Campus Multiservice Networking Offers Alternative to Traditional PBX Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc., announced that it is delivering the fourth phase of its data, voice and video integration strategy. Multiservice networking, offering greater network flexibility, integration and control, expedites new application deployment and reduces network costs of ownership in the enterprise.
In the fourth phase of the five-phase Cisco data, voice and video integration strategy, campus multiservice networking brings robust voice and video onto campus and branch office data infrastructures. Cisco will also offer network PBX system capabilities and expanded campus, WAN, and branch connectivity, making it possible for the enterprise to build a single communications infrastructure.
Quality of Service (QoS) enhancements across IP and ATM technologies, delivered within Cisco IOS(R) software. This highlights the emergence of voice as another network application using policy networking under the CiscoAssure initiative. This will be further enhanced in the fifth phase of the Cisco multiservice strategy.
"Conversion of data, voice and video onto a single network enables our company to deliver a new level of communications, at a new price point, to a new business," said Steve Conkling, president and chief operating officer of Park`N`View, Inc, America`s only provider of telecommunications, data and entertainment services to the long-haul trucking industry." Our Cisco multiservice network allows us to pass significant savings on to the one million professional truck drivers subscribing to our unique system."
Network PBX
On October 14, 1998, Cisco announced its intention to acquire Selsius Systems, Inc. This acquisition will provide key components for Cisco to offer a new-world alternative to the traditional, closed, proprietary PBS. Selsius server-based call management technologies and IP telephones, across Cisco multiservice network infrastructure, will provide more scalable, flexible telephony capabilties at a lower cost.
"Customers facing PBX replacements, enlargements and upgrades now have another option -- the network PBX," said Peter Alexander, vice president of enterprise marketing at Cisco Systems. "Cisco is leading the way in rearchitecture of voice onto a distributed, open, lower-cost communications infrastructure for data, voice and video."
Significant Product Enhancements
New product capabilities in the fourth phase roll out include voice over IP modules for the AS5300 access concentrator series and multiservice extensions for the 7200 series routers. Campus switch enhancements delivered in this phase include circuit-emulation capability for the Cisco Catalyst(R) 8540 and virtual switch controller readiness for both the LightStream(R) 1010 and Catalyst 8540. Connecting the multiservice campus to the WAN is the new Cisco IGX(TM) 8450 IP/ATM switch - also virtual switch control ready. The new Cisco 800 series connect the multiservice campus to the telecommuter. Also, Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS)/tag switching is introduced as an IP and ATM-unifying technology for enterprise WANs.
Enterprise-wide QoS mechanisms, required to optimize delivery of integrated data, voice and video, are now available in Cisco IOS, Version 12.0.
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