By Tara Seals

As we prepare to descend upon the steamy carnival of end-of-summer Miami Beach, a pre-show glance at what to look for at the VON Expo this week reveals a few noteworthy hot topics that are sure to spark some thought – including the relevancy of the term “VoIP” itself.

VON, of course, is not simply about Voice-over-IP – it can’t be. As more IP-based access networks are deployed and more service providers migrate their core networks to an all-IP environment, the concept of Voice-over-IP is becoming, if not irrelevant, then of diminishing significance. Wireline voice as a packetized application for service providers simply makes sense from an operational and business model standpoint, and the only thing that’s left to talk about is how long it will take the industry to convert fully to such a paradigm.

In the residential arena, the wide spread of IP voice has made possible initiatives like “three-screen strategies” where consumers can access the same content via TV, PC or mobile; meanwhile, the ongoing march of Web-delivered applications and wireless broadband are opening up all kinds of new conversations as to how to leverage the lessons of the dot-com arena within a network provider paradigm.

For the enterprise and SMB segments, and the service providers serving them, VoIP has become a favored method for saving money in recessionary times. But for both service providers and businesses alike, the more interesting conversation going forward is how to wield that core point of convergence – IP voice – as part of a wider strategy of leveraging IP for differentiation and long-term viability. For instance, how can one better communicate with one’s suppliers or partners using HD voice and social networking? How can click-to-call from within an instant messaging application boost efficiency? How can IP-based reporting mechanisms ensure better quality within call-center applications? How can fixed-mobile convergence reduce overall costs?

As Skype Chief Strategy Officer Christopher Dean told VON Editor in Chief Richard Martin: “The economy has forced many organizations to finally realize that they can save money by switching to VoIP. But even more importantly, they are increasingly trying to leverage this technology to enhance collaboration among their employees, business partners and customers. One good example is the increasing use of audio conferencing and screen sharing to enable parties in multiple locations to work together on projects.”

In other words, we are, in fact, moving into an area of “post-VoIP” communications.

So what should you look for at VON next week? Well, for one, you’ll hear plenty of buzz about the intersection of traditional types of services (IP-based though they may be) and new concepts flowing from the Web. You know this is a hot topic when even the federal government plans to launch its own, iPhone-reminiscent app store and cloud environment.

Apps.gov is an online storefront that will offer specialized functionalities for government workers, who can browse and purchase cloud-based IT services, for productivity, collaboration and efficiency. Federal employees will be able to pull down information to any broadband-connected device. U.S. CIO Vivek Kundra noted that the White House’s failure to leverage the latest technology is a barrier to efficiency. That failure is a result of federal policies lagging trends, "causing unnecessary restrictions on the use of new technology," he wrote in a blog post.

Video is another hot area, with service providers of all stripes trying to find a way to leverage end-user thirst for anytime, anywhere video. Verizon Communications Inc. and AT&T Inc. have both moved to supercharge their IPTV initiatives, with the former rolling out video widgets and the latter launching its own online television site to complement its broadcast proposition. Over-the-top providers, meanwhile, are gnawing away at traditional broadcast’s viewership.

Expect, too, conversations surrounding monetization and avoiding a dumb pipe future by leveraging network information like location and customer profile. Cablevision Systems Inc. for instance plans to launches interactive TV ads next month that will run as banners at the bottom of the screen. These will be clickable via remote, where viewers can sign up for free samples or coupons, without disrupting the show. Cablevision is also developing technology to route ads to specific households based on demographics.

Also expect to also hear plenty of evangelism for various technologies to underpin such disruptive trends and how to meet the demand for IP apps from an infrastructure perspective.

“Service providers need to tear a page from the airline industry playbook, which calls for different tariffs for different classes of service (e.g., first class, business and coach),” said Manish Singh, vice president of product line management at Continuous Computing. “As with air travel, every one data packet on the network gets transported from source to destination – the only thing that changes is how much of the pipe is allocated to certain traffic flows based on willingness to pay for certain classes of service.”

However, not everyone agrees with Singh.

Expect debates on open access and net neutrality too, and the changing nature of competition in an IP-centric world. Google Inc.’s Washington Telecom and Media Counsel Richard Whitt told xchange magazine that it’s wrong to look at Google Voice as a phone service, for instance, despite the media’s ongoing attempts to paint it that way. “With Google Voice you still need to have a regular phone service to make and receive calls, but you get a number that you can link to multiple phones and voice mail that can be accessed from many devices – your phone, e-mail, or the Web,” he stressed. “We hope to work with service providers, handset developers, and other companies in the voice communications space to make Google Voice and related services a more integrated user experience.”

Expect all of this and more to be on full display at VON. Just don’t expect the term VoIP to be at the heart of the conversations.