The Future of VOIP in this Cloud Computing and Virtualization Crowd

Hello everyone,

No wonder that virtualization and cloud computing are all the buzz now. Server admins are the lucky ones to administer these new hot technologies. Network admins still have the chance to survive in this realm by combining their existing skills with new SDN skills in the future. But what about network admins who specialize in VOIP and Wireless? Are they going to die? What is the future of messaging and collaboration in this buzz? Couple of my friends (they are specialized in both voip and wireless) have changed their path into data center virtualization and cloud computing just because they are hot techs. This means they are becoming server admins since virtualization and cloud computing are best suited for server admins. I've personally witnessed this fact in many companies. When they want to design a virtual network, they call the server admin. When they want to move a VM to another physical server, they call the server admin. When they want to manage storage networking, they call the server admin.

Companies look at the network guy as the one who is responsible for routing, lan switching, network security, wireless, and VOIP. Even if that network guy earns a CCNA DC, they will not let him touch the virtualization and cloud computing part. I even saw server admins started to earn this cert just to be familiar with virtual networking.

The moral of this story is that, i am confused which route to take. I am 35 yrs old network admin (not system admin) who literally worked on everything you can imagine in the network. I am still considering myself as Jack of all trades, master of none. And like many people who get older, it's time to think about "Specialization".

So, i don't know which one to specialize: Messaging/VOIP/Collaboration or Virtualization/Cloud Computing? .... As i said, virtual. and cloud comp. are a server admin job in many companies and i am sure you are going to disagree with me but thats what i saw and witnessed.

Have anyone in similar age faced this dilemma before?

Thx

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Comments

darkerosxx

Messaging/VOIP/Collaboration still run on servers, just virtual ones. Keep on keeping on. Learn your environment as it changes and learn to take advantage of the changes to make your service better and your job easier. Do your research, stay active in your job role, make moves as necessary, and you'll be fine.

NetworkWarrior33

Thanks dark, appreciate your comment and i understand what you're saying. Changes/updates are part of our job and no question about that. That is not concerning me. I am concerned about the VOIP field as a whole. For example, i've read terrifying articles that talked about smartphones as a replacement for the IP phones and how users use their smartphones to contact each other within the organization. They also talked about how SMSs will replace the internal corporate messaging. With cheap tariffs and smartphone plans, users are going to rely more on their cell phones than their IP phones and how this will affect the IP telephony industry. One of these articles assumed that one day Cisco will produce cell phones more than IP phones. This means that the VOIP industry will be acquired and run by telecoms, which is hard to find a job there. Telecoms hire engineers who have bachelor in engineering not computer science. Because computer science is my degree, it will be difficult to find a job at telecoms.

But until now, i assume these articles tell rumors just to keep my horses down.

shodown

The sky is not falling, lol. I will agree with you there are a lot of changes coming on the horizon. I'll fill you in on some of them

Yes I setup user to use there personal smart devices to do there work in the network. But for me to make that work I have to build out VM's, I have to build some background network, setup QoS policies, and do some work on firewalls, then I can actually get to the peice on the smart phones. As far as the smart phone replacing the deskphone. We have been talking about it for 5 years, and I still have yet to see a device that really gets the job done as good a smart phone. I for one would love to have my smart phone replace my deskphone, but the tech is just not there yet.

Basically all the internal corp communications still requires a lot of planning, business integration, audits and so on to work correctly. The job of voice engineers will change overtime and you can expect to spend way less time on the CLI or on a web page, and more time learning the things I spoke off earlier. There will be plenty of jobs to be had.

NetworkWarrior33

shodown wrote: »

But for me to make that work I have to build out VM's

Let me ask you this. As a voice engineer, do you build VM's yourself or do you tell the server admin to build them for you?

The question may look naive but it's important to know because most companies i worked for won't let you to setup VM's but you still can manage your own VM's. For example, as a network security admin, if i want to build a Cisco ACS server, i have to tell the server admin to provision the VM for me and i do the install and management.

darkerosxx

The focus/scope of the discussion keeps creeping. This started out as a question about VOIP vs VM's, and is now VOIP vs. cell phone communication. I think there's a big confusion between terms here. Am I correctly summing up your concern with the statement that you're worried that VOIP is going to be less physically involved (no physical desk phones and no physical servers dedicated to voip in the datacenter) and more virtual in the future, so your concern is how do you transition to stay relevant?

If that's your concern, my answer would be to pay attention to industry trends very closely, as you're already doing. Continue to do your research. Make moves to further develop your foundation in all of the technologies involved and wait until you see something that jumps out at you that you want to get involved in and feel passionate about. That means virtual, networking, messaging, the whole deal.

Personally, in my experience, I see VOIP becoming increasingly widespread and considered as a managed service by telecoms. I don't see desk phones going away in the next 5-7 years, but I believe smart phones and portable VOIP phones will gradually take over. Also lots of other big plays in the market are probably coming out soon as NFV takes over and becomes market-ready. NFV will make it easier than ever to deploy new virtual services.

shodown

Over 90 percent of the builds I build out the VM's. When its a new install with new hardware I build out the servers and the voice applications. If its an existing system sometimes they give me a vshepre account to do it, other times they will build them for me. Also keep in mind I'm a consultant, so its my job to do most of the building and designing, so most people feel comfortable giving me access. Im doing a proect right this moment, where I have more access than the current voice engineer.

darkerosxx

NetworkWarrior33 wrote: »

shodown wrote: »

But for me to make that work I have to build out VM's

Let me ask you this. As a voice engineer, do you build VM's yourself or do you tell the server admin to build them for you?

