To cater for the increased demand for cost-effective solutions for the integration of premise voice and data traffic, Lucent TechnologiesBusiness Communications Systems (BCS) has announced the availability of the Network Alchemy range of routing products.
The announcement follows Lucent`s recent acquisition of Network Alchemy, a UK-based company who design, develop and manufacture Computer Telephony Integrated systems for both office and home business users.
Sean Owen-Jones, managing director at Lucent BCS southern Africa, says: "Historically, voice transmissions have been generally analogue and data transmission digital. Connecting computers remotely required modem technology to transmit data slowly over analogue lines. Today with the widespread availability of ISDN, both data and voice can make use of high-speed connections between locations without concerns of quality degradation," he says.
With the Network Alchemy family of products, voice transmissions within office premises can be either analogue or digital (depending on the type of PABX deployed). The PABX is connected to each telephone and acts as a switch and call distribution system. Data networks are generally digital LANs with the most popular topology being Ethernet operating at 10Mbps. If it is a recent installation, it is likely to be based upon structured cabling, connecting each computer port back to a wiring hub. Often this is located with the PABX for convenience.
"In many new installations, the same Category 5 cable is used for both systems allowing a simple patch to be made at the hub to connect either a telephone or computer at any given point. Network Alchemy`s technology removes the barrier between voice PABX and data LAN combining the functionality of both systems," says Owen-Jones.
First up is the Argent suite, a modular system which allows a single office network to grow from 8 voice and data ports up to 182 voice and data connections. Other modules will expand these integrated network facilities to cover all aspects of the Internet office of the future. For small installations, remote access sites and home offices, the super-performance CyberGear range takes full advantage of high-speed ISDN access for both voice and data.
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