Session Border Control

Netrake has been pretty busy this week. The session controller provider announced it launched a session control offer designed to accelerate call centers transition to next-generation IP communications called the Netrake Call Center Solution. The service was designed by Netrake to afford call center companies lower cost connectivity; enhanced security; efficient call routing; access to advanced VoIP features; and more seamless voice, video and data integration for real-time customer interactions. The company also announced today that West Corporation, a call center services provider, and Genesys Conferencing, the application service provider subsidiary of Genesys S.A., are among the first providers selecting the call center functionality of Netrakes nCite Session Controller platform.

The company says its new Call Center Solution allows call centers to gain toll-charge savings. These savings could result from replacing costly public switched telephone network (PSTN) connections with secure, reliable IP-to-IP connectivity among all call center customers. The systems security functions include Network Address Translation (NAT)/Firewall Traversal, as well as denial of service (DOS) attack prevention through deep packet inspection at both the SIP signaling and VoIP media layers. nCite performs real-time conversion between otherwise incompatible Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)-based and H.323-based VoIP sessions. This critical function affords transparent inter-working among any combination of SIP-based and H.323-based networks operated by call center peer networks.

Netrake addressed media convergence by providing end-to-end IP communications such as live, integrated audio, video and slide presentation conferences. It can incorporate such features as connecting Web participant names with the telephone numbers they used to dial into the conference, allowing presenters to mute, unmute and dismiss callers through a Web console. Microsoft Outlook and Instant Messaging programs can also be integrated. Similarly, call center services also routinely engage in computer-telephony integration, enabling call center and home-based agents to call up records based on caller number or interact with customers via the Web.

The systems DE Session Controller enables supports up to 42,000 secure, concurrent G.729 speech coded calls in a single platform. Customers also can employ nCite SE Session Controllers across smaller distributed points of presence. Additionally, nCite Session Controllers can partition each customer into a virtual domain, enabling discrete service, policy and trouble management per customer. Netrake has taken the lead in solving crucial cost, security, quality and inter-working barriers to the call center industrys transition into next-generation IP communications, said Bruce Hill, president and CEO of Netrake.

The company announced that West Corporation is employing Netrake nCite Session Controllers to explore the benefits of providing IP call center communications to its customers. The Netrake nCite solution was designed to provide West and its customers with tools to assure security and to save money as the call center takes advantage of IP connectivity and advanced communications features.

Netrakes nCite solution provides a crucial catalyst for Wests efforts to revolutionize our services while simultaneously maintaining security and lowering costs for our customers, said Mike Mateer, director, systems development for West. The company provides an integrated suite of customized solutions including customer acquisition, customer care and retention services, interactive voice response services, and conferencing and accounts receivable management services to customers including AT&T, Dell Computer and Microsoft.

Another deal announced today by the company today was one it scored with Genesys Conferencing, a multimedia conferencing provider. Genesys chose Netrake for its session controller to interconnect and secure its network. The nCite session controller will be used to secure and lock down the point-of-presence (POP) from unauthorized access to conference resources. SIP-based users and PSTN callers access the conferences through Genesys SIP conferencing system.

Netrake was awarded the contract for its high scalability, reliability and security features, explained Jim Huzell, Genesys Chief Operating Officer in an official statement released today. Netrakes nCite session controller delivers superior scalability for SIP, security, and 99.999 percent reliability. Netrakes firewall traversal feature was of special interest to Genesys, as the companys enterprise customers look for firewall pinhole management services. This solution allows for seamless service, high reliability and security for both the end user and the Genesys network. Netrakes nCite protects our network from unauthorized access, especially important to our Fortune 500 customers, Huzell concluded.

Netrake
www.netrake.com
West Corporation
www.west.com 
Genesys Conferencing
www.genesys.com