Packet Telephony Feature Article

San Jose, Calif.-based next-generation service provider StarVox Communications, Inc. announced Monday that it has upgraded its domestic VoIP network using Veraz Networks' lastest softswitch release and media gateways.

The upgrade, according to a news release, "enables StarVox to offer business the premium voice quality that they are used to, using [service level agreements] that guarantee the Quality of Service of VoIP."

StarVox' Vice President of Marketing Rich Barry told TMCnet in an interview that utilizing Veraz Networks' equipment is key because businesses are "very hesitant to switch to VoIP networks" if they lose any voice quality.

"Having Veraz Networks as our softswitch and media gateway supplier gives StarVox the most advanced and flexible next-generation network in the market," said StarVox President and CEO Doug Zorn in a prepared statement. "This means that we can meet our goal of offering businesses the most advanced next-generation network solutions."

StarVox' domestic VoIP network, which was launched in mid-July, has expanded to cover most major metropolitan areas in the United States, with long distance and toll-free calling within reach of over 80 percent of business sites, and local phone service to over 50 percent of business sites.

Barry said that StarVox has brought on a large number of wholesalers who are using the network and that the company is starting to gain retail customers through agent channels.

The next "big thing," according to Barry, is the switch from the PSTN last mile to the VoIP last mile, in which a gateway is installed at a customer's site. Such a switch would enable a customer to handle about three times the number of calls as a regular PSTN voice network.

"There is a strong economic advantage to go to VoIP last mile," Barry said

As for Veraz Networks, the StarVox announcement represents "an ongoing trend we're seeing with service providers taking advantage of services oriented solutions for the customers," Veraz' Senior Director of Product Marketing Ed Camarena told TMCnet today.

"StarVox's roll-out of converged IP-based applications on a nationwide basis supports our vision of using the Veraz softswitch and media gateways as the core components of next-generation service provider networks," said Doug Sabella, president and CEO of Veraz Networks, Inc.

Last month, Veraz Networks, a global provider of softswitch-based packet telephony solutions, announced that it was the lead vendor for a deployed solution at Cable & Wireless for 600,000 prepaid residential and calling card subscribers in Panama.

Veraz also announced a recent win at the end of June with one of the largest service providers in India.

"We've got a lot of traction in the U.S. and outside the U.S. We're very well-positioned on a global basis," said Camanera, noting that Veraz has delivered VoIP products to service providers in about 50 countries. "[VoIP] is becoming the technology . . . for the world."

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Ted Glanzer is assistant editor for TMCnet. For more articles by Ted Glanzer, please visit his archive.