Heeding rumblings from clients about the clumsiness of multiple
directory services, Nortel Networks and
the Sun-Netscape Alliance Monday introduced
a new directory solution for service providers.
Designed to help Internet service providers and application service
providers create new service bundles and manage them more
efficiently, the solution is expected to provide a standards-based framework
for the fully-integrated delivery of next-generation applications and
services.
ISPs and ASPs face challenges to meet customer and market demand using
today’s fragmented service delivery infrastructures. With no shared concept
of a user, it is difficult and expensive to offer tailored packages and
bring new services to market quickly. The proposed solution from Nortel
Networks (NT) and
the Sun-Netscape Alliance will be designed to give service providers more
control over the content and delivery of their service packages so that they
can attack new markets and offer their customers more choices.
“We looked at ISPs and ASPs and realized there is no common infrastructure
for providing directories,” said Steve Nicolle, vice president and general manager of Nortel’s Preside Service Ware Solutions unit. “So, it was an easy equation.”
Nicolle said the package bears the fruit of Nortel Networks Preside Policy
Services, which work across a wide range of network technology including
wireless, dial, digital subscriber loop and cable. He said the alliance will
offer its iPlanet directory, Web, Messaging, and calendar server products.
Nortel Networks and Sun-Netscape will jointly define a directory schema,
which they plan to propose it as an open industry specification. Each party
plans to support this proposed standard with compliant products by the
second half of 2000.