Lucent Technologies is introducing a Web portal that unites an IP telephony system for small and midsize businesses that is made up of Lucent gear and equipment made by partners.
Called Accelerate Enterprise Solutions (AES), the portal incorporates some of the elements of Lucent's Accelerate carrier equipment plus other Lucent gear in combination with Broadsoft products. AES is designed for businesses with 500 or more phone lines. The new package was introduced at this week's VoiceCon 2004.
Lucent has customised its Enhanced Business Services (EBS) Server portal that unites computer and telephony features to support services such as click to dial, call logging, PC access to voice mail and presence.
The core of AES would sit in an enterprise data centre and consists of the EBS as well as VitalQIP network management software, APX Universal Gateway hardware, a Lucent Brick firewall if necessary and a variety of IP phones made by Lucent and other vendors. The goal, Lucent says, is for AES to support inexpensive generic SIP phones as well.
AES also includes gear from Lucent partner Broadsoft including its Application Server, Network Server, Media Server, Messaging Server and Conferencing server to support various call features.
The EBS portal would enable remote workers to log on to the network and, with a Lucent softphone installed on their PCs, to work as if their computer and phone was connected to the LAN with all the convergence features controlled through the EBS Communication Manager portal. Microsoft Office and Lotus Notes are integrated into the platform as well, and the portal enables small call centres and automatic call distribution.
Lucent says the AES system would be sold as a package that would be configured for customers by Lucent or a value-added reseller. The package could also be sold by service providers as part of a managed service.
AES is available in 60 days. Pricing is per desktop and ranges from US$200 for very large companies to four times that for small ones, Lucent says. Brix firewalls and VitalNet management software are not included.