It surely makes sense to transport voice and data on a single network infrastructure. This approach reduces costly voice calls between sites and simplifies on-site cabling by connecting telephones and PCs to the same cable. Furthermore, whatever the context - headquarters, branch offices, home workers or mobile workers - voice services are consistent.

The Alcatel OmniPCX Office call server delivers all this and more. It even provides cost-effective access to traditional voice communication systems (e.g., PSTN, ISDN and analog phones) via the pre-installed Media Gateway.

Alcatel's new range of IP phone sets is the right user interface for these IP-based services; they are fully compatible with Alcatel's digital phone sets. A single installation can combine IP telephony and digital telephony, providing the same level of services for each user. This lets you move to IP, whenever you want.

Your company can avoid costly voice calls between their various sites in the world by sending voice over your existing worldwide data connections. You can simplify your in-site cabling infrastructure by connecting telephones to the same cable as PCs. And you can deliver a consistent level of voice features whatever the location or the user - headquarters, branch offices, home workers or mobile workers -by incorporating a voice server on your data network.

The Alcatel OmniPCX Office provides a call server that manages IP phones and IP softphones on the data network. When needed, the Alcatel OmniPCX Office also offers an integrated Media Gateway, which provides access to traditional telephones; the media gateway combines circuit trunk boards and circuit extension boards. The call server and the media gateway, which both support the H323 protocol, work together with standard H323 devices and interoperate with Alcatel and non-Alcatel systems that support this standard.

• With the Alcatel OmniPCX Office, your company can reduce long-distance charges for internal-company calls by integrating voice into your WAN data network.

• With the Alcatel OmniPCX Office DHCP server, an IP phone can be moved or added in seconds.
• More and more, users expect a transparency of features between headquarters and branch offices (same directory, voicemail, etc.). This is implemented automatically by having remote IP phones in branches managed by the call server at the headquarters - IP phones share exactly the same features wherever they are located. Implementation assumes a managed data link between sites
  (leased lines, IPVPN, etc.).
• When mobile workers connect to your company through the Internet (e.g. to download price lists or files), their PC can benefit remotely from the call server telecommunications features.
• The Alcatel OmniPCX Office offers native feature-rich call management for up to 200 IP users, without needing additional hardware.
• The OmniPCX Office supports the T38 protocol that allows fax calls to be routed over the IP network, as well as the interoperability with other T38 devices.
• The Alcatel OmniPCX Office is H323 V2 compliant and thus is able to interact with Alcatel and non-Alcatel systems supporting this standard such as PCs using Microsoft NetMeeting.
  

Major Benefits of Voice Over IP

Reduce costs for voice calls between sites
Your company can reduce long-distance charges for calls between sites by integrating voice with data on the WAN (wide-area network). Phones can access the WAN through the Alcatel OmniPCX Office's WAN connection or directly through an external router. Whatever the connection method, Alcatel OmniPCX Office offers ISDN overflow to ensure good voice quality and back-up to guarantee call completion.

Use a single wire for voice and data
Your company can simplify its internal cabling by using the LAN to transport voice and data, while accessing the advanced telephony features provided by the Alcatel OmniPCX Office call server. The system also provides an embedded DHCP server, so that moving or adding an IP phone only requires plugging it into an Ethernet connection.

Integrated LAN switches for network infrastructure
Alcatel OmniPCX Office features integrated LAN boards that deliver Fast Ethernet switching, with up to 100 Mbps per port, trouble-free transfer of large files and access to shared data bases and multimedia applications. The system, which is designed for plug-and-play installation, provides automatic detection of the speed of attached devices through 10 to 100 Mbps auto-sensing on all ports, with no configuration needed. Alcatel's integrated LAN switches are modular and offer a cost-effective solution for from 8 to 160 ports. The LAN boards have up-link ports to expand the network with new switches or existing hubs.

Provide voice features to remote sites
Many companies today have employees who work at small branches or even work from home. To keep their productivity high, it is important to give them the same advanced telephony features as the rest of the company. Alcatel OmniPCX Office is designed to manage remote IP phones, so that employees working at remote sites remain an integral part of the company, with phone book access, voice mail and other standard features.

Provide voice features to mobile employees
Mobile workers no longer need to forego voice features. With NetMeeting or IP PIMphony on their laptop, they can access company's voice services such as the phone book and voice mail when connected to the Internet.