I
t’s hard to believe that IP telephony
has been around for more than 10
years. The Avaya MultiMedia Com-
munications eXchange Server
(MMCX), acknowledged as the first
product to bridge the separate worlds
of voice and data, was introduced at a
press conference in October 1995.
The MMCX did not transform
voice communications — in fact, it was
installed alongside traditional PBX sys-
tems at customer sites. However, the
underlying technology became the
foundation for later Avaya IP telephony
products and, more importantly, sig-
naled the beginning of a quiet revolu-
tion.
A 25-year veteran of the voice
communications industry, Granville Tri-
umph, CEO of Atlantic Voice & Data
Solutions (AVDS), has seen this revolu-
tion unfold over the last decade, com-
pelling organizations to rethink not
only their technology infrastructures
but the way they do business. Although
IP telephony represents a sea change in
the voice industry, Triumph says organi-
zations can take advantage of the busi-
ness benefits of IP telephony without
reinventing the wheel.
“I think some organizations are
hesitant to move toward IP telephony
because the whole concept of voice and
data convergence sounds like radical
change,” Triumph said. “Often, it does-
n’t makes sense to rip everything out
and start over, and we at AVDS respect
your business considerations. Our goal
is to help you leverage voice and data to
improve the bottom line and make you
more competitive while maximizing the
return on your existing technology
investments.”
Getting the Message Across
The key, according to Triumph, is
to eliminate the functional barriers
between voice and data interfaces. For
example, voice mails can be managed
via the e-mail inbox, and e-mails, voice
mails, calendars and directories
accessed through IP phones.
Unified messaging is only the
beginning. IP telephony enables organi-
zations to incorporate voice into collab-
Beyond Convergence
continued on page 2
How voice and data can transform your business.
WINTER 2006
