Plus: IBM to start shipping Nortel switching gear for BladeCenter; 3Com to release mini-Ethernet switch for fiber nets.
Polycom is scheduled to announce this week an entry-level set-top videoconferencing endpoint and new Session Initiation Protocol-enabled conference phone.
The VSX 6000, which costs about $5,000, is an IP-only video endpoint that supports H.264 (better video, less bandwidth), has built-in Advanced Encryption Standard encryption and contains audio/video error concealment technology found in Polycom’s higher-end products. The new SoundStation IP 4000 looks like Polycom’s traditional triangle-shaped conference phone but runs over one cord and combines power and network connectivity, supports DHCP and has a built-in address book. It costs about $1,100.
IBM later this month plans to start shipping Nortel Layer 2/3 copper and Fibre Gigabit Ethernet switching modules designed specifically for BladeCenter. I
BM says the integrated switches give users better traffic routing and security capabilities within the blade chassis. The switches, which connect to the blade servers via 14 Gigabit Ethernet ports in the chassis, each provide six links to outside networks. Up to four of the switches can fit in the chassis, and they can be hot-plugged into BladeCenter without disruption. The Layer 2/3 copper switch module starts at about $2,300, and the Fibre module starts at about $4,000.
3Com this week is releasing a fiber version of its Network Jack product – a mini Ethernet switch that fits into wall jacks on office or cubicle walls. The new NJ240FX consists of a four-port, SNMP-manageable switch and a connection for a two-strand fiber uplink cable. This can let users with all-fiber network drops split out LAN connections for multiple devices, such as PCs, IP phones or cameras.
The NJ240FX, powered by an AC adapter, also can deliver 802.3af Power over Ethernet to one port on the Network Jack for powering phones or other devices. The NJ240FX costs $380.
