International Capitalism - 1455 Words

Globalization may be an overused word, although the new version of international capitalism is still so recent that the actual system on the ground has outrun the scientific and theoretical vocabulary that describes it. As a system, international capitalism is rapidly eliminating geographical and political boundaries, as Marx predicted in the 19th Century. In the global, postmodern economy, branding also involves relentless synergy and tie-ins between various diverse lines of products. Films and cartoons market their images to toy companies, fast-food restaurants and cereal manufacturers, generating billions of dollars of revenue annually, as does the commerce in seeds, genetic materials and even human body parts. Western science and technology have been synonymous with modernization and development in India and other Asian nations, even though this paradigm ignores the historical and cultural that has existed in many civilizations over the centuries. In No Logo, Naomi Klein was highly critical of globalized capitalism and the consolidation of giant corporations and highly standardized brands and chain stores like Wal-Mart, the Gap and Starbucks. All of these companies are not attempting to become that one overarching brand under which we consume, make art, [and] even build our homes (Klein 1999, 2009, p. 130). Even the retail outlets are completely uniform and clone-like, with one Kinkos, Blockbuster or McDonalds looking basically like any of the others. By 1998,Show MoreRelatedHow Relevant Is the Marxist Critique of Capitalism to the Analysis of the Modern International System?2040 Words   |  9 PagesThroughout the past century, the modern international system has been characterized by dominant practices in all of its distinct sectors. In the economic sector, capitalism has been a key economic activity since the 16th century in the form of mercantilism (Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica Online 2014). Since then, capitalism has evolv ed to become the principal economic model in the modern international system in the form of neo-liberal capitalism. For this reason, it has been shaping, and continues to shapeRead MoreMarxisms Tools for Contemporary International Relations Essay1619 Words   |  7 PagesEastern Bloc, the enduring ideological conflict between communism and capitalism was seen to come to an end. The global order has since entered into a neo-liberal capitalist era, with neo-liberal ideologies characterizing the various dimensions of the global order, such as international politics and economics. As the world is homogenizing into neo-liberal capitalist orders, the rich substances of the Marxist school on international relations seem rather distanced. However, this essay will argue theRead MoreKarl Marx And The Communist Manifesto Essay1691 Words   |  7 Pagesof Marxism, its development, critiques, and both the dependency theory and critical theory. Marx closely analysed the economic interactions within the capitalist community, arguing that the unfair wages were being distributed to workers due to capitalism being driven by profit. This is known as the ‘Labour Theory of Value’. This theory illustrates how the rich are becoming richer and the poor and being coming poorer. For example, in 2015, at the top end of the spectrum, 34 million people dominateRead MoreCapitalism : The Highest Stage Of Capitalism1538 Words   |  7 PagesSince Vladimir Lenin was a Marxist and socialist he was opposed to global capitalism, and his book of Imperialism: The Highest Stage of Capitalism points out some of his main arguments regarding the capitalism as a whole. He regarded World War 1 as an imperialist war, caused by pressures that arose from an immediate development of several European empires. The central nations of capitalism participated to expand their exploitative sphere, which led to the conflict of interests and eventually producedRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article Land s End : Capitalist Relations On An Indigenous Frontier ``1558 Words   |  7 PagesIndigenous Frontier†, which was published in 2014; an article in the Journal of Peasant Studies, among other things, entitled â€Å"Food Sovereignty: A Critical Dialogue†, and to give an interesting lecture at the University of Toronto Scarborough entitled â€Å"Capitalism from Above and Below†. The article explores how the Sulawesian people went from producing the food they needed to survive to planting cacao as a cash crop which they sold to survive (Li, 2014). After reading her article and listening to her lectureRead MoreImperialism And Consumerism1365 Words   |  6 Pages Imperialism as a driving force behind the structures of capitalism and consumerism has stood as an extremely powerful tool taken on by many influential economic world powers. The occidentalist concept of importing goods for consumption from less developed peripheral nations, in recent history, has become a concept with heavy influence. This idea of creating a production dichotomy has become foundational to the modern and increasingly connected world and its means of efficient production by trade;Read