Additional validation of IP Telephony
SBC Announces Roadmap For IP Telephony Business Solutions to Help Customers Realize
Benefits of Unified Networks
BusinessWire, Tuesday, October 24, 2000 at 08:23
SAN ANTONIO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 24, 2000--
Best-in-Class Offerings From Cisco, Lucent, Nortel Networks
Will Enable Businesses to Implement Pure IP PBX or Centrex,
or Transition with Enabling Solutions
SBC Communications Inc. (NYSE:SBC), a leading provider of data transport, networking and
e-business services, today announced a roadmap for its introduction of a range of business telephony
offerings that will enable its customers to realize the benefits of unified communications networks
based on Internet Protocol (IP).
IP telephony is widely recognized as the future of business communications. But up to now, adoption
of IP telephony solutions has been limited, largely due to a lack of widespread offerings from major
carriers.
SBC's IP telephony offerings will include a full range of solutions. They will provide both for
businesses planning to implement next-generation distributed IP Private Branch Exchange (PBX) and
central office (Centrex) telephone systems and services, and for those that want to transition to IP
with systems that link existing switched voice networks to IP-based data networks.
The company will provide its customers with best-in-class IP telephony solutions from Cisco
Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO), Lucent Technologies (NYSE:LU) and Nortel Networks
(NYSE/TSE:NT). SBC will make these solutions available to its customers following successful
completion of extensive qualification testing at its SBC Technology Resources, Inc. applied research
labs and successful customer beta testing. SBC DataComm, one of the nation's largest network
integration organizations, will provide customers with design and implementation support.
"SBC will provide a full range of reliable IP telephony solutions for businesses that want to realize the
efficiencies and cost savings that integrating voice and data business communications networks can
provide," said Mark Keiffer, senior vice president - SBC Business Marketing. "We will have solutions
both for businesses seeking an all- IP solution for their organizations, and for those who want to begin
a gradual transition to unified networks while protecting their investment in existing telephony
equipment. We also can provide design and integration support to help enterprises successfully
implement the solution that is right for them."
The IP telephony solutions roadmap announced today builds on SBC's commitment to help its
customers succeed in the broadband-powered "always on" world. Integrated voice, video and data
networks enabled by IP telephony solutions can help businesses meet their business goals by
enabling a new breed of productivity-enhancing collaboration tools like unified messaging, increasing
network manageability and lowering support costs.
Enterprises Seeking Premise-Based Unified Networks
For businesses seeking a pure, distributed IP PBX solution that seamlessly integrates into the
corporate data network, eliminating the need for a standalone PBX, SBC today announced availability
of a solution set based on the Cisco Architecture for Voice, Video and Integrated Data (AVVID) to
selected customers. SBC plans to begin making AVVID more widely available beginning in the first
quarter 2001.
AVVID supports a range of IP-enabled solutions, including voice over IP routing, personal productivity
tools, Web interface attendant functions and IP soft phones. The inherently flexible, scalable and
distributed nature of data networks simplifies deployment and management of AVVID IP telephones,
which are automatically recognized by the system when they are plugged into corporate LAN jacks.
SBC and Cisco are nearing completion of work at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff on an
advanced Cisco AVVID deployment. This converged system, which supports more than 1,800 IP
phones, includes video conferencing, campus-wide wireless connectivity, distance learning
applications and network data communications. Users access leading-edge telephone, data and
video capabilities, while the university recognizes significant cost savings from the integration of its
data and telecommunication networks.
