BT converges fixed and mobile comms for corporates

Computing writes that "BT has announced plans for a fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) service for large businesses. Although the telecoms giant already offers this service to homes and smaller firms via BT Fusion, the new system runs over Wi-Fi instead of Bluetooth."

The service, codenamed Enterprise FMC (EFMC), "will be piloted with corporate customers from late 2006 using Wi-Fi located in offices, homes and BT Openzone hotspots. The system will be delivered through BT’s existing Fusion partnership with Alcatel."

Jeremy Green at Ovum warned that "there were still lots and lots of problems involved in making dual-mode Wi-Fi/cellular services work properly." He said, "If you've already got a Wi-Fi network, what you originally put it in for was to provide untethered coverage for laptops. You didn't set out to provide blanket telephone coverage, or the capacity to cover everyone using Wi-Fi to make phone calls."