Rod Stewart opts for (gruff) voice over IP

Ageing rock star Rod Stewart has become a pioneer of cutting edge telecoms technology for the home - installing Avaya's IP Office converged voice and data system around his country estate in Surrey.

Now Rod's team of advisors and agents are able to communicate with him via the network wherever he is within his grounds - whether he is down by the pool or up by the football pitch.

The system merges the phone and internet lines of Stewart's estate into a single internet protocol (IP)-based network, eliminating the need to maintain separate voice and data networks.

And the benefits also stretch to improving communication when Stewart is off being a jet-setting rock legend in far flung parts of the globe. The new system ensures Rod is never more than a conference call away from his team. Similarly he can also be alerted to any calls or voice messages coming into his home network when he is away on tour.