* Ford orders large VoIP system from SBC Last week, SBC Communications announced a large enterprise VoIP deployment at Ford Motor. When completed, the project will be one of the nation’s largest IP telephony deployments to date. To our knowledge, it would be the largest single-customer deployment offered and managed by a service provider. In a statement, SBC explained that it will deploy a fully customized system based on its PremierSERV IP Telephony Advantage platform and using Cisco’s IP Communications system.Last week, SBC Communications announced a large enterprise VoIP deployment at Ford Motor. When completed, the project will be one of the nation’s largest IP telephony deployments to date. To our knowledge, it would be the largest single-customer deployment offered and managed by a service provider. In a statement, SBC explained that it will deploy a fully customized system based on its PremierSERV IP Telephony Advantage platform and using Cisco’s IP Communications system.The network will include approximately 50,000 Cisco IP telephones, rolled out to users in 110 Ford facilities in southeastern Michigan over three years. SBC engineers will work on-site at Ford’s data center in Dearborn to manage the service throughout the course of the contract. Rick Moran, vice president of Cisco’s product technology marketing organization for IP Communications, noted that the deployment “will allow Ford to explore new communications applications, such as integrated voice, e-mail and video services.” Network consultants from Callisma (an SBC company) will work with Ford to help assure a seamless integration of the IP telephony service into Ford’s current network infrastructure. All elements of the new Ford system will be fully tested under real-world conditions at the SBC staging center in Memphis, Tenn. At the staging facility, SBC engineers test equipment under operating conditions that match those of the customer, allowing SBC to optimize equipment and identify and resolve any potential issues well before installation at the customer’s location. Related content news analysis Cisco, AWS strengthen ties between cloud-management products Combining insights from Cisco ThousandEyes and AWS into a single view can dramatically reduce problem identification and resolution time, the vendors say. By Michael Cooney Nov 28, 2023 4 mins Network Management Software Cloud Computing opinion Is anything useful happening in network management? Enterprises see the potential for AI to benefit network management, but progress so far is limited by AI’s ability to work with company-specific network data and the range of devices that AI can see. By Tom Nolle Nov 28, 2023 7 mins Generative AI Network Management Software brandpost Sponsored by HPE Aruba Networking SASE, security, and the future of enterprise networks By Adam Foss, VicePresident Pre-sales Consulting, HPE Aruba Networking Nov 28, 2023 4 mins SASE news AWS launches Cost Optimization Hub to help curb cloud expenses At its ongoing re:Invent 2023 conference, the cloud service provider introduced several new and free updates that are expected to help enterprises optimize their AWS costs. By Anirban Ghoshal Nov 28, 2023 3 mins Amazon re:Invent Podcasts Videos Resources Events NEWSLETTERS Newsletter Promo Module Test Description for newsletter promo module. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe