Convergence

Convergence One unfrozen caveman’s thoughts on what it might mean for UIUC with apologies to Phil Hartman Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 1 Preview The types of Convergence What’s interesting to UIUC What are the enabling technologies What are our plans for those enablers Wireless Alphabet Soup The Next Steps Questions - Discussion Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 2 Types of Convergence Voice and data on same wire Video, voice and data on the same wire Voice and data on same wireless device Voice mail available through email A personal phone number that follows you Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 3 Voice & Data on the same wire Wired Voice over IP (VoIP) Feature rich, enables new work flows UIUC cable plant not ready yet By end of 2007, the cabling in most major buildings will be ready CER power and space issues Not addressed by Campus Upgrade WTC analysis - more expensive Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 4 Voice & Data on the same wire - 2 Alumni Association is taking the Cisco VoIP plunge on their dime Does not use campus phone numbers efficiently Can’t scale to entire campus Problems with call detail records from the SBC phone switch Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 5 Video, Voice & Data on same wire In the future, Video will simply be a high bandwidth application on the network Two separate types of IP Video Video conferencing Remote learning via IP Video Live or asynchronous Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 6 Video, Voice & Data - 2 Video Conferencing Large scale video conferences CITES is looking at systems that would parallel existing audio conferencing services Peer-to-peer - such as Apple’s iChat Simple enough for faculty to set up and use on their own Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 7 Video, Voice & Data - 3 Remote Learning Campus Helix license Moving streaming forward Some units doing live and on-demand IP video-based classes Look for future direction in the Campus IT Strategic Plan Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 8 Video, Voice & Data - 4 High Definition IP Video will require wires for some time 18 Mb/s per HD IP Video stream 3 HD IP Video streams could saturate any current or planned UIUCnet Wireless Access Point Continuing to build out UIUCnet with ever-increasing backbone capacities positions us well for IP Video and HD IP Video Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 9 Voice & Data on the same wireless device Wireless Devices Smart phones WiFi/Cellular dual mode phones Laptops with cellular cards & soft phone software This may be where campus converges first Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 10 Smart Phones Blackberry & Palm Treo Useful, addictive - Crackberries Rely on cellular service Service is not available in all areas of all campus buildings Not financially scalable to the whole campus community UIUC does not control the cellular frequencies in Champaign-Urbana Must partner with cellular Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 11 Dual Mode Phones 802.11x (WiFi) and Cellular Use WiFi when available Reduce Cellular airtime costs Better coverage in UIUC basements Use Cellular network when no WiFi network is available Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 12 Dual Mode Phones - 2 Coming very soon to a cellular vendor near you UIUC is not yet positioned to support this technology, but could be by augmenting the existing phone & data systems How do we recover costs from cellular vendors for originating & terminating cellular calls on UIUCnet? Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 13 Laptops, Cell Cards & Soft Phones Cellular data cards Provide an almost ubiquitous wireless IP network Soft phone software Uses your laptop’s microphone & speakers to emulate a phone Portable, but not really mobile Hard to hang on your belt Same cellular coverage holes Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 14 Voice Mail via Email Voice mail is saved as a digital audio file WAV, MP3, or X Sent or streamed on demand to your email account You select the listening order You can forward and archive - just like email Speech-to-text could allow you to read your voice mail in meetings Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 15 Voice Mail via Email - 2 Available anywhere you can get email Often comes with VoIP, but UIUC can also augment the current phone system to provide this service An optional service enhancement for an additional fee? Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 16 Follow-Me Phone Numbers You have a single virtual phone number You control with a web or telephone interface Can ring on your cell phone, or on your office phone, or on your home phone, or on your computer, or on all of the above at the same time, or go directly to your unified voice mail account Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 17 Follow-Me Phone Numbers - 2 They shorten the electronic tether Often come with VoIP, but UIUC can also augment the current phone system to provide this service We currently lack enough phone numbers for a full campus-wide deployment An optional service enhancement for an additional fee? Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 18 Quick Summary What I see as the most interesting convergence areas for UIUC Dual Mode Phones Unified Voice & Email Follow-Me Phone Numbers These technologies all depend on the wired data network Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 19 Quick Summary - 2 These technologies are all tied to our next phone system The next phone system could look a lot like our current phone system, or it could be very different These technologies all have wireless components Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 20 The Enablers The UIUCnet wired data network The Network Upgrade is moving right along Our SBC CENTREX contract expires in July of 2007 Lots of options for what follows UIUCnet Wireless will play a key role Wireless Alpha-Numeric Soup New UIUCnet Wireless Meru hardware Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 21 Campus Network Upgrade Gaining speed 22 buildings completed, 17 buildings are in progress Most major