The training isn't that difficult, according to IT professionals whose careers have spanned both sides of the house. But I look at them and think, I was running networks before you were out of diapers, so don't tell me I can't do it. In fact, voice folks should look forward to the new order with confidence. Data engineers tend to be one-trick ponies who can only discuss one aspect of the network, while voice people are generalists. It's easier for us to embrace the data world because we've always had to be more flexible, Noel says.
People skills are another strength that telecom professionals can take advantage of.
The voice people have a customer-service type of mindset that sets them apart from the data side. NOVA Chemicals has been able to use this mindset as teams of data and voice people work together to develop telecommuting and mobile-computing plans for users who don't have an IT staff on site. While convergence won't happen overnight, now is the time to prepare for it. There is so much information you acquire from networking with others that you can't get in a classroom. Likewise, Meta Group's Ussher advises companies to bring their voice and data people together in brown-bag lunch meetings.