LAS VEGAS-As Voice over Internet Protocol calling over Wi-Fi networks picks up speed, interoperability issues between voice and Wi-Fi platforms, networks and applications are emerging. But almost as quickly as technical worms surface, developers begin to work on solutions, ensuring that use of wireless VoIP marches forward, attracting new users along the way.
Voice over Wi-Fi has a growing client base in enterprise markets, said Kathy Small, market manager of Wireless & Mobility at Cisco Systems Inc.
Small, a panelist at the CTIA Wireless 2006 VoIP Mobility discussion titled, “Voice Over Wi-Fi, Putting the Puzzle Together,” explained that companies are compelled to supply their mobile workers with voice over Wi-Fi instead of paying for cellular service.
However, the consumer market for VoWi-Fi in the United States is not moving as quickly, especially when compared to VoWi-Fi adoption in Asia-Pacific, where Small said use of VoWi-Fi is on the rise and shows no signs of slowing down. In fact, Small said the approval of the IEEE’s 802.11n standard for faster Wi-Fi speeds ought to convince more consumers to jump on the VoWi-Fi bandwagon, both in the United States and in Asia-Pacific.
Limited supplies of VoWi-Fi products are stumbling blocks for VoWi-Fi users as well as for potential users. Joe Epstein, chief architect engineer at Meru Networks, said quality of service-certified products and Wi-Fi Multimedia certified handsets with Power Save are particularly needed. WMM Power Save increases the efficiency of data calls, allowing a device to conserve power by going into sleep mode when it’s not processing data.
Indeed. Frank Hanzlik, managing director of the Wi-Fi Alliance, pointed out that Wi-Fi use is expanding beyond laptops into smart devices. He added that more than 100 million Wi-Fi chipsets were shipped in 2005, and said seamless mobility is the holy grail of the VoIP revolution.
When asked what the industry is doing to help business owners and consumers understand VoWi-Fi technology, Steve Wilhoff, senior standardization manager at Nokia Corp., commented that “the idea is not to have to have them understand it, but to have it work right out of the box so that they don’t have to do anything specifically.”
