Corporate Networking: Evolution and Architecture

Abstract

Corporate networks are growing in popularity and providing more benefits to their users. These networks are based on leading edge, digital communications technology and provide a smooth migration to the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) — the intelligent, corporate network of the 1990s. As the papers in this issue on intelligent networking will show, AT&T has been and continues to be in the forefront of intelligent, corporate networking with business-communications solutions that provide a rich set of capabilities and an excellent application platform to meet customer needs in the future. To set the framework for the issue, we describe the history of corporate networking and the 1990s' corporate-network architecture. We also discuss the role of AT&T's Definity® communications system in modern, corporate-network applications.