Data players attack network intelligence market

Data networking players are hoping to plug their devices into an emerging intelligent network that combines IP and circuit-switched in a new way, perhaps supporting traditional telephony services via SS7 in new IP telephony products. Bellcore pioneered the Advanced Intelligent Network architecture in the mid-1980s. Today, the AIN model is getting a new surge of attention. IP and other data networking applications are typically designed with programmable interfaces that are often used for distributed applications, an approach resembling the AIN architecture. For that reason, companies familiar with IP and LAN applications see a unique opportunity to gain foothold in areas previously owned by telephone switching vendors. Bay Networks' Versalar SS7 gateway is designed to intercept data calls, shunt them off to a remote access concentrator and hand the data to the appropriate resources within the concentrator. Ascend Communications recently agreed to pay $822 million for Stratus Computer Inc., a telecom vendor with its own SS7 switching platform and operations support system software. Ascend plans to launch its Ascend Signaling Gateway shortly.