More 5ESS. From Lucent website, takes a little searching. It will be interesting to see how WSTL contributes to LU's global market. I can't believe that WSTL can flounder much longer. WSTL needs to be more specific with shareholders regarding their near term visions. Sorry this is so long, but it would be nice to see LU's spin. (they seem to have a vision for the future and are being aggressive, wish I owned LU)
What is a 5ESSr-2000 Switch?
Lucent Technology's digital switch, called the 5ESSr-2000 Switch, allows service providers such as telephone companies to route data, voice and video signals to communicate information. Switching equipment links telephones plus fax machines,computers, and other data systems together on the public switched telephone network, so
people can exchange information no matter where they are located. Information can be sent in traditional ways with a person's voice speaking on the telephone, with facsimile
transmission to send documents, or through data sent via computer systems, and use of satellites. The Internet's world wide web links global information and sites by travel through electronic switches and their software. The 5ESSr-2000 Digital Switch is designed to allow high speed, reliable network interconnection.
The United States public switched
telephone network has many
switches in major cities, suburban
and rural areas that connect
telephones to each another. Special
switches, called Gateway Switches,
are also used to interconnect U.S.
telephone and computer traffic with
voice, data and similiar
communication networks in other
countries.
How does a switch work to accomplish this?
The switch is a large scale, real time, software based system. The switch, itself, works through commands located in the software applications used. Software is the guiding command that makes the switch execute its processes.
Software is more than "instructions". Software is the intelligence for switching systems,network transmission, speech synthesis and recognition, asynchronous transfer mode ATM), digital video, wireless sytems, object oriented design, multi-media and many other communication, information, entertainment and service applications. Software makes communication happen.
The special software for a communications switch allows the processors to perform their functions as a telephone switch. Each software subsystem is reponsible for providing specific switch functions such as call processing, administration, peripheral controls, routing and termination steps, and a host of other billing and maintenance procedures. With a simple voice call, the software detects when a telephone goes off hook by noting a change in the hardware. The software then coordinates the use of appropriate
components to complete the telephone call or transfer the data or send a wireless call.
The 5ESSr Switch is a most flexible digital exchange for use in the global switching network. Digital switches replaced earlier electromechanical and analog switching systems. The 5ESSr equipment switches ISDN voice and data, local voice calls, long distance calls, Internet access, wireless PCS, Advanced Intelligent Network services, interactive video and multimedia services...moving any media on the public switched network. This means the 5ESSr Switch provides the system, services and software to transform current networks into multi-functional networks that meet the needs of today's home, business and community. By 1992, the next generation 2000 Switch was created at Bell Laboratories and added to networks worldwide. A digital switch is a single system with multiple applications such as local,toll, operator services. The switch architecture is a modular, distributed architecture with an administrative module, a communications module, and a varying number of switching modules that provide the major processing power in the total communication system. This switch design will allow network providers to offer their customers voice, computer, fax, data, and visual services. FCC (Federal Communication Commission) required quality monitoring
process has shown the 5ESSr Switch is highly reliable, in fact the
5ESSr-2000 switch is four times more reliable than its nearest
competitor. Today the 5ESSr switch is considered the workhorse of the
public telecommunications network in the United States with its lower life cycle costs and its proven record of reliability.
Modular Design Advantage
An advantage, when deploying the 5ESSr Switch, continues to be its
modular design. This modularity allows for ease of implementing ongoing enhancements and allows service providers the ability to change their communication network quickly.
The value of the current 5ESSr Switch modular architecture and the ease with which is adapts to new technologies has been repeatedly
demonstrated. Administrations can deploy new 5ESSr Switches in their
network, only to find their business requires additional hardware modules and the associated software releases. The new hardware can easily be added to the network's standard growth and modernization plans. The result is an easy, effective, and economical upgrade to a 5ESSr-2000 Switch without service disruption.
Telephone administrations are often concerned with:
Increasing busy hour call completion capacity
Minimizing floor space requirements
Enabling growth in small increments
Integrating multiple applications in one exchange
Reducing power consumption and operational costs
The 5ESSr-2000 Switch architecture and software addresses each of
these concerns. Economical access to advanced services via the
5ESSr-2000 Switch can be provided to all subscribers no matter where
they are located; in metropolitan, suburban or rural areas.
A Distributed Architecture
The 5ESSr-2000 Switch also features a distributed architecture that
employs modular components in all systems and subsystems. This readily
accommodates a broad array of growth and configuration options that
allow you to easily and economically evolve your network as subscriber
demand grows. This flexibility enables you to maintain your competitive edge while saving on sparing, training and documentation.
Internet Capacity
Reliability and customer satisfaction are especially important with respectt to internet services, since the extensive growth of the Internet has caused
an increase in network blockages on existing central offices. However, a new capability, which Lucent refers to as Project Renaissance, helps
service providers avoid this problem in a least costly fashion. Today the 5ESSr-2000 Switch is the first switch to handle both wireline and
wireless traffic. Project Renaissance will modernize and consolidate
central offices and networks by using the SM2000 with Digital Network
Unit -- SONET-- and the Access Interface Unit to provide increased
trunk and line capacity for the service provider's network. Project
Renaissance also reuses some existing central office equipment. This
increased capacity affords opportunities not only for a lower cost
structure and simplified network operations, but also a better grade of service with less probability of internet and voice calls being blocked as a result of high internet hold times.
Access Interface Unit (AIU) - A new cost-effective
non-blocking line unit for the 5ESSr Switch that will be
generally available in 1996. This line unit initially supports
enhanced performance and reduced operational costs for
analog connections, but will also support ISDN and ADSL
in the future.
ISDN PRI Expansion - The 5ESSr Switch SM-2000
an be expanded to handle more PRI terminations in 1996.
This capability will lower service provider operational and
first-time costs.
Provisioning Solutions - The Switch Element Manager
Operations Systems will shadow a switch's
translation/feature database, making it easier and faster to
provision ISDN lines without placing strain on the
embedded switch call processors. In early 1997, additional
Applications Software will be made available to further
enhance the ISDN provisioning process. Provisioning audit
services are available to pinpoint trouble spots.
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