Integrated data and telecom company Intrado Inc. announced on Tuesday that it tapped Sonus Networks Inc., a supplier of service provider VoIP infrastructure systems to provide its IMS-ready architecture to support Intrado's nationwide expansion of its VoIP E9-1-1 system.

 

The deal will enable Intrado to integrate Sonus' network architecture to deliver VoIP E9-1-1 service to public safety answering points. Intrado had already deployed its system in New York City that utilizes Sonus technology. The company will be expanding the Sonus footprint in its nationwide network rollout. Intrado presently provides emergency calling functionality to more than 30 VoIP service providers (VSPs).

 

"With many VoIP service providers relying on Intrado for emergency services, having a highly reliable, carrier-grade solution at the core of the Intrado network is essential. Sonus offers the industry's most field-tested and proven technology to support connectivity to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), which is instrumental in the delivery of E9-1-1," said Hassan Ahmed, chairman and CEO of Sonus Networks. “Further, spurred by recent decisions by the FCC that mandate VoIP service providers to supply E9-1-1 emergency calling capabilities to their customers as a mandatory feature of the service, the demand for emergency services is expected to rise. The flexibility of the Sonus infrastructure allows Intrado to expand its network quickly and efficiently."

 

With the expansion of the Sonus network architecture to the Intrado VoIP 9-1-1 product suite, E9-1-1 calls will be abele to be routed within the existing 9-1-1 network and the static or mobile caller's address and location information delivered to the appropriate Public Safety Answering Point.

 

"Sonus' solutions offer Intrado the security and responsiveness functionality that are critical to delivering reliable, public safety class emergency services," said Stephen Meer, Intrado co-founder and chief technology officer. "Throughout 2006, we will be aggressively building out our network on a national level. We have chosen to extend our partnership with Sonus as we continue to build a robust and reliable network for our VSP customers."

 

Sonus made news last month when it opened an operations center in Richardson, Texas. The new operations center will serve as a customer integration and testing facility for the company's Open Services Partner Alliance (OSPA), an interoperability testing program. Sonus relocated its Richardson-based operations center to a larger facility in Richardson's Telecom Corridor.

 

"One of the primary value propositions of today's IP-based voice networks is the ability to rapidly integrate and deploy a wide variety of enhanced services onto the network. The OSPA offers an invaluable service to network operators by streamlining the process of building a next-generation voice network," said Bert Notini, Sonus' president and COO back then. "The new testing facility offers state-of the art technology to help ensure that Sonus remains the industry frontrunner in innovation and execution."

 

If you will be attending the Internet Telephony Conference and EXPO taking place at the this week at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, please don't miss Intrado's own sr. product manager Matt Wilson's session on E-911 Technical issues on Wednesday, January 25 at 11:15am-Noon.

 

Intrado

Sonus Networks

http://www.sonusnet.com

Intrado, Inc.

http://www.intrado.com

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Johanne Torres is contributing editor for TMCnet and Internet Telephony magazine. To see more articles by Johanne Torres, please visit Johanne Torres' columnist page.