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

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (1327)	9/18/1998 5:01:00 AM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Respond to of 3178

New Lucent Software Allows Internet Telephony Providers to Offer Ubiquitous, Seamless Telephone Service September 18, 1998 MURRAY HILL, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE) via NewsEdge Corporation -- Lucent Technologies today announced a breakthrough software product, developed by Bell Labs, for converging voice and data networks that lets Internet telephony gateways from different vendors interoperate with each other and with traditional telephone networks. The software eliminates the incompatibility problems that have frustrated and prevented Internet telephony service providers from offering ubiquitous, seamless telephone service to their customers. The new product, the PacketStar(TM) IP Services Platform, not only solves the basic problem of connecting people using regular phones to people using any Internet phone, but it also lets traditional and emerging network operators provide a range of enhanced voice and data services that reach well beyond today's Internet telephony offerings. "This is breakthrough technology that will redefine Internet telephony, " said Dan Stanzione, chief operating officer of Lucent Technologies and president of Bell Labs. "This technology gives Internet service providers the 'glue' they need to make Internet telephony equipment work together and to make Internet phone calls look, feel and work like regular phone calls. It also enables traditional network providers to offer Internet phone customers the same advanced services they offer other customers today." The PacketStar IP Services Platform is designed for traditional carriers expanding into Internet telephony, competitive entrants building Internet-style networks, and for ISPs who want to offer standards-based Internet Telephony services. The product solves two distinct problems facing service providers: The PacketStar IP Services Platform interoperability offering solves basic interoperability problems caused by signaling, directory and protocol incompatibilities between packet-circuit gateways from different vendors. The PacketStar IP Services Platform software switch offering allows seamless connectivity between public telephone networks and various Internet telephony networks. The software switch enables network operators to offer their customers Intelligent Network services - such as call waiting, call forwarding, billing and operator assistance - over either traditional networks or the Internet. Service providers can access and use existing directories and databases on both the Internet and the phone network. Programming interfaces supplied with the PacketStar IP Services Platform enable network operators and independent software vendors to quickly create new Internet-based services that operate across both public phone networks and the Internet. The PacketStar IP Services Platform software is written in Java(R)/C and runs on most commercially available servers. The system is fully distributed, giving service providers flexibility and easy scalabilty. Support for new protocols and services can be added while networks are running through the addition of simple "protocol handlers" and "applets." Two patents are pending on Bell Labs technologies at the heart of the software. Trials of the beta product will begin this month. The product will be shown at N+I in Atlanta in October, with general availability in first quarter 1999. The PacketStar IP Services Platform interoperability offer will be priced at $180 per gateway port. Pricing for the software switch offering will be announced at N+I in October. A white paper describing the PacketStar IP Services Platform is available via the press section on the Lucent web site. Lucent Technologies (LU) designs, builds, and delivers a wide range of public and private networks, communications systems and software, consumer and business telephone systems and microelectronics components. Bell Laboratories is the research and development arm of the company. For more information about Lucent Technologies, headquartered at Murray Hill, N.J., visit our website at lucent.com.

To: Kenneth E. Phillipps who wrote (1327)	9/18/1998 5:26:00 AM
From: Stephen B. Temple	Respond to of 3178

Anyone want to setup a Virtual Call-Center? ggg What does this have to do with VoIP? Allot!! Call Centers Eclipse the Internet in Business Priority Stakes Say Analysts September 18, 1998 BURLINGTON, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE) via NewsEdge Corporation -- Despite all the hype about the Internet, call centers are where today's commercial battles are being won and lost, according to independent analysts, Ovum Inc. The worldwide market for call center software will rise to $3.1 billion in the year 2003, up from $580 million in 1998. The US currently dominates the market with a 64% share. The findings come in a comprehensive new report, Ovum Evaluates: Call Center Software(a). But Ovum points out that the performance of a call center depends critically on the software it uses. Its report, which includes detailed comparative evaluations of software from eight leading vendors, finds that call center software is rapidly coming of age and is already a viable choice for the vast majority of end-user organizations. "The market is beginning to take call center software seriously," says David Bradshaw, a senior analyst with Ovum Inc. "Using a dedicated product can quickly provide a wide range of capabilities that would otherwise take months to build. Call centers potentially deliver three key benefits to end-user organizations: improved customer service, greater staff effectiveness, and cost savings over comparable customer contact media." Ovum Evaluates: Call Center Software defines two main types of call center software: -- system and application development environments that are geared towards the needs of the call center, such as GT-X from Graham Technologies and Edge from IMA -- ready-made but highly customizable call center applications, such as TeamPoint from Point and VTT from Versatility. "The two types of products are converging", continues Bradshaw. "Development environments are beginning to offer application templates that have much of the required ready-made functionality. At the same time, ready-made applications are offering increasingly sophisticated customization facilities and are edging towards entire development environments that will rival those offered by development tool vendors." But the products still have some way to go. Ovum identifies management tools and enterprise integration as being obvious areas for improvement. "The Internet and call centers are complementary forms of customer interaction," adds Bradshaw. "One of our criteria in evaluating these products was how well the call center system interacted with the corporate web server. We looked at how well systems dealt with web site visitors requesting a phone call at a time of their choice." Ovum believes the Internet actually increases usage of call centers. "When customers using Internet commerce encounter a problem, they want to speak to someone. Internet commerce will actually drive the adoption of call center software because of the need to address the customers' requirements quickly and easily. It will be entirely necessary and natural to automate the handling of both the phone call and the transaction to a high degree," concludes Bradshaw. Ovum anticipates that the worldwide market for call centre software products will grow from $580 million in 1998 to reach $3.1 billion in 2003. The market is currently dominated by the US which has a 64% share. Even by the end of the forecast period, the US will still represent 45% of the worldwide market. Ovum Evaluates: Call Center Software is available immediately from Ovum Inc. and costs $2,775. In addition to in-depth analysis of the key issues affecting users and vendors, the report provides market forecasts and detailed evaluations of eight call centre software products from FirstWave, Graham Technology, IBM/Early Cloud, IMA, Point, Quintus, Vantive and Versatility. The report is the result of nine months intensive research on call center issues by Ovum analysts. (a) Ovum's research is wholly self-funded. It accepts no sponsorship from vendors or other interest groups, nor does it rely on them to purchase reports. Ovum's analysts write to help prospective buyers of call center software choose the systems that best suit their needs. Ovum is an independent information technology, telecommunications and new media analyst group, providing high quality, authoritative information and advice on key market, technical and regulatory developments. Ovum's customer base comprises leading blue-chip organizations including suppliers, users and policy makers worldwide. With offices in Boston, London and Melbourne, Ovum currently employs over 170 staff worldwide. Note to editors: A white paper on call center software is available to journalists free of charge. If you are a journalist and would like to receive more information, please contact Daniel Matkovits in the Ovum Inc press office on email: dma@ovum.co