Cork campus chooses convergence

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Cork’s National Software Centre has been fitted with a converged voice and data telephony network based entirely on Internet Protocol.

The NSC, a campus set up to host and support new startup software ventures, now provides a physical building to tenant companies where all communications technology requirements are available and managed from one central location. It has chosen a network infrastructure based on Nortel Networks’ enterprise portfolio.

‘We wanted to employ a network that would be highly scalable, easy to maintain and ready for future deployment and multimedia applications,’ explained Michael O’Connor, chief executive officer, CORKBIC at the NSC. ‘With Nortel Networks Succession enterprise solution for IP telephony, we can scale up to 1,500 users without having to upgrade the system; create a campus environment tying all the buildings together; and manage it all from one central location.’

The network can offer Quality of Service (QoS) capability from the edge to the core. It is based on Nortel Networks’ enterprise product set: a Passport 8600 Multiservice Switch at the core, Business Policy switches at the edge, and Nortel Networks Succession Communication Service for Enterprise (CSE) 1000.

The latter is an IP telephony system that provides the NSC with a system designed to handle mission critical information reliably and cost-effectively. This includes Nortel Networks’ CallPilot unified messaging, which brings together voice mail, e-mail and faxes to create a ‘one stop’ personal communications management system for NSC customers. The building’s new infrastructure also includes wireless LAN capability.

The rollout was completed in conjunction with Eircom Business Systems and LAN Communications, both Nortel Networks channel partners.

The purpose of the NSC Campus is to establish Cork City as a preferred regional location outside of Dublin for IT inward investment and a leading centre in Europe for niche software development in collaborative teams and joint ventures.

26/02/2003

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