MoreCapitalism And The Need For Rebellion And Protest1731 Words   |  7 PagesNational University Melodee Stewart HIS 320 Capitalism and the Need For Rebellion and Protest The culture of capitalism emerged from 1450-1930, is defined as, â€Å"culture of capitalism as sets of relations between capitalists, laborers, and consumers, each depending on the other, yet each placing demands on, and often conflicting with, the others† (Robbins). The culture of capitalism is based on the production and sale of commodities. This society and culture function with dedication to the idea thatRead MoreAdam Smith And Karl Marx1674 Words   |  7 Pagesthat produced neoliberalism. In this context, Marx and Marxism are utilized to expose and deconstruct the shortcomings of both liberalism and neoliberalism and their limits in providing solutions to the structural symptoms of liberal and neoliberal capitalism. Adam Smith was key in articulating early Enlightenment liberalism as an alternative to the increasing state powers and their subsequent involvement in regulating not only markets but also individual liberties. For Adam Smith, the free flow ofRead MoreThe Cold War And The International Political Economy1076 Words   |  5 Pages The Cold War and The International Political Economy in the 1970s The article that is going to be reflected in the following paragraphs attempts to describe the connection between the Cold War and the transfigurations of the political economy throughout that time period. In doing so, the article, â€Å"The Cold War and The International Political Economy in the 1970s†, examines various forms of scholarly literature on the topic. Often times, the Cold War and international political economy are disconnectedRead MoreDo Marx s Views On Capitalism Provide Any Insights Into Economic Globalisation Today? Essay1187 Words   |  5 PagesDo Marx s views on capitalism provide any insights into economic globalisation today? Emma Hentschel ID : 216152064  Do Marx s views on capitalism provide any insights into economic globalisation today? Globalization in one of the main driving forces within today s modern world. It is the historical process and transformational development in the global arena, where growth and establishment of global connections in the international community continues to evolve. It is a widely used phrase

Final Exam Sample Questions Chp 1-7 Essay - 2232 Words

Final Exam -- Chapters 1-7 I have placed the Final Exam and the Final Exam Answer Sheet on the Home Page of the course. Download the Final Exam and Final Exam Answer Sheet to your computer. Please submit your completed Final Exam Answer Sheet in the Assignment Drop Box located in the Assignments section of the using the following file name format: lastname _final_exam.doc (for example, smith _final_exam.doc). The Final Exam Answer Sheet is due by Friday, 1/21/11 at midnight--no exceptions. Multiple Choice Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question. ____ 1. The real meaning of relationships is usually made up from: a.|everyday talk and nonverbal communication| b.|dramatic events that†¦show more content†¦The least sophisticated communication models are: a.|transactional| b.|interactional| c.|linear| d.|bifocal| e.|directional| ____ 6. Bart tries to concentrate during a particularly difficult lecture, but finds that he is more focused on the instructors unique dialect and delivery style. This is an example of: a.|noise| b.|feedback| c.|transaction| d.|social diversity| e.|both A and C| ____ 7. The study of communication is more than ____ years old. a.|3000| b.|4100| c.|5000| d.|3200| e.|2500| ____ 8. Why was Plato suspicious of rhetoric? a.|The possibility of its misuse| b.|All citizens might learn how to speak persuasively| c.|It would be the demise of the Academy| d.|It was too difficult for the average person to learn| e.|He was suspicious for all of the above reasons| ____ 9. The first known theorists and teachers of rhetoric or persuasive speaking were: a.|Corax and Isocrates| b.|Isocrates and Plato| c.|Corax and Tisias| d.|Isocrates and Tisias| e.|Plato and Tisias| ____ 10. Stuart has just started preparing a speech for his communication class. He has selected a topic and is thinking about the kind of arguments and evidence he might use in his speech. Stuart is focusing on which canon of public speaking? a.|Invention| b.|Organization| c.|Style| d.|Memory| e.|Delivery| ____ 11. The study of communication, power, and empowerment; especially as it relates to the issue of who is and who is not allowed to speakShow MoreRelatedThe Grizzly Bear Lodge4225 Words   |  17 PagesCourse Hero has millions of student submitted documents similar to the one below including study guides, practice problems, reference materials, practice exams, textbook help and tutor support. Grizzly the Bear Lodge Case Study Discuss how Rudy and Diane can use feed forward, concurrent, and feedback controls both nowandinthefutureattheGrizzlyBearLodgetoensuretheirguestssat isfaction. Feed Forward: Feed forward is really like preventative control. Rudy and Diane should implement plans for

How Curriculum Is Implemented All Within The California...

