Sunw's announcement with CSCO?
biz.yahoo.com
Tuesday October 5, 8:03 am Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Cisco and Sun Microsystems Announce Agreement to Deliver IP-Based Unified Communications Solution for Service Providers
Cap Gemini to be First Systems Integrator to Support Joint Solution, Which Includes Messaging and Directory Products from the Sun-Netscape Alliance
SAN JOSE, Calif., and PALO ALTO, Calif., Oct. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Cisco Systems (Nasdaq: CSCO - news)and Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq: SUNW - news) today announced an agreement to jointly develop and market an end-to-end Unified Communications solution for service providers. The joint solution will allow service providers (SPs) to offer their customers consolidated voice, fax and email services independent of location, time or device.
The foundation of the joint solution is an open, IP standards-based infrastructure for carrier-grade applications. The solution enables the seamless integration of voice and Internet applications such as unified messaging, single number reach and fax capabilities. In cooperation with systems integrators and best-of-breed application providers, this powerful approach provides unified voicemail, email and fax messaging access via phone, PC and hand-held devices and the ability to develop a broad base of applications.
Cisco, Sun and the Sun-Netscape Alliance are planning to market and deliver the solution through each company's direct sales channels, third party resellers and systems integrators. Available today, the joint solution will be featured at several venues at Telecom '99 in Geneva, including the Sun Microsystems booth (Hall 4, Booth 4263).
''The service provider market will definitely benefit from this new offering,'' said Robert Flood, chief technology officer at
Cable & Wireless, one of the world's leading global integrated telecommunications companies. ''Powered by such industry
veterans as Cisco, Sun and the Sun-Netscape Alliance, this joint solution will undoubtedly encourage tremendous new application development by systems integrators and third party software developers -- leading to unique and competitive applications that service providers can bring to market more quickly and cost-effectively.''
Global Systems Integrator Speeds Deployment
A major component of the joint initiative is to work with leading global systems integrators to expedite the deployment of the
joint Unified Communications solution. The companies also announced that Cap Gemini will be the first systems integrator to provide world-class system integration, implementation and ongoing support services for the joint Unified Communications solution.
''Cisco, Sun and the Sun-Netscape Alliance offer unmatched pedigree, experience and innovation in IP network infrastructure technologies to meet service providers' needs,'' said Alain Gerset, Market Development Director, Cap Gemini Telecom. ''Leveraging our 5 years of unified communications experience with global service providers, the joint solution allows us to offer complete, reliable and scalable unified communications solutions which can be easily and rapidly integrated
and supported. Adding this total end-to-end solution to Cap Gemini's leading systems integration services presents a powerful value proposition to service providers now and as they build out their IP network infrastructure and value-added application suite.''
Service Providers Gain Competitive Advantage
The joint Unified Communication solution enables service providers to offer value-added, cost-effective communications services across an open infrastructure. This modular approach can help SPs aggressively compete in today's IP services marketplace by reducing their total cost of ownership, shortening their service introduction cycles and reducing customer churn. In addition, the solution can scale horizontally and vertically as needed and accommodate application hosting, e-commerce and other new IP-based services.
''Leading service providers are transitioning to the New World where IP networks are the foundation for their network infrastructure and application needs,'' said Kevin Kennedy, Senior Vice President, Service Provider line of business at Cisco Systems. ''Together, Cisco, Sun and the Sun-Netscape Alliance are offering these service provider customers a robust, standards-based solution that can be cost-effectively deployed and maintained. In addition, the new relationship with Cap Gemini reinforces our belief that it is the total solution -- from hardware, software and network infrastructure to consulting and professional services -- that makes a service providers' deployment successful. Via these new relationships, we are offering our customers the most complete and flexible Unified Communications solution available today.''
''The Next Generation Service Driven Network is all about accessing information anytime, anywhere, with any device -- exactly what the Unified Communications solution from Cisco and Sun Microsystems, building on the Sun-Netscape Alliance iPlanet(TM) suite of products, enables,'' said John McFarlane, president, Network Service Provider Division, Sun Microsystems, Inc. ''And because the solution--in keeping with Sun's philosophy -- is modular and based on open standards, SPs can easily add new service offerings while leveraging existing infrastructure investments.''
