Intel, Cisco Join to Optimize VoIP

Industry giants Intel and Cisco Systems are working to deliver new capabilities that enhance the reliabilty of wireless LANs and allow enterprises to use computers and the network as a combined defense against security threats.

Cisco and Intel have jointly produced a new set of features, called Business Class Wireless Suite, designed for companies using Cisco's Unified Wireless Architecture and Intel Centrino mobile technology. The Suite can actually choose the best wireless access point on behalf of Centrino mobile technology-based clients within a business wireless LAN and enhanced Voice over IP (VoIP) quality of service (QoS) technology to improve the audio clarity and enable reliable voice communications for laptops.

The news comes on the same day that Intel partnered up with Avaya to deliver SIP-based, IP telephony softphone for laptop PCs with Intel's Centrino mobile technology. Intel also showed off three new microprocessors based on a next-generation technology that is expected to become available in the second half of 2006.

As part of the joint initiative, Intel will join the Network Admission Control (NAC) program, an industry effort led by Cisco to help customers identify, prevent, and adapt to security threats, and Cisco will join the Intel Active Management Technology (AMT) program. Intel AMT is part of Intel's Digital Office initiative providing capabilities to make new levels of IT manageability possible. With Cisco NAC interoperating with Intel AMT, enterprises will be better able to defend against security threats, helping to maintain user and business productivity and reduce the cost of security attacks and improve system remediation.

Business Class Wireless Suite features will be available from Cisco and Intel in the first quarter of 2006. Meanwhile, Customers can expect Cisco NAC and Intel AMT to be compatible in the fourth quarter of this year.

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Robert Liu is Executive Editor at TMCnet. Previously, he was Executive Editor at Jupitermedia and has also written for CNN, A&E, Dow Jones and Bloomberg. For more articles, please visit Robert Liu's columnist page.

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