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

PSTNCommunicationCommunicationSystemSystem

Progress on InteroperabilityWhere We’ve Been

19501950 19801980

20002000

More vendors = More vendors = more choices and more choices and options, but little options, but little interoperabilityinteroperability

More vendors = More vendors = more choices and more choices and options, but little options, but little interoperabilityinteroperability

Voice systems move into Voice systems move into “open” IP environment, “open” IP environment,

but remain relatively self-but remain relatively self-contained contained

Voice systems move into Voice systems move into “open” IP environment, “open” IP environment,

but remain relatively self-but remain relatively self-contained contained

PSTNPBXPBX IP Network

PSTNPBXPBX

PSTN

CTICTICTICTI

19951995

““One” company, One” company, one choiceone choice

““One” company, One” company, one choiceone choice

Q.SIGQ.SIGQ.SIGQ.SIG

H.323H.323H.323H.323802.3 af802.3 af802.3 af802.3 af

VLANsVLANsVLANsVLANs

Progress on InteroperabilityWhere We Are Going

Application server farmEnterprise

IP network

Com Server

Media Gateway

CarrierIP Network

PSTNPSTN

- “PBX” becoming a software application- “PBX” becoming a software application- “PBX” becoming a software application- “PBX” becoming a software application

- Decoupling of hardware and software- Decoupling of hardware and software- Decoupling of hardware and software- Decoupling of hardware and software

- Voice services becoming integrated in - Voice services becoming integrated in web applicationsweb applications- Voice services becoming integrated in - Voice services becoming integrated in web applicationsweb applications

- Communications becoming user-centric- Communications becoming user-centric- Communications becoming user-centric- Communications becoming user-centric

- Voice services becoming intuitively Voice services becoming intuitively integrated into desktop tools and e-integrated into desktop tools and e-business applicationsbusiness applications

- Voice services becoming intuitively Voice services becoming intuitively integrated into desktop tools and e-integrated into desktop tools and e-business applicationsbusiness applications

- Various communications tools become unified- Various communications tools become unified- Various communications tools become unified- Various communications tools become unified

- Any device to any media over any networkAny device to any media over any network- Any device to any media over any networkAny device to any media over any network

SIPSIPSIPSIP

XMLXMLXMLXMLVxMLVxMLVxMLVxML

LinuxLinuxLinuxLinux

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

PSTNVendorVendor AA

VendorVendor AA

VendorVendor BB

VendorVendor BB

IP Network

Vendor BVendor BVendor BVendor BVendor AVendor AVendor AVendor 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

IntranetCarrierWAN Intranet

PSTN

IP-PBXIP-PBXIP-PBXIP-PBX IP-PBXIP-PBXIP-PBXIP-PBX

SIPSIPSIPSIP SIPSIPSIPSIP

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: 802.1 p/Q, ToS / DiffServ

• Power: 802.3 af

– Independence of IPT and IP network• Voice elements not intertwined with routers, switches

• Consistent management of IPT elements

OpenAPIs

OpenStandards

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

OpenAPIs

OpenStandards

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

CommunicationServer

Voice Portal

Application / Portal

Servers

Mail &Collaboration

Directory

Contact Center CRM

UnifiedCommunications ERP

LAN WANMedia

gateways

PLM

Interoperability with ApplicationsVoice 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 ApplicationsUnification of Personal Communication Tools

• Where we’ve been: total communication chaos

Customers

Agents

Colleagues

Partners

At HQ Office

BranchOffice

TeleWorking

On TheRoad

Multiple Networks

$$$

Multiple Devices

$$$Multiple

mailboxesdirectorie

s$$$

Fragmented

Experience$$$

Interoperability with ApplicationsUnification 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

E-mailDirectories

Businessapplications

Web SitesCollaboration

IP, PSTN, Cellular, GPRS, UMTS, WLAN,

Bluetooth, etc…

IP, PSTN, Cellular, GPRS, UMTS, WLAN,

Bluetooth, etc…

UnifiedUnifiedCommunicationsCommunications

PlatformPlatform

UnifiedUnifiedCommunicationsCommunications

PlatformPlatform

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

UnicenterUnicenterUnicenterUnicenter

xpressa™xpressa™xpressa™xpressa™

DEFINITY ® PBXDEFINITY ® PBXDEFINITY ® PBXDEFINITY ® PBX

OmniPCX EnterpriseOmniPCX EnterpriseOmniPCX EnterpriseOmniPCX Enterprise

Catalyst switchesCatalyst switchesCatalyst switchesCatalyst switches

SNMPSNMPSNMPSNMP

LDAPLDAPLDAPLDAPQ.SIGQ.SIGQ.SIGQ.SIG

SIPSIPSIPSIP

802.3af802.3af802.1p/Q802.1p/Q802.3af802.3af

802.1p/Q802.1p/QVxML VxML IMAP4IMAP4VxML VxML IMAP4IMAP4XMLXML

VxMLVxMLXMLXML

VxMLVxML

Thank you for your attention