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Does VNQM have a future?

horsleya

It is obvious that the VNQM module does not get the focus that the other modules do.

How long was it before we got a release Candidate for Cisco Call Manager V11 and still no SIP trunk support.

With Avaya going Bankrupt does this make VNQM a proprietary product (i.e. Cisco only)?

VNQM has always felt a little dis-jointed:

IPSLA but no CBQOS

Call Manager status (But not as detailed as the SAM template)

Voice Gateways but not SIP trunks

Call Logging

Would Solarwinds be better moving IPSLA into NTA and treating Voice as an Application as SAM already has a Call Manager template?

SIP / PSTN monitoring could be treated as interface monitoring?

I am certainly finding it very hard to justify VNQM anymore due to the slow development cycle and hence lack of capability.

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solaradmin

We own VNQM, after moving to my new server I haven't even bothered redeploying it. Maybe it would be useful if i didn't already own SAM,NTA,NPM

rschroeder

Some of us are hoping Avaya's financial restructuring will mean the company can resume and become a viable and profitable solution in the future. However, they touched Nortel, and maybe they're contaminated with bad luck as a result.

Avaya Inc. Files for Chapter 11 Protection

" . . . has commenced a formal proceeding to restructure its balance sheet to better position itself for the future . . ."

That might be double-speak . . .

horsleya

I have supported a large Avaya Contact centre and they certainly did a fantastic job of that.

However I felt that they relied too heavily on the Contact Centre and never had a clear and consistent approach to UC.

In particular their integration with Video appeared to change with the Wind. one moment it was re-branded LifeSize, then it was all about the Flare, then it was Scopia.

It just never appeared to form any cohesive direction.

I certainly hope that they restructure somehow as I think they are an important player in the field.

jkuvlesk

We have a new release now - in release candidate. Here are the release notes: https://support.solarwinds.com/Success_Center/VoIP_Network_Quality_Manager_(VNQM)/VNQM_4.4_Release_Notes New Getting Started Guide: https://support.solarwinds.com/Success_Center/VoIP_Network_Quality_Manager_(VNQM)/VNQM_Getting_Started_Guide We do offer CBQoS monitoring in Network Traffic Analyzer.

horsleya

Thank you for the update.

I have the RC 4.4 installed and it solved my AXL issue with Call Manager V11. (Although a RC for NPM is a pre-req).

However there is still no support for SIP Trunks which is essential as traditional PSTN connectivity is becoming non-existent in our customer base.

My point regarding CBQOS is that I feel that it should be in the same module as IPSLA as you really need both to monitor Voice Quality successfully.

IPSLA and CBQOS should either both be in NTA or both in VNQM and not split between the two.

teddybearvoip

I certainly hope VNQM does have a future we have just deployed VNQM against 2 Avaya CM Platforms of 10,000 extensions each. The data is extremely useful in monitoring voice quality. It could be more granular and have better reports and search options etc. Without it would be rather lost on per call quality monitoring. No other vendor can provide the same cost per extension and can cope with 20,000 extensions easily.

It should support SIP trunking as we are expanding into SIP trunk which will become the standard within the next few years moving away from ISDN 30 direct to CM.

Avaya is in Chapter 11 which is different. The Avaya technology will continue to be around as there is such a large install base and want other platform comes close for enterprise large scale solutions.

horsleya

I do not disagree - particularly about the Chapter 11 piece!

I just wish Solarwinds would evolve the product quicker so I can actually use it on my current infrastructure.

Voice and UC are moving fast but the VNQM module is not.

Interestingly Voice is fast becoming absorbed into UC. So Voice is now an application with special demands on the network Infrastructure.

Contact centres are replacing Call centres so Voice is just one of several communications method that businesses use.

As the customer base for a Business moves from Baby Boomers through Generations X, Y and Z Voice will become less and less the chosen form of communication.

So unless VNQM becomes a 'UC' or 'UCC' module rather then a Voice module I think its days are numbered - Just my opinion.

The CDR/CMR call logging is a interesting point however as that does not have a natural alternative module!

teddybearvoip

Agree the VNQM module needs more work. It may be better that Voice does become a UCC module. It would be handy if it could monitor voice\Video as we now have the Avaya Flash Media Gateway application and have no easy way to monitor the Voice and Video application. The CDR\VNQM call logging is only extension to extension but as a say extremely useful. The only issue we have is that the CDRRTCP stream puts heavy load on the polling engine and needs a very powerful SQL server.

SIP monitoring is required

Antimus82

I agree on the SIP monitoring. I am glad CUCM v11.X is now fully supported but because I need to get move info from my CUBES I have to look for another product to monitor SIP calls. I want to keep VNQM but without SIP call monitoring support I have to look else were.

djassi

It has become difficult to justify the expense.

We moved from CUCM to Skype for Business, and the coverage for SfB is non-existent, not even for basic SIP monitoring. We are now unifying our voice/collaboration infrastructure and we basically have nothing from the SW stack that can gives us the visibility that our other SW products do...

I preemptively agree that SfB is probably not the most common solution, but the fact is that CUCM is losing traction to SfB. I would like to see some functionality in monitoring SfB services, quality and even phones.

horsleya

Excellent point. I have also seen an increasing move away from Cisco to SfB which weakens the VNQM modules position even further.

There just appears to be less and less value to be gained from having this module. I can see less people buying it going forward and existing users failing to renew unless something dramatic happens within its capability.

teddybearvoip

I agree that Cisco CUCM is loosing ground. Even we are looking at Skype for Business instead of CUCM, the thing is in large Enterprise companies that Voice Call Centers will always have a place. this is where Avaya Communication Manager still has its core Business Model and where the phones using VNQM need monitoring.

sja

Good point

VNQM should adapt to SIP & QE (quality of experience) from Juniper HP and other ...FAST

else no reason to keep the product a live...