Lucent Technologies has announced a comprehensive suite of professional services and a multi-vendor integration lab that will allow cable operators to add voice capabilities to their networks quickly and efficiently.

An official release informs that Lucent Worldwide Services (LWS) is offering Professional Services' solutions, including network design and consulting, implementation and network security and reliability optimisation tools that will help cable operators offer 'Triple Play' voice, data and video services to their customers.

LWS has also established a multi-vendor integration lab in its Holmdel facility to support softswitch, gateway and integrated Class 5 packet switch vendors who are planning to deliver voice services to cable operators.

As part of its multi-vendor services strategy and efforts to promote cable interoperability, LWS is working with Lucent's own portfolio and other equipment vendors like Cedar Point Communications, Inc. -- a provider of an integrated IP-based packet voice switching solution for the cable industry -- to demonstrate to cable operators how to use Class 5 switches and voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to deliver advanced voice services to their customers.

LWS states that by working with Cedar Point and other packet switching companies it is helping fuel the deployment of new PacketCable voice switching technology to cable operators looking for an integrated Class 5 product solution. Lucent claims to have the experience and knowledge to help cable operators plan, design and build voice networks, enabling them to develop new markets and drive new revenue.

For example, using Bell Labs-developed technology and LWS services, LWS will be able to first analyse and assess whether a cable operator's network is ready for voice capabilities, then help them plan, design, implement, and operate their voice network. LWS is leveraging its significant expertise in technology migration to help cable operators reduce the risks associated with rolling out VoIP networks with integrated billing and OSS systems. For example, LWS will help customers seamlessly migrate their networks from a traditional circuit-switched environment to VoIP by using LWS' integration services.

At the lab, LWS has tools that measure the overall performance of VoIP hardware and software, analyse circuit-to-packet migration and measure the overall performance of deploying a large-scale VoIP network. In the future, cable operators and VoIP vendors will be able to use Lucent's LIVENET lab in Illinois to test voice capabilities and interoperability between different VoIP products a cable operator plans to implement in its network the release states.

Lucent Technologies designs and delivers networks for the world's largest communications service providers. Backed by Bell Labs research and development, Lucent relies on its strengths in mobility, optical, data and voice networking technologies as well as software and services to develop next-generation networks.