According to the glossary for Education Reform, the definition of curriculum is â€Å"the lessons and academic content taught in a school or in a specific course or program.† (S. Abbott (Ed.), 2014) This term, curriculum, can be as simple as a unit plan for a specific subject or as complex as district mandated lessons for an entire department. My focus will be on issues surrounding how curriculum is developed, how decisions are made on who teaches what, and how curriculum is implemented all within the California public school system. I believe the core mission of being a teacher is to deliver meaningful curriculum to our students which will allow them to successfully pass each grade level and become productive members of society. How do we, as†¦show more content†¦(Instructional Quality Commission - CalEdFacts) The California Department of Education (CDE) conducts focus groups with the goal of improving existing frameworks. The IQC then creates the Curriculum Framewor k and Evaluation Criteria Committee (CFCC) where half the members must be classroom teachers. The CFCC meets in a forum open to the public. They then create a draft framework. The draft is made public for 60 days where anyone in the community that is interested can comment on it. After the 60 day period, the SBE holds a public hearing to formally adopt the framework. The criteria developed in the framework are used to select instructional materials for schools. (â€Å"Curriculum Frameworks Adoption Process – CalEdFacts†) From here districts choose how the curriculum is implemented in their schools. Throughout the history of education, many curriculum frameworks have followed the one-size-fits-all formula. This model makes schools more like a factory where students sit in class, listen to the teachers lecture, memorize and regurgitate facts, pass a test, and move on if they are able to fit into that mold. If they don’t they fail. We know, based on Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences that people learn and are intelligent in different ways so why would we think that teaching everyone the same thing at the same time in the same way would work? In the most current

The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald - 1372 Words

Knikolas Bentley 2/7/16 Period 4 Mrs. Ross-Cook Spiralling Reality In the book â€Å"The Great Gatsby† by F. Scott Fitzgerald, is about the life of Mr. Jay Gatsby shown in 3rd respective of narrator Nick Caraway. Throughout the novel, the reader is lost on how to characterize Mr.Gatsby because of his choices and decisions of his wealth, memories of the past, and his extreme love for Daisy. As the main character, his actions prove to make him very to define him as an Hero in the story. Gatsby has acquired wealth in many different ways, but has kept many of the ways in hiding and also used it to clean his messes as Nick Carraway describes it; â€Å"I couldn t forgive him or like him, but I saw that what he had done was, to him, entirely justified. It was all very careless and confused. They were careless people, Tom and Daisy – they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness, or whatever it was that kept them together and let other people clean up the mess they had made... (136-145 Fitzgerald)† Tom probably knew Daisy was driving, but to get Gatsby away from Daisy and to gain his wife’s, Daisy, love once more, Tom leads Wilson to Gatsby.Tom knew it was Daisy driving. Just the carelessness of the upper class caused the death of Myrtle. During the 1900’s it was often said the poor got harder charges than the rich. Tom almost treats Gatsby as someone from a different person, a differen t race. He didn’t even seem to feel badShow MoreRelatedThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald1393 Words   |  6 PagesF. Scott Fitzgerald was the model of the American image in the nineteen twenties. He had wealth, fame, a beautiful wife, and an adorable daughter; all seemed perfect. Beneath the gilded faà §ade, however, was an author who struggled with domestic and physical difficulties that plagued his personal life and career throughout its short span. This author helped to launch the theme that is so prevalent in his work; the human instinct to yearn for more, into the forefront of American literature, where itRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1343 Words   |  6 PagesHonors English 10 Shugart 18 Decemeber 2014 The Great Gatsby F. Scott Fitzgerald s 1925 novel The Great Gatsby is a tragic love story, a mystery, and a social commentary on American life. The Great Gatsby is about the lives of four wealthy characters observed by the narrator, Nick Carroway. Throughout the novel a mysterious man named Jay Gatsby throws immaculate parties every Saturday night in hope to impress his lost lover, Daisy Buchanan. Gatsby lives in a mansion on West Egg across from DaisyRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1155 Words   |  5 PagesThe Great Gatsby The Jazz Age was an era where everything and anything seemed possible. It started with the beginning of a new age with America coming out of World War I as the most powerful nation in the world (Novel reflections on, 2007). As a result, the nation soon faced a culture-shock of material prosperity during the 1920’s. Also known as the â€Å"roaring twenties†, it was a time where life consisted of prodigality and extravagant parties. Writing based on his personal experiences, author F. ScottRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1166 Words   |  5 Pagesin the Haze F. Scott Fitzgerald lived in a time that was characterized by an unbelievable lack of