Acme Packet and MetaSwitch (News - Alert) have inked a deal that is expected to build on their existing  interoperability relationship through a new reseller agreement.

 

Under the terms of the deal, the MetaSwitch, a leading vendor of next-generation carrier switching and application solutions, will sell Acme Packet's (News - Alert) family of session border controllers (SBCs) as an addition to its call agent, media gateway and application server product offerings.

 

The move is designed to provide service providers the ability  to deploy IP voice and multimedia communication services.

 

"As demonstrated by this new agreement, MetaSwitch and Acme Packet are committed to providing carriers with a comprehensive, secure solution for applications ranging from basic VoIP service to advanced, interactive IP communications solutions," said Seamus Hourihan (News - Alert), vice president of marketing and product management.

 

As TMCnet has been reporting all week, it is a busy time for MetaSwitch, which made the announcement today from its sixth annual MetaSwitch Forum  at the Mandalay Bay Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.

 

The carrier IP communications solutions player also said announced that the former president and chief operating officer of its Carrier Division will take on the role of  chief executive officer.

 

The deal is essentially an extension of an already robust relationship between the pair, as over 50 service providers have already deployed joint Acme Packet and MetaSwitch solutions, including CLECs Engage Communications and Aero Communications, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Computer Services Inc. (CSI).

 

Acme Packet's SBCs will combine with MetaSwitch's core networking products to offer a fully-supported joint solution with proven interoperability and closely coordinated customer support, removing any hurdles and uncertainty for service providers making the transition to a next-generation IP network.

 

"Building standalone voice, video and multimedia services over IP network islands is not sufficient. Instead, services must be built and interconnected in a way that ensures security and peak performance end-to-end," said Hourihan.

 

These network elements combined are expected to provide core session control, media/signaling gateway, application server and SBC functions, and scale to meet the network migration requirements of service providers of all sizes.

 

Engage, a CLEC based in the Florida that  provides Internet services to hospitality clients and small and medium businesses, recently installed MetaSwitch's Class 4/5 call agent and media gateway products to deliver hosted IP PBX (News - Alert), legacy and advanced services to its customers without the expense of premises equipment and maintenance that legacy systems require.

 

"By working with MetaSwitch, we found the right Acme Packet solution, and as a result, we've been able to expand our service offerings to our customers," said Brad Nye, CEO for Engage Communications. "Through this partnership we are not only able to offer a broader selection of advanced services, but we can do so knowing we are providing a secure and reliable solution for our customers."

 

Acme Packet is a Gold Sponsor and exhibitor at the MetaSwitch Forum in Las Vegas from April 6 - 9 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.

 

Ray Dequiroz, a global technical director for Acme Packet, will present the session, "Protecting, Perfecting, and Profiting with SBCs," at the forum on Wednesday, April 8th at 1:00pm.