Cable & Wireless Unveils Convergence Solutions.Business Editors/Hi-Tech Writers ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 11, 2001 IP-LAN and Convergence PBX (Private Branch eXchange) An inhouse telephone switching system that interconnects telephone extensions to each other as well as to the outside telephone network (PSTN). Provide Path to Integrate Voice and Data Networks for Desktop to Desktop Communications Cable & Wireless (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange :CWP CWP Coal workers' pneumoconiosis, see there ), the global telecommunications group, today announced the availability in the US of two new convergence solutions, Cable & Wireless IP-LAN (internet protocol See Internet and TCP/IP. (networking) Internet Protocol - (IP) The network layer for the TCP/IP protocol suite widely used on Ethernet networks, defined in STD 5, RFC 791. IP is a connectionless, best-effort packet switching protocol. local area network,) with IP telephony The two-way transmission of voice over a packet-switched IP network, which is part of the TCP/IP protocol suite. The terms "IP telephony" and "voice over IP" (VoIP) are synonymous. capability and Cable & Wireless cPBX Plus(convergence private branch exchange). The solutions are part of Cable & Wireless' program to provide a suite of desktop-to-desktop IP-based solutions, delivering voice, data and Internet traffic Internet traffic is the flow of data around the Internet. It includes web traffic, which is the amount of that data that is related to the World Wide Web, along with the traffic from other major uses of the Internet, such as electronic mail and peer-to-peer networks. over a single network worldwide. Both products effectively enable customers to combine separate voice and data networks within their organization, either by installing a new IP infrastructure (Cable & Wireless IP-LAN) or by developing or upgrading their voice infrastructure (Cable & Wireless cPBX Plus). This potentially helps the business to reduce the costs of maintaining multiple communications networks and better manage costs as they grow: -- A vastly simplified network infrastructure carrying both voice and data means that less infrastructure needs maintaining. -- Budgets for both data and voice upgrades can be pooled to build one IP solution, which in some instances can save as much as half on infrastructure costs. -- The infrastructure can be easily expanded to accommodate huge ranges of additional applications as the business requires them. -- The business now has access to sophisticated managed solutions such as voice over IP (VoIP), unified messaging, wireless local area network and desktop training applications that are now available. "Cable & Wireless' IP convergence Using the Internet Protocol (IP) as the standard transport for transmitting all information (voice, data, music, video, TV, teleconferencing, etc.). See IP, IP on Everything and IP Multimedia Subsystem. solutions are a major step forward in delivering a full IP-enabled communications infrastructure that can increase productivity as well as reduce the costs of maintaining separate communications networks," said Ivor Kendall, vice president of IP Desktop Solutions, at Cable & Wireless. "These products enable customers with today's budgets to migrate to a converged solution to meet their eBusiness requirements." Cable & Wireless IP-LAN Cable & Wireless IP-LAN is a managed local area network (LAN (Local Area Network) A communications network that serves users within a confined geographical area. The "clients" are the user's workstations typically running Windows, although Mac and Linux clients are also used. ) solution, developed in conjunction with Cisco Systems “Cisco” redirects here. For other uses, see Cisco (disambiguation). Cisco System,Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO, HKSE: 4333 ) is an American multinational corporation with 54,000 employees and annual revenue of US $28.48 billion as of 2006. , that provides businesses with end-to-end IP connectivity from desktop to desktop. It provides a platform on which businesses can transport real and non real-time IP traffic to support business applications from voice, data and video to a combination of all three. It is based on a suite of Cisco IP routers and switches that enable the necessary traffic prioritization and quality of service for carrier-class voice over IP telephony and point-to-multipoint media applications. Cisco's breadth of IP solutions provide the platform for IP-LAN to deliver the level of carrier-class reliability, scalability and performance which are critical to Cable & Wireless customers. Cable & Wireless cPBX Plus Convergence PBX Plus is based on Nortel Networks'(1) industry-leading voice traffic switching technology, Meridian(1) PBX, that is capable of supporting between 16 and 16,000 telephone extensions on a single switch. It is aimed at businesses that want to move towards IP telephony from a traditional voice infrastructure - putting an IP capability in place that can be activated when required and is therefore fully future proof. Both convergence solutions can be combined with Cable & Wireless IP-VPN, ATM and Frame Relay A high-speed packet switching protocol used in wide area networks (WANs). Providing a granular service of up to DS3 speed (45 Mbps), it has become popular for LAN to LAN connections across remote distances, and services are offered by most major carriers. services to create wide area networks (WAN) that seamlessly integrate multiple locations and deliver a truly converged communications network. Additional product detail Cable & Wireless IP-LAN Cable & Wireless IP-LAN delivers an outsourced managed local area network (LAN) solution that provides businesses with end-to-end IP connectivity from desktop to desktop. Business can use Cable & Wireless IP-LAN to carry email, Internet and intranet traffic, and any