Lucent Integrates Data and Voice Networks with
Switching Enhancement 5ESS(R) AnyMedia(TM)
Switch evolves to include ATM/IP capabilities
September 2, 1998
LISLE, Ill., Sept. 1 /PRNewswire/ via NewsEdge
Corporation -- Service providers' quest to converge
their data and voice networks just got easier with a
new switching enhancement from Lucent
Technologies announced today. Now
communication service providers can offer the latest
data services while building on their vast investment
in equipment for the public telephone network.
With this latest switch evolution, Lucent's 5ESS(R)
AnyMedia(TM) Switch, which currently connects
more than one hundred million lines to the public
network, combines voice networks with data
networks. Service providers can offer data services
from the highly reliable switching systems they
already manage and maintain, generating new
revenue and bundling voice and data services,
without the expense or trouble of introducing brand
new network elements.
Lucent's new switch module, called the
AnyMedia(TM) MultiService Module, or MSM, is
integrated in the 5ESS Switch, allowing it to
connect to data networks such as those based on
Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) or Internet
Protocol (IP). With the MSM, providers can offer
data services including modem pooling, voice over
the Internet or ATM, Internet access, xDSL, frame
relay, or private line data-all bundled with full
featured, reliable voice services.
"To meet today's revolution to data services, we've
created an evolution of our 5ESS Switch," said
Frank D'Amelio, vice president of product
management and marketing for Lucent's Switching
and Access Solutions group. "By constantly
enhancing the switch, we're helping service
providers prepare for the future while protecting their
investments."
The voice-over-ATM feature can lower network costs
by putting voice traffic onto the service provider's
ATM backbone data network. The MSM's modem
pooling feature allows the numerous and
unpredictable calls to Internet service providers
(ISPs) today to terminate on the 5ESS Switch,
rather than the ISPs' facilities. These are attractive
features for service providers to offer to their
customers because they generate revenue using
existing and highly reliable equipment. The 5ESS
Switch is the industry's most reliable switch and
has set new industry performance benchmarks
according to analysis of the most recent Federal
Communications Commission quality report.
The MSM also enables service providers to offer
data aggregation, which is attractive to large
customers because it simplifies switch interfaces.
Rather than having two separate pipes from the
switch-one for voice and one for data-only one large
pipe is needed. Another feature is data network
interworking, which allows circuit and IP/ATM
networks to work together seamlessly. This is
necessary since voice networks move traffic in
circuits and data networks move traffic in packets.
With the MSM, the 5ESS Switch now becomes a
bridge between voice and data networks, efficiently
moving voice traffic and voice-related services over
networks designed for data. This integrated switch
module avoids " front-ending" the switch with an
additional box that must be managed separately.
Having only one network to maintain is much more
cost-efficient and less risky for service providers
than adding multiple network elements. Lucent's
MSM simplifies voice-data convergence by moving
many small pipes into a few large pipes, which
lessens trunk demands, reduces operations and
training costs, and overall, decreases total cost of
ownership. This simplified approach relieves
congestion on the trunk side of the switch, a
problem in many networks today. The MSM is built
to industry standards, with open interfaces, and will
be available in the U.S. in the fourth quarter, 1998,
and outside the U.S. in 1999.
The MSM reflects advances in Lucent research and
development as well as Lucent incorporating
technology from recent data networking
acquisitions. For example, its ATM switching
function is provided by MultiService Switch 1000
(MX 1000) technology, which was developed by Bell
Labs. Its modem pooling feature is based on
Portmaster(TM) 4 technology, which became part of
Lucent's data networking portfolio via the acquisition
of Livingston Enterprises in December 1997.
Similarly, the MSM's ability to adapt Time Division
Multiplexing (TDM) into ATM and its ATM access
concentration are provided via the PathStar(TM)
Access Concentrator 120, which comes to Lucent
via the acquisition of Yurie Systems in May of this
year. These technology assets will be fully
integrated into the 5ESS Switch and managed via a
single operations, administration, management and
provisioning system.
Lucent Technologies, headquartered in Murray Hill,
New Jersey, designs, builds and delivers a wide
range of public and private networks,
communications systems and software, data
networking systems, business telephone systems
and microelectronics components. Bell
Laboratories is the research and development arm
for the company. For more information on Lucent
Technologies, visit the company's web site at
lucent.com.
SOURCE Lucent Technologies
/CONTACT: Laurie Dobosz, 630-224-4196,
847-698-0848, home, or ldobosz@lucent.com, Bill
Price, 908-582-4820, 201-823-2544, home, or
williamprice@lucent.com/ /Web site:
lucent.com (LU)
[Copyright 1998, PR Newswire]
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