John Patrick: ENUM is a Really Big Deal

penciling_in writes "John Patrick, former vice president of Internet technology at IBM, says 'ENUM is a really big deal'. Here is what he has to say on CircleID about this: 'Basically, ENUM is a protocol that will make it possible to converge the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and the Internet. In other words, a telephone number can get you to a Web service -- telephone number in, URL out. The idea can be extremely useful when you consider that most telephones are limited to twelve keys on a keypad. Every try to enter your alphanumeric login ID and password to a web site on a cell phone or Personal Digital Assistant? It is next to impossible! The biggest impact of ENUM will probably be for Voice Over IP (VoIP). In fact, it could be the tipping point.'"

Comments

Whatever happened to IP numbers?

[Saiai Hakutyoutani]

I don't see how this needs an extra protocol. For instance, you could type in Slashdot's address as 66*35*250*150#.

No reason to make it more complicated than it is.

Besides, old technologies such as POTS (Telephones) and TV are frequently regulated (and taxed!) by governments in a way that makes them unsuitable for open content. The very thought of connecting these very taxable technologies to the Internet scares me.

Re:I'd RATHER use URL's on my PHONE...

[gr8_phk]

Try storing the 1781 as a visual pattern. It forms a nice little triangle on the left side of the keypad. If you train yourself to the pattern rather than the digits, you may be able to remember the other digits while punching that triangle. No as many numbers, but one visual. I agree with your general sentiment about the phone system though. I've suffered 3 area code splits in 20 years, all without moving.

Tipping point

[swb]

The tipping point for VoIP will be going to the local discount store and being able to buy a standards-compliant phone with ethernet and/or POTS (depending on the desire to bridge to POTS) for less than $50. Add slightly more money for greater features (more POTS lines, 802.11, cordless, voicemail, etc).

In other words, the standards for VoIP need to crystalize to the point where interoperability with gatekeepers and other switch-like devices is a given, and not some game of vendor lock-in. I should be able to buy a Samsung/Apex/Sampo/$cheap_asian_brand VoIP phone, plug it into my ethernet network and have it just plain work with other VoIP phones, bridges, etc.

How or what the various numbering protocols work isn't the tipping point. The PSTN is too big and complex and the legacy devices too numerous to think that a new, acronym-loaded, buzzword-compliant numbering scheme will make a difference. For VoIP to matter it must initially be transparent to the POTS world, and that means telephone numbers and bridging.

Vonage is on the right track here as a bridging service. Their POTS bridge device is on the right track at least conceptually, although I can't comment on its protocol neutrality.

Re:I'd RATHER use URL's on my PHONE...

[Dun Malg]

Telephone numbers are almost as long as numeric IP addresses. Why not get rid of DNS and key in the addresses? And issue paper "Internet books" where we could look up the IP addresses of sites we wanted to access?

If we ever move to IPv6, those addresses are going to get a LOT longer. Besides, one of the purposes of lookup tools-- be they transparent like DNS or interactive like Google-- is to get AWAY from fixed, paper directories.