Let's get together: Lucent, VocalTec plan IP voice interoperation

The Internet protocol telephony market took a big leap forward last week when Lucent Technologies and VocalTec Communications agreed to develop full interoperability between their IP voice platforms. Additionally, ITXC said it would become the first carrier to operate a fully interoperable IP telephony network using the vendors' products.

The effort will join VocalTec's Ensemble architecture and Lucent's PacketStar Internet Telephony Server for Service Providers. Testing will encompass key technical areas, including routing, authentication, accounting, billing, network management and settlement services. The vendors expect to deliver interoperable gateways to ITXC by this fall. ITXC, which previously operated parallel networks based on both companies' gateways, will use the equipment for WWeXchange, a service that resells minutes to Internet telephony service providers.

"Our goal here is to begin the trend of interoperability," said Tony Scarfo, director of the service provider business unit in Lucent's data networking systems. "This is just the first phase."

One of the biggest challenges facing both vendors will be developing a system that allows for fast call setup between dissimilar gateways. Currently, many vendors lean toward using SS7, although the effort is not universal.

The Lucent/VocalTec joint effort will produce a specification that other vendors can match up against, Scarfo added. "This isn't trying to be exclusionary in any way. Right now, there's two ways you can deploy IP voice: One is using a single vendor. The other is to overlay multiple vendors' networks, and that's not very efficient."

Currently, ITXC routes calls only between similar gateways or between gateways and the public network, said Product Marketing Manager Armando Diana.

VocalTec, which claims the largest installed base of IP telephony gateways, also said that Digital Equipment Corp. will provide systems engineering for its customers.

"The engineers will do everything from setting up a turnkey box and installing it to situations where the carrier would say, 'You can manage my whole network,'" said Scott D. Wharton, VocalTec's senior market manager.

A year and a half after it rolled out limited local phone service to businesses, AT&T is expanding the service.

Using AT&T Digital Link, businesses in California, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York with a T-1 or T-3 line to an AT&T facility have been able to make outbound local calls. Such companies usually spend more than $3000 a month on telecommunications for every directly linked facility. Now these customers can also receive calls.

"Receiving calls on the same trunk can be a money-saving proposition for our customers in these four states," said an AT&T spokesman. That's because a company using AT&T for its long-distance service can also use the interexchange carrier for its local phone service without changing its phone numb er.

For companies with a digital line, using it more makes fiscal sense, said Timothy L. Murray, vice president of business network services for AT&T.

"Customers with digital connectivity already pack multiple services into the pipe, including voice, fax, data transmission and Internet access," he said. "Most have spare capacity, even during their busiest hours. AT&T Digital Link lets them make more efficient use of existing facilities and reduce their costs."

AT&T Digital Link customers will also be able to call toll-free numbers. The IXC is using the infrastructure of Teleport Communications Group, which it is in the process of acquiring, to offer this expanded service. TCG is a competitive local exchange carrier offering service in 33 states.

Later this year, Florida, Georgia, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia will get inbound local calling capabilities, and AT&T plans to offer Digital Link in most major U.S. markets in 1999.

MCI JOINS DATA RACE

In an effort to match Sprint, MCI will begin providing a full range of data access services next year. The company is testing digital subscriber line equipment and high-traffic routers and already provides services in certain markets, including Chicago and New York.

BUT THERE'S MORE

In other MCI news, Cable & Wireless sued the interexchange carrier in federal court. The British carrier wants to ensure that MCI holds up its agreement to sell its Internet backbone. Meanwhile, MCI Chairman Bert Roberts met with the Justice Department and offered to sell additional Internet assets to speed approval of its proposed WorldCom merger.