substance. After the tragedy and horrors of WWI, people were focused on anything that they could that would distract from the emptiness that had swallowed them. Tangible greed tied with extreme materialism left many, by the end of this time period, disenchanted. The usage of the literary theories of both Biographical and Historical lenses provide a unique interpretation of the Great Gatsby centered aroundRead MoreThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald845 Words   |  3 PagesIn F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel, The Great Gatsby, colors represent a variety of symbols that relate back to the American Dream. The dream of being pure, innocent and perfect is frequently associated with the reality of corruption, violence, and affairs. Gatsby’s desire for achieving the American Dream is sought for through corruption (Schneider). The American Dream in the 1920s was perceived as a desire of w ealth and social standings. Social class is represented through the East Egg, the WestRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald Essay970 Words   |  4 Pagesrespecting and valuing Fitzgerald work in the twenty-first century? Fitzgerald had a hard time to profiting from his writing, but he was not successful after his first novel. There are three major point of this essay are: the background history of Fitzgerald life, the comparisons between Fitzgerald and the Gatsby from his number one book in America The Great Gatsby, and the Fitzgerald got influences of behind the writing and being a writer. From childhood to adulthood, Fitzgerald faced many good andRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald2099 Words   |  9 Pagesauthor to mirror his life in his book. In his previous novels F. Scott Fitzgerald drew from his life experiences. He said that his next novel, The Great Gatsby, would be different. He said, â€Å"In my new novel I’m thrown directly on purely creative work† (F. Scott Fitzgerald). He did not realize or did not want it to appear that he was taking his own story and intertwining it within his new novel. In The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald, he imitates his lifestyle through the Buchanan family to demonstrateRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1607 Words   |  7 Pages The Great Gatsby is an American novel written in 1925 by F. Scott Fitzgerald. One of the themes of the book is the American Dream. The American Dream is an idea in which Americans believe through hard work they can achieve success and prosperity in the free world. In F. Scott Fitzgerald s novel, The Great Gatsby, the American Dream leads to popularity, extreme jealousy and false happiness. Jay Gatsby’s recent fortune and wealthiness helped him earn a high social position and become one of the mostRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1592 Words   |  7 PagesMcGowan English 11A, Period 4 9 January 2014 The Great Gatsby Individuals who approach life with an optimistic mindset generally have their goals established as their main priority. Driven by ambition, they are determined to fulfill their desires; without reluctance. These strong-minded individuals refuse to be influenced by negative reinforcements, and rely on hope in order to achieve their dreams. As a man of persistence, the wealthy Jay Gatsby continuously strives to reclaim the love of hisRead MoreThe Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald1646 Words   |  7 PagesThe 1920s witnessed the death of the American Dream, a message immortalized in F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. Initially, the American Dream represented the outcome of American ideals, that everyone has the freedom and opportunity to achieve their dreams provided they perform honest hard work. During the 1920s, the United States experienced massive economic prosperity making the American Dream seem alive and strong. However, in Fitzgerald’s eyes, the new Am erican culture build around that

Internet Addition Essay Example For Students

Internet Addition Essay Theme: Social Impact of the InternetThe Internet is the largest source of information in the world today. With its web sites and chat rooms, it is a means of communicating with people in places all over the face of the earth. Since its conception in 1973, the Internet has grown at a whirlwind rate. 51 million adults, were on-line as of the second quarter 1997 in the United States alone. Some say that the Internet is so enjoyable that it is almost addictive. The problem is that researchers are beginning to agree with them. Studies are revealing that there may be an actual form of addiction involved with over-use of the Internet. Identifying which category of addiction the Internet falls into is the problem. There are no real answers yet because research in this area is at the beginning stages. While lost in this so called ‘Cyber Community’ for long periods of time, people are neglecting other important activities like; time with the family, socializing, work and health co ncerns. One of the most extensive studies on Internet Addiction to date was conducted by Dr. Kimberly S. Young of the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. In her study, she revealed concrete evidence supporting the Internet Addiction claim. However, help for web addicts is available. There are several web sites available for the treatment of Internet addiction, as well as counseling centers and clinics. The Internet is the largest most versatile source of information in the world today. With its web sites and chat rooms, it is a means of communicating with people in places all over