Ferranti International Plc need all the good news it can conjure up from its widespread and disparate operations, and the beleaguered company’s Manchester-based Voice Systems Group is rallying to the cause with the announcement of a 2M-bit digital interface for voice messaging systems claimed to be the first of its kind in Europe in that it replaces the numerous analogue cables previously required between voice messaging systems and central private branch exchanges with a single co-ax pair: the result, says Ferranti, is a completely digital system, with no degradation due to conversion from analogue to digital, and easier and cheaper connection. Up to three of the 30-channel interfaces can be linked to one Ferranti’s Voice Message Director systems to provide a total of 90 voice channels for store-and-forward messaging, Dual Tone Multi Frequency activated and voice response applications such as the controversial 0898 recorded message numbers. The interface meets the Consultative Committee on Telegraphy and Telephony’s specifications in this area and is designed around the VME bus on double Euro VME cards; each of these boards uses a 32-bit Motorola 68020 chip. Ferranti hopes the interface will have possible future applications in the realm of Integrated Services Digital Networks, with the signal processing capabilities used for data manipulation and speech recognition. The interface is said to be up and running on one customer site already – the client remains unannounced. Prices will vary considerably from system to system but start at around UKP20,000, rising to UKP40,000 for large systems. Launch of the new voice communications product is a timely reminder that as well as the military operations coveted by Thomson SA of France, there are several innovative civil computer and communications products within Ferranti.
