Schaumberg, Illinois-based Motorola Inc’s unit Motorola Codex has introduced the 6950 SoftCell ATM Networking Node, a software-defined communications system designed to integrate data, voice, image and video over carrier services ranging from 64Kbps leased line to emerging Asynchronous Transfer Mode within the network. Essentially a proprietary system – because there are no standards for low-speed cell relay – the company says that the node addresses a current market need for a product capable of E1/T1 links, but which is ready to interface to Asynchronous Transfer Mode when necessary. The commercial market is not yet ready for ATM, according to Motorola Codex, but SoftCell will give users access to it when they are ready by the addition of a hardware module and relatively simple software upgrade. Motorola Codex says SoftCell also supports a guaranteed quality of service to the individual applications. This feature, called Portfolio QOS, provides client-specified end-to-end guarantees for delay and accuracy, rather than just throughput, which gives bursty client-server applications enough bandwidth, and enables delay-sensitive applications to get transmitted on a timely basis, adds the company. Other components include application-independent hardware supporting Frame Relay, transparent framed, circuit emulation, voice compression of up to 16:1, and internodal links from 56Kbps to E1/T1. According to Motorola Codex, the system will offer throughput advantages of 200% to 300% compared to existing time division multiplexing implementations. Prices will go from UKP35,000 to UKP250,000 per node.
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