Alcatel anticipates demand for VoIP solution by carriers

By Edu H. Lopez

PHILIPPINES, 4 May 2000 (Manila Bulletin) - Local telecom companies will soon offer voice over Internet telephony (VoIP) service that will substantially reduce the cost of owning a communication network.

With the convergence of voice and data and even video in a network, local carriers are now acquiring VoIP solutions that offer these services to their customers.

Gilbert Paggabao, Alcatel Philippines general manager for services and distribution said the communication network of the future requires convergence in all elements of the enterprise from the network level down to the workplaces and the application level.

In anticipation of the demand for VoIP, Alcatel Philippines unveiled its IP-based voice communications platform, the OmniPCX 4400 which offers voice enabled PCintegrated business tools, mobile access to all voice and data server applications, web based management of voice and data infrastructure, access to all network services using IP, integrated server/directory applications, "surf and talk" options and security.

OmniPCX 4400 is the only voice communications platform that offers a complete range of next-generation convergence applications platform, while retaining the features of the existing Alcatel 4400 range.

It also enables all enterprises to smoothly migrate their existing system and take advantage of the OmniPCX advance features.

Paggabao said that Alcatel technology works for the enterprise network or private network that would bring benefits to local carriers by having one unified network.

Carriers are now acquiring VoIP solutions and in due time, they will be deploying this technology that would substantially cut the cost of ownership of a communication network, Paggabao said.

Santiago F. Gomez, Jr., president and country senior officer of Alcatel Philippines said that with the new features of OmniPCX 4400, the cost of voice transmission would decline as carriers offer this service to its clients.

The OmniPCX 4400 is targeted for the telcos, finance and banking sectors. It is UNIX-based and has a future-proofed architecture needed for voice and data convergence.

It uses products and applications that are scalable to growth as companies' needs develop and allows for easy integration with the leading-edge technologies from Alcatel's acquisitions including data switches from Packet Engines and Xylan and customer contact from Genesys as well as networking and application technologies from any supplier committed to open standards.

The OmniSolutions will address the communications needs of small, medium and large enterprises through a complete range of tightly integrated applications and network services.

Ian Margeson, Alcatel regional director of services and distribution division said that enterprises face a myriad of challenges from higher bandwidth demands, infrastructure investment protection to the flexibility and scalability required for upgrading.

The OmniSolutions delivers improved business efficiency, significant cost-savings and a smooth progression to the future network requirements through network convergence, Margeson said.

An essential element in Alcatel's convergence program lies in the successful integration of the data networking, applications and technology from companies acquired by Alcatel during the past 19 months into the Alcatel OmniPCX 4400 and OmniOffice platforms.

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