Giving wings to the enterprise AT&T Wireless unleashes PBX access >BY JASON MEYERS, Wireless Networks Editor

AT&T Wireless Services is carrying its recently launched digital wireless offering one step further: into-and out of-the office.

The carrier's new Wireless Office Service allows customers in corporate buildings and campus environments digital access to their PBX services via their wireless phone from anywhere AT&T's 800 MHz Digital PCS offering is available.

That is achieved by connecting the mobile switching center in the wireless network to a corporate PBX-generally via T-1 or ISDN-and enhancing the RF environment within the corporate network with a microcellular system.

"You're integrating the workplace infrastructure with the mobility of the outside wireless world," said Mary Dale Anawalt, senior product manager at AT&T Wireless. "You start to get a lot of fluidity of services."

To that end, AT&T Wireless has also agreed to offer Northern Telecom's Companion microcellular system as one option for the service. The Companion sits behind a PBX system-such as Nortel's Meridian 1 system-to boost RF coverage and allow features to move seamlessly between networks.

Where the intelligence lies for providing that fluidity depends location: If a call originates on the wireless network, the home location register (HLR) of that network recognizes the user and routes the call. When a customer is in range of the microcell, the microcell HLR does the routing, said Steve Gobeli, vice president of enterprise mobility products at Nortel.

The merging of public and enterprise networks solves a limitation problem for Nortel PBX users.

"This gives them a scalable solution that lets them use the same handset to access PBX functions from anywhere in the country," said Rick Faletti, president of Nortel Enterprise Networks.

Customers can receive calls and access PBX services-including the capability to dial four numbers to reach another PBX line-in all AT&T Wireless territories.

The crossover of customer equipment is what sets the AT&T solution apart, said one analyst.

"The idea of being able to use a single handset for cellular and in-building is a breakthrough," said David Yedwab, vice president of The Eastern Management Group. "Virtually all of the other in-building wireless services have required different instruments."

Companies will pay about $800 to $1000 per user to implement Wireless Office Service, according to estimates from both AT&T Wireless and Nortel.