Media gateways play a major role in the realm of VoIP communications these days. Once designed to serve the specific task of providing a bridge between circuit-switched and packet-switched networks, they are now more broadly defined and fit into multiple deployment schemes. These products can provide a number of functions for all types of businesses, from SMBs to large enterprises, and choosing the correct product for your needs can be quite confusing.

 

When researching which type of gateway is right for your business needs, it’s important to remember that there are essentially two categories: 1) black box - appliance-based type gateways; and 2) white boxes - standard servers with gateway boards or subsystems installed on them.  Appliance-based gateways perform basic switching tasks, and can offer a plug-and-play type approach for adding VoIP to an existing communications network.  They also provide flexibility if deployed over a WAN at multiple office locations.

 

However, not all black-box gateways interoperate with existing communications equipment like PBXs and legacy phones.  If installing one of these boxes, it’s important to investigate exactly which communications protocols (e.g. MGCP, SIP, etc.) are supported, and which manufacturer’s PBXs can interoperate with it. Supporting media server applications like interactive voice response (IVR), unified messaging and even contact center solutions often requires protocols and supplementary services which aren’t supported in all gateway products.

 

In the server-based approach, an organization may require an IP-based media application interfaced into a legacy environment.  A gateway solution can be offered on a blade within the IP media server to interface to the legacy PBX.  Functionality may be managed within a single box with plenty of room for scalability, and the footprint is kept to a minimum.  This is an ideal solution for retail businesses and other environments where space is at a premium.

 

“There’s that pragmatic part of the market that’s going to take a migratory approach and leverage legacy investments while bringing some components of IP into the mix,” said Bud Walder, product line manager at Intel (News - Alert)’s Modular Communications Products Division. For those customers, an appliance-based solution might be the perfect stepping stone to an IP infrastructure. “Everyone still needs the same applications -- messaging, IVR, PBX functions, contact center functions.  They need to have some flexibility in deploying the same applications.”

 

Intel has recognized that both major approaches to gateway integration are essential, and provides solutions that support both models. The Intel NetStructure T1/E1-IP Media Gateway (which will be generally available on April 14) and the NetStructure PBX-IP Media Gateway both offer out of the box appliance-based functionality for bridging TDM and packet-based networks. (For more information on these gateways, please refer to the article “Gateways Move Into Network’s Core.”) The company also provides the building blocks for adding software to existing servers through its Intel NetStructure®  Host Media Processing Software Release 2.0. The company’s VoIP Media Gateway Reference Platform offers a white box solution for developers and integrators.

 

Paraxip is one company that has already taken advantage of the HMP-based solution, using it to build the Paraxip Gateway, HMP Edition. Paraxip’s Gateway software uses off-the-shelf hardware and software components to provide flexible media gateway functionality.  It provides TDM network interface cards for connecting to the PSTN, as well as a SIP interface for VoIP applications. Intel NetStructure Digital Network Interface Cards offer access to the TDM network via T1 and E1 protocols, while the NetStructure HMP software handles specialized media processing functions running on the existing host processor.

 

Paraxip teamed up with CYGCOM Integrated Technologies in February to offer gateway product bundles optimized for speech, IVR and contact applications.  The solutions feature Paraxip’s HMP Gateway Software with integrated Intel NetStructure cards and processing software.

 

“Speech and contact center platforms are evolving very rapidly, now more than ever relying on SIP as the standard telephony connectivity protocol for their core products,” said Jeff Valliant, president and CEO of CYGCOM.  “Our new product bundles based on Paraxip and Intel's latest technologies allow platform vendors and system integrators to obtain flexible and highly cost effective SIP gateway solutions that fit right into their product architecture.”

 

“As demand rises for IP-based gateways, the requirement to provide a flexible, scalable infrastructure built on industry standards will become increasingly important,” said Tim Moynihan, director of product marketing, for Intel’s Modular Communications Platform Division. “The combination of Paraxip and Intel building blocks offered by CYGCOM meets those demands and helps to accelerate the deployment of IP infrastructure and applications.”

 

Of course, gateways are not all things to all businesses. Appliance-based gateways, for instance, are easy to deploy and configure.  But their configurability options can be limited, especially when the time comes to deploy new services and features.  Software-oriented server solutions are more dynamic and extensive, but can be more complicated to configure and manage.

 

Another important aspect of gateway deployment, particularly when working with outbound contact centers that use predictive dialing to reach customers, is complying with the associated laws.  Intel’s Walder points out that there are very specific features and functions associated with these types of applications, and certain information must be delivered quickly from gateway to application to ensure companies achieve compliance.

 

“That’s not something you’re typically going to find in an appliance gateway,” said Walder. “You want to customize your gateway to handle that kind of functionality. Really it comes down to how sophisticated your applications are and what the limitations are. Typically this (software-based approach) would be a premium product offering, but it gives you more flexibility to add media components. You’re working in a real application environment versus an environment where you have a fixed appliance.” The subsystem approach exposes the core APIs, which are needed to fully achieve the functionality of intensive media applications like predictive dialing.”

 

Walder believes that as the VoIP world of communications evolves, media gateways must become more sophisticated and segmented along with it.  The one-solution-fits-all approach of the past will no longer satisfy the needs of a maturing and demanding marketplace that requires media gateways to interoperate with a number of resource intensive media applications.  Customers should consider their overall communications needs, examine the road maps for their evolving communications infrastructures, and study the features and functionality of different types of gateway solutions before considering a purchase.

 

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Laura Stotler writes about IP Communications and related topics for TMCnet. She has covered VoIP and related technologies for seven years, contributing to Internet Telephony magazine and TMCnet, and as a freelance writer. To see more articles, please visit: Laura Stotler’s columnist page.