Corporate GSM, the latest development in telecommunications convergence, is set to take office functionality to a new level, allowing cellular telephones to have PABX capabilities within a business environment.
Corporate GSM (C-GSM) is currently being demonstrated by Siemens Telecommunications at the Tel.Com conference held in Midrand between May 3 and May 5, and will shortly thereafter be introduced into South Africa.
C-GSM connects the cellular phone to the corporate PABX infrastructure, thus integrating the two systems. This enables a company to run its own private GSM network within the perimeter of the office by linking its GSM phones, PABX and IP-based voice and data networks. It consists of mini GSM base stations, a specialized interworking unit that converts the GSM signals from the base stations to VoIP (Voice over IP). With VoIP the base stations can integrate into the company's existing voice and data communications network.
This convergence allows the cellular telephone to take on the role of the PABX desk phone while on corporate property. Besides the PABX functionality, it also allows a cellular telephone user to be reached on his cellular telephone, while moving around in the C-GSM area, by dialling his office extension number. As soon as the user moves out of the C-GSM area he will only be reachable on his normal cellular telephone number, via standard 'network' based mobile telephony.
"Corporate GSM reduces the cost of 'cellular' calls made in the corporate area," says Paul McKibbin, MD of Carrier Solutions at Siemens Telecommunications.
"It also allows more employees to be given a mobile phone for use on corporate property."
There are various advantages to the corporate customer, as C-GSM can be tailor-made to meet the particular requirements of each customer. Customers will also benefit from significant cost savings since mobile calls within the C-GSM are private and corporate cellular telephone bills would be greatly reduced. The need for desk phones for people who are 'in and out ' of the office could be eliminated, as the person could use their cellular telephone for both in and out of the office.
McKibbin concludes by saying that C-GSM provides GSM carriers the opportunity to increase revenue from the lucrative enterprise market segment, lower acquisition costs per subscriber and obtain greater utilization of their network capacity. "The solution improves a carrier's competitive position by strengthening service differentiation, and reduces the churn rate by building stronger enterprise partnerships, " he says.
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