* A look at Alcatel’s OmniPCX Enterprise Mobility Server
We’ve been looking forward to the day when dual-mode cellular-based and wireless LAN-based phones would become a reality. Last week, Alcatel showed this holy grail of telecom, bringing together the wireline, packet and mobile worlds.
In the Alcatel architecture, a campus-based phone conversation is beamed to the dual-mode phone across an enterprise’s WLAN, with the session controlled by the Alcatel OmniPCX Enterprise Mobility Server. Once the Mobility Server notices that the radio signal reception is degrading (as happens when someone is leaving the wireless transceiver range) the Mobility Server will hand over a call leg to the mobile network (GSM/CDMA/TDMA) via a SIP message (or PRI) to a service provider network. On the flipside, when the phone comes into range of the wireless transceiver, the Mobility Server will take control of the calls.
This Alcatel architecture was demonstrated using HP’s iPAQ 6315 Pocket PC (Phone Edition).
“We’ve provided the mobile device with a Windows CE-based software client (Alcatel Cellular Extender) that not only works over WLAN and mobile transport, but more importantly maintains enterprise features and user interface across both networks,” said Chris Vuillaume, Alcatel’s vice president for product marketing responsible for the OmniPCX. “By allowing the enterprise to use any standards-based VoIP-ready 802.11 infrastructure, we protect their investment in the existing wireless LAN. Also note that this mobility capability can work with existing enterprise PBXs via an IP gateway or a standard connection.”
Alcatel is working with other handset vendors to expand the capability for the network-to-network handoff, and is actively promoting the products to service providers.
