* Siemens announces HiPath MobileConnect FMC product
Last week, Siemens announced its HiPath MobileConnect, an enterprise fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) solution that delivers seamless roaming between Voice over Wireless LAN and cellular networks. We’re glad to see that Siemens Enterprise Communications (which was not spun off by Siemens AG as part of the carrier-centric Nokia Siemens Networks joint venture) remains focused on how to converge the enterprise VoIP network with public networks.
In its statement, Siemens also highlighted an IDC report that explains why FMC solutions are important in the enterprise. According to IDC, “telecom managers believe approximately 28% of their employees are using mobile phones as their primary work phone.”
The HiPath MobileConnect has two elements, including an appliance located between an enterprise’s IP-PBX and its wireless LAN and a dual-mode handset client that provides access to the IP-PBX features. The Siemens solution can, according to Siemens, “interoperate with virtually any SIP-supported IP-PBX, WLAN and dual-mode handset” — including the Siemens HiPath 8000 communications server and the Siemens HiPath Wireless platform. When using the Siemens devices, users will be able to roam between across wireless (Wi-Fi) and cellular networks without dropping calls while maintaining all the call features of their IP-PBX. Other features include one phone number, one voicemail, and unified communications. The architecture can support handoffs without direct involvement from the cellular carriers, so it is agnostic to the cellular provider.
FMC solutions like those offered by Siemens can reduce call costs yet include important communications features like one phone number and unified communications. While Siemens isn’t the first to market with an FMC product set that provides Wi-Fi-to-cellular handoffs (Avaya and Ericsson already have a similar solutions while Nortel and Cisco are moving forward with their own FMC products) we applaud Siemens for joining the chorus of FMC solution suppliers.
