Avinta Communications, a
three year-old systems engineering company, located in Sunnyvale CA., announced
a unique telecommunications technology and networking architecture. The
"Phoenix Project", named by Avinta, significantly simplifies the deployment,
yet improves the use of broadband service in residences, multi-person living
quarters and small offices.
Don Wellington, VP Sales
& Marketing explains;
"The implementation of broadband
services to the mass subscriber market has met with some inherent problems.
From the service provider side, there is no clear broadband demarcation
to the inside of the subscriber premise. This contributes to difficult
and expensive troubleshooting. From the subscriber side, the uncertainties
of self-installation for full bandwidth speed cause frustration. A key
component to subscriber retention and satisfaction is the ability to easily
use a voice and/or data network with their broadband service. Simple networking
solutions for the mass market consumer have been hard to find."
"Broadband service providers
have concerns about the QoS (Quality of Service) for digital voice channels
within the subscriber premise. This QoS concern also applies to the consistency
of the broadband digital bandwidth for Internet connectivity and data networking
purposes. The market is fragmented with no clear direction for applying
data networking solutions to consumer needs."
Avinta's Phoenix Project,
using AvintaNET technologies, solves these problems. The AvintaNET solution
uses intelligence based on Telecommunications instead of Computer (TCI-Telephony
Computer Integration vs. CTI-Computer Telephony Integration). Avinta began
the AvintaNET development process on the fundamental basis that the telephone
system is a tried and true technology that has been reliable and satisfactory
to the mass market. Applying POTS technology in a unique way, Avinta created
a system architecture that provides both clear demarcation for the service
providers as well as an easy voice and data networking for the subscriber.
During the last few months,
Avinta has previewed the Phoenix Project to Regional Bell Companies, large
Cable operators, subsystem manufacturers and IC chip providers. The consensus
evaluation is that the Phoenix Project has merit. Several companies expressed
enthusiastic endorsement of Avinta's plan. Based on these meetings, Avinta
is moving quickly to product implementation for the market.
The ingredients that make
up the AvintaNET system architecture include a "Gateway" that is enabled
to receive the broadband and distribute it into the subscriber premise.
The "Gateway" would also be the "server" point for networking technologies
accessing the Internet for multiple computers. The "Gateway" function
ultimately could reside in the phone company's Enhanced Network Interface
Device (ENID) or a cable company's Broadband Telephony Interface (BTI).
In addition, telephone station
sets with "AvintaNET Built-In" would be controllers for both voice and
data networks. With the TCI concept, the AvintaNET enabled station sets
(PETS-Plain Enhanced Telephone Set) provide the phone extension number
for the voice network and the data terminal address for the computer network.
The technology that enables the extensions and addresses is proprietary
and owned by Avinta Communications.
A key factor to this concept
is not needing a central network controller (switch, router, etc.) for
the phones or the computers. AvintaNET technology is based on a "peer-to-peer"
concept. This distributed system architecture for unified voice and data
networking is another Avinta proprietary property.
Don continued;
"While the overall "Phoenix
Project" can be difficult to grasp by the non-technical person, the benefits
are clear; easy installation and simple trouble-shooting leading to a reliable
voice and data network for the mass market. Avinta's solution taps
the continued demand for broadband networking of phones and computers in
residences, small offices, dormitories and other shared multi-person environments.
Both the service provider and the mass market consumer will benefit from
this win-win situation."
Abraham Chen, Founder and
chief architect of AvintaNET, summarized;
"As the mythological Phoenix
rose from the ashes, Avinta is utilizing the century old telecommunications
practices to harness the new broadband technology for improving the consumer
experience."
Avinta Communications is
a privately held systems engineering company specializing in voice and
data networking technology for the SOHO market. For more information please
visit the website at www.avinta.com
Visit Avinta Communications
Inc. at the International Consumer Electronics Show January 8-11, 2002
Las Vegas, NV., Las Vegas Convention Center, Booth M 18449, New South Hall
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