What is Network Convergence?

Network convergence combines support for multimedia, telephone, and data on a single network. Network convergence primarily serves large, complex organizations where mobile and Internet connections are regulated behind the same firewalls or sign-on credentials. With network convergence, registered users access their Internet, Ethernet, Wi-Fi, and mobile connections through a single network that supports everything from email, VoIP, and web browsing to text messaging.

• Consistent performance on the same network: Network convergence allows all network services—voice, data, video—to be delivered over the same network with consistent performance. 
  
• Universal security: Network convergence also allows large corporate, government, and university IT departments to apply firewall rules, automated anti-virus and malware scanning, and other security measures, universally across all data connections.

• Many services across many devices: Running all of a company’s communications and cloud-based services over a converged network requires that IT teams carefully manage the dynamic bandwidth requirements of different services across many types of devices. 
• If a cybercriminal breaches security, greater risk: If a cybercriminal is able to penetrate the security measures for a converged network, all parts of the network may potentially be vulnerable, not just one siloed area.
• Constraint due to competing standards: Legislation regulating different spectrum bandwidths or frequencies for specific technologies has historically constrained converged network solutions. Currently, there are competing standards for networking that organizations must adhere to. Fiber connections, broadband, DSL, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, WAN/SAN, vWAN/vSAN, SD-WAN, and mobile can all have different requirements for video, text, data, and voice transmissions.