the face of the earth. But with all this power at our fingertips, are there any negative impacts of using this interface? Are we as ‘simple humans’ capable of interacting with such a powerful communication source. Recent studies are beginning to uncover evidence that would suggest that maybe some of us are not so capable of dealing with this technology. In fact, as more research is conducted, experts are finding that the Internet may even be addictive!Development of the Internet began about 15 years ago. In 1973 the U.S. Defense Research Projects Agency initiated a program to research the techniques and technologies for inter-lin king various types of networks.1 The objective was to develop communication protocols that would allow networked computers to communicate transparently across multiple, linked networks. This was called the internetting project and the system of networks that emerged from the research was known as the Internet. Since that time, various other research projects, to include those conducted by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, have shaped and tailored this project to give us the Internet as we know it today. The Internet has now grown to include over 4500 Service Providers in the United States alone. A survey by Christian Huitema of Bellcore indicated that there were 26 million host computers on the Internet as of September 1997.2 A survey conducted by Intelli Quest Information Group Inc. showed that 51 million adults, age 16 or older, were on-line as of the second quarter 1997 in the United States alone.3 With such a large portion of the population swimming in this seemingly never-ending sea of information, what is the real impact of the Internet on society? It seems that the majority of society thinks the Internet is the greatest invention since the telephone. This is probably best justified by the whirlwind rate at which the Internet grows. In fact, some say that the Internet is so enjoyable that it is almost addicting! The problem is that recent studies have shown that the Internet may not only be addicting because it is enjoyable, but that a fairly large number of users are experien cing addiction of a clinical form.4 Identifying which category of addiction the Internet falls into is another problem. There are no real answers yet because research in this area is at the beginning stages. A few researchers are comparing the Internets effects to marijuana as a psychostimulant. They argue that the chemicals in marijuana activate the same stimuli as the Internet.5 Most researchers to this date do, however, agree that this is some type of behavioral addiction. People can become addicted to activities even when there is no physiological dependence or physiological addiction. Overeating, sex, work, exercise and gambling can be addictive if done to excess.6 Behavioral addiction means that the activity alters your emotional state in some way. The main way to determine if an activity is addictive is if it is having a negative impact on some other important area of your life. The questions to be answered now are, if there is such a thing as Internet addiction, what are the effects of this addiction and why are people falling into this trap?According to Dr. Maressa Orzack of the Computer Addiction Services at Harvard University’s McClean Hospital in Boston, â€Å"The single greatest factor in becoming an addict is boredom.† â€Å"They’re lonely, and the Internet, with its chat rooms and endless information, fills a need.†7The chat rooms, whether they are used for sexual and romantic encounters or just to talk to other people around the world, seem to be the number one temptation. Others include fantasy games and the ability to create false identities of oneself. Although this ability to create a false identity is not one of the main lures, it does play a major role when looking at the psychological effects of the Internet. The Causes of the Revolutionary War Essay You would rather talk to people on-line than face-to-face. You sleep less than five hours a night so you can spend more time on-line. You are having increased difficulty discussing matters not related to the Net. The dilemma here is that most people will not admit they have a problem (as with most other addictions). Some researchers state that people may be using the Internet to substitute for other addictions. When someone finally realizes they have a problem, however, help is available. There are a number of web sites available for the treatment of Internet addiction. They include sites like Welcome to the Web Addicts Detox Page or †The Internet Anonymous Virtual Meeting Page.â€Å" There is even software available for addicts. One such package is Graham’s Mac Shareware. However, trying to cure on-line addiction by going on-line is probably not the best answer. Face to face counseling is probably the best method for dealing with this problem. The availability of this type of counseling is expanding rapidly. Over the past two years, two major clinics have also been established to treat this addiction. One that was mentioned earlier is at Harvard University’s McClean Hosp ital in Boston. The other is the Center for On-Line Addiction at the University of Pittsburgh at Bradford. The latter is Directed by Dr. Kimberly S. Young whose research was also mentioned earlier. To this date, her clinic alone has reviewed more than 400 Internet Addiction cases.8 The Internet has grown rapidly since its beginnings in 1973. It has spread to all corners of the earth bringing multitudes of information and communication capabilities to people everywhere. The problem for some people is that it may be too much to control. Addiction to the Internet affects the victim both psychologically and socially. Research in this area is still in the beginning phases, but the results warrant further studies. If you feel that you are losing control, help is available both on and off-line. However, the best advice offered by experts for when you begin losing touch with reality is to just pull the plug. Bibliography:WORKS CITED1.)Cerf, Vint. A Brief History of the Internet Internet His tory. (12 Sep 97)2.)Gehl, John Douglas Suzanne. â€Å"Internet Keeps Growing and Growing.