Happily ever after

Once upon a time, telecom companies focused on circuit-switched, time division multiplexing networks.

But the Telecom Act of 1996 turned everything on its head by inviting competition. Competition brought service innovations. Services brought new applications. And now, the proliferation of data is changing the makeup of network traffic to such a degree that providers are building (or planning) IP-optimized networks for the future.

After the initial data brush-off, carriers realized they needed to develop that aspect of their businesses. But how? Their networks were designed for short voice calls. ATM is ideal: reliable, available and already installed. The chasm led to a voice vs. data clash, seemingly fueled by vendors with vested interests.

Take, for example, the Big Battle. IP vs. ATM: Who will win? The debate has raged with religious-like fervor. Legacy-laden carriers raised a cautious but curious eye toward the IP side of networking. Telecom vendors were skeptical that computer vendors would have the right stuff for carrier networks. IP vendors were giddy, excited about the new opportunities ahead.

Each party took a stand and held it passionately. But the story has a happy ending.

Now, it seems, carriers and vendors have seen the light. Gone (mostly) is the infighting between the data heads and the Bell heads. Today, cooperation reigns.

After lobbing insults and options, vendors-no doubt pushed by their carrier customers-are taking a more peaceful approach. Of course, IP and ATM will work together. They have to. No incumbent carrier is going to rip out the existing (and highly reliable) network to build an IP network that can't prove it sent traffic to the proper destination. And no service provider will bet its business on a single technology.

The first step was recognizing the benefits and disadvantages of ATM and IP individually. Having accepted that, the industry is sizing up ways to make the two interwork. It looks like IP wins at the edge and reliable old ATM will remain in the core. The sum is greater the whole of its parts. The end.