Lucent rallies for data attack >BY STEVEN TITCH, Editorial Director

Lucent Technologies is set to go public with its new unit that will market data communications and Internet solutions to carriers worldwide.

The Lucent Network Systems Data Networking Business Unit was announced internally two weeks ago (Telephony, March 10, page 7), according to Gerald Butters, president of North America for Lucent.

The unit will market much of Lucent's new and existing switching and transmission product line, as well as new products and technology obtained in last October's acquisition of Agile Networks, Butters said. Lucent's data unit will target unregulated units for data networking and Internet services that telcos are setting up now, along with competitive local exchange companies and wireless carriers that are moving into data, he said.

Products that the unit will handle include Lucent's GlobeView-2000 ATM switch, BNS-2000 frame relay switch, Access Interface units, nodal bandwidth managers, Sonet access managers and Internet gateway switches.

Agile Networks' intelligent data switching technology will also be part of the offering set. "Agile has a one to one-and-a-half year lead in virtual [local area network] switching technology," said Butters.

The new unit will better position Lucent against data switch vendors such as Cisco Systems, the market leader in routers. Although Butters declined to discuss Lucent's strategy in depth, he said that Lucent's work with Agile technology could become an important differentiation against other suppliers. "The game is far from over," he said. "[Cisco] will have difficulty sustaining its position because the technology is always improving price performance.

Joe Colson, president of Lucent's AT&T Customer Business Unit, has been tapped to lead the new data unit and will hold both positions during the transition. Colson's experience in launching products, including the 5ESS digital switch, made him ideal for the job, Butters said.