† Edupage. 16 Sep 97 3.)INTELLI QUEST. Internet Survey. Internet News. 04 Sep 97(08 Sep 97) 4.)Smith, J.W. Internet Addiction Internet Addiction.. 15 Nov 96(11 Sep 97) 5.)Blakley, Ben. Mouse Potatoes the Net, Is the Internet Addictive? The Internet is Addictive!† Internet Addiction.(11 Sep 97)6.)Internet Addiction Internet Addiction.(11 Sep 97)7.)Gong, E.J. Jr. ABC News.com. Internet Addiction. (11 Sep 97) 8.)Tate, Gary Welcome to my Internet Addiction Page. Internet Addiction. 4 Sep 97(11 Sep 97) 9.)Young, Kimberly S. Internet Addiction: The Emergence of a New Clinical Disorder.† Internet Addiction.(11 Sep 97)

Convergence Essay Example For Students

Convergence Essay TABLE OF CONTENTSExecutive Summary 1Introduction 2Part I Business Factors 3What is Convergence? 3Toll Bypass 3Utilization ? Getting Your Moneys Worth 3Part II Technical Overview 4Mixed-Media Requirements 4Problems: Delay 4 Packet Loss 5 Jitter 5 Network Technology 5Voice over ATM 5Voice over Frame Relay 6Voice over IP 7Inter-Vendor Support 8H.323 8Part III Implementations 10Types of VoIP ImplementationsVoIP through a router 10 LAN Telephones 10IP PBX 11VoIP Gateway 12Conclusion 13Appendix A ? Works Cited 14IllustrationsChart 1 ? Cost of International Voice Calls 3Graph 1 ? Long 1-Way Voice Transmission 4Chart 2 ? Summary of H.32x Standards 8Picture 1 ? Converged Network Architecture 9Picture 2 ? H.323 Architecture 9Picture 3 ? VoIP through a Router 10Picture 4 ? LAN Telephones 11Picture 5 ? IP PBX 11Picture 6 ? VoIP Gateway 12Picture 7 ? Ciscos Consolidated Data-Voice Network 13EXECUTIVE SUMMARYThe universal belief, today, is that IP will become the transport for virtually all commu nications traffic. Yet, there are still fundamental issues involved with converging voice and data traffic onto the same medium. Many vendors and standards organizations are working on developing solutions that interoperate together. It is no longer desirable to have proprietary products that do not work outside the company walls. Users expect a quality of service equal to that which they are already experiencing. By making use of intelligent network design, advanced routing protocols and open-industry architecture this dream can become a reality. Umbrella standards, such as H.323, spell out a model that is non-vendor specific for providing voice, video and integrated data. Merging telephony and data will have two major benefits. The first, and most important to any businessperson, is the impact on the IT budget. Within the IT budget three areas will have savings: IT personnel, network equipment, transmission services. The IT personnel will have to be knowledgeable in both data and voice networking. Thus reducing the need for separate teams. In most cases the need for forklift upgrades has been eliminated. By simply adding hardware components and software the migration can begin. The second, and more significant than the first, is the new applications that this makes possible. Combining voice and data onto one packet infrastructure enables new capabilities that are not possible with separate networks. Together they produce a synergistic effect that can give a company customer interaction capabilities like never seen before. The network itself can be chosen for facilitating voice and data. The most impressive of which is voice over ATM. ATMs high speed, high availability, scalable architecture molds well to the requirements of convergence. Voice over IP is a more general technology allowing a variety of networks to run underneath its mature, sophisticated protocols. Several implementations allow for a gradual migration that many times uses much of the existing hardware. By properly planning and slowing making the migration, a company can be assured that end result will be a success. INTRODUCTIONConverging voice and data communications onto the same network is, by no means, easy. The two, although at first seeming alike, they are actually quite different at heart. Networks can be classified in one of two ways. The network is said to be connection oriented when a direct connection, physical or logical, is setup before data is transferred. Connection-less, however, simply addresses information and sends it to the recipient. Every packet is addressed and must be routed through the internetwork, meaning packets can take several different paths to the source. Voice networks are circuit-switching networks. They are connection oriented, whereby the caller and the called party have a connection established before talking. Data networks are a packet switc hing technology. No setup occurs when data is sent and received. Each individual packet must receive a network layer header with the destination address. When the packet is passed between routers, not all packets take the same path. This is because routing protocols have intelligent route selection capabilities that allow load balancing and other features. It is easy to see intrinsic difference. How do you make connection-less behave as connection oriented?Voice service has been