By Johna Till Johnson, Network World, 06/13/05

If you're like a lot of network executives, you've begun to look seriously at deploying a converged infrastructure. And you're probably aware that successfully deploying convergence means more than rolling out an IP PBX. It requires rethinking not just the phone system but everything from service provider service-level agreements (SLA) to network operations - and even more importantly, assessing the ways that converged applications can help improve the business bottom line.

Here are some best practices and lessons learned from companies that have successfully deployed convergence - or learned the hard way what doesn't work: