Lucent gears up to attack market

Lucent Technologies last week launched a major offensive into data networking by introducing an upgraded asynchronous transfer mode switch that could further push carrier migration to networks that incorporate large-scale broadband platforms.

Lucent unveiled its GlobeView 2000 Release 2, an enhancement of its current ATM core switch. New capabilities include fully redundant hardware and millisecond restoration capability that uses switched virtual circuits. Release 2 supports Lucent's AnyMedia networking, allowing voice, data and video traffic through the switch, which is being added to Lucent's 5ESS-2000 digital switching system.

Lucent is also introducing an edge ATM switch called the Multiservice Switch 1000, or MX 1000; the 600 Mb/s Access Concentrator 60; and the 1.2 Gb/s Access Concentrator 120.

To support the hardware upgrades and rollouts, Lucent introduced a new version of its OneVision Network Management that will function with data networking products from a wider range of vendors.

The moves are designed to position Lucent to grab a share of the fast-growing data networking market.

"Our focus is on high-growth opportunities within the industry," said Bill O'Shea, president of Lucent's business communications systems group.

Lucent hopes to be at the forefront of integrating voice and data networks, O'Shea said.

However, Lucent is arriving somewhat late at the ball, given that many competitors, such as Ascend and 3Com, already have edge switch and access concentrator products on the market.

The vendor has been repackaging edge switches and remote access concentrators manufactured by other companies.

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