Whether these maturing technologies will entice the holdouts to move to at least the pilot stage in 2006 is uncertain. Being sure about what you're getting into is the only way to craft a deployment strategy to carry your company forward.

"You're blending two network worlds that are fundamentally different," says Tim Gaines, vice president of field sales at Covad, a provider of integrated voice and data service. But, he adds, they can and do coexist peacefully.