Provider of desktop and mobile VoIP phone systems, CounterPath (News - Alert) Corporation has recently announced the launch of its CounterPath Network Convergence Gateway (NCG) Exchange.

The CounterPath NCG Exchange is a hosted service that enables wireline operators to provide Fixed Mobile Convergence (News - Alert) (FMC) services on any mobile network in a cost-effective manner.

The NCG Exchange service includes Voice Call Continuity (VCC), Instant Messaging, presence and SMS. The service can be delivered in a matter of weeks and without the need to invest in any infrastructure, so wireline operators can provide their enterprise, SMB and SOHO customers with mobile VoIP and messaging services immediately.

Telcos, cable operators, hosted VoIP providers, Internet telephony service providers, CLECs and other wireline operators can leverage the service to expand into the mobile market, including targeting enterprises that have a large and growing number of mobile workers, company officials said.

“NCG Exchange gives wireline operators a fast, cost-effective way to remain relevant in a communications environment that is moving beyond voice and fixed-location communications,” said Todd Carothers, senior vice president of Marketing and Products, CounterPath, in a statement.

These services are delivered over-the-top (OTT) of mobile networks, regardless of which carrier the customer uses, company officials said.

NCG Exchange puts operators in complete control of services creation so they can maximize revenue opportunities, protect their margins and fend off Skype, Rebtel (News - Alert) and other companies that are encroaching on their markets, Carothers added. 

NCG Exchange services work with any mobile handset including smartphones and feature phones. Operators can choose to deploy CounterPath's Bria iPhone Edition or Bria Android (News - Alert) Edition softphones, giving their customers the additional options of communicating over Wi-Fi and 3G/4G IP alongside the standard mobile voice and SMS channels.

The service also includes CounterPath’s Bria desktop/laptop PC or Mac softphones, allowing their customers to use their communications services seamlessly across both desktop softphones and mobile phones.

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Stefanie Mosca is a Web editor for TMCnet. Previously she worked as a freelance copy editor for Digital Surgeons LLC. She holds a master's degree in journalism from Quinnipiac University and a bachelor's degree in communication from the University of New Haven. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Jennifer Russell