Digital Equipment Corp has updated the Alphaserver Intelligent Peripheral system, a general purpose computer designed to be used in wireless network environments. The system has been developed for applications where high-availability is a requirement, with existing customers including the likes of MCI Corp and Korean Telecom. The Alphaserver IP first appeared in June 1995, but was then only able to cope with voice lines and fax services. Now the product has been upgraded to include support for DEC’s Intelligent Network technology and computer telephony technology from Dialogic Corp. DEC has been working with Dialogic since 1994, taking the general purpose telephony technology such as fax services and speech recognition from the Parsippany, New Jersey- based company that is used in numerous industries including health care and banking. DEC has customized it for the telecoms industry, and put it within boards that fit into the IP chassis. Updates to Alphaserver IP 2.0 include more advanced telecommunication services such as automated switchboard services, telephone voting and call center facilities. The system incorporates fault management capabilities such as a visual and audible alarm based on the Simple Network Management Protocol. Since the system was introduced back in 1995, DEC has sold some 420 systems to companies across the world, with entry level prices starting at $750,000 going up to $1m.
