Lucent to introduce phone/Net systems

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), May 28, 1998

MURRAY HILL, N.J. (Bloomberg) -- Lucent Technologies will introduce new equipment to help phone companies boost profits on Internet services, entering a lucrative market also targeted by Cisco Systems. The new products include a computer switch and a so-called access server that combine phone calls with Internet data traffic on a single network, allowing phone companies and Internet service providers to offer more local and long-distance services.

Traditional long-distance companies like MCI and AT&T, and newer telecommunication providers like Qwest Communications International, want the new equipment to offer more expensive voice and data services to businesses. Lucent is hoping the new equipment will help it grab a bigger piece of the "public IP," or Internet protocol, market, which is expected to grow to more than $50 billion annually by 2002.

"They've put together a pretty complete package of smart IP products," said Brendan Hannigan, an analyst with Forrester Research in Cambridge, Mass.