Industry Leaders Demonstrate VoIP Interoperability in Atlanta Conference

Strategic Insights -

Cisco Systems, Intel Corporation, ITXC, and Lucent Technologies recently collaborated in a joint demonstration of voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) interoperability during an Atlanta conference. The event showcased the ability of a new class of peripherals, including PCs, personal digital assistants, mobile phones, and personal gateways, to make high-quality and reliable voice calls over an IP telephony network. This achievement marks a significant milestone in the growth of the Internet telephony industry, which hinges on such interoperability.

Key Takeaways:

  • The demonstration featured real-time voice conversations between Intel's Internet Phone software and a Cisco 3620 Voice Gateway, as well as Lucent's MultiVoice for the MAX 6000 gateway.
  • Cisco Systems, Intel, ITXC, and Lucent are working together to provide leadership in the Internet telephony industry, with a focus on interoperability.
  • The joint effort involved the development of recommendations submitted to the International Multimedia Teleconferencing Consortium (IMTC) for IP telephony interoperability.
  • These recommendations, based on the ratified H.323 Simple End-Point Terminal (SET) Annex, aim to enable seamless connectivity between any iNOW! compliant appliance or client and any existing telephones for a wide range of users and devices.
  • Industry leaders cited the importance of this collaboration in accelerating the growth of IP telephony.

Statistics:

  • The demonstration involved the interoperability of up to four devices, including PCs, PDAs, mobile phones, and personal gateways.
  • The recommended iNOW! terminal profile has undergone active discussion in the IMTC iNOW! Terminal Special Interest Group.
  • The profile is currently under consideration by the IMTC iNOW! Activity Group for submission to international standards bodies.
  • The International Multimedia Teleconferencing Consortium (IMTC) is actively involved in the development and promotion of standards for this technology.

Sources:

  • Cisco Systems' press release dated 1999
  • Intel Corporation's press release dated 1999
  • ITXC Corp's press release dated 1999
  • Lucent Technologies' press release dated 1999
  • International Multimedia Teleconferencing Consortium (IMTC)
  • iNOW! Terminal Profile document available on www.imtc.org