We believe in Interoperability
Optimum performance and simplicity are achieved by selecting products that have been tested and proven to interoperate together — we at Snom are aware of that, which is why we believe in interoperability. One of the key things a business has to consider when buying a new IP Telephony system is ensuring that they have maximized their investment. For those who want to protect an investment in existing hardware or applications, and to plan for the long term to ensure today’s investment remains part of tomorrow’s solution, interoperability is important.
Gateways can be used to help businesses connect a legacy PBX, take the first step towards SIP, or even connect to a Unified Communications (UC) solution, but using a gateway is like involving an interpreter in a conversation: the information will get across, but the processing is less optimum.
There is no unique definition of interoperability. Depending on the context and the different shades of interoperability, the term has different meanings: what can be interoperable in one given system implementation, may not work with a different implementation. The glossary of telecommunications terms from NTIA’s ITS defines interoperability as “the ability of systems, units, or forces to provide services to and accept services from other systems, units or forces and to use the services so exchanged to enable them to operate effectively together” and as “the condition achieved among communications-electronics systems or items of communications-electronics equipment when information or services can be exchanged directly and satisfactorily between them and/or their users.”
The more diverse networks, products and vendors exist, the greater is the need to ensure that they can interoperate so that end-to-end communication is possible. At the same time, the more difficult it becomes to ensure interoperability. That is why responsible vendors have interoperability testing programs with other vendors to ensure their customers are getting a solution that they can build their business on. Sign up as a Snom VAR and give your customers the information they need to ensure IT Telephony components work with each other.
