Delivery of IBM’s 8750 digital successor to the antique analogue 1750 PABX, announced last October for the European market, has been delayed at least nine months, with industry sources predicting a two-year wait. IBM says that a faulty board connected to the 8750 Motorola 68020-based central processor is responsible for the delay and expects the […]
Delivery of IBM’s 8750 digital successor to the antique analogue 1750 PABX, announced last October for the European market, has been delayed at least nine months, with industry sources predicting a two-year wait. IBM says that a faulty board connected to the 8750 Motorola 68020-based central processor is responsible for the delay and expects the redesign to be finished in time for shipment early next year. A spokesman said the layout of the faulty circuit board has been amended and that testing is now underway. But further obstacles in the form of PTT approval and interconnectivity tests with other PABX suppliers could impede sales of the switch on the European market. Interim approval has been granted in the UK by Oftel for the 8750 to connect to the public networks but the rest of Europe has yet to follow suit and IBM confirms that delays in some countries are unavoidable while maintaining that testing procedures have started. The 8750 switch will offer British Telecom’s version of ISDN signalling for private networks, DPNSS, from day one in the UK, although IBM has not started interconnectivity testing with other vendors’ DPNSS implementations. Manufacturing of the 8750 is being carried out by IBM’s integrated switching systems services at its Havant plant in Hampshire. The US version of the Rolm business communications system, the 9750, destined for the North American, Asian and South American markets, was shipped shortly after last year’s Autumn launch with all US customer site installations completed in March this year, IBM reports.
