FW: Cbeyond Launches Direct IP Peering Initiative - SIPconnect

[Irwin Lazar <ilazar@burtongroup.com>]

Title: FW: Cbeyond Launches Direct IP Peering Initiative - SIPconnect

Thought I’d pass this along (and maybe bring the list back to life).  It’s interesting that this happened outside of both the IETF and the SIP Forum.  Any thoughts?

irwin
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>  
> Cbeyond Collaborates with Industry Leaders to Launch IP PBX VoIP Interoperability Initiative
> Release of New Draft “SIPconnect Interface Specification” Provides Standards-based Direct IP Peering between IP PBXs and VoIP Service Provider Networks
>  
> Lake Buena VISTA, Fla., February 7, 2005 – Cbeyond and a number of leading IP telephony vendors, including Avaya, BroadSoft, Centrepoint Technologies, Cisco Systems, and Mitel, have developed a draft best practices document to guide interoperability between IP PBXs and VoIP service provider networks. The newly released, publicly available SIPconnect Interface Specification leverages the existing family of Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and other Voice over IP protocols published by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).  
>  
> The rapid deployment of IP PBXs in business customers and the transition to VoIP by service providers has created an opportunity for direct IP peering between IP PBXs and VoIP-enabled service providers. Direct IP peering between business customers and service providers allows for greater network and cost efficiencies, and provides a higher quality of service and increased features and functionality. Specifically, direct IP peering serves to lower costs for business customers, reduce voice latency, and provide for end-to-end SIP signaling for PSTN termination. End-to-end SIP signaling and a pure IP bearer path lay the foundation for richer communication services than offered by the PSTN today, which are essential to the future of packet-based communications. 
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> Driven by Cbeyond’s service requirements, SIPconnect fosters direct IP interoperability among businesses with IP PBXs and service providers by providing a consistent, industry standards-based approach to interconnection using SIP and other standard VoIP protocols. Cbeyond is making the document public in order to gain industry-wide approval of the interface and service.  
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> Cbeyond Communications and vendors Avaya, BroadSoft, Centrepoint Technologies, Cisco Systems, and Mitel have all indicated their intention to develop products and services that comply with the new draft specification. “Cisco Systems is excited by Cbeyond’s plans to deliver a service interconnecting IP-based businesses and VoIP Service Providers via an end-to-end IP infrastructure.” stated Vikas Butaney, Director of Product Marketing for Cisco Systems.  “This offers future opportunity to extend the VoIP and rich-media services enabled by IP-PBXs within a single enterprise out across the Service Provider network and between enterprises." Cisco Systems has indicated that Cisco Call Manager Express and Cisco AS5000 Gateway products already comply with the requirements of the SIPconnect Interface Specification.
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> Jim Davies, Chief Technology Officer of Mitel, also contributed to the development of SIPconnect. "This initiative is an important step toward clarifying among PBX developers how to build a VoIP interface that will be supported with the same consistency and ubiquity as traditional PSTN services," said Davies. "I believe that the industry as a whole will move rapidly toward the support of SIPconnect on its IP PBX products." 
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> “SIPconnect can help accelerate enterprise adoption of advanced IP and SIP-based solutions,” stated Carl Baptiste, Vice President of Product Management for Avaya’s Converged Systems Division. “A well defined interface between IP PBXs and VoIP service providers will ultimately lead to increased value for our customers.” Avaya’s Converged Communications SIP Server complies with the current draft of the SