Acer - the only vendor to provide its own end-to-end networking solution from PCs and servers to modems, hubs, routers and switches - is rolling-out its Internet-era strategy which focuses on next generation WAN access products.
The new products from Acer Nextus, the sole manufacturer of Acer networking products, embrace the latest Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Internet-based Virtual Private Network (VPN) technologies.
"While Internet-based VoIP is not legal yet in South Africa because of Telkom restrictions, there`s nothing stopping companies with leased lines using VoIP internally between their national offices. They can save a fortune in long distance calls," says Hilton Haefele, networking product manager at Acer in Africa.
"And when telecoms is deregulated, you`ll be able to leverage Internet connectivity to place long-distance calls to anywhere in the world while paying only local telephone charge rates."
Acer`s first entry in a full line of VoIP products is the AIG-101V Desktop VoIP Gateway, which is now available in SA. It`s a single-line VoIP solution. One port plugs into any telephone, and a built-in 4-port Ethernet connects to the LAN backbone.
"Acer`s award-winning VoIP circuitry gives users crystal-quality voice signals even through congested public Internet connections," says Haefele. "With VoIP Gateway a central office can create a VoIP `hotline` to distant regional offices which have heavy two-way traffic. It means significant bottom-line savings for small and medium businesses."
Another next-generation method of leveraging Internet connectivity for business is to create a VPN to link remote national and international office LANs over the Internet instead of using prohibitively expensive leased-lines.
Acer`s flagship VPN solution, the AIR-800 Leased-Line Router, is a full-function Internet access/VPN router for the medium business. The LAN interface is a single 10Base-T Ethernet port. The security and bandwidth scalability of leased data lines provides a robust platform for the bandwidth-intensive Internet access required in a VPN environment.
The basic router platform is available with either or both of two optional function boards - VPN and/or hardware encryption/compression. These options allow high-performance LAN-to-LAN connections with the security of industry-standard DES encryption.
In addition to its new Internet-era solutions, Acer continues to meet the one-stop networking needs of small business and office with its end-to-end solutions that include the plug-and-play 8/16 stackable Fast Ethernet SOHO hub, Layer 2 switch, a dual-modem IP sharing router, an IP sharing router with built-in Fast Ethernbet Hub, a four-port USB Hub and 56k data and voice/ fax modems.
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