Lucent Technologies, which combines the systems and technology units that were formerly a part of AT&T with the research capabilities of Bell Laboratories, has announced six new offerings that cover a wide range of new and advanced Internet applications. Included in the offerings are multimedia messaging systems and Internet call centers for businesses as well as sophisticated systems that route traffic over the Internet and provide Internet directory services for businesses and telephone service providers.

Bell Laboratories announced the formation of a new software venture called elemedia, which offers voice and music compression technology for the Internet. By creating a software that understands the sound range of both the human voice and the human ear, elemedia's software offers the same quality and richness of sound as Bell Labs' researchers developed for use in telephone networks around the world. In addition, the release of a business system called Intuity Message Manager erases limits that currently exist for messaging systems and creates a unified fax, e-mail and voice mailbox that can be accessed from any computer on the Internet. For example, business people on the road or in the office can use a Web browser to view a single screen that manages all their voice mail, e-mail and faxes.

Lucent also announced the introduction of the Internet Call Center, which allows a business' customers to explore the Internet while simultaneously speaking to a customer service agent over a single phone line. For example, while browsing a retail catalog online, shoppers can speak to an agent by simply clicking on a button. The agent is instantly shown the screen and pages the caller is viewing and can then answer questions, guide shoppers to another page, or take an order.

In addition, Lucent introduced an Internet telephony server that allows businesses to route phone calls, faxes and voice mail over the Internet instead of more costly public and private networks.

Lucent is also releasing software that offers reliable data transport and will offer real-time video and audio on the Internet in the future. Bell Lab's Reliable Multicast Software is based on a new protocol that ensures that thousands of simultaneous requests for a single event or item, such a broadcast of the President's State of the Union Address or fast-breaking stock market news, won't bring the Internet to its knees.

Lucent has further announced it has expanded its offer for service providers to include additional support for electronic commerce on their networks. The Internet Directory Server (IDS) software supports electronic commerce applications, such as electronic telephone books, which help locate people and resources on the Internet and personalized Internet navigation services that are based on a viewer's preferences.

In addition, Lucent is offering service providers new Network Integration Services to help them end network congestion, speed access provisioning and integrate Internet applications into their networks. These services include engineering, integration, installation and support for the planning and deployment of Internet solutions.

For more information, contact Dick Muldoon at 908-582-5330.