Stratus To Boost Ascend's Offerings
techweb.com
August 10, 1998, Issue: 727, Section: News & Analysis
Salvatore Salamone
Consolidation among data networking and telecom equipment companies just
keeps rolling along.
Ascend Communications Inc. last week said it is buying Stratus Computer
Inc. in an all-stock deal worth about $822 million. Ascend officials said that
Stratus' telecom networking expertise, particularly its Signaling System 7
(SS7) and advanced call-handling service products and applications, will help
Ascend meet carrier and service provider demands for integrated voice/data
services.
The acquisition paves the way for Ascend to unite its IP and ATM data
networking products with intelligent call-handling services that are common in
the public switched telephone network.
"The combination of Ascend with its gateway hardware and Stratus with its
SS7 and [computer] services enable providers to offer an integrated voice
solution," said Kevin Dundon, vice president of voice network development at
IP-centric service provider Level 3. "That is positive for someone who is
trying to build voice services without [central office] switches."
Industry experts said the acquisition brings quite a bounty to Ascend.
"Vendors have realized that voice-over-IP basic transport will be a
commodity," said Christopher Nicoll, a senior analyst at Current Analysis Inc.
"You will need things like number portability, 800 services and calling card
services if you are going to offer a voice alternative over IP," he said. And that
is where Stratus comes in.
"Stratus does a lot more than SS7 gateways," said Lisa Allocca, an analyst at
Renaissance Worldwide Inc. She noted that the company's service control
point equipment, which combines special hardware and software, is used by
telcos to offer intelligent networking services and applications like cellular
roaming.
Allocca said that all data service providers would like to offer such services,
which are more commonly associated with the switched voice network.
Stratus brings the applications to offer these services as well as the expertise in
dealing with the worldwide telco market, according to Allocca.
Copyright r 1998 CMP Media Inc. |
