Motorola has launched a full-scale initiative to work together with some of the top companies in the networking and telephony industry, with a view to creating the first truly open architecture communications platform. Aiming to include both hardware and software open architecture, Motorola has already formed alliances with Cisco, Lucent and Nortel.
"Motorola is committed to the vision of a communications architecture that will encompass a diverse range of future-generation networking, hardware, access and software solutions," says Craig Rosewarne, Motorola Product Manager at Westcon SA. "The objective is that these will all be based around an open, IP-based communications architecture."
"With this vision in mind, Motorola recently launched Aspira, a convergent communications solution that will enable `anytime` communications in ways that have not yet been imagined. Its IP-based client/server driven approach enables operators and service providers to create a carrier-grade broadband communications network of the future.
"The Aspira network will be able to efficiently deliver integrated voice, data and multimedia through a new generation of wireless and wireline network systems and access devices," Rosewarne continues. Service providers will be able to branch out into new markets, providing their customers with high-value Internet services, telephony over IP, as well as a multitude of global, feature-rich mobile services."
The alliance between Motorola and Cisco was formed to deliver end-to-end wireless solutions for the Internet. Known as INVISIX, the partnership will provide network operators and solution developers with flexible solutions to the flourishing challenges and opportunities now available, and to guide them through the network revolution of Internet and wireless convergence that is currently taking place.
Building on each company`s complementary strengths in Internet infrastructure, wireless communications and network services, the Motorola/Cisco alliance aims to expand and accelerate the acceptance and deployment of the global Internet economy. It will do this by delivering a powerful combination of Cisco Internet equipment and Motorola wireless products and services to wireless operators worldwide.
The Motorola-Nortel partnership involves Nortel`s use of Motorola`s compact PCI platform from the Motorola Computer Group. Nortel`s IP Open Architecture further confirms that companies like Motorola and Nortel are not only experiencing a convergence of technologies, but of mind-set as well. The two companies will jointly create open architecture products and solutions with Motorola supplying open architecture hardware and Nortel providing open architecture software.
What this means to customers is that communication products will reach the market faster since vendors will soon be able to use off-the-shelf components, while application developers will be able to use a common operating system in which to create new features and enable services.
The alliance between Motorola and Lucent will develop next-generation digital signal processor (DSP) technology, and cross-license existing DSP architectures. This strategic partnership will accelerate development of advanced DSP cores for a variety of industries, including communications, transportation and consumer electronics.
A DSP core is a computing engine that can be used in many different DSP chips, regardless of the intended application. For consumers, these advanced DSPs will enable manufacturers to develop a variety of new products such as hand-held wireless devices for surfing the Web, cellular phones with video capability and devices with speech recognition capability.
DSP chips are specialised semiconductors that perform high-speed mathematical computations with voice, data and video signals. In today`s "digital boom", DSPs play an increasingly critical role in a vast array of devices, including cellular phones, pagers, digital cameras and audio and video equipment.
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