3Com chief predicts a converged future

NEWS 3Com president and CEO, Eric Benhamou, has singled out the convergence of voice and data networks as "the next big milestone for the whole industry". Speaking exclusively to Silicon.com at 3Com's Californian headquarters, Benhamou claimed the move to converged networks will revolutionise the IT industry, making networks richer and more powerful then ever before. Benhamou denied claims that convergence is not yet a business issue, saying it is already having an impact on carriers, enterprise networks and even consumers. Benhamou also said we will soon see completely new applications to take advantage of converged networks, and such networks will bring cost advantages and be easier to manage. Benhamou also admitted many networking vendors will struggle to survive alone in the converged world, and highlighted 3Com's partnership with Siemens, which aims to bring 3Com LAN switches and Siemens PBX technologies closer together. But Benhamou said there is no chance of a merger, claiming the firms can work together whilst remaining separate. The full interview with Eric Benhamou can be viewed in Silicon.com's Fast Networking Channel.