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Siemens Information and Communication Networks Inc. is bringing a fresh perspective to the VOIP-driven march to converged communication.
Claiming first-generation voice over IP didnt bring the expected cost savings and that it doesnt address a distributed work force, the networking company has launched a program dubbed LifeWorks. The program is designed to integrate home, business and carrier networks with wired and wireless networks, to provide an integrated communications experience.
“In the market today, weve developed service fragmentation. Your office phone does certain things; the home office line doesnt participate with the work environment,” said Perry Kamel, general manager of next-generation carrier networks at Siemens, in Boca Raton, Fla.
The first product to be introduced under the LifeWorks umbrella is the Surpass Business Connection platform for hosted communications. Siemens will also outline its strategy to deliver a self-hosted version of its HiPath softswitch technology for enterprises.
The Surpass Business Connection platform, intended for carriers, managed service providers or hosting providers, is a more advanced IP Centrex platform that adds to traditional Centrex features, Kamel said.
Surpass Business Connection allows service providers to migrate subscribers to a softswitch-based network architecture more cost-effectively than replicating services and features over IP.
With the Hosted HiPath offerings, which arent slated to be available until next year, Siemens will allow customers to run their HiPath softswitch applications as if they were another IT application from the data center. Hosted HiPath is based on Session Initiation Protocol and supports H.323 and Siemens CorNet IP. It will scale to support 100,000 users and provides connectivity through standard routers and gateways or Siemens Survivable Media Gateway.