The digital PBX: current and future views of applications for information management

The digital PBX, viewed as an office controller for integration of voice and data on the premises and as a gateway for wide area interpremises networking, is finding increased application in today´s business and campus environments. The paper discusses the role of the digital PBX in connecting data end points of various types (asynchronous, synchronous, peer-to-peer) both locally and over wide areas through examination of typical end customer applications. Two specific customer scenarios are considered: a multi-location, interpremises data networking application and a large, single campus, research institution with intensive computational and intrapremises information movement requirements. In looking forward, the approach is to discuss the migration of the PBX to ISDN technology and to evaluate future synergies between the ISDN PBX and network services offerings. From this perspective, the digital PBX is seen as assuming an expanded role in satisfying the information movement and management needs of end users in the coming decade