Defense Department certifies Cisco VoIP

Cisco Systems Inc. said today that its Internet protocol telephony solutions have been certified by the Defense Department's Joint Interoperability Test Command (JITC), opening the door for organizations across the department to deploy Cisco's voice over IP equipment.

JITC testing ensures the interoperability, reliability and security of equipment across the department's sprawling voice network.

Cisco achieved JITC PBX2 certification, making its gear usable for switched calls. Company officials said Cisco is now working with the command to earn PBX1 certification, which would mean the Cisco VoIP infrastructure could be used in command and control environments.

"Voice over an IP network has reached a level of maturity in the sector lifecycle that allows it to be viewed as an application like any other application," said Capt. Chris Christopher, deputy director at the Navy's Future Operations, Communications, and Business Initiatives office

Ed Carney, vice president of Cisco's government systems unit, said the JITC certification would allow Defense Department customers to migrate to VoIP at their own pace.

It assures these customers "that our solution will interoperate with their existing equipment," Carney said in a statement.

The specific equipment that received certification includes Cisco Catalyst 3550, 4500 and 6500 switches; Cisco 2600 and 3700 gateways; and CallManager 3.3 call processing software.

San Jose, Calif.-based Cisco has emerged as a significant player in the technology that allows IP networks to carry voice communications. In July, Boeing Co. said it would use Cisco equipment to build a global VoIP network connecting more than 150,000 employees.