buildings will be upgraded by the end of 2007 Campus backbone was upgraded this Spring to 10 Gb/s Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 22 Campus Network Upgrade - 2 Network Upgrade connectivity goals 1 Gb/s to each campus building 100 Mb/s to each desktop Some units are paying for faster connections 10 Gb/s building connections 1Gb/s desktop & server connections Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 23 Campus Network Upgrade - 3 Illinois Campus Communications Network Will connect 3 U of I campuses to each other and to national research networks at 10 Gb/s or better The BOT has approved both the dark fiber and the electronics purchases Test light on the ICCN fiber in 2006, production services in 2007 Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 24 Campus Network Upgrade - 4 The bottom line on the network For the last several years, CITES has been planning for the future connectivity needs of campus CITES is executing those plans Those plans are working Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 25 Next Phone System Options Stay the course - CENTREX Maybe for a short time longer Can be augmented to get advanced services Buy and operate our own phone switch Supports analog and VoIP Many peer institutions have done this Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 26 Next Phone System Options - 2 Jump into wired VoIP Cost/benefit analysis is weak 27,000 new handsets and end user training? Unresolved issues with Alumni Association’s VoIP deployment CITES is exploring all three of these options Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 27 Next Phone System Options - 3 We will be issuing an RFP this Fall for phone services past July 1, 2007 Even if we chose to buy a switch or to migrate to VoIP - July 1, 2007 is not that far away.... Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 28 Next Phone System Options - 4 We may need to continue CENTREX service for another year or two past 7/1/2007 Gives VoIP technology more time to mature Gives us time to get the data cabling in more buildings ready for VoIP Gives the campus more time to plan Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 29 UIUCnet Wireless The key to voice-data convergence at UIUC UIUCnet wireless will have at least some coverage in more than 110 buildings by the end of 2006 The BOT recently approved funding for new “smart controller” wireless hardware from Meru Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 30 UIUCnet Wireless - 2 As dual-mode handsets mature, so will the UIUCnet Wireless network Each month, additional buildings have UIUCnet Wireless coverage added to their public areas Limited dual-mode trials? Cisco and Nortel are pitching plans IlliniBerries? Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 31 The Wireless Alpha-Numeric Soup WiFi - 802.11a, 802.11b, 802.11g CITES deploys all three today The “A’s” will inherit the bandwidth “A” works in the 5 GHz frequency bands More discrete channels available Better high density solutions But “A” penetrates objects less well than “B” or “G” Reduced range Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 32 Wireless Soup - 2 Coffee shops favor “B” & “G” Work in the 2.4 GHz frequency bands Fewer discrete channels available More interference Cordless phones, microwaves Penetrate objects better than “A” Built into most new laptops Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 33 Wireless Soup - 3 802.11n - MIMO Coming in 2007 Final stages of becoming a standard Uses multiple antennas to take advantage of multi-path reflections Faster speeds Better distances Will CITES deploy it? Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 34 Wireless Soup - 4 802.16 - WiMax Two flavors - fixed and mobile Fixed - 802.16a is available today “Last Mile” for wireless ISP’s Building-to-building technology No laptop cards Backbone for wireless mesh? Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 35 Wireless Soup - 5 802.16 - WiMax Mobile - 802.16e is a work in progress Promises 30 Mb/s at 60 MPH Useful for UIUC green space coverage? Quads, South Farms, Sports Stadiums Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 36 Meru New controller-managed wireless system Smart controllers - dumb/thin access points Cheaper to add new wireless technologies such as 802.11n or 802.16 The controllers don’t care Only need new radios & antennas Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 37 Meru - 2 Best density solution available Solution for Foellinger Auditorium & large classrooms Helps with handoffs between AP’s Similar to cellular handoffs CITES is eating its own Meru dog food in DCL Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 38 Meru - 3 Capable of supporting multiple wireless networks from a single Access Point UIUC Visitor access SSID? New service in the works Dual Mode Phone access SSID? Could handle authentication issues Exploring dual services in Beckman, NCSA and Siebel Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 39 Meru - 4 Remote tunneling back to campus BYO mini Meru AP when you travel for UIUCnet Wireless access from anywhere you have Internet access Meru was founded by former UIUC ECE professor Performed very well in our bake-off So far, tastes good in DCL Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 40 What’s Next? Deploy Meru hardware and continue to build out the UIUCnet wireless network Students want wireless everywhere Continue the Campus Network Upgrade For now, wireless networks run on wires Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 41 What’s Next? - 2 Connectivity goals are moving targets Wireless keeps getting faster Campus requirements keep growing 100 Mb/s to the desktop today 1Gb/s to the desktop tomorrow? Campus will require a robust wired infrastructure for the foreseeable future Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 42 What’s Next? - 3 RFP’s for new or continued voice service past 7/1/2007 Dual-mode handset trial projects Cisco, Nortel and ??? Explore Unified Messaging Resolve issues with the Alumni Association’s Cisco VoIP deployment Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 43 Questions and Discussion Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 44 Mike Smeltzer May 16 | Slide 45