Microsoft Corp is making headway in the $17bn telecommunications equipment market, whose computer systems have always been dominated by Unix. It has engineered its first major defection from Unix to Windows NT with telecoms equipment giant Siemens AG porting its INXpress telecoms software to NT. The INXpress software suite runs Intelligent Networking Services, which are the next generation of telecommunications services, such as number portability, freephone, and database access through telecoms systems. All INS applications rely on the underlying Signaling System 7 telecoms switching protocol. SS-7 is the language that telecoms switches use to set up and manage all the calls on the worldwide telecoms network. Through the use of specialised SS-7 middleware, computer systems can sit in SS-7 networks and add extra capabilities to parts of the network. Microsoft has already agreed for two other companies to port their Unix telecoms middleware layer into its products. The Retix Inc subsidiary Vertel is building its TMN Power Cat telecommunications management software into Windows NT Server, through Microsoft’s DCOM. But more importantly, in April Microsoft got telecommunications middleware player, DGM&S Telecom Inc, a subsidiary of Comverse Technology Inc, to port its SS-7 Unix middleware Omni SignalWare, over to NT. The SignalWare middleware is part of Siemens INXpress strategy, and both companies will beta test products in late 1998, and release the finished applications in mid 1999. The telecoms computer market is currently dominated by high-end Unix players such as Tandem Computer Inc, Hewlett-Packard Co and Sun Microsystems Inc. The high-end server company Amdahl Corp seems to be hedging its bets and has announced that it is signed a multi-million dollar contract with DGM&S for both Unix and NT versions of SignalWare.
