In the age of real time communications, the success of the financial enterprise depends upon the speed in which it delivers. Data has to be real-time, multi-site collaboration must be seamless and expansion into new markets must be easily and cost-effectively facilitated. Enterprises need a distributed workforce that allows for both efficient growth and viable options for disaster recovery. The next generation turret will take a giant step toward making these goals possible. Built on an IP infrastructure that supports all trader voice and PBX functions in one unified system, the new turrets will give the financial enterprise more flexibility than ever.

Currently, communications are delivered to this fast-paced market segment using several mission-critical tools. Market data feeds, turrets for trader voice applications, CRM tools, PBX and video conferencing systems are all used to provide mission-critical data. Each tool is effective in delivering the necessary information; however, each tool functions independently from the next. Often, the equipment was purchased over time from a variety of vendors with multiple support contracts. As financial enterprises expand, they are finding that these distributed systems are difficult to maintain. Small branch offices need to be opened throughout the world, but it takes weeks to coordinate the integration of the various systems. Disaster recovery plans have become expensive, unmanageable and still fall short of the ultimate goal. The ability to have a productive workforce functioning from a live backup site is difficult to do when all the systems are not integrated, or worse, managed by several different vendors.

As a result, many firms are turning to an IP-based infrastructure. The decision to move to IP is not made lightly. An enterprise must consider both the financial and strategic implications of such a change. Among these considerations are the overall return on investment, the potential for ongoing cost savings, improvement in employee productivity and the manageability of the network. Integral as well is the ability to create a viable and cost-effective option for disaster recovery. Enterprises are finding that an IP-based communications infrastructure will meet these needs. In fact, in a recent study conducted by Sage Research, it was found that IP communications cost savings are distributed among four primary areas as noted in the diagram above.

Cost savings alone will not drive the conversion to an IP infrastructure. The need to support a distributed workforce will elicit change. Whether in support of large backup sites to protect against avian flu threats, or simply to add numerous branch offices, an IP infrastructure provides a flexible solution. IP can handle the unique, real-time requirements of voice and video. In combination with regional clustering of call control and call routing, IP facilitates a systematic installation of remote locations.

This paves the way for a change in traditional trader voice applications. IP turrets, using Cisco Unified CallManager, are able to encrypt and authenticate voice traffic to provide maximum privacy. In addition, IP turrets that utilize a shared call handling infrastructure are able to seamlessly integrate with back office phone systems, simplifying management. When properly configured, this integrated system can be made more reliable than the existing TDM PBX and turret systems by building in redundancies and automatic fail-over options.

The next generation turret will not only prioritize voice traffic, but will also let all users on the system see line status, call state and user availability. This, combined with unified messaging capabilities and IP video, will accelerate the speed in which a user can react to incoming information. In fact, according to a recent Sage Research study, mobile users with IP-based unified communications applications saved 32 minutes per day simply because they could more effectively find and communicate with other members of the team.

These factors alone do not justify the addition of IP-based turrets. An enterprise must also take into consideration the interoperability of the turret. If the turret system is built on open standards, it will support tight integration with software vendors such as Microsoft and IBM. Financial enterprises will be able to take advantage of that integration and use the turret to support Microsoft Active Directory and Outlook distribution lists, CRM applications and even voice recording, all on the same IP endpoint. In addition, the enterprise is no longer held to the confines of a proprietary architecture. Instead, the possibilities for the next generation turret are in the hands of the enterprise.

Heather Selbert is VP of Operations at American Telesis, Inc., 800-297-1122; email: heather@american-telesis.net; web: www.american-telesis.net.