highly refined for many years. Users have become accustomed to highly available, clear, fast connections when making phone calls. This presents a major quality of service (QoS) hurtle that must be overcome for Voice over IP to be accepted Protocols have been developed that use certain bits within the IP header to define the Type of Service (ToS). Currently, many vendors have used these bits in a proprietary manor but the IETF has decided to redefine them. Another issue arises when defining QoS, what do you d o differently with high priority traffic versus low? To this RSVP has answered with the ability to define a route through the network and then have high priority (Voice) traffic routed along that same path. The leaps and bounds that technology has made in recent years have opened the door to faster routers with much more sophisticated routing protocols. Enabling higher and higher data rates that are necessary for the limited delay requirements of voice traffic. Even network design has been rethought to allow for speeder and more reliable connections. Innovations and education from vendors like Cisco, 3COM and Nortel have lead to lowered congestion on network segments. This enables networks to scale as large as the company and maintain similar features across the whole enterprise. Throughout this paper it will discuss both business and technical issues associated with migrating towards a seamless voice and data network. It would be unwise to try to implement these changes too quickly. The quality of service users are accustomed to must not change. The object of networking is to increase productivity and decrease cost. A converged network promises both but the migration process must be well managed in order to ensure a smooth transition. Business FactorsWhat is Convergence? Convergence has been a hot topic for many years. The dream spawned by the Internets wealth of possibilities, of a combined voice, video and data network has fueled vendors to come up with an industry-wide, non-vendor-specific solutions. More importantly for business this dream spells big savings over the long run. Three areas of the IT budget should see savings. ? IT Personnel ? Rather than having data-network personnel and voice-network personnel. IT staff will be required to be knowledgeab le in both areas and therefore cutback to one slightly larger team. ? Network Equipment ? Although at first, in order to establish the technology, cost may be significant. By using Computer Telephony Integration (CTI) the need for dedicated, specialized devices can be reduced. Also packet switching is soon becoming as much as 20 ? 50 times more cost-effective than circuit switching because of its connection-less nature. ? Transmission Services ? Mainly dealing with cost savings from non-US calls. Convergence is defined as combining voice and data in one media without channellizing. There are basically five ways of doing this:? Point to Point digital circuits? LAN? Frame Relay? Corporate intranet? InternetToll BypassThe global market that we live in today demands that businesses conduct calls with foreign countries. The price of these calls can have a high impact on the IT budget (see chart 1). Destination Country Cost Per MinuteIreland US$0.40Japan US$0.35Israel US$0.75Brazil US$0.55For most large companies, US calls should not cost more than three cents a minute. The cost savings for international calls, on the other hand, by using VoIP is obvious after considering the volume of calls that occur. -Packet Magazine V.12, N.2, page 63Utilization ? Getting your Moneys WorthIts a fact that data communications is bursty. Meaning, data transfer peaks for a moment and then is stagnant. Consider when you are browsing on the Internet. Data transfer is high as the page downloads. Once loaded, you sit and read. The connection is idle and bandwidth is not being used. For a business, this unused bandwidth is wasteful because it could be used for other traffic that may need it. Utilization is formally defined as ?The percent of total available capacity in use.? Capacity being the total ?data carrying capability of a circuit or network in bits per second.? The cost associated with high-speed circuits is too great to allow them to go unused. Optimum network utilization occurs for Ethernet under 37%. After this point the network is too saturated with communications and token passing methods out perform CSMA/CD (Carrier Sensed Multiple Access with Collision Detection). For token passing methods utilization can approach upwards of 70%. WAN links, such as those used for VoIP, should be operating at about 70% utilization before considering an upgrade. Who Has Seen the Wind: Meaning of Life EssayWhen the remote router receives the Q.931 call request, it signals a line seizure to the PBX. After the PBX acknowledges, the router forwards the dialed digits to the PBX and signals a call acknowledgment to the originating router. All the responsibility for session establishment and signaling is with the end stations. To successfully accomplish this, additional enhancements must be made to the signaling stack. H.323 is such an addition and will be discussed in-depth next. Corporations should already have an IP addressing scheme in place. The voice interfaces will show up as additional nodes, either as an extension of the existing scheme or with new IP addresses. The dial plan mapper performs translation of these addresses. The destination telephone number or some portion is mapped to the destination IP address. When the number is received from the PBX, the router compares the number to those mapped in the routing