Nortel Networks has transformed its Passport family for enterprises with the launch of an IP-optimised, high-capacity multiservice branch office solution.
Called the Passport 5430 Multiservice Access Switch, the solution is the first of a new family of Passport products designed specifically to address enterprises` increasing connectivity and performance requirements for IP-intensive branch and regional site applications.
According to Doug Batchelor, general manager of Nortel Networks` Enterprise Solutions line of business in South Africa, the announcement is further proof of the successful merging which has taken place between Bay Networks` and Nortel Networks` technologies.
"This latest development delivers integrated voice and data on the highly scalable Passport Multiservice Access Switch and the BayStack Advanced Remote Node (ARN)," he says.
The new product has been designed to support Unified Networks which integrate enterprise voice, data and video over a common network infrastructure. It provides high-speed wide area network (WAN) connectivity over frame relay, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) and Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP), as well as advanced Internet Protocol (IP) services, including Voice over IP (VoIP), Quality of Service (QoS) and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).
The Passport 5430 defines a new class of IP-optimised, highly scalable networking devices to support remote branch offices and regional sites, and is designed to fit seamlessly into new and existing Passport 6000 and Bay Networks` backbone network environments.
Driven by technologies like VPNs for secure Internet communications and advanced IP services such as voice/data integration, QoS, and multicast, the majority of today`s "power branch" office traffic traverses the WAN to access centralised servers or Web-based applications. The Passport 5430 Multiservice Access Switch addresses these requirements by marrying world-class BayRS IP technology with the market-leading voice and switching capabilities of Nortel Networks in a single, high-performance platform.
"The high-performance and feature-rich functionality of the Passport 5430 enables customers to confidently extend their new intranet services out to the branch office," Batchelor comments. "The Passport 5430 represents the beginning of a significant expansion of our Passport product family, enabling customers to build networks that enhance their competitive advantage. Our customers can expect to see this same focus on next-generation multiservice performance, scalability and modularity extend across our entire Passport product family over the coming months."
In addition to traditional frame relay, ISDN and PPP access, the Passport 5430 Multiservice Access Switch addresses the needs of this new class of bandwidth-intensive remote user through high-performance routing and support for VoIP, ATM, and voice/data multiplexing.
Nortel Networks delivers value to customers around the world through Unified Networks solutions, spanning mission-critical telephony and IP-optimised networks. Customers include public and private enterprises and institutions; Internet service providers; local, long-distance, cellular and PCS communications companies; cable television carriers; and utilities.
Nortel Networks` common shares are listed on the New York, Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, and London stock exchanges. Nortel Networks had 1998 revenues of US$17.6 billion and has approximately 75,000 employees worldwide.
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