This is an interesting article. I think this product is really big. I can see businesses and hotels really utilizing this. I just would like to know where they got their VDSL technology from?
3com.com
3Com's leadership in providing rich connectivity solutions that are radically simple to deploy, use, and manage has taken a giant step forward with its new, innovative 3Comü Visitor and Community Network (VCN) System. Operating with the ease and reliability of a utility, the "instant on/always on" VCN System delivers high-speed, broadband Internet access and other services via a flexible array of networking technologies. One of these technologies?Ethernet-over-VDSL (Very High Speed DSL) running over commonly installed copper telephone wire?was introduced by 3Com this week.
3Com will work with service providers who will install and manage 3Com VCN Systems for building owners and property management companies worldwide. These powerful VCN solutions will enable end-users in hotels, airports, apartment buildings, shared office facilities, and other locations to effortlessly enjoy voice, video, and data communications previously confined to corporate networks. Analyst reports indicate that this is one of the freshest and fastest growing networking markets worldwide.
The 3Com VCN System also facilitates a wealth of new revenue-generating services for hotel guests and tenants in condominiums and office buildings. These include access to Web-based content about nearby retail, financial and travel services; e-mail and fax over the Internet; local area networking for print, file, and application sharing; and even IP telephony. The VCN System can be extended to public spaces using 3Com wireless solutions, so these and such applications as videoconferencing, video on demand, and virtual private networking can be accessed anywhere, anytime, by anyone.
"Our innovative solution, delivered to end-users through service providers, will create a completely new Internet experience for businesses and consumers," said Amir Eldad, vice president and general manager, 3Com. "The combination of rich connectivity and radical simplicity over next-generation Ethernet/IP broadband technology is the most advanced solution in the market today."
Implemented by premier service provider partners, 3Com's new Ethernet-over-VDSL VCN products are a snap to deploy, use, and manage. They require no special construction or rewiring because they use telephone wires already installed in buildings. And end users simply plug their Ethernet connectors into a data jack, turn on their PCs, and launch their Web browsers.
"Using our system is as easy as 1,2, 3," noted Eldad. "It doesn't matter if they're using Windows PC or an Apple computer, everyone gets online in seconds and can stay online all day long. It's as simple as flicking a light switch or turning on a faucet. Users will experience instant and reliable 'utility-like' performance every step of the way."
Managed by 3Com's service provider partners, the VCN System provides the robust security and reliability users need. The system can also be seamlessly connected to property management and billing systems, enabling hotels, office facilities, and other multi-tenant facilities to rapidly generate usage invoices and reports.
3Com's VCN System delivers the richest connectivity available today for end-users at hundreds of times the speed of standard dial up modems. It also allows service providers to offer a broader range of services in multi-tenant buildings than ADSL. Powered by Ethernet-over-VDSL and a revolutionary VCN server, users are guided by a customizable Web portal to rapidly access the Internet as well as content pertinent to their community or the local area.
The portal can be used to create an "electronic concierge" with easy-to-navigate menus to guide users through a full range of voice, video, and data services. At a hotel, for instance, users accessing the electronic concierge may be able to send a printing job to the hotel's electronic business center, book a conference room, or schedule a tennis lesson. The electronic concierge also can post advertisements from local or national businesses, providing users with additional information about local services as well as another source of profitability for the hotel.
"We are in the vanguard of the networking industry's most advanced trends," said Eldad. "These include the consolidation of access and content, the introduction of facility-based 'central office' provisioning systems for service providers, the shift from in-house IT management to outsourcing, and the trend toward 'Ethernet everywhere,' such as Ethernet-based metropolitan area networks."
3Com relies on an expanding array of traditional and next-generation service provider partners to deliver its VCN solution. These include Internet service providers (ISPs), competitive local exchange carriers (CLECs), carriers/PTTs and application service providers (ASPs), and high-tech service providers. 3Com's initial VCN partners include CAIS Internet, a leading specialist in hotel-based solutions; Cincinnati Bell Telephone, a leader in multi-dwelling, multi-tenant building implementations; MDU Communications International, the premier national operator for Direct TV and Star Choice digital satellite TV services for multi-dwelling units; and StarView, a leading cable TV operator in the US hotel and apartment building market.
"3Com's early entry into this market is well-timed to meet service providers' and end users' growing appetite for radically simple, content-rich broadband access. Our first innovative set of solutions introduced this week is just the tip of the iceberg of what we'll introduce this year and next," concluded Eldad.
Perry P. |
