At Atlanta’s SuperComm show this month, Lucent Technologies Inc. announced a universal gateway that lets service providers deliver dial-up IP remote access and voice over IP services for their business and residential customers. APX 8100 Universal Gateway is targeted at large carriers, wholesale service providers and ISPs with voice and data IP services requirements such as managed modem applications. It supports up to 12 DS-3s or 8,064 calls, and its universal port technology lets service providers support voice, data, fax and VPN calls on any port using a single digital signal processor module, Lucent says. The APX 8100 will be available in the third quarter.
Kinetic Workplace Inc. this month announced two Web-based telework training products geared to large firms. KineticSkills Online Training for Teleworkers teaches employees how to enhance their communication and remote-work skills, choose telework days, set core hours, create a support network, participate in virtual meetings, and watch for and maintain career advancement. KineticSkills Online Training for Managers helps bosses recognize the management skills and practices they need, and offers tips and tactics to ensure their employees’ success. Available now, pricing has not been announced. See www.kineticworkplace.com.
Alcatel SA plans to buy Telera Corp., a California company specializing in VoiceXML (Voice Extensible Markup Language) systems, to add self-service features to the live call centre systems developed by Alcatel’s contact centre subsidiary Genesys Telecommunications Laboratories Inc. The Paris telecommunication equipment manufacturer has agreed to pay US$136 million in stock for the Campbell, Calif., company, it announced Wednesday. Under Alcatel’s control, Telera will at first work on voice self-service systems, the market for which Alcatel expects to grow to US$600 million by 2005. Alcatel expects to integrate these systems with existing live customer assistance products developed by San Francisco-based Genesys. Telera’s Voice Web Application Platform can be deployed either in customer premises equipment or as a carrier network service.