The question may look naive but it's important to know because most companies i worked for won't let you to setup VM's but you still can manage your own VM's. For example, as a network security admin, if i want to build a Cisco ACS server, i have to tell the server admin to provision the VM for me and i do the install and management.

If I had to make a prediction, I would say that in the next few years, no one will be setting up VM's. You'll pick from a specific setup, deploy it, and start your work. All in 5-10 clicks. So, instead of telling a server admin to set up your VM, you'll tell the system to do it.

NetworkWarrior33

I got it. Sure, consultants always have access to everything.

NetworkWarrior33

So back to my question before i confuse darkerosxx more than that.

Do you guys prefer to stick with VOIP or Virtual.? ... Dark, as i said, i can't keep my foundation for all techs up to date as i am getting older. I just can't keep up with the whole deal. And you're right, the discussion took us far beyond my question that's simply because i am confused and i admitted that in my first post.

shodown

depends on what you like to do, and what trends are taking place. Pretty soon provisioning VM's will be so automatic, the help desk will do it for you. VoIP is always going to be a world of its own. You have lots of stuff to do. Considering you have your CCNP Voice you should know very well the complexities of voice and have you actually seen a product that can automate all the things you do in the voice world?

NetworkWarrior33

I understand. Thx, showdown.

Honestly, i love to do voice work more than VM and storage networking and it is more fun.

Thanks guys, appreciate your help.

UnixGuy

darkerosxx wrote: »

.... So, instead of telling a server admin to set up your VM, you'll tell the system to do it.

What would the server admin job be in this case? Manage applications and do more DevOps type roles? Interested to see your prediction

darkerosxx

UnixGuy wrote: »

What would the server admin job be in this case? Manage applications and do more DevOps type roles? Interested to see your prediction

Manage the virtualization platform and the management application that allows users to access and click to get their VM. I mean, you would of course still need someone to manage the VM after it's deployed, so you need server admins on that side, too, but that role could be taken up by the VOIP person who would at that point be trained on the OS configuration specific to the VOIP app. OR, you could have a docker-like setup where the VOIP person just manages the application and never sees the OS. Just depends on where things go.

iBrokeIT

You sound like someone who OD'ed on worry from all those marketing articles full of buzzwords on what's hot and trending...

I think you need to look outside your bubble a little bit more, Network engineering isn't going away anytime soon.

NetworkWarrior33

I wonder why some people consider this discussion as a "Network Engineering is going away"-like discussion. I didn't say that at all. All i said is, what's going to happen to VOIP in this cloud comp. crowd. And no, i am not that kind of person who is worried from buzzwords. I am just noticing a strange phenomenon from network admins shifting to virtual. and cloud computing by their own will, even though it is a server admin job. I just want to know why the heck they do that for. Everybody just focus on the tasks at hand and keep your specialization growing. If android app development is hot, it doesn't mean to change my path towards it. If SAP ERP is hot, it doesn't mean to change my path towards it either. If a quick sandwich restaurant business is hot, do i even care? ... Unless my manager tells me to start studying server administration, i still hate servers and apps.

iBrokeIT

NetworkWarrior33 wrote: »

I am just noticing a strange phenomenon from network admins shifting to virtual.

That's because Software Defined Networks (SDN) are being more popular and what makes that a strange phenomenon? For many of the same reasons servers are virtualized, network functions are also getting virtualized and there needs to be someone to build and manage those networks.

NetworkWarrior33 wrote: »

and cloud computing by their own will, even though it is a server admin job.

According to who? There's you living in a bubble again. In reality not every IT professional is as silo'ed as you make them out to be and does things exactly way your company does things.

NetworkWarrior33 wrote: »

I just want to know why the heck they do that for. Everybody just focus on the tasks at hand and keep your specialization growing.

SDNs are the reason. You seem rather insecure that other Network Engineers are getting into SDNs and "cloud computing", why is that? There are many paths in this profession and you seem rather closed minded towards others doing things differently including specializing in Network Virtualization.

NetworkWarrior33 wrote: »

i still hate servers and apps.

Yes, that is rather apparent by your post lashing out at those roles and the encroachment of cloud computing technologies into the networking sphere

NetworkWarrior33

Ok thank you all for your help.

Oh, iBrokeIT, even though you were aggressive in your last post using terms i don't like, but you inspired and encouraged me to take the CCNA DC route. I think you guys are right, virutalization and storage networking is very important knowledge to add under my belt besides my current studying on Python for network programmability in the upcoming SDN era.

So, this will be my list of to-do work in 2015:

CCNA DC
Python
CCNP DC
VMware vSphere 5.0

Thx again for inspiring me by your comments.

iBrokeIT

Sorry for aggressiveness of the last post but glad I could light a fire under you to use for motivation. I think the DC track is going to be a great a compliment to your existing certs.