Voice Virtualization

Virtualization has taken data centers by storm over the past few years. This software makes it possible to run multiple operating systems and their applications on the same computer at the same time. Instead of a physical server being dedicated to a single application, a server can now accommodate many virtual machines, each with its own operating system and applications. VMware has become the champion and leading exponent of virtualization, which IT advisory company Gartner named a top strategic technology to watch. With 85 percent of the virtual machines installed worldwide, VMware is clearly the leader in this field.
       
Development in virtualization for non-real time applications has followed a relatively straight forward path, but real-time applications like voice communications are a different story. The process of virtualizing voice is extremely complex, primarily due to the stumbling-block of latency. Latency in a non-real time application like email is acceptable: a 2-second delay in message receipt, for instance, won’t affect the user. But a 2-second delay in voice communications is clearly unacceptable. Call quality would be heavily compromised, and teleconference effectiveness would hit rock bottom.

As virtualization wizards struggled with the voice communications issue, Mitel was integrating voice applications into a unified communications network. Finally the engineers managed to solve the delay issue and virtualize voice. Now, Mitel’s unified communications features run as virtual appliances on VMware vSphere™ 4 virtualization platform. Like any other application, the Mitel software can be downloaded and installed on any data-center server that’s running VMware vSphere.

The first Mitel virtual solution out of the starting gate is the Virtual Mitel Communications Director (Virtual MCD), which is the core of the unified communications system, providing call control for the IP voice path. Also available are VMware Ready™ applications, Mitel Enterprise® Manager, and Mitel Contact Center as well as virtual appliances for Virtual Mitel Applications Suite (including Mitel NuPoint Unified Messaging™(UM) and Mitel Audio & Web Conferencing (AWC)), Virtual Mitel Border Gateway (for the Mitel Teleworker Solution) and Virtual Mitel Unified Communicator® (UC) Advanced.

Voice virtualization capabilities can be complex so representatitves at CT Solutions are available to answer any questions you may have.