table. If a match is found, the call is routed to the IP host and is transparent to the user. VoIP real strength is rooted in IPs mature and sophisticated routing protocols. By using routing protocols such as Enhanced Interior Gateway Routing Protocol (EIGRP) specific factors including delay are taken into consideration for best route decisions. Other advanced features like policy routing and access-list allow you to create highly secure networks. Increasing innovations, such as tag switching, are also being developed to allow better traffic engineering. This will lead to the ability to shift traffic load based on different variables, such as time of day. Traditionally, IP traffic has been handled on a ?best effort? mechanism. Traffic was first come, first serve but voice is not tolerant to retransmission and delay. Also the variable packet size problem is an issue. Once again using RSVP to initially find a route through network and then using RFC 1717 to break up the large packet to a standard, smaller size was the solution. Weighed fair queuing was also used to put different traffic types into specific QoS queues and thus reducing queuing delay. H.323The ITU created the H.323 standard to enable mixed-media communications over packet based networks that do not provide QoS. The standard is said to be an umbrella encompassing various associated standards (See chart 2). Although H.323 provides support for audio, video, data and multipoint conferencing, only the audio support is mandatory. H.320 H.321 H.322 H.323 H.324Purpose Narrowband ISDN Broadband ISDN, LAN, ATM Guaranteed bandwidth packet networks No guaranteed bandwidth packet networks and Ethernet Analog PSTN telephone systemAudio G.711, 722, 728 G.711, 722, 728 G.711, 722, 728 G.711, 722, 723, 728, 729 G.723Video H.261, 263 H.261, 263 H.261, 263 H.261, 263 H.261, 263Multipoint H.231, 243 H.231, 243 H.242, 243 H.323 Control H.320, 242 H.242 H.231, 243 H.245 H.245Interface I.400 AAL I.400, TCP/IP UDP/IP, TCP/IP V.34-The Irwin Handbook of Telecommunications, 4th edition. H.323 power comes from its multitude of other standards. Many applications are possible by using this architecture including: Internet telephony, desktop videoconferencing, LAN telephony, conference calling and mixed media conferences such as voice, video and whiteboard. Interoperability is a key feature in todays networks. H.323 uses industry open standards which when followed by vendors allows other products to work together. A general H.323 architecture is shown in figures 1 2 below. The TCP/IP network uses TCP (reliable connection-oriented protocol) for call setup and UDP (fast, connection-less protocol) for voice packets. A signaling channel known as the RAS channel is used for communications between devices. Real-Time Transport (RTP) is used to sequence packets, compensating for UDPs lack of this capability. Real-Time Control Protocol (RTCP) monitors QoS. -Figure 1-Radcom VoIP Technology Protocol Reference poster. ? Gatekeeper ? Manages a zone (collection of H.323 devices). o Required Functionality ? Address translation, admissions and bandwidth control. o Optional Functionality ? Call authorization, bandwidth management, supplementary services, directory services, call management services. ? Gateway ? Provides interoperability between different networks, converts signaling and media e.g. IP/PSTN gateway? H.323 Terminal ? Endpoint on a LAN. Supports real-time, 2-way communications with another H.323 entity. Must support voice (audio codecs) and signaling (Q.931, H.245, RAS). Optionally supports video and data e.g. PC phone or videophone, Ethernet phone. ? MCU ? Supports conferences between 3 or more endpoints. Contains multipoint controller (MC) for signaling. May contain multi-point processors (MP) for media stream processing. Can be stand-alone (i.e. PC) or integrated into a gateway, gatekeeper or terminal. ImplementationsTypes of VoIP ImplementationsVoIP through a RouterBenefits:? If a PBX already exists, it makes maximum use of existing resources? The service is completely transparent to users? The connection can be completed over any available packet network. ? Blockage of voice calls should be rare since the PBX can complete the call over the PSTN. LAN TELEPHONESThis configuration allows you to connect devices directly to the network. Analog telephones can be connected using an Ethernet adapter through a PC. The PC gives you a lot of versatility because it can substitute for the telephones button interface. Calls within the zone are controlled by the VoIP gateway rather than having a PBX onsite. This implementation is inexpensive and great for branch offices. IP PBXAlso known as the un-PBX. This implementation has PBX hardware and software function loaded on a PC running something like Windows NT or Unix. The various cards can be loaded into the PC and generate call-processing programs. Obviously, though, the fault-tolerance of an un-PBX compared to a real PBX is no contest. PBXs are very specialized and refined systems that are far more robust than any PC. VoIP through a GatewayThis implementation is very similar to VoIP through a router, however, instead of using a router to route the calls; the functionality is part of the PBX. This can be a function of one of the cards in the PBX or simply a stand-alone device connected to the PBX. According to the Irwin Handbook of Telecommunications, ?Some manufacturers such as Lucent and Nortel provide IP trunk cards, but others do not, in which case the PBX would connect to either the router or the gateway through standard T1/E1 or analog tie trunk cards. Technology Essays