Current IP-PBX Systems: Alcatel

The IP-PBXs that are on the world's enterprise marketplace come from a variety of backgrounds and include at least one model in each of the three classes that are defined here. We include reviews of IP-PBXs from eight suppliers, which sell their systems in many countries. Since it is too early in the development of these products to decide which are winners or losers, we have focused on the different approaches taken by the manufacturers, while not attempting to describe each system in great detail. These reviews are listed by alphabetical order of the manufacturer's name.

Alcatel
Alcatel introduced its OmniPCX 4400 in 1996, as a call server that handles TDM and IP user terminals, with the same services, set of features, and standards of reliability of other digital PBXs. The 4400 is available in four cabinet sizes, as follows:

- Media Gateway (rack-mounted) for up to 64 users;

- WM1 (wall-mounted) for up to 150 users;

- M2 (floor-standing) for 100 to 400 users;

- M3 (three cabinets) for up to 1,000 users.

One hundred OmniPCX nodes can be connected into a network, supporting up to 50,000 stations. The network may be based on TDM trunks or packet (ATM, frame relay or IP) transmission technologies. The architecture of this system is illustrated in Figure 1.


Figure 1: Architecture of Alcatel's OmniPCX 4400.

The PWT 4073 handset uses Alcatel's Private Wireless Telecommunications cellular technology, which is designed for higher user density environments, with up to 10,000 Erlangs per square kilometer. One PCX 4400 server can be linked to 256 base stations and 1,000 wireless users.

Alcatel sells four proprietary telephones (under the trade name Reflexes) which are all digital sets with a display. The Advantage 4035 and Premium 4020 models have an integrated alphabetic keyboard and can include a built-in IP enabler. The more recent version of this module has a 10/100 Mbps Ethernet interface and a mini-LAN switch function, for an adjunct desktop PC connection (so that a desktop PC may be connected into this module, enabling a telephone and the PC to share one LAN outlet). The integrated IP enabler can be fed with DC power remotely, from an OmniPower Patch Panel that operates to the IEEE 802.3AF standard. These two phones show the design influence of the Minitel terminals that were extensively used on France's information network prior to the Internet, but are likely to be relatively expensive when equipped for IP operation. For the two lower-cost phones to be used in the IP mode an external IP enabler is needed.

Alcatel also has a suite of contact center applications, known as OmniTouch, which is integrated with the 4400 system. The agents' stations may be based on the model 4004 or 4035 phones, or may use the Alcatel4980 telephony application that runs on a PC, providing groupware and call management functions.

With this hybrid voice communications system, Alcatel has returned to the crowded North American market, where one of its predecessor companies, IT&T, once had a presence. Alcatel has gained some good PBX accounts in the United States with the OmniPCX 4400, displacing Centrex service in a few cases, and it is obtaining significant dealer support in Canada. In some Latin American countries Alcatel has achieved a major share of the PBX and CO systems markets, displacing Ericsson over the past decade. The company also has a strong presence in the data switch, network management, and VPN businesses through its acquisition of Newbridge Networks.

At the time of this writing, no news of contracts to use the OmniPCX 4400 for managed IP-PBX or IP-Centrex services has been released. Even though this is now a well-established product, it might not be the most attractive vehicle to outsourcing service providers