Interoperability Update: Where We’re Going, Where We’ve Been Jeanne Bayerl Director of Product Marketing Alcatel e-Business Networking Division

Enterprise voice communications systems must interact with: –End-user devices –Other voice systems –Public networks –Network infrastructure –Server hardware –Applications –Management systems –Directories Open standards enable interactions between these components from multiple vendors The Many Dimensions of Interoperability PSTN CommunicationSystem

Progress on Interoperability Where We’ve Been More vendors = more choices and options, but little interoperability Voice systems move into “open” IP environment, but remain relatively self- contained PSTN PBX IP Network PSTN PBX PSTN CTICTI 1995 “One” company, one choice “One” company, one choice Q.SIGQ.SIG H.323H af VLANsVLANs

Progress on Interoperability Where We Are Going Application server farm Enterprise IP network Com Server Media Gateway Carrier IP Network PSTN - “PBX” becoming a software application - Decoupling of hardware and software - Voice services becoming integrated in web applications - Communications becoming user-centric - Voice services becoming intuitively integrated into desktop tools and e- business applications - Various communications tools become unified - Any device to any media over any network SIPSIP XMLXML VxMLVxML LinuxLinux

Interoperability with End-user Devices Where we’ve been: –Very limited interoperability between phones and PBXs from different vendors PBX vendors developed proprietary digital signaling protocols to deliver enhanced features - analog was only level of interoperability With IP telephony, H.323 not feature-rich enough, so vendors put their proprietary protocols on top Where we’re going: SIP Concept of “presence” Web technology: HTTP-like, URL-addressing, DNS, MIME Media blending, multi-session (conferencing) Carrier adoption driving “IP-POTS” Voice services being integrated into PC desktop

SIP and H.323 SIP and H.323: –Are protocols that enable communications between two devices to be set-up, modified and terminated –Define mechanisms for call routing, call signaling, capabilities exchange, media control, and supplementary services H.323 is a protocol that has been widely adopted for integrating telephony onto IP networks SIP is a lightweight Internet-based protocol that offers ease of implementation, especially in web environments, and is being adopted by a growing number of carriers

Interoperability with Other Voice Systems Where we’ve been: –Legacy TDM systems: E&M – basic connectivity Q.SIG – basic and supplementary services –Limited deployment by vendors, but remains important for migration from legacy –IP-based systems: H.323 – basic features Where we’re going: –Stop-gap approaches: H.323 Supplementary Services (H.450) Q.SIG over H.323 –SIP – single, consistent approach for end- points, networks and other systems PSTN Vendor AVendor A Vendor BVendor B IP Network Vendor B Vendor A

Interoperability with Public Networks Where we’ve been: –Well established standard interfaces to connect to the PSTN and other enterprise locations: POTS, Digital / T1, ISDN Leased lines, VPNs ATM, frame relay Where we’re going: –Carriers are deploying SIP-based network services, bundling Internet and voice services over IP –Extends “presence” to the WAN Intranet Carrier WAN Intranet PSTN IP-PBXIP-PBX IP-PBXIP-PBX SIPSIP SIPSIP

Interoperability with Network Infrastructure Where we’ve been: –Voice systems running on dedicated infrastructure Where we’re going: –IP communication applications deployed just as any other application on the corporate IP network Requires: –Adherence to open standards: QoS: p/Q, ToS / DiffServ Power: af –Independence of IPT and IP network Voice elements not intertwined with routers, switches Consistent management of IPT elements Open APIs Open Standards Application & e-business layer IP telephony application infrastructure Network Infrastructure

Interoperability with Server Hardware Where we’ve been: –Voice systems running on proprietary hardware Where we’re going: –PBX becomes an IP communications application: Running on standard “communications grade” operating systems, e.g., Linux Running on standard IP appliance servers Connecting directly to the LAN Communicating directly with endpoints and gateways

Interoperability with Applications > IP communication applications must be integrated with other applications > Voice services in e-business applications > CRM, ERP, WFM, SFA, etc. > Unification of personal communication tools > Multiple devices > Messaging systems > Calendars, PIMs, portals, etc Open APIs Open Standards Application & e-business layer IP telephony application infrastructure Network Infrastructure

Interoperability of Applications Standards enable the flexibility –Simplified integration reduces capital expenditures –User-centric communication makes people more productive and lowers operating expenses Application Infrastructure Layer Application & e-business Layer Network Infrastructure Layer Communication Server Voice Portal Application / Portal Servers Mail & Collaboration Directory Contact Center CRM Unified Communications ERP LANWAN Media gateways PLM

Interoperability with Applications Voice Services in e-Business Applications Where we’ve been: –CTI in contact centers where ROI is obvious TAPI, TSAPI, CSTA, Cobra, etc. Successful in CRM, limited elsewhere Where we’re going: –Enterprise-wide web-based integration of voice services into business applications Unifying the e-business and communications silos –Web programming model: a new reference XML: integration with web services VxML: Mobile access to all corporate resources through a voice enabled web SIP: New services using presence and media blending –Enormous developer / integrator base

Interoperability with Applications Unification of Personal Communication Tools Where we’ve been: total communication chaos Customers Agents Colleagues Partners At HQ Office Branch Office Tele Working On The Road Multiple Networks $$$ Multiple Devices $$$ Multiple mailboxes directories $$$ Fragmented Experience $$$

Interoperability with Applications Unification of Personal Communication Tools Where we’re going: –Intuitive integration of voice services into existing tools (e.g., Outlook, Notes), web applications and employee portals –Access to corporate resources from any device, over any network Relevant standards: –XML, SIP, VxML, IMAP4 Voice & Data Networks Directories Business applications Web Sites Collaboration IP, PSTN, Cellular, GPRS, UMTS, WLAN, Bluetooth, etc… IP, PSTN, Cellular, GPRS, UMTS, WLAN, Bluetooth, etc… UnifiedCommunicationsPlatformUnifiedCommunicationsPlatform

Interoperability with Management Systems Where we’ve been: –Separate, self-contained management systems for voice Where we’re going: –Incorporate various IP telephony system management tasks into enterprise network management systems, e.g., troubleshooting, alarms, etc. –While still maintaining consistent IPT system management Relevant standards: –SNMP, CMIP

Interoperability with Directories Where we’ve been: –Many different databases storing employee information –Often duplicate information, e.g., phone number in multiple places Where we’re going: –Directories synchronizing and sharing information, reducing repetitious data entry tasks Relevant standards: –LDAP –XML / web services

Multi-Vendor Solution Example UnicenterUnicenter xpressa™xpressa™ DEFINITY ® PBX OmniPCX Enterprise Catalyst switches SNMPSNMP LDAPLDAP Q.SIGQ.SIG SIPSIP 802.3af802.1p/Q802.3af802.1p/Q VxMLIMAP4VxMLIMAP4 XMLVxMLXMLVxML

Thank you for your attention