The coming voice-data consolidation trend will transcend traditional market segments, encompassing business and residential, local and long-distance, local-area network (LAN) and wide-area network (WAN), wireline and wireless, and domestic and international divisions. The benefits of voice-data consolidation on a single packetized network accrue in a number of areas to service providers and end users alike.

For service providers, a single network simplifies network monitoring, troubleshooting and problem resolution, and customer service by consolidating multiple network management systems into a single platform. It also streamlines personnel training requirements, provides economies of scale by consolidating multiple types of traffic instead of having separate overlay networks for each, and enables entirely new value-added, revenue-generating, and customer relationship–building services.

For end users, the benefits of a unified network are similar. Network management can be combined under a single umbrella management system; the heretofore separate telecommunications and data communications departments can ultimately be combined; monthly recurring costs for access lines and WAN services can be decreased through the consolidation of access lines and resulting economies of scale; and, ultimately, a single, internal wiring infrastructure can be used for both voice and data.