BroadSoft, Inc., a provider of VoIP application software, has made three announcements today that focus on the versatility of the BroadSoft platform. These announcements cover the areas of unified communications, VoIP over IMS and WiMAX and VoIP over cable.


First, BroadSoft has partnered with Jamcracker, an on-demand services delivery company, to enable service providers to offer unified communications services to their customers.

The integration of the Jamcracker Services Delivery Network (JSDN) and BroadSoft’s BroadWorks platform facilitate the provision of VoIP capabilities provided by BroadWorks that can be sold as standalone services or bundled with third-party collaboration services from the Jamcracker catalogue.

This partnership allows communications and IT service providers to resell any or all of their existing BroadWorks voice applications and solutions as an on-demand service offering, including hosted PBX (News - Alert), IP Centrex, mobile PBX, SIP and IP Trunking, and residential services.  

BroadWorks features are also designed to be easily bundled with additional best-of-breed collaboration and communications services provisioned from the JSDN, such as Microsoft Exchange, BlackBerry and GoodLink wireless messaging, WebEx conferencing, Microsoft Office Communication Server and McAfee (News - Alert) security. 

“The creation of on-demand services that combine collaboration and IP voice capabilities allows enterprises of all sizes to benefit from productivity and efficiency advantages without hijacking IT department resources,” said Zeus Kerravala (News - Alert), senior vice president of Yankee Group's Enabling Technologies and Enterprise groups, in a Tuesday statement.

“Service providers should find end-users receptive to Jamcracker’s bundled unified communications solutions from such notable brands as BroadSoft, Microsoft and WebEx.” 

To ensure the delivery of a comprehensive range of VoIP applications from a single fully integrated VoIP application platform, BroadSoft’s IMS-compliant BroadWorks platform is deployed by hundreds of cable MSOs and incumbent and competitive carriers throughout the world. 

The JSDN is a complete SaaS (News - Alert) delivery solution that provides hosting, provisioning, software licensing, billing, and customer support – and requires no complex, costly technology investments by service providers.

“This collaboration will bring the best of both worlds to communications and IT service providers—the flexibility to customize the services in Jamcracker’s catalogue, and the carrier-grade performance of BroadSoft’s award-winning BroadWorks platform,” said Scott Wharton, vice president of Marketing for BroadSoft, in Tuesday’s statement.

 “The integration and availability of BroadSoft’s IP-based voice capabilities on the Jamcracker Services Delivery Network is a big boost for carriers that have deployed BroadWorks and for those who currently lack VoIP capabilities,” said Steve Crawford, vice president of Marketing for Jamcracker, in Tuesday’s statement.

BroadSoft has also announced that Warid Group, a fast-growing mobile service provider in South Asia and Africa, has selected the BroadWorks VoIP application software as a key part of its new VoIP and IP-based multimedia services.

BroadWorks will enable Warid Telecom to deliver advanced VoIP services to enterprise and residential customers throughout Uganda over an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) core network.  

The IMS-based system will be used by Warid to offer a range of new services, such as Hosted PBX, multimedia communications, prepaid and fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) services.  

“Our goal is to offer our customers innovative services that bring the most value for the least cost,” said Bashir Tahir, CEO of Warid, in Tuesday’s statement.

The GSM network components will be provided by Huawei, as well as the wireless base stations, a value-added service platform, long-distance/international gateway offices and the IP bearer network. 

“We welcome the opportunity to partner with agile and sophisticated operators like Warid that are bringing the benefits of VoIP and FMC to new markets,” said Ding Yun, vice president of Huawei, in Tuesday’s statement.

“With the launch of its new service, Warid is offering cost-effective, IP-enabled applications that will help customers in Uganda gain the benefits of VoIP as well as voice and data convergence,” added Wharton. “By expanding its technology offerings, Warid is well-positioned to grow its markets and create new revenue streams.

Finally, SK Telink, an international telecommunications carrier in South Korea and a subsidiary of SK Telecom, has announced that it will work with five major cable providers in South Korea to bring VoIP services to residential consumers, small business and home offices with the BroadWorks platform.

With this new offering from SK Telink, VoIP will be integrated with customers’ set-top television cable boxes to display caller ID, a phone directory and other phone services on the TV, while customers watch television programs.

Consumers can control these calling features with the TV remote and residential customers can get premium services such as call pick-up, call transfer and shared-call appearance to use among family members.

“This is the first carrier-grade residential VoIP service based on cable infrastructure in South Korea and establishes SK Telink’s commitment to remain a leader among carriers in Korea and globally,” said Mr. Min-Lae Cho, CEO of SK Telink, in Tuesday’s statement.

“SK Telink’s move to team up with cable providers to offer these services is significant because it’s the first time that integrated carrier-grade VoIP services based on cable will be offered to residential cable TV customers in Korea,” said Jonathan Reid, vice president of Asia Pacific for BroadSoft, in Tuesday’s statement.

 All three announcements were made at the BroadSoft executive user conference. The company is making great strides in partnering with strong players that will enable the delivery of unified communications to residential and business customers throughout the world.

As we become more mobile and more global, the demand for unified communications will continue to grow. BroadSoft has not only a keen sense of the demand in the market, but also a strong strategy focused on where the industry is going and how it can partner with value-added companies to deliver services that better position service providers to compete in and even dominate their markets. 

Susan J. Campbell is a contributing editor for TMC (News - Alert) and has also written for eastbiz.com. To see more of her articles, please visit Susan J. Campbell’s columnist page.