Net Management in Supercomms Limelight

To give carriers and their enterprise customers ways to make better use of the vast amount of network capacity available today, vendors are developing products that add more control to traffic, bandwidth and services management.

At this years Supercomm conference in Chicago, VocalData Inc. will roll out its latest data application server, which has an improved Web portal and support for more telephones. Version 5.0 of the server offers enhanced IP trunking capability so that enterprise network users can employ the same dialing plan and voice mail system regardless of their location.

The server also offers a remote phone function that delivers PBX-like features to any telephone through the Web. Users can check voice mail, set up conference calls and manage calls via the portal.

"In the past, the dilemma has been that if you have a legacy PBX with proprietary phones behind it, how can you take advantage of new offerings?" said Mark Whittier, vice president at VocalData, in Richardson, Texas.

Ascendent Telecommunications Inc., of San Jose, Calif., which specializes in enhancing mobile communications, will announce upgrades to its application server, including an integrated conference call capability.

Ascendent adds voice services, policies and security to remote devices, including cell phones and laptops, so that they operate as extensions of the corporate PBX or Centrex switch. The services are designed to give network managers greater security and control over the devices, letting them manage costs and network integrity. Managers can set calling restrictions, giving users privileges to use the network.

With the conference-calling features, the server will contact participants just prior to the call, eliminating the need for a conference middleman.

For DSL providers and users, Net.com, of Fremont, Calif., will launch its Qserv technology, which is integrated into Net.coms SCREAM (Service Creation Manager) platform for broadband remote access servers, to provide advanced QOS (quality-of-service) capabilities for new offerings.

Next page: Creating value-added offerings.