Nortel unveils products for intelligent networking, security

Nortel has introduced two new products: Passport 8600 Layer 2-7 Switching platform for the intelligent networking and the Alteon Switched Firewall for security solutions. The former product is a combination of its existing products Passport and Layer 2-7 Switch, which are said to be the most widely deployed products amongst Indian call centers and data centers. The latter product is targeted at providing security solutions for service providers and enterprises without affecting their performance levels. Typically whenever security solutions are deployed, it brings down the service levels of the networks but Nortel's product offloads the encryption on a separate appliance from the server and therefore performance levels remain unaffected.

Targeted at service providers and enterprises Nortel officials say it does not expect the slowdown to affect its performance. The call center segment is expected to boom in the wake of the slowdown as more and more US companies look the to outsource their business needs.

Speaking about the recent closing down of Nortel's R&D activities in the country, Sanjay Jotshi, Country Manager, Intelligent Internet, Nortel Networks said that it was due to certain refocusing activities which the company initiated at the global level. In a recent refocusing exercise by the company, it has decided to focus on optical long haul, wireless and optical networks. The company's earlier focus on segments like legacy products (which include TDM products, BRS switches and base stack layer II switches from Bay Networks) have been done away with. As a result several R&D centers across the world including Indian operations had to be shut in keeping with this global strategy.

He also reiterated that security solutions would be one of the new focus areas of the company in a big way. The company says that its security solutions have been well received by the market particularly in the financial segment.