An integrated circuit provides a converged voice and data solution on a single circuit from the carrier. This is an increasingly popular way for small business to have internet and voice services delivered.

Here are a few of the characteristics of an integrated circuit:

• An integrated circuit carries both voice and data over a high capacity T1, allocating a portion of the circuit to voice and a portion to data based upon your particular business needs. Example: You could have 12 voice lines and 768K of dedicated internet access.
• The voice portion of the service can be delivered in a number of different types: Analog, digital (T1) or SIP (IP trunking). This allows compatibility with all types of phone systems, both old and new.
• Most carriers can provide DID (direct inward dial) on their integrated products.
• The data services are in the form of a fractional T1 with dedicated, guaranteed bandwidth and much greater reliability than DSL.  
• Most integrated circuit providers offer very aggressive per-month calling plans and some of them bundle a flat rate "all you can eat" calling plan.

APPLICATION
Many small customers can not afford a full T1 for dedicated internet access nor do they need a full T1 or PRI for their voice requirements. The integrated circuit fits the bill as it splits up one T1 to provide both services. Another great application for an integrated circuit is to have voice services delivered digitally without ordering a dedicated PRI or TI. Analog cards are expensive and the technology ancient so if you can "go digital" it's a big plus. As a fringe benefit, the voice quality of conference calls improves using a digital circuit.

COST
The cost is a premium over the traditional alternative of analog lines and DSL. However, it is more affordable than paying for separate T1's for voice and data. Plus, many times the bundled minutes mean that the overall monthly cost is quite reasonable. Lastly, some carriers will rebate the cost of a T1 card if you sign a multiple-year agreement.

THE FUTURE OF INTEGRATED CIRCUITS 
Today the carriers dedicate a portion of the T1 for voice and the remaining portion for data. In the future, the allocation will be done dynamically based upon demand. For instance, if you need 16 channels for voice, the data speed goes down to eight channels (512K). When the phone traffic lightens up and there are only four people on the phone, the data speed goes up to 1.28 MB. Additionally, you'll be able to compress voice to get even more data speed from the circuit.

IP trunking is the technology that will make this happen. Many IP PBX'es have announced plans to provide IP trunking technology and 3Com is already shipping a product that supports it. Older traditional phone systems will not support this technology.