Nortel Networks Corp. on Tuesday introduced a set of software enhancements and an add-on application that extends its IP (Internet Protocol) telephony platform to include support for wireless VoIP (Voice over IP).
Dubbed Business Communications Manager 2.5 Feature Pack 1, the free software upgrade adds wireless capabilities to Nortel’s combined voice and data system, BCM (Business Communications Manager). The BCM has integrated PBX and VoIP functions and allows both packet and circuit switching, Nortel reports.
New to the Feature Pack is a wizard that allows the simultaneous creation of multiple mailboxes and settings, support for multiple IP addresses, a tool that permits remote call center workers to view activity throughout the system, back-up software, and a tool for simplifying the administration of billing information.
Also offered in the software are add-ons for Nortel’s Meridian Customer Defined Networking that assists in the delivery of trunking and centralized voice mail. By linking the Meridian and BCM, communications between branch and head offices can be improved. Also included is Point-to-Point over Ethernet, a product that allows xDSL (Digital Subscriber Line) and DSL capabilities.
Meanwhile, Nortel announced on Monday a new Layer 2 and 3 Ethernet switch that boasts improved quality of service functionality and gigabit connectivity to the desktop, respectively. The former is dubbed the BayStack 470-48T 10/100 Switch that provides 384 ports and as much as 16 Gigabit uplink ports in a stacked approach. As many as eight of the 48 port stacks can be stacked in order to achieve the 384 ports. Additionally, Nortel added BayStack Business Policy Switch, software that allows network administrators to create policies for data networks that carry multi-purpose traffic and to give priority to select users or applications.
The BayStack 380-24T 10/100/1000 provides high-density gigabit network connectivity to the desktop as well as data center aggregation. Architected with as much as 24 gigabit ports per switch, the BayStack 380-24T offers high-speed multi-link trunks, providing as many as 8Gbps throughput connections to servers and other switches.