In today`s challenging economic climate, business forces and opportunities are driving the importance of the network. The past few years saw world-wide acceptance of the Internet, with applications such as ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning), Web packages and call centres emerging strongly.
During the next couple of years, electronic business (e-business) is expected to become firmly entrenched, while the period from 2000 to 2002 will see the dawn of the Networked Economy. This economy will be based on interactive multimedia communications.
The Networked Economy is expected to drive new business models through facilities such as virtual corporations, workforces and shopping. Networks will be compelled to meet unprecedented demands in terms of flexibility and adaptability, application and user service levels, and information access and distribution.
Doug Batchelor, regional director of Nortel Networks` Enterprise Solutions line of business in South Africa, believes today`s multiple, complex networks will not be able to support the Networked Economy.
"In response to this situation, Nortel has developed a new blueprint for networking. Called Unified Networks, it creates greater value for customers world-wide by delivering integrated network solutions spanning both data and telephony," he says.
Nortel`s Unified Networks vision consists of three main elements: Unified Applications; Unified Management; and Unified Infrastructure. The first consists of elements such as messaging, call centres, video, telephony and web applications, and it benefits the customer by maximising productivity.
Unified Management encompasses policy, service and the network, allowing organisations to increase control. In addition, costs are significantly reduced through a Unified Infrastructure which includes campus, WAN, remote office, access and telephony.
"The creation of Unified Networks will lead to a new era of networking," Batchelor says. "Furthermore, Nortel Networks has developed a transition plan to help customers unify today`s multiple networks and applications."
The benefits delivered by Nortel`s Unified Networks include:
Increased profitability and productivity;
Operational simplicity and application-optimised performance;
Reduced cost and complexity; and
Increased reliability.
With the recent launch of Accelar 8000, Nortel Networks delivered a critical building block in its Unified Networks strategy, proving that the vision is fast becoming a reality. The Accelar 8000 platform delivers the resilient, application-optimised performance necessary to provide true data, telephony and video application integration.
The company also announced a strategic relationship with IPivot Inc. to deliver a new line of server switches that increase the application reliability and service availability of heavily trafficked web sites for enterprises and service providers. The new Accelar 700 server switches are based on joint technology developments by Nortel Networks and IPivot. The new switches provide key features for creating Unified Networks solutions. This is achieved by delivering predictable performance and highly reliable, scalable access to Internet and Intranet applications and services (such as electronic commerce), through response time-based load balancing, and application and server awareness.
Nortel Networks works with customers world-wide to design, build, and deliver telecommunications 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 world-wide.
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