Enterprises Seeking Premise-Based Transition Solutions
For businesses that want to begin a transition to IP telephony while preserving their investment in
existing telephone systems, SBC today announced the planned year-end availability of the Nortel
Networks Meridian Internet Telephony Gateway (ITG). The ITG enables enterprises to link their Nortel
Networks Meridian(TM) business telephone systems using their IP data networks. The gateway
leverages the integration of voice and data networks by translating calls into IP packets, compressing
the packets, and routing them over available bandwidth in corporate wide area networks. It helps
reduce transport costs for inter-office calls while supporting enhanced applications such as calling
number and name display, and maintaining a high level of voice quality. Beginning early next year,
SBC expects to make the gateway available to support IP telephones on the Meridian platform,
enabling LAN access and simplifying moves, adds and changes. IP-enabling the Meridian 1 with
these gateways allows SBC customers to realize the benefits of IP telephony while maintaining the
full feature functionality, advanced application support and reliability of the Meridian 1.
SBC also expects to make Nortel Networks' Business Communications Manager (BCM) available in
the first quarter of next year, providing an IP-enabled communications solution for branch offices and
small business customers. Nortel Networks BCM enables voice over IP connectivity between BCM
systems and with the Meridian 1, enabling an enterprise-wide IP network. BCM incorporates powerful
applications including unified messaging, call center services and PC attendant for on-line directories
and dial-by-name capabilities. The system enhances quality of service by routing calls to traditional
voice networks if data networks are congested. The BCM solution is planned to include support of IP
telephones and growth from 80 to 130 stations, with targeted availability early next year.
Enterprises Seeking Central Office-Based IP Solutions
SBC is one of the nation's largest providers of Centrex services, and is leading the transition to
central office-based IP solutions. SBC is working with Lucent and Nortel Networks on trials of these
systems in Illinois and Texas, respectively. The goal of these early deployments is to qualify the
systems for controlled market availability in the first half of 2001. The first systems to become
available will IP-enable existing Centrex switches, with all-IP Centrex solutions coming to market later
next year.
SBC and Lucent will conduct a live IP Centrex technical trial beginning in April 2001 at Lucent's new
facility in Lisle, Ill. SBC will use Lucent's 7R/E(TM) Packet Solutions to provide IP Centrex service to
approximately 2,500 product marketing, product development and research employees at the new
facility. Using IP phones, employees will have access to advanced Centrex services, such as
multi-location Centrex, virtual office features for road warriors, seamless work environments for
teleworkers and virtual call centers. Lucent's iMerge(TM) Centrex Feature Gateway will be used to
provide the IP Centrex functionality in the new facility. The project, which is expected to be one of the
world's largest IP-Centrex deployments, will integrate with ISDN Centrex service provided to
thousands of employees in the existing Lucent buildings in the Lisle area.
Nortel Networks Centrex IP provides access to Centrex services over an IP network, thus offering an
evolution path from today's circuit- switched Centrex world to converged voice and data networks.
When deployed, it will enable better bandwidth management for multimedia services; any time
anywhere network flexibility to deliver services to organizations with multiple locations; and the ability
to integrate new IP terminal equipment with today's Centrex phones.
SBC's Data Business
SBC's leadership in the introduction of a broad portfolio of business IP telephony solutions to its
customers builds on the company's data growth strategy. SBC's total data revenues increased 46.1
percent in the third quarter over the same period last year to $2.0 billion, driven by businesses'
increasing need for speed, bandwidth, network management and e-business solutions.
SBC Communications Inc. (www.sbc.com) is a global communications leader. Through its
subsidiaries' trusted brands - Southwestern Bell, Ameritech, Pacific Bell, SBC Telecom, Nevada Bell,
SNET and Cellular One - and world-class network, SBC and its affiliated companies provide local and
long-distance phone service; wireless and paging services; e-business and data communications
services; high-speed Internet access; messaging; cable and satellite television; security services;
telecommunications equipment; and directory advertising and publishing. In the United States, the
company currently has 61.3 million access lines and is undertaking a national expansion program
that will bring SBC service to an additional 30 markets. SBC has a 60 percent interest in Cingular
Wireless, its joint venture with BellSouth, which serves more than 19 million wireless customers.
Internationally, SBC has telecommunications investments in more than 20 countries and has annual
revenues that rank it among the largest Fortune 500 companies.
SOURCE: SBC Communications, Inc. |
