On Tuesday, HIS Communications Services announced it chose to deploy ClearEdge Integrated Access, a voice and broadband service offering from Covad Communications to enhance the company’s business continuity features at its Houston-based headquarters. Covad made this announcement as it prepared to be a presenter at this year’s IT EXPO.

Also on Tuesday, TalkSwitch announced at IT EXPO that its telephone systems are now fully interoperable with BandTel`s SIP Trunking architecture. The move will enable customers to chose from a set of toll-quality VoIP dialing plans from BandTel, and connect to them through aTalkSwitch telephone system at their office.

BandTel announced this development as the company prepared for a set of presentations by its top executives at IT EXPO.
 
Enterprises looking for a way to add VoIP capabilities to their contact center operations by just bundling VoIP gateways with their legacy telephone lines are in luck. At IT EXPO, CosmoCom announced on Tuesday that it has partnered with SIP Trunking service provider BandTel to now offer a combined, all-IP unified customer communications platform that will offer contact centers a way to do just that.
 
Also at IT EXPO, on Wednesday, Digium and Polycom announced that, thanks to a partnership between the companies, now it will be easier for small and medium businesses (SMBs) to purchase, configure and deploy an Asterisk VoIP system featuring Polycom IP phones.
 
The new, integrated system features the Digium AsteriskNOW software appliance and Polycom SoundPoint IP desktop phones—all components which the companies say are needed for businesses to deploy a “high quality VoIP solution.”
 
Digium introduced AsteriskNOW earlier this month and is the company`s first software appliance, the open source distribution of its Asterisk platform, which features a Digium-designed GUI.
 
Voice over Packet (VOP) technology provider AudioCodes announced at IT EXPO on Thursday that it`s TrunkPack PCI and cPCI form factor SIPmedia gateway products just completed interoperability testing with FaxBack`s NET SatisFAXtion 8.1, a T.38 VoIP fax system.
 
The move could enable designers to now build higher performance IP-based fax systems, while needing at the same time not only to retain their existingPSTN infrastructure, but also to avoid purchasing expensive dedicated fax blades. Designers could do this by deploying the newly available NET SatisFAXtion andAudioCodes` SIP media gateways combined.
 
There you have it folks, another exciting week in the VoIP industry! Stay tuned and read the VoIP Minute Watch for the latest news…

By Johanne Torres

You Can Discuss This News in Voice Over IP Forum.

The daunting task for service providers and hardware developers who understand the value proposition of IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem)-based network infrastructures is twofold. Naturally, they must play the role of evangelist and spread the word across the industry to speed the adoption of the technology that can revolutionize communications. The second, and more difficult part — but once complete, it will greatly ease the former — is proving interoperability between products from various vendors.

Having an industry association to help with the task certainly is a benefit, which is what the IMS Forum does — it has become known as the voice of IP convergence. Earlier this month, IMS Forum  successfully completed its inaugural IMS Plugfest, which was conducted at the University of New Hampshire InterOperability Lab (UNH-IOL), the first in the Forum’s series of open Plugfests intended to establish certification for IMS products and services through intense interoperability testing, which is a key to widespread adoption of IP-based multimedia services.

“With this first IMS Plugfest, we built a reference test network which will be used to accelerate the interoperability of IMS services, enabling the quadruple play,” said IMS Forum Chairman and President, and Pervasip CTO Michael Khalilian. “The IMS Forum Plugfests will provide an industry-wide validation process for IMS services, including voice, mobility, video and high-speed Internet access.”

The series of Plugfests has been established to define methodologies that will continue to evolve IMS technologies and, more specifically, to test for interoperability between various components of triple and quadruple play components from various vendors.

“The first IMS Forum Plugfest is a good indicator that IMS is closer to becoming a mainstream technology,” said Ronald Gruia, principal analyst, emerging communications, Frost and Sullivan. “Even more important to note, is that the focus on IMS services and applications that enable service providers to capitalize on new revenue opportunities, while significantly shortening the time to market of innovative services. A better interoperability of IMS services over multiple networks greatly enhances the ability of operators to become relevant triple and quadruple providers in the near future.”

