IP conversion: also important for alarming

The switch to the Internet Protocol (IP) is taking place worldwide. Separate telephone and Internet lines are therefore no longer necessary. Pictures, films, music and voice are transmitted on one network. This is why Swisscom also refers to All IPwhich is the basis for digitization (M2M, IoT, cloud). Swisscom promises that All IP will not only reduce the number of technologies, but also allow the development of new services.

Alarm transmission: better change over today than tomorrow

The IP switchover process has been underway for some time. As Swisscom announced at its press conference in Zurich today, it aims to have replaced analog and ISDN systems with All IP by the end of 2017. "The plan is ambitious, but we are on track," said Beat Döös, Head of All IP Transformation. Already today, more than half of customers are using IP technology, he adds. The telecom provider expects around three quarters of customers to be on IP by the end of 2016. IP solutions are available for all areas, whether in everyday business or private life. This also applies to special applications such as alarm systems, home automation and elevator telephones.

TUS, which specializes in alerting, wants all of its customers' 11,000 analog dialers to be migrated to IP by the end of 2017. The head of major projects at TUS, Jürg Steiner, therefore recommends that the modernization of the infrastructure should be tackled today rather than tomorrow. According to Steiner, operators of alarm systems may already be affected by the new technology. In order to ensure uninterrupted alarm transmission, it is recommended that the alarm system be converted before the telephony system. According to TUS, one of the advantages of IP technology is the possibility of standardizing and centralizing technical systems, such as remote maintenance. (see also the detailed technical article in the SafetyForum 3/2016)

Advantages of All IP

According to Swisscom, switching to All IP brings various advantages: There is talk of significantly better HD voice quality, but also automatic name display of unsaved numbers (according to local.ch), blocking of unwanted calls - they are automatically suggested - diverting the fixed network number to another number or making two calls simultaneously. Another advantage is further that the All-IP customer can continue surfing with an Internet backup in the event of a network failure.

Until probably the end of 2016, the Deutsche Telekom provider will also offer an optional automatic spam filter exclusively for All-IP customers to block unwanted advertising calls.

According to Swisscom, many large customers have already launched all-IP projects and are in the implementation phase. SMEs are also increasingly recognizing the new opportunities offered by the switch to IP to simplify work processes.

Text: rs