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Technology Stocks : Voice-on-the-net (VON), VoIP, Internet (IP) Telephony -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Frank A. Coluccio who wrote (571)	5/19/1998 1:38:00 PM
From: Frank A. Coluccio	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 3178

"AT&T Plans Migration to (Vo)IP" <article follows comment> All: This, while not entirely new news, is in my opinion some very powerful stuff with broad future ramifications. It comes at the same time when IBM no longer hesitates putting its back behind the new technology. Some may recall ex-Microsofter and then-AT&Ter Tom Evslin's talk that he gave last July (1997) at a trade conference, when he announced his departure from AT&T. That was the same event where he announced the formation of ITXC. He spoke to this decision that T had made at that time, and then it was reinforced in Feb. by Armstrong at a major stockholders' meeting, and now this release. If you read between the lines, they are setting up a registry system that in my opinion may bypass the SS7 model, at least in part, if not the ability to do it entirely. That would allow them to escape the access charge trap, as well. All very interesting, wouldn't you say? In any case, if there was ever any lingering doubt before, as to whether T would follow through with VoIP, I think that we have seen enough evidence to conlcude that they are indeed serious, now. Any comments or reactions as to what the implications of T's dominant and now pronounced posture will be on startup ITSPs, who look to leverage the current status quo? Pros, Cons, In Between? Regards, Frank Coluccio ------------ AT&T Plans Migration to IP May 19, 1998 InfoWorld via NewsEdge Corporation : AT&T is planning to leverage its telecommunications expertise to try to dominate the market for voice-over-IP technologies. The company's long-term plans call for moving its entire long-distance telephone network to IP. AT&T signaled its increased focus on IP at the opening of a Silicon Valley headquarters for AT&T Labs earlier this month. "The telephone will be the most ubiquitous Internet device in the world, " said Michael Armstrong, chairman and CEO. "We expect this lab will make AT&T the IP communications services leader." Armstrong said the company will pursue initiatives in four areas. It will make significant investments in its Internet backbone, create new IP-based services for businesses and consumers, and expand its online communications services by making them available through companies such as Lycos, he said. Observers said the strategy could provide valuable options for enterprises and slash service cost. "The real reason they're doing this is to gain efficiencies with their own operations," said Tom Jenkins, a broadband consultant at TeleChoice, in Boston. With a single network supporting voice, video, and data, the carrier's costs will be lower, he said. Lab engineers demonstrated several technologies at the event, including a platform that will form the basis of future IP-based services from AT&T and allow rapid development of new services. Such a platform could help service providers offer better products, Jenkins said. The Advanced Network Services Platform, code-name GeoPlex, is based on a core set of authentication, accounting, security, access control, and user registry functions. It includes APIs for developing billing and management applications, and peer software for devices that run multimedia applications on the platform. Researchers demonstrated voice, video, and fax-over-IP services that have been created at Carnegie Mellon university using GeoPlex. AT&T Corp., in Basking Ridge, N.J., can be reached at att.com. [Copyright 1998, InfoWorld]