Hybrid networking for business applications

A hybrid network provides the business user with advanced communications capabilities via a flexible portfolio of interconnected network elements, in such a way as to satisfy the business´s cost and service criteria. Hybrid networking is the interconnection of public network business applications, such as Centrex with private networks consisting of private branch exchanges (PBXs). This provides the business user with a `seamless´ service view of what appears to be a homogeneous private network, and can be achieved in the integrated services digital network (ISDN) environment based on the use of signalling systems such as QSIG (defined in standard ECMA-143). The paper describes the technical requirements for hybrid networking and assesses what impact these will have on the deployment of hybrid networking scenarios