fleming@uunet.uu.net (08/08/90)
NORTHERN TELECOM INTRODUCES FRAME RELAY CAPABILITIES FOR LOCAL EXCHANGE AND INTEREXCHANGE CARRIERS Nashville, Tenn., Aug. 7 -- Northern Telecom today announced DataSPAN, a new wideband data communications capability that allows local exchange and interexchange carriers a less expensive way to offer their customers a faster, more reliable alternative to private data lines. DataSPAN, which consists of both hardware and software, provides a frame relay interface to Northern Telecom's DMS-100 SuperNode and DMS-250 SuperNode digital switching systems. Frame relay is a new packet switching technology that enables high speed data networking over the public switched telephone network. DataSPAN's wideband connectivity through the public network is one step toward Northern Telecom's FiberWorld vision of the broadband public network of the future. "With DataSPAN, businesses can cost effectively tie together branch offices, regional offices and headquarters facilities under a common wideband service offering," said Gerry Butters, executive vice president, Marketing, Northern Telecom Inc. "The widespread deployment of DMS SuperNode switches in the local and long distance networks and the availability of frame relay capabilities will provide corporate data managers with a powerful nationwide networking option that facilitates the implementation of both metropolitan and wide area networks." DataSPAN allows data users to replace dedicated leased lines with a virtual private data network that is offered through their local or long distance telephone company. A virtual private data network provides bandwidth-on-demand, multiple data sessions on a single line, and simplified network management over the public switched network without requiring physical dedicated lines between sites. DataSPAN gives users the bandwidth they need -- when they need it -- through dynamically allocated bandwidth-on-demand up to 1.544 megabits per second (mbps). It also allows up to 1000 data sessions to be conducted at the same time across a twisted pair connection to Northern Telecom's SuperNode using a multiplexing capability that is integrated into the switch. Finally, DataSPAN simplifies network management and reduces operational costs because additional connections can be easily made to the existing network through simple software changes. DataSPAN is more reliable than leased lines because of the redundancy built into the public network. If a trunk is lost, the network will automatically reroute the DataSPAN traffic. Local and long distance carriers will carry their users' data traffic on trunks with up to 45 mbps capacity. This high bandwidth between central offices assures customers of high reliability and high performance for their data traffic. DataSPAN complements emerging broadband data services; its architecture allows for migration to broadband access rates of 45 mbps and above. Initial applications for DataSPAN will be in the growing market for connecting local area networks (LANs). DataSPAN allows the bridging of both similar and dissimilar LANs over a wide geographic area, providing networking, for example, for branches of banks, campuses of a university, and individual offices of a business franchise. DataSPAN is a direct result of the ongoing LAN-interconnection market trial between Northern Telecom, NYNEX and Digital Equipment Corporation, announced in the spring of 1989. DataSPAN supports Open Systems Interconnect (OSI) Routers, as well as such LAN topologies as Ethernet, Token Ring, and DECnet. DataSPAN also supports the Transmission Control Protocol/Internetwork Protocol (TCP/IP) and System Network Architecture/Synchronous Data Link Control (SNA/SDLC) data communication protocols. Northern Telecom's DataSPAN service is based on International Consultative Committee for Telephone and Telegraph (CCITT) I.122 recommendations on additional packet mode data services and American National Standards Institute (ANSI) T1S1 recommendations on frame relay transport. DataSPAN is supported on the DMS SuperNode Link Peripheral Processor (LPP), an integrated peripheral that can support a variety of services, including those provided through Common Channel Signaling 7 (CCS7). Interface cards and software are the only requirements to implement DataSPAN service. DataSPAN will be available for testing by carriers in the first quarter of 1991. | Stephen Fleming | Internet: fleming@cup.portal.com | | Director, Technology Mktg. | CI$: 76354,3176 AOL: SFleming | | Northern Telecom | BIX: srfleming X.500: ??? |