other type of data encapsulated into IP, such as voice, audio and video. As a managed service, Cable & Wireless IP-LAN offers the choice of three flexible management options, allowing customers to choose how much involvement they want or for a full Cable & Wireless management solution. IP-LAN service options include: -- IP Telephony, enabling businesses to send voice over IP-LAN, savings costs and supporting applications such as IP Contact Centers -- Internet Access See how to access the Internet. at three levels, depending on the bandwidth required for each user -- Wireless LAN A local area network that transmits over the air typically in the 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz unlicensed frequency band. It does not require line of sight between sender and receiver. Wireless base stations (access points) are wired to an Ethernet network and transmit a radio frequency over an area features that enable roaming within buildings -- Enhanced Management Services -- Videocast Services that enable users to send streams of data to many users such as in distance learning and corporate meetings Cable & Wireless IP-LAN delivers improved network performance with QoS parameters and virtual LANs (VLANs). Switched LAN technology enables the partitioning of LANs into closed user groups called VLANs, grouping ports that exchange a lot of traffic with one another, regardless of location. By doing so, traffic within the VLAN See virtual LAN. VLAN - Virtual Local Area Network is confined to its members, ensuring more efficient use of the wider network. QoS parameters are also available for applications that have particular performance requirements such as certain levels of latency, jitter A flicker or fluctuation in a transmission signal or display image. The term is used in several ways, but it always refers to some offset of time and space from the norm. For example, in a network transmission, jitter would be a bit arriving either ahead or behind a standard clock cycle or packet-loss. Cable & Wireless Convergence PBX Plus Cable & Wireless Convergence PBX Plus is a fully managed service that provides a flexible, easy to implement solution for businesses to migrate their traditional circuit-switched voice networks to an integrated IP communications A general term for networks that use the IP protocol for voice (VoIP) and video traffic. See IP telephony. infrastructure. Convergence PBX Plus supports conventional telephony, IP Telephony supporting VoIP, unified messaging Having access to e-mail, voice mail and faxes via a common computer application or by telephone. For example, unified messaging may send faxes and digitized voice mail to a mail server that turns them into e-mail attachments. , call center facilities, secure audio conferencing See audioconferencing. and management reporting. In addition, businesses with WANs or IP-VPNs have the ability to route calls between sites over the WAN, representing significant savings over public network call charges. As a managed service, Cable & Wireless can act as the single supplier for the customer, providing the equipment and installation, ongoing management, and network connectivity. The service includes: -- Industry-leading Nortel Networks (Nortel Networks Limited, Brampton, Ontario, www.nortelnetworks.com) A world leader in telecommunications products, which includes switching, wireless and broadband systems for service providers and carriers, telephones and systems for residential and business users, computer telephony Meridian PBX equipment -- Analog, digital or IP handsets -- Connection to Cable & Wireless' global Tier 1 Internet backbone -- Configuration, installation and scheduled software and hardware upgrades -- Ongoing management and fault handling supported by a single service level agreement The service is available with additional service options that include: -- Advanced voicemail or unified messaging that gives users a single mailbox for email, voice mail and fax, which they can access from any location -- A range of call center and computer telephony integration Computer Telephony Integration - Computer Telephone Integration solutions -- Integrated audio-conferencing Pricing and Availability Cable & Wireless Convergence PBX Plus and Cable & Wireless IP-LAN are available in the United Kingdom and United States. Both services are available through a flexible and unique pricing structure based on a per extension or port basis and the option to rent or buy the CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) Communications equipment that resides on the customer's premises. CPE - Customer Premises Equipment (customer premise equipment), enabling businesses to better manage costs as they grow. To support those businesses with a multi-year migration plan towards full IP telephony, a program called Technology Refresh is offered with the option to rent. Technology Refresh provides a potentially future-proof solution by allowing customers to trade in existing hardware and/or automatically upgrade equipment or software over the course of the contract. About Cable & Wireless Cable & Wireless is a major global telecommunications business with revenue of over (pound)8 billion (US$11 billion) in the year to 31 March 2001 and customers in 70 countries. Cable & Wireless' focus for future growth is on IP (Internet protocol) and data services and solutions for business customers. It is developing advanced IP networks and value-added services in the US, Europe and the Asia-Pacific region in support of this strategy. With the capability of its global IP infrastructure and its strength in key markets, Cable & Wireless holds a unique position in terms of global coverage and services to business customers. For more information about Cable & Wireless, go to www.cw.com. (1) Nortel Networks and Meridian are trademarks of Nortel Networks |
|
||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion