Some 50 people gathered for San Francisco Section's September 13 meeting to hear Marthin De Beer speak about Internet Protocol (IP) communications, and the convergence of audio, video, and data on the Internet. De Beer is vice president and general manager of the Commercial Voice Video Business Unit and the Telepresence Business Unit at Cisco Systems, in San Jose, California.

De Beer explained that the Internet began as a data network called DARPANET (Defense Advanced Research Projects Network), connecting the United States military with research laboratories and universities. The Internet has since evolved into a widely accessible pipeline for audio, video, and data. To make the IP Networks suitable as a universal broadcast medium, a systems approach is essential. Complex, multilevel systems must interact in real-time while moving massive data streams. In addition, the network must adapt automatically to the needs of the user, be highly available, exponentially scalable, and universally accessible.

According to De Beer, the inner workings of IP networks are invisible to all but the most sophisticated users. Audio is becoming more prevalent on the Internet, both for voice communication and high-quality uses. In particular, Voice Over the Internet Protocol (VOIP) is growing rapidly. Sixty-five percent of Fortune 500 companies use VOIP telephony and Cisco Systems deploys an average of 6500 VOIP telephones a day. One practical application of Cisco Systems VOIP expertise is an enterprise-wide virtual Private Branch Exchange (PBX) for a national bank, which replaces hundreds of local telephone exchanges. Among the results are consistent dialing features, a centralized system for administration and maintenance, and millions of dollars in savings.

Cisco Systems has an ambitious vision for the future of the Internet, said De Beers. Part of that vision is to create a network that would be similar in coverage to the electrical grid. The user would plug in at connection points that would be as commonplace as electrical outlets. Telephone callers would dial a person instead of a number. The location of the person the caller is trying to reach would not matter. The network would locate the individual.

Paul Howard and Tom Merklein