Fifteen carrier-grade IMS platforms, worth more than $ 3 million, were involved in the initial Plugfest testing, which sought to prove the power of an and-to-end IMS infrastructure and hasten the rate of IMS testing overall. Included in the event were tests of multi-vendor 3GPP environments, multi-domain VoIP calls, and integratedSIP Application Servers with multiple IMS cores and the Home Subscriber Server (HSS) serviced by DIAMETER interfaces.  Through the use of dual mode phones, and various simulated VoIP andWiFi environments, the testing process provided the insight into the opportunities presented by the IMS.

The initial Plugfest included Ditech, Empirix, Ixia, Reef Point Systems, NE Technologies, Starent Networks, Tektronix, Tekelec, Sonus, Valid8, and was sponsored by Empirix, Ditech, Sonus, GlobalTouch Telecom and Trendium.  The next in the series is planned for Q2 2007.

By Erik Linask

You Can Discuss This News in Voice Over IP Forum.

Ascalade Communications Inc. ("Ascalade" or "the Company") announced today that five of its Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) products have won the coveted CES Innovations 2007 Awards Honorees at this year`s Consumer Electronic Show (CES) which takes place in Las Vegas from January 8 - 11, 2007. The five honored VoIP products are branded and distributed by three of Ascalade`s strategic customers and recognized by CES Innovations 2007 under the Telephone product category.

The award-winning products include corded VoIP phones that work with Internet communications software when connected to a personal computer`s USB port, as well as the recently launched Skype certified(TM) "PC-free" VoIP phones that can be used without a computer. With Skype`s Internet communication technology embedded directly into the base station of the cordless phone, even users who do not own a computer can take advantage of the cost efficiency and convenience of Internet calling using Skype. (It is important to note that Skype itself is not a replacement of an ordinary phone and it cannot be used for emergency calling.)

"We are very happy for our customers and our company about this year`s CES Innovation Awards Honorees," said Bruce Bernard, Ascalade`s Chief Technology Officer, "To be recognized by the industry at one of North America`s largest consumer electronic shows is a sign that our collaborations to bring user friendly and innovative VoIP products to the consumer market is materializing. We congratulate our customers and our technology partners on our joint successes."

The Innovations Design and Engineering Awards program continues to grow in size and prestige year after year. Recognizing the most innovative consumer electronics products in 31 categories, Innovations has become a hallmark for the best designed products in consumer technology. Featured during 2007 CES`s Innovations Plus at the Sands, honorees receive recognition throughout the entire show and in a variety of events and press articles before and after the international event.

Ascalade`s executives will be onsite at CES 2007 for private customer and partner meetings.

About Ascalade:

Ascalade Communications Inc. designs and manufactures wireless communication products for branded distributors and telecommunications companies. The Company`s current products include digital cordless phones, VoIP phones, digital wireless conference phones and digital wireless baby monitors. The Company is vertically integrated with design, manufacturing and distribution locations in Richmond, British Columbia (Canada, head office), Dongguan (China), Hong Kong (China) and London (United Kingdom).

Forward Looking Statements:

The discussion and analysis in this press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. When used in this discussion and analysis the words such as "will", "plan", "expect", "anticipate", "believe", and similar words and expressions generally identify forward-looking statements. These statements are not historical facts, but reflect our current expectations. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or
events to differ materially from current expectation, including matters discussed more fully under "Risk Factors" in the MD&A portion of our 2005 Annual Report. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, risks related to: loss of customers, dependence on key customers, downturns in consumer and enterprise markets, economic downturn in key geographic markets, uncertainty of revenues from VoIP technology, failure to develop new products or to enhance existing products, short product life cycles and rapid technological change, long sales and implementation cycles, strategic relationships, management of growth, availability of funding to pursue and grow business, suppliers and availability of supplies and insufficient production capacity to satisfy customer demand. There can be no assurance that our expectations will prove to be correct. Consequently, all forward-looking statements made are qualified by these cautionary statements and other cautionary statements and factors contained herein.

Ascalade disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

You Can Discuss This News in Voice Over IP Forum.