''In the next millennium, Unified Communications products will become the foundation that service providers use to deliver the solutions needed to successfully compete in the Net Economy,'' said Dr. Stuart Wells, senior vice president, Infrastructure Products for the Sun-Netscape Alliance. ''Consumers, small businesses and large enterprises will need to access a myriad of messaging, calendaring, content and e-commerce services. These services, managed by leading service providers, will require a comprehensive set of reliable and scalable infrastructure components and they are available today for the service provider that has the vision to build now for the future.''
Unified Communications Joint Solution Components
The joint solution combines proven technologies from Cisco, the Sun-Netscape Alliance and Sun:
* Cisco Universal Access Server Products -- The Cisco AS5x00 Family, including award-winning Cisco remote access servers and Voice Gateways, Cisco feature cards and voice-enabled Cisco IOS software
* Cisco Unified Communications Software -- An open, IP standards-based application platform that enables the unification of voice and Internet applications. In cooperation with Cisco Ecosystem partners, this powerful approach provides unified voicemail, email, and fax messaging access via phone, PC and hand held devices, and the ability to enable systems integrators and best-of-breed application providers to develop a broad base of applications.
* Sun's Netra(TM) Carrier-Grade Servers -- The Netra t 1120 and Netra t1 carrier-grade servers are specifically designed for easy deployment in network environments that require continuous application availability. Both have been designed for the rigorous environmental standards for their class (NEBS Level 3 certification and ETSI compliance), which helps ensure continued reliable operation, even under the most severe conditions. A variety of rack-mount options enable the systems to be integrated easily into existing communications equipment. Sun's Netra systems are based on the robust, scalable Solaris(TM) Operating Environment and the industry proven SPARC® chip technology to meet customer needs from development to deployment.
* Sun-Netscape Alliance Universal Messaging and Directory Solution -- This platform includes the integration of iPlanet(TM) Messaging and iPlanet Directory Server products, the industry leading platform for scalable, reliable high performance solutions with iPlanet Web Server, iPlanet Calendar Server, iPlanet Webtop (for encrypted on-demand virtual private network and remote access), security and encryption products and a broad range of e-commerce applications.
The joint Unified Communications solution from Cisco, Sun, and the Sun-Netscape Alliance will be delivered by world-class
systems integrators such as Cap Gemini:
* Cap Gemini consulting and system integration practices and services
offer integration with SS7 signaling protocols, depth of experience in
large-scale unified messaging and voice mail systems for wireline and
wireless service providers, bundled services for rapid launch, IP OSS
integration, and tailored IP billing.
About Cap Gemini Group
The Cap Gemini Group is a leading global management consulting and IT services group. Designing and delivering strategic
change through ideas, people and technology, the Group provides management consultancy (Gemini Consulting) and systems
design, integration and outsourcing (Cap Gemini's I.T. services). With a workforce of 40,000 operating in Europe, the United
States and the Far East and revenues of 4 billion euro (about $4.4 billion) in 1998, the Group is among the world's largest
information technology providers. News and information are available at capgemini.com.
About the Sun-Netscape Alliance
America Online, Inc. and Sun Microsystems, Inc. formed the Sun-Netscape Alliance to provide easy to deploy,
comprehensive enterprise and e-commerce solutions to business partners and other companies competing in today's Net
Economy. The alliance product portfolio provides customers with the industry's most scalable, integrated infrastructure
software and a family of production ready e-commerce applications. The products are offered on the industry's most widely
available product platforms, including DEC, HP, IBM, Linux, SGI, Microsoft Windows, and Sun. The alliance software
product portfolio includes messaging and calendar, collaboration, web, application, directory, and certificate servers. The
alliance also offers a family of production-ready applications for e-commerce, including commerce exchange, procurement,
selling, and billing.
Additional information on the Sun-Netscape Alliance and iPlanet products is available at www.iplanet.com or by calling
888-786-8111.
About America Online, Inc.
Founded in 1985, America Online, Inc., based in Dulles, Virginia, is the world's leader in interactive services, Web brands,
Internet technologies, and e-commerce services. America Online, Inc. operates: two worldwide Internet services, America
Online, with more than 18 million members, and CompuServe, with more than 2 million members; several leading Internet
brands including ICQ, AOL Instant Messenger and Digital City, Inc.; the Netscape Netcenter and AOL.COM portals; the
Netscape Navigator and Communicator browsers; and AOL MovieFone, the nation's largest movie listing guide and ticketing
service. Through its strategic alliance with Sun Microsystems, the Company develops and offers easy-to-deploy, end-to-end
e-commerce and enterprise solutions for companies operating in the Net Economy.
All the best,
Michael |
