Cisco debuts midsize IP telephony system

By John Rendleman, PC Week

17 May, 2000 - Cisco Systems Inc. has unveiled its Integrated Communications System 7750, a multipurpose IP office telephony system with new browser-based management capabilities.

The ICS 7750, which incorporates Cisco's AVVID (Architecture for Voice, Video and Integrated Data) approach to IP telephony, is designed for small and medium-size enterprises. For that sector, it has particular cost advantages for configurations with up to about 150 users, said Cisco officials in San Jose, Calif.

The ICS 7750 includes a multiservice router, a voice gateway with Cisco's IOS (Internetworking Operating System) software, a quality-of-service-enabled switch processor, and standards-based application server features for advanced call-handling functions such as automated attendant and voice mail.

New with the ICS 7750 is Cisco's ICS System Manager, a browser-based management system for local or remote management. Management tasks handled by the ICS System Manager include configuration, monitoring, event managers, software upgrades and security.

The system will start shipping in the third quarter, with third-party applications becoming available for the system in the fourth quarter, officials said.

Prices for a fully configured system will start at US$765 per user, including voice and data capabilities and the required number of IP phone sets.

The ICS 7750 accepts connections from voice trunks, conventional analog telephone devices (including fax machines), PCs, file servers and IP telephones. It also can be installed in conjunction with any QOS-enabled Cisco Catalyst switch, said officials.

The system initially offers two choices of universal slot cards -- either a Multiservice Route Processor supporting voice interface and WAN cards or a System Processing Engine that operates as an embedded applications server for call processing.

Cisco can be reached at www.cisco.com.