Lucent Technologies Announces General Availability of DEFINITY Extender

Strategic Insights -

Lucent Technologies, a leader in public and private networks, communications systems, and software, has announced the general availability of the DEFINITY Extender, a voice and data solution that extends the capabilities of a company's central communications system to remote workers. This innovative solution allows employees working away from their main office to access all the voice features of their company's DEFINITY communications system, as well as their company's data networks, over a single telephone line. The DEFINITY Extender is designed to improve productivity and reduce costs for remote workers, branch office employees, and telecommuters.

Key Takeaways:

  • The DEFINITY Extender is a voice and data solution that extends the capabilities of a company's central communications system to remote workers, allowing them to access voice features and data networks over a single telephone line.
  • The solution is designed to improve productivity and reduce costs for remote workers, branch office employees, and telecommuters.
  • One DEFINITY Extender customer, Underground Service Alert of Southern California, has reported a monthly savings of $10,000 by allowing most of their telephone agents to work at home rather than the office.
  • The solution is available in analog and Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) versions, with the analog DEFINITY Extender 1100/1101 offering voice and data capabilities over a single analog connection, and the ISDN BRI DEFINITY Extender 2100/2101 offering remote users full ISDN functionality.
  • The DEFINITY Extender integrates seamlessly with ACD software for call routing and call accounting software that monitors the productivity of remote call center agents and tracks their phone expenses.
  • Pricing for the analog DEFINITY Extender 1100/1101 is $1,295 per module, while pricing for the ISDN BRI DEFINITY Extender 2100/2101 is $1,495 per module.

Statistics:

  • 2,400 calls per day are received by Underground Service Alert of Southern California, a regional notification center for businesses and individuals planning to excavate.
  • The DEFINITY Extender has the capability to receive data at up to 20 Kbps while speaking to customers or colleagues over the same line.
  • The ISDN BRI DEFINITY Extender 2100/2101 offers remote users full ISDN functionality, with two 64 Kbps channels available for simultaneous use.

Sources:

  • Business Wire
  • Lucent Technologies press release, "Lucent Technologies Announces General Availability of DEFINITY Extender" (July 28, 1998)