CommWorks today announced it is shipping a voice mail system built on Internet Protocol (IP) that can help service providers trim operating
costs, cost-effectively grow current voice mail offerings and lay the
groundwork for future enhanced messaging services.
The CommWorks IP voice-mail system uses a combination of softswitch
elements and media gateways to deliver an open, standards-based solution
that can interoperate with current legacy voice-mail systems. The system
also can be upgraded with new software for enhanced messaging and unified
communications services, so carriers can add new features as market
conditions warrant.
In the architecture of traditional Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)
voice messaging, one Class 5 switch and one voice mail system is typically
located at each central office location.
"This deployment of multiple switches and systems at multiple location
results in significant redundant operating costs, and makes system build
out and expansion costly," said Sudhakar Ramakrishna, vice president,
CommWorks IP telephony and wireline data business.
In the CommWorks solution, a single CommWorks 8250 Personal Communications
System serves all Class 5 switch locations in a service provider's network.
A Total Control 1000 Media Gateway from CommWorks is deployed at each
central office location for connectivity via E1/T1 and the Session
Initiation Protocol (SIP).
"With this centralized IP solution, the central office footprint
requirement can be reduced by as much as 75 percent and operating costs can
be cut by as much as two-thirds," Ramakrishna said.
The CommWorks IP voice mail system allows a service provider to
cost-effectively extend its voice mail service to markets served by small
central offices, since the cost of deploying a single media gateway at each
location is significantly lower than the cost of a separate legacy
voicemail system. A single CommWorks system can grow to 5,000 ports and
support up to one million subscribers; multiple systems can be networked
together for even larger deployments.
Among the advanced messaging features that are part of the CommWorks system
are:
- Virtual calling card, which allows a user to (with proper permissions)
place calls to external telephone numbers from their voice mailbox.
- Call message delivery to non-subscribers
- Message on demand, which allows the posting of common messages to all
subscribers
- Web-based subscriber administration
The software-upgradeable nature of CommWorks IP platforms and systems makes
its possible for service providers to quickly deploy new features, such as
"find me-follow me" one number service; voice portal; and speech
recognition.
Because the system is built on an open, standards-based infrastructure, it
can support multiple network interfaces: legacy voice mail servers in the
tradition PSTN environment; a hybrid environment of the PSTN and IP
networks; or with medium- and high-density media gateways for an all-IP
solution. The system also can be deployed in a mixed-vendor network with
media gateways or softswitches from other companies. This strategy allows
service providers to protect investment while moving to the new IP
softswitch applications environment.
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