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Solutions
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Acme Packet Net-Net Session Router Leverages ENUM to Reduce Costs and Enhance Revenue Opportunities for Next-Generation Service Providers
BURLINGTON, Mass. Oct. 20, 2009
--(Business Wire)--Acme Packet (NASDAQ: APKT), the leader in session border
control solutions, today announced a series of new capabilities for its session
routing proxy, the Net-Net Session Router (SR), that are designed to help
service providers gain operational efficiencies while offloading functionality
from older, more expensive Class 4 networks. These new functions are enabled by
Acme Packet`s Open Session Routing (OSR) architecture and exploit the efficient,
high-performance ENUM protocol to enable IP-based number portability (NP)
services, trusted calling party name (CNAM) services, geo-redundant access to
routing databases, and source-based SIP session routing to simplify, consolidate
and optimize core SIP routing infrastructure for wireline, wireless and cable
operators around the world.
Acme Packet`s Net-Net SR`s new capabilities address the
increasing demand from service providers for features and functionality that
ease the transition from SS7 call routing to SIP-based session routing in
service provider core networks. This functional parity with traditional services
is a must-have for next-generation, IP-based services. Today wireline and
wireless providers are under increased competitive threats and looking to reduce
costs and protect their base of residential and business subscribers as they
migrate to next-generation, interactive voice, video and messaging services
based on 3G and 4G IMS architectures. At the same time, emerging service
providers are seeking growth opportunities and basing their entire service
infrastructures on IP.
Acme Packet`s OSR architecture features the use of Acme
Packet`s Net-Net-SR working in conjunction with best-of-breed routing database
products and services from Acme Packet OSR ecosystem members. These
complementary product vendors and service providers offer centralized routing
databases and database provisioning tools for dynamic route selection and
enhanced routing services. Acme Packet`s Net-Net SR and its integrated session
border controller, the Net-Net Session Director (SD), queries these databases
using industry-standard ENUM, SIP and DNS protocols. Using these databases,
dynamic routing decisions within the core IP network, as well as to the PSTN and
other IP networks, may be made using a broad selection of parameters.
New capabilities for Acme Packet`s Net-Net SR include:
* IP-based number portability services
Number portability (NP) allows subscribers to keep their
phone number even as they transition to a new service provider. NP affects all
types of communications including voice, SMS/MMS, video, push-to-talk, and other
interactive services and is essential as more countries worldwide open up
competition among service providers. The costs associated with NP can be high
due to conveyance fees, mobile termination rate adjustments, inefficient use of
network resources, and degraded audio or video quality. Acme Packet`s Net-Net SR
helps lower the costs associated with NP services by utilizing the ENUM protocol
to obtain routing information for ported numbers and then forwarding the session
to the correct destination. Acme Packet`s NP solution is interoperable with ENUM
databases from industry leaders such as NetNumber, NeuStar, Nominum, TNS
(formerly VeriSign) and TransNexus.
* Geo-redundant access to routing databases
As VoIP services continue to mature and proliferate,
service level agreements reflect the requirement that IP-based services should
be as reliable as PSTN services. The Net-Net SR enables this reliability by
supporting redundant ENUM-based routing databases which may be co-located within
the same data center or in different data centers for geographic redundancy. To
actively verify server availability and ensure interoperability with standard
ENUM database solutions, the Net-Net SR polls each configured ENUM server on a
periodic basis using industry-standard messages. In addition, the Net-Net SR
provides
configuration options for ENUM services that deter theft or
hijacking of service.
* Source-based SIP session routing
Traditional SIP routing based on just the called number is
sufficient for basic services, however service providers require a more granular
and flexible approach to closely tailor session routing to meet specific service
requirements. To offer service providers more control over the distribution of
session traffic, Acme Packet has developed a capability for the Net-Net SR to
include the use of calling number, in addition to called number, as the basis
for session routing policy. For example, wholesale VoIP providers can leverage
the Net-Net SR to grant priority to lower-cost or preferred peering partners
based on the identity of the originating service provider. For this reason, the
Net-Net SR provides an excellent alternative to approaches that are unable to
perform least-cost routing based on source information.
"Acme Packet continues to help service providers solve the
real-world challenge of remaining competitive in an ever-changing services
landscape," said Richard Shockey, principal of Shockey Consulting and co-chair
of the IETF`s ENUM working group. "From my perspective, the integration of
standards-based technologies such as ENUM into their products gives service
providers who are committed to deploying IP-based service infrastructure a clear
advantage over those who continue to invest in legacy solutions."
"Innovative service providers must position themselves for
the future without sacrificing functionality that is delivering revenue today,"
said Seamus Hourihan, vice president of marketing and product management for
Acme Packet. "Our OSR architecture combines best-of-breed solutions from our
ecosystem partners and our Net-Net SR to help our customers make a graceful
transition to next-generation SIP-based services."
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