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3Com launches SIP-based IP telephony

David Meyer ZDNet.co.uk

Published: 03 Oct 2007 13:38 BST

3Com has announced a new IP telephony platform for SMEs, as well as an appliance designed to implement open-source-based VoIP.

The VCX Connect platform offers session initiation protocol (SIP)-based telephony call control and unified messaging. SIP is an application-layer control protocol that enables multimedia communications, including presence. The VCX Connect 100 model is aimed at organisations with 30-100 employees, while the VCX Connect 200 model is targeted at those with up to 250 employees.

The company has also announced the 3Com Asterisk appliance, an open-source VoIP system based on Digium's Asterisk appliance. The product works with all of 3Com's handsets and is designed to be used by organisations of between five and 30 employees.

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"VCX Connect provides even small organisations with enterprise-class IP telephony features and performance such as integration of communications with productivity applications and system redundancy to ensure survivability in an easy-to-use, low-cost package," said Bob Dechant, 3Com's senior vice president and general manager. "Additionally, 3Com Asterisk delivers easy-to-deploy telephony features in an open-source environment. This clearly will position 3Com as the leader in driving the deployment of open-source solutions into the fabric of the network."

One of 3Com's vice presidents said in August that the company would pursue an open-source strategy to enable customers to develop their own applications on its platform.

On Monday, 3Com revealed that it had agreed to be taken over jointly by the Chinese manufacturer Huawei and a private equity firm, Bain Capital Partners. The transaction, valued at $2.2bn (£1.1bn), is set to go through in the first quarter of next year.