Nortel Adds Web 2.0 Software

Nortel's new Adaptive Application Engine software, built around Session Initiation Protocol, allows Nortel customers to create Web 2.0 applications like social networking, blogs, and wikis with IP voice and multimedia.

Operators can choose to run the software on hundreds of Red Hat Enterprise Linux compliant servers.

The Adaptive Application Engine software provides an open programmability environment and web service Application Program Interfaces which allow third-party software developers to easily develop new applications which use call routing, presence and federated IM.

The software is designed to support both smaller service providers as well as tier one providers as well.

The Adaptive Application Engine software can be deployed as a SIP Application Server, as an IMS application server or as advanced capabilities on the Communication Server 2000.

Nortel says the new software will allow service providers to create unified communications services, federated instant messaging and IP communications integrated with Web applications.

The software also supports features such as using TVs to control calls or send instant messages.

The software also will allow service providers to create fixed mobile convergence services such as making mobile phones into office extensions and allowing calls to be moved back and forth across tethered and mobile devices.

Nortel is first among the large traditional switch vendors to make such tools available as a "bolt on" to its existing architecture. Depending on how the software is received, it could be an important step for service providers on the Nortel platform.

Up to this point there has been some skepticism that smaller service providers, in particular, would be able to create these sorts of applications on their own. The software is half the solution. Now Nortel has to pull together a developer community and make those apps available to its customers.