Lucent's RealWorld VoIP Networks platform gives policy capabilities to eight products,
Lucent Technologies will soon take
the wraps off a strategy that
weaves policy and directory
support through all of its VoIP
products.
Lucent's RealWorld VoIP Networks
platform gives policy capabilities to eight
products, ranging from the Cajun Gigabit
Ethernet switches and MultiMedia
Communications eXchange server to its
PacketStar Internet telephony gateway and
Definity PBXs,according to Kathy Meier,
general manager of IP communications at
Lucent.
The linchpin, she said, is the company's
RealNet Rules policy management
application, which lets managers define
specific guidelines on how network
resources will be used, by whom and at
what times. The application, announced
last week, will be available this summer
and will run on either Windows NT or
Sun Solaris servers. The package also
will support selected legacy devices from
Cisco.
Through RealNet, policy triggers will be
ported through all of Lucent's VoIP
products, giving managers the ability to
oversee how packetized voice and data
get funneled through their networks, Meier
said.
Forthcoming LDAP directory support
built into RealNet will eliminate the
time-consuming chores required to
manage VoIP-enabled devices, she added.
Ken Anderson, Novell's vice president of
information systems and technology, said
Novell is evaluating the Lucent portfolio
in preparation for VoIP deployment
linking Novell's offices. "We have
identified some of our sites for beta, but
what blocked us was administration," he
said. "If we can directory-enable this, then
this is very appealing."
Tom Nolle, president of consultancy
CIMI, said Lucent's approach was
noteworthy because it added features to
existing devices rather than require
enterprises to install new equipment.
"They are not asking users to throw away
their existing analog or digital voice," he
said, adding that most companies don't
need specialized voice services.
RealWorld-enabled products will initially
be available this summer upon release of
RealNet; other enhancements, such as
additional directory support and
integration with DiffServ protocols, will
be available within 18 months. |
