Thursday, November 10, 2005

Cisco Debuts "Linksys One" Hosted Convergence Suite for Small Business

Cisco Systems' Linksys division introduced a new line of small business products designed for hosted communication services.


The new "Linksys One" brand is a solution hosted by Service Providers and sold, installed, and serviced by Value Added Resellers (VARs). This solution includes integrated data and voice products coupled with communication services from a Service Provider including security, monitoring, management and QoS for VoIP.


The Linksys One Product Suite includes the following:

  • Linksys One 16-Port Services Router (SRV3000): The cornerstone of the Linksys One Services Platform and vision is the Services Router.


  • Linksys One Color Manager IP Phone (PHM12000): This SIP-based Color IP Telephone offers both the cost-saving advantages of VoIP and the voice quality and features of a small business key phone system.


  • Linksys One Analog VoIP Gateway (VGA2000): The Linksys One Voice Gateway increases the flexibility of the system, allowing businesses to integrate their existing analog phones and fax machines. Access to
    PSTN networks is enabled locally and also provides a failover system
    in case of service outages or emergency 911 calls.


All Linksys One products are designed to be plug and play. They feature a network discovery process and automated configuration to provide new networks, additions to the system, and new technologies with only limited-touch deployment.


Linksys announced its first service providers supporting this rollout:

  • MCI (nationwide US coverage)


  • airBand Communications (regional US coverage).


  • NeoNova Network Services (regional US coverage)


  • IP Systems Pty Ltd (Australia)



Linksys One will become the seventh Cisco Advanced Technology under the name Hosted Small Business Systems (Hosted SBS). The other six advanced technologies are home networking, enterprise IP communication, optical networking, security, storage area networking and wireless.


In the US, Linksys One solutions are scheduled to be available regionally in Q1 of 2006, with full national deployment next summer. Asia Pacific rollouts of Linksys One will begin in Australia in Q2, 2006. Linksys One will be available in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America, and other parts of the world in the latter half of 2006. In the interim, Linksys is actively recruiting VARs.
http://www.linksysone.com/