Companies will be able to converge voice and data
networks onto the internet protocol with the help of a set of
products from 3Com.
The products include a new version of an enterprise-class IP
voice module that runs on Linux-based servers.
The voice module revision, the 3Com VCX 5.0 IP Telephony module,
starts at $250,000 (£140,000) and is designed for operations with
more than 400 users.
The VCX is based on the Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), which
makes it easy to provide connections to a variety of new user
applications, including e-mail notification.
Other products in the 3Com Convergence Applications Suite
include the NBX V3000 IP Telephony system for up to 40 users,
priced at $1,995 and available at the end of October; an NBX
SuperStack 3 IP Telephony system for small to medium-size companies
of 41 to 400 users; and an NBX 100 IP Telephony system for small
businesses with two to 200 users.
Johna Till Johnson, president of Nemertes Research, said surveys
of companies considering or using voice over IP show that most want
improved productivity with such deployments and not simply cost
savings.
SIP and other standards will help enable applications that can
deliver productivity enhancements, she said.
Matt Hamblen writes for Computerworld