its intentions toward the business services are less clear. Twice before, Rogers has invested in business telecom operations, only to jettison them. Rogers abandoned its investment in Unitel (later renamed AT&T Canada, and then Allstream) in 1995. It sold its data networking business, Rogers Telecom, in 1997. And Rogers Wireless, like other cellular providers, has in recent years still further increased its concentration on the consumer market. (See "The Real Convergence," Telemanagement #225) But telephony now contributes more to Rogers’ income than broadcasting, and this proportion will be boosted even higher by VoIP. And strong business services are essential to a thriving phone business. Despite past failures, it’s likely Rogers will give it another try.

TM Editorial

News | 05/26/2005 4:00 am EDT

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