Ford motor co. is buying a snazzy new communications system with all the extras. The automaker is trading in an old Centrex voice system and a point-to-point Ethernet data service for a converged voice, data, and video IP network that will serve 50,000 employees at 110 locations in southeast Michigan. When fully deployed over the next three years, it will be one of the largest IP telephony networks in the country. "We're looking at providing technology in a much more adaptive and on-demand manner," says George Surdu, director of IT infrastructure for the automaker. "We want to provide technology when and where the business needs it." The network eventually will be rolled out globally, Surdu says, although he wouldn't provide a timetable. Ford already uses IP telephony between North America and several overseas locations.
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