Interoperable 56K modems by summer - Hayes

After last week's affirmation of a standard for what were formerly known as V.pcm modems (and are likely to be called V.90 devices in the future) and the setting up by Cisco, Ascend and Hayes of a Work Group to ensure interoperability, Hayes Europe director Nigel Croisdale said he expected widespread interoperability in the April-June quarter. The official rubber-stamping process is not expected to be complete until September this year.

"Compliance to a standard doesn't necessarily mean everyone is interoperable without testing," Croisdale said. "There's no point unleashing 56K unless the modem and back-end equipment makers can underwrite interoperability. We're saying: let's not rush this at the expense of interoperability."

However, Croisdale said he doesn't expect too many problems.

"I think you'll see more companies come on board with us to spread interoperability and I will be very disappointed if, by the end of the second calendar quarter, all the big modem makers and server makers aren't interoperable."

Croisdale said he expects further extensions to the standard to potentially make modems even faster.

"It would be brave of me to say that modems have hit a wall. I have to believe there's more life in the technology."