June 2002

BY GREG GALITZINE

Convedia (www.convedia.com) had just introduced their CMS-1000 Media Server, a low cost entry-level media server that promises to reduce capital outlay as well operational expenses by consolidating media processing into a multi-service device. Only one "U" in height, the CMS-1000 scales up to 300 ports and includes MGCP and SIP protocol support enabling smooth integration with solutions from various softswitch and application server partners. The CMS-1000 will be available inQ3/2002.

CommWorks (www.commworks.com) and VegaStream (www.vegastream.com) announced that the two companies' products are now interoperable. A recently completed series of product compatibility tests comprising CommWorks' Total Control 1000 Media Gateway, elements of the CommWorks Softswitch, which provided the IP telephony infrastructure and network connectivity, and VegaStream's Vega 50, which served as an integrated access device (IAD). The test included completing end-to-end on-net calls between SIP endpoints as well as on-net to off-net calls.

LongBoard (www.longboard.com) announced Realtime Developer, a suite of service creation software development kits (SDKs) designed to enable service providers and systems integrators to increase their margins by rapidly developing and delivering sought after value added applications such as call center, voice portals, and prepaid calling services. These and other services, which require access to SIP signaling, can be implemented using an industry-standard SIP Servlet interface. In addition, provisioning, management, and billing SDKs are included to link applications to new or existing back-office facilities.

NMS Communications (www.nmss.com) announced a partnership agreement with Oracle and Sun Microsystems to deliver wireless voice-enabled applications for the recently introduced NMS HearSay -- an open voice-enabled services solution for wireless service providers and enterprises worldwide. NMS HearSay is designed to provide a comprehensive ready-to-deploy system for wireless operators worldwide seeking to rapidly and cost-effectively deliver innovative customized voice-driven services such as voice-activated dialing, personal information management (calendar, e-mail, address book), personalized voice portals, short message services, unified messaging, chat and conferencing. NMS also announced the acquisition of Boston-based MessageMachines, Inc., a wireless infrastructure software developer of cross-device message switching technology.

Spectrum Signal Processing Inc. (www.spectrumsignal.com) announced its aXs 740 subsystem for 2.5G and 3G wireless infrastructure. The aXs.740 subsystem is designed to enable carrier-class equipment to deliver packet-voice wireless telephony services with very high call densities. The aXs.740 incorporates Broadcom's CALISTO technology and features a compact, high-density design The product also supports the Open-aXs scalable software architecture to deliver complete voice services. The aXs.740 is available in optimized configurations that can deliver up to multiple DS3s (672 channels) of packet-voice processing capacity in a single slot. The aXs.740 is available for shipment immediately.

Acme Packet (www.acmepacket.com) unveiled its Net-Net family of Session Aware Networking products for service providers delivering interactive communications across multiple IP networks. Session Aware Networking is being promoted as the industry's first architecture to tightly integrate session routing and media control to satisfy critical security, SLA assurance, revenue and profit protection, and law enforcement requirements for voice, video, and multimedia communications. The Net-Net family includes three high-performance, carrier-class, compact (1U) appliances: Net-Net Session Router; Net-Net Media Manager; and Net-Net Session Director. Beta testing began in April, and general availability is scheduled for the third quarter of this year.

Global IP Sound (www.globalipsound.com) launched GIPS Professional Services, a consulting and development tools package that makes GIPS' knowledge in packetized voice systems available to systems companies and application developers. The services group is a direct result of the company's experience in the implementation of commercially available VoIP systems for its customers. GIPS engineering teams work together with customer design teams to build QoS into network edge devices. The program is designed to speed the development of solutions for new VoIP implementations. GIPS also unveiled Gatelinx as a customer, with GIPS' SoundWare voice processing software suite to be integrated into the Gatelinx family of customer service portals and call center solutions.

Hughes Software Systems (www.hssworld.com) announced the launch of its SIP Server Framework. Targeted at carrier, 3G, and enterprise networks, the HSS SIP Server is a "ready to run" proxy, registrar, redirect, and lookup server. Hughes representatives believe this framework is an ideal fit for core routers, 3G Call Servers, and other SIP-based network elements. It offers a rich set of reusable components, which can be combined in a plug and play fashion to implement new and exciting SIP based Application Servers including services based on back to back user agent models, presence, and more.

RADCOM (www.radcom-inc.com) unveiled the MegaSIP Simulator -- the latest addition to its VoIP Performer suite. MegaSIP is a carrier-grade solution that generates high-volume SIP-based traffic for VoIP system testing. Generating hundreds of thousands of simultaneous SIP-based calls, millions of SIP-based calls per busy hour and thousands of media-based calls using RTP, it allows customers to evaluate the performance and scalability of equipment used to deliver voice and data over IP networks. Two important features are MegaStress and MediaStress. MegaStress generates peak load conditions, reaching 500,000 simultaneous calls and three million sessions per busy hour, at a setup rate of 2,000 calls per second. MediaStress generates 2000 outgoing RTP channels in various codecs for SIP calls created by SIP signaling.

Sonus Networks (www.sonusnet.com) announced that SnowShore Networks (www.snowshore.com), a member of its Open Services Partner Alliance, has recently attained the "Powered" partner designation for proven interoperability with Sonus products. A beta version of SnowShore Networks' N20 Media Server successfully completed interoperability tests with Sonus' Insignus Softswitch, including the ASX Access Server, at the company's OSPA Interoperability Lab. SnowShore, in turn, announced the induction of BayPackets (www.baypackets.com), LongBoard (www.longboard.com), and Ubiquity (www.ubiquity.net) into its Black Diamond Partner Program, expanding SnowShore's initiative to drive carrier deployment of new media-rich applications.

AudioCodes (www.audiocodes.com) introduced the Mediant Media Gateway platforms to enable VoP solutions for the new voice infrastructure. AudioCodes' media gateway platforms are designed to benefit network equipment providers and OEMs by accelerating and enhancing packet-based network solutions in broadband access, trunking gateway, wireless and IP Centrex markets around the globe. The Mediant family comprises three platforms that scale from a single T1 or E1 to 240 T1s or E1s of compressed or G.711 VoIP channels per shelf. Additional PSTN interfaces will be released in the coming months. The Mediant product family for wireline applications builds on AudioCodes' previous launch in 2001of the Stretto for wireless applications.

Spirent Communications (www.spirentcom.com) announced new SIP call generation and feature testing capabilities on their high-density testing platform, Abacus2. Abacus2 SIP is the first release of Abacus2 VoIP, offering SIP load and feature testing for enterprise VoIP systems under extreme loads of more than 8,000 simultaneous calls. Abacus2 provides a choice of two industry standards (PSQM and PESQ) for voice quality measurements and enables voice quality metrics concurrently on every channel for full-coverage voice testing. Abacus2 SIP is also the first test tool to offer full-specification protocol analysis and decode for both PSTN and SIP signaling, enabling customers to locate the points of equipment failure so that errors can be corrected at the early stages of product development.

Stockholm, Sweden-based Ingate Systems (www.ingate.com) announced a deal with Telia (www.telia.com), in which the latter has agreed to purchase Ingate's SIParator, an add-on that enables existing network firewalls to allow SIP communications, bringing interoperable real time communications to the enterprise. The order is the start of an internal Telia evaluation project for SIP-based IP telephony, primarily aiming to investigate the feasibility of using IP telephony on a wide scale within Telia. Ingate's SIParator SIP-enables existing firewalls, allowing the transmission of SIP-based communications. Ingate SIParators are compatible with all existing firewalls and operating systems.

Jasomi Networks (www.jasomi.com) unveiled its line of SIP-to-SIP gateways designed to enable call handoffs between carriers and service providers that use IP to link their networks instead of the PSTN. The PeerPoint SIP to SIP gateway product line enables the demarcation of a call at the edge of one carrier's network before it is passed on to another carrier. PeerPoint employs a back-to-back user agent and fast media proxy to demarc calls by terminating and then regenerating each arriving and departing call stream. Call demarcation is important because without it, the many data streams that constitute each VoIP call cannot be correlated and controlled in a way that allows billing and security to be maintained. In a separate announcement, Jasomi Networks unveiled its CALEA legal intercept technology platform, which enables the varying IP streams that make up each VoIP call to be collected and forwarded to law enforcement agencies.

BroadSoft (www.broadsoft.com) announced an enhancement to the company's flagship product, BroadWorks, specifically a system-level geographical redundancy solution that addresses the reliability challenges facing service providers in the event of major hardware and network outages. BroadWorks' system redundancy leverages its distributed client-server architecture, which separates intelligent network functions from applications. By deploying servers in a geographically redundant network configuration, BroadWorks provides redundancy and prevents service failure. If one server fails, BroadWorks switches over to the secondary server on a user-by-user basis with no perceptible loss of service.

VocalTec (www.vocaltec.com) announced new partnerships with VegaStream (www.vegastream.com), IPeria (www.iperia.com), and Alvarion (www.alvarion.com) within the framework of the VocalTec Softswitch Architecture Alliance Program. The three new partners offer complementary technologies to VocalTec's packet telephony solutions and the partnership is designed to further enhance VocalTec's softswitch offerings. VegaStream is a developer of high-quality, high-performance VoIP gateways that enable voice services to be transmitted over data networks such as the Internet. IPeria provides voice mail, auto-attendant, unified communications, and other subscriber services to service providers. Alvarion is a provider of solutions based on point-to-multipoint broadband wireless access, used by telecom carriers, service providers, and enterprises worldwide.

[ Return To The June 2002 Table Of Contents ]