| Regular readers of Communications
Solutions will remember a recent article I put together with Grace
Pisano looking at the app-gen industry. Well, there has been enough
activity in this area of the development community that it seems
worthwhile to revisit this subject and discuss some of what has been
happening with app-gens/SCEs, and how their future may influence the
future of communications.
First, an interesting announcement from APEX
Voice just crossed my desk. They have released the APEX Switch
Manager, a graphical SCE for Cisco's VCO/4K programmable switch (formerly
a SummaFour product). The VCO/4K offers carriers an alternative to
traditional CO switching platforms for rolling out enhanced services.
While the open API available with the VCO/4K has simplified the
development process for applications like messaging, intelligent
800-number routing, and calling card services, the APEX Switch Manager
allows developers to control the VCO/4K using a Java-based, GUI-style SCE.
The Switch Manager's browser-based GUI also allows administration of the
VCO/4K remotely over a LAN/WAN or the Web. As with any other SCE, a key
benefit of using the Switch Master over the API is that developers can
design visually using thoroughly tested code. Applications are brought to
market more quickly, and they are more reliable.
So what else is happening? One word sums it up pretty well: Intel. The
past months have seen Intel acquire one app-gen company (Parity), make
minority equity investments in two others (MediaSoft and PRIMA), and
acquire product rights from another (Artisoft). And, of course, Intel
earlier acquired one of the best known names in the world of CT: Dialogic,
and their development platform, CT Media.
It's pretty clear that Intel/Dialogic would like developers to
standardize on CT Media, in much the same way that Microsoft wants them to
use Windows. But why app-gens? Other than the business trips to Montreal,
what does Intel gain by investing in companies like PRIMA and MediaSoft?
There's an old rule in football: if you want to move someone in a
certain direction, push their head that way. A similar principle applies
here. App-gens represent the layer of abstraction above CT Media the
head to the CT body. By courting (perhaps even wedding) some popular app-gens,
Intel and Dialogic help make CT Media the de facto standard API for
development. This, of course, translates into boards and chips. Push the
head in one direction, and the body will follow.
Cisco and APEX; Intel, Dialogic, and partners -- it's possible to see
some competing camps forming here. Who will open up the world of
communications, and which platform will they use? This space should be
interesting in the coming months as various players seek to convince
developers that their platforms are the best.
--Chris Donner
Enabling Technologies News
SBE Expands SS7 Offerings With Trillium MTP L2 Software
SBE has chosen Trillium Digital Systems' SS7 protocol software for
integration with SBE's CompactPCI HW400c SS7/AIN communications
coprocessor card. The HW400c delivers up to 128 channels of SS7 MTP Level
2 protocol on a single card, providing the port density and
fault-tolerance that network designers and service providers need to
implement high-performance telecom networks economically.
No. 513, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo
Blue Wave's FACT Now Supports VxWorks
Blue Wave Systems' FACT software framework for telecom systems is
now available to developers using the Tornado embedded development
platform from WindRiver Systems. FACT helps developers incorporate
algorithms into high-density telecom applications in shorter time scales.
The integration with the Tornado platform provides VxWorks RTOS developers
with easy and rapid deployment of next-gen DSP-based communication
systems. "Blue Wave's FACT under the Tornado platform now provides
developers with a complete environment to deliver signal processing
elements into flexible telecom solutions," said Brian Carr, business
development manager for Blue Wave.
No. 514, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo
SBE Announces Support For Linux
SBE has added support for Linux to its wanXL family of
communications controllers. The SBE wanXL products are intelligent
communication adapters that deliver high-speed connectivity between
servers, offices, or the Internet with minimal functionality or
performance impact. SBE also supports other industry standard OSs,
including Solaris, Windows NT, and VxWorks.
No. 515, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo
Crystal Adds 20-Slot Chassis To Product Line
Crystal Group has introduced the CS2000 19-inch rackmount computer
chassis, a multiple 20-slot ISA and ISA/PCI PICMG 2.0-compliant passive
backplane featuring three half-height 5.25 and two 3.5 drive bays with
dual redundant 400W power supplies. Custom backplane options are also
available. CS2000 pricing starts at $3,495 per unit.
No. 516, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo
Siliconrax-Sliger Partners With TheLinuxStore.com
Siliconrax-Sliger has announced a partnership with
TheLinuxStore.com in an effort to demonstrate the availability of
Siliconrax-Sliger's products among Linux users and developers. The
arrangement will allow Linux users to browse for Siliconrax-Sliger
enclosures, SBCs, and other products directly on TheLinuxStore.com and to
take advantage of TheLinuxStore.com's e-commerce capabilities and customer
service and technical support staff.
No. 517, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo
Micromuse Announces Netcool Developers Alliance
Micromuse has announced the Netcool Developers Alliance, a program
for technology suppliers seeking to deliver integrated, off-the-shelf,
multi-vendor management solutions to service providers and corporate
customers. The Netcool suite supports more than 150 interfaces that
collect management data from a wide variety of systems and protocols. The
data is then processed and filtered by the Netcool ObjectServer, an
in-memory database. The Netcool application allows operators to build
views of services in real time, helping them manage networks more
efficiently.
No. 518, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo
SBS Announces PMC-100BT Fast Ethernet Interface
SBS Technologies Modular I/O has announced the availability of the
PMC-100BT, a 100MB Fast Ethernet controller on a single-wide PMC module.
Based on the Intel 82559ER Fast Ethernet PCI Controller, the PMC-100BT
allows back-to-back transmissions with minimum interference latency
through two large transmit and receive FIFOs, plus providing IEEE 802.3
auto-negotiation support. The Ethernet network connection is through
either a front panel RJ45 connector or the rear panel (P4) interface to
the host carrier board. Windows NT 4.0 and VxWorks 5.3/5.4 drivers are
available, and the PMC-100BT is priced at $330 list.
No. 519, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo
RadiSys Intros Ruggedized NEBS/ETSI-Compliant Chassis
The MP3600TELCO is RadiSys's latest member of its MultiPro Family
of chassis, designed to perform in the harshest of telecom environments.
The MP3600TELCO is NEBS/ETSI compliant and is ideal for applications in
rugged locations with diverse operating temperature requirements (0 to
50 C) and high vibration (10G-shock and 1G-vibration rating). It is
rackmountable, 4U high, offers up to 14 expansion slots, and is compatible
with all standard ISA/PCI backplanes in RadiSys's MultiPro 3600 family.
Pricing depends upon the customer's configuration.
No. 520, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo
Integral Access Management System Automates Service
Creation
Integral Access has introduced the PurePacket Operations
Management System (OMS), which allows competitive carriers to dramatically
reduce lead times for entering new markets, accelerate service
provisioning and activation, and create a differentiated portfolio of
voice and data offerings. PurePacket also allows self-provisioning to
allow end users to modify service parameters and view performance and
billing information online.
No. 521, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo
Blue Wave ComStruct For High Density Voice/Fax Over
Packet
Blue Wave Systems has announced the latest member of its ComStruct
family of building blocks for communications processing, the PMC/C5421,
which will handle up to 192 channels of voice/fax over packet processing.
The PMC/ C5421 is a single-slot PMC module that brings DSP resources to
systems with PMC expansion capabilities. The PMC/C5421 features up to 16
Texas Instruments TMS320C5421 DSPs and an integrated Motorola 8240 PowerPC
microprocessor.
No. 522, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo
Microsoft Announces Windows Telecom Alliance
Microsoft has announced the Windows Telecommunications Alliance, a
new industry program designed to support the more than 1,700 network
equipment providers and ISVs currently developing Windows-based telecom
solutions for the corporate and service provider markets. The alliance is
designed to provide members with information and resources needed to build
business, engineering, sales/marketing, and support infrastructures for
Windows-based telecom products.
No. 523, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo
Eicon Selects Alcatel's DynaMiTe ADSL Chipset
Eicon Technology will be using Alcatel's DynaMiTe MTK-20150 ADSL
chipset in developing its DIVA ADSL products. Eicon products employing
this chipset will allow consumers living up to 26,000 feet from the
central office to use ADSL service, dramatically increasing the current
18,000 foot limit on ADSL service. Also, use of the Alcatel chipset helps
guarantee that Eicon's products will interoperate with the DSLAM equipment
in the CO anywhere in the world, simplifying the task of ADSL deployment.
No. 524, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo
QuickNet Releases Open Source Linux Drivers For VoIP
Cards
QuickNet Technologies has announced the open source release of
their Linux device drivers for the Internet PhoneJACK, Internet LineJACK,
and Internet PhoneCARD telephone cards. The device driver code is released
under the GNU Public License and has been accepted for inclusion in the
latest Linux kernel distribution. The comprehensive drivers include
license-free access to G.711, G.723.1, and TrueSpeech 4.1-8.5, enabling
developers to create high quality VoIP applications without licensing
costs or royalties.
No. 525, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo
TI, Ericsson Team Up For Next-Gen Wireless Handset
Texas Instruments and Ericsson have announced that Ericsson will
be using TIs DSP-based Open Multimedia Application Platform (OMAP) in
its next-generation wireless Internet handsets, communicators, and
advanced mobile computing devices. TI's platform will allow advanced
wireless Internet access, including future voice, data, and video
functions, delivering the advanced processing these applications need
without compromising power efficiency.
No. 526, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo
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