Hello

Welcome to another issue of RAD at a Glance, the newsletter from RAD Data Communications about developments in the communications industry.

ACCESS TRENDS

When Is TDMoIP Better Than VoIP?

Impediments to VoIP Deployment
Since VoIP was first introduced in the mid '90s, many industry analysts, service providers and vendors have made the logical connection between the need to take advantage of the efficiency, flexibility and ubiquity of IP, and the large market for voice services. This has led to a huge investment in VoIP and an alphabet soup of protocols such as H.323, SIP, MGCP and Megaco. Despite these efforts to promote the revolutionary VoIP concept, the reality has been that enterprise users have been reluctant to give up their legacy PBXs, many of which have only recently been upgraded to comply with Y2K. Enterprise users have not only been concerned with the capital expenditures for "forklift" upgrades and the operating expenses associated with maintaining a complex VoIP network, but also with the business issues such as voice quality, loss of existing PBX features, and retraining users.

The Evolutionary Approach to Convergence over IP: TDMoIP
TDMoIP® (Time Division Multiplexing over the Internet Protocol) is a transport technology developed by RAD Data Communications that extends T1, E1, T3 or E3 circuits simply across packet-switched networks. It is transparent to all protocols and signaling, and therefore supports legacy PBXs - including proprietary features. TDMoIP enables service providers to migrate to next-generation networks and continue to provide all their revenue-generating legacy voice and data services. It enables enterprises to run voice, data and video over their IP/Ethernet-based networks, minimizing network maintenance and operating costs. TDMoIP also benefits data carriers by enabling them to offer lucrative services - such as leased line, cellular backhaul and international toll bypass - over IP. This allows them to maximize revenues from their IP, Ethernet or MPLS infrastructure with revenue-generating voice and leased line services, complementing their existing data services. There are two variants of TDMoIP: TDMoIP (CE) for circuit emulation and TDMoIP (CV) for compressed voice.

TDMoIP (CE) provides T1/E1 and T3/E3 Circuit Emulation over IP/Ethernet/MPLS. This technology is ideal when requiring lowest latency, highest quality voice, video or data over IP. TDMoIP (CE) requires the network to transport a constant stream of high-priority packets with strict QoS (to ensure the TDM circuit is also error-free). TDMoIP (CE) is usually the best technology in environments where bandwidth is abundant (e.g., campus or MAN with Fast Ethernet/Gigabit Ethernet). With TDMoIP (CE), clock synchronization is maintained, making it possible to extend synchronous TDM circuits over asynchronous IP/Ethernet networks.

TDMoIP (CV) is optimized for carrying compressed voice and Group 3 fax relay. This technology is ideal in environments where network bandwidth is limited, because it supports voice activity detection (VAD), silence suppression, comfort noise generation (CNG) and voice compression (down to 4 kbps/channel). TDMoIP (CV) also can be thought of as transparent VoIP because it has many of the same characteristics, but carries signaling transparently, uses 60% less bandwidth and is more tolerant of packet loss. Some of these extra efficiencies result from the unique way that TDMoIP aggregates and multiplexes multiple voice and signaling channels into a single IP bundle, whereas VoIP handles each of these channels independently. Therefore, TDMoIP (CV) is ideal for applications where bandwidth is constrained (e.g., 802.11b wireless, cable modems, xDSL, Power Line Communications or even the public Internet).

Matching Technologies to Requirements
VoIP is preferable when the goal is to re-engineer the network and add many new features (such as phones with browsers) that are not provided by existing PBXs and telephony switches.

TDMoIP is the preferred solution for users who are satisfied with their current voice, video and data services, but want to reduce expenses by running all traffic types over an IP, Ethernet or MPLS network. Their goal is to take advantage of efficient packet-based infrastructures without incurring the costs and inconvenience of expensive upgrades and lost features. Deployment of TDMoIP retains the investment in existing TDM equipment and provides full legacy functionality over IP.

To find out which technology is best for your needs, download the White Paper, TDMoIP vs. VoIP: Matching Technologies to Requirements, at http://www.rad.com/Article/0,6583,16045,00.html. RAD manufactures both VoIP and TDMoIP products.

GENERAL NEWS

Visit RAD at ITU Telecom World 2003 in Geneva

Please visit us at Stand 2331 at ITU Telecom World 2003 in Geneva, October 12-18, where we will be unveiling our bottom-up approach to Ethernet access over legacy and packet-switched backbone networks. We will also be presenting our new hybrid IP/TDM point-to-point wireless multiplexer operating in Band B, and solutions for video surveillance and for bridging the bandwidth gap between E1/T1 and E3/T3 services. Telecom World press releases

RAD Data Communications Becomes First Vendor to Declare Product Compliance with New TDM over MPLS Implementation Agreement

RAD Data Communications has become the first vendor of telecommunications access solutions to announce that its products will fully support the TDM Transport over MPLS using AAL1 Implementation Agreement (IA), which was recently adopted by the MPLS/Frame Relay Alliance. This support will be incorporated in the company's soon-to-be-launched ASIC for transporting TDM over Packet Switched Networks. The new chip is planned to power the next generation of RAD's Ethernet Network Termination Units (NTUs), TDM over IP (TDMoIP) gateways and TDM over MPLS (TDMoMPLS) access devices. RAD's new suite of products for TDM over MPLS will be unveiled in October at ITU Telecom World 2003 in Geneva. Full story

SUCCESS STORIES

Telrad Connegy Uses TDMoIP to Connect Its PBXs over the Public Internet

RAD's Vmux with TDMoIP (CV) technology (TDMoIP with voice compression and silence suppression) connects Telrad Connegy's corporate PBXs over the public Internet. Vmux transparently extends voice circuits (including signaling) over IP, eliminating the need for expensive T1/E1 voice circuits between enterprise offices. Telrad Connegy is experiencing excellent voice quality over the Internet.
Full story

Vietnam Railways Deploys RAD Voice and Data Multiservice Access Solution

RAD products transmit voice, timetables and ticketing information to Vietman Railways' eight busiest train stations, and will also carry multimedia services such as videoconferencing. Full story

NEW PRODUCT

RAD's New Compact Channel Banks Offer Cost-Effective Voice Transmission for Low Capacity Sites

The 1U high Megaplex-104 and Megaplex-204 channel banks are low cost devices designed for alternative (including wireless) voice providers who have simple infrastructure and low service penetration. The devices also meet the specifications for public and coin-operated telephones. The small product size also enables the service provider to pay for less space at the point-of-presence (POP), and eases the crowded conditions encountered at most POPs. More product details

WHAT'S NEW ON-LINE

Now Playing: Bridging the Gap between E1/T1 and E3/T3

Does your LAN or high speed traffic exceed 2 Mbps/1.5 Mbps, yet not justify the cost of an E3/T3 pipe? RAD’s IMXi-4 intelligent inverse multiplexer bridges the gap between E1/T1 and E3/T3, cost-effectively transporting your LAN or high speed data traffic across multiple, low cost TDM E1/T1 or SHDSL links. Watch our new Flash presentation.

Sincerely,
Shari Ingerman
Senior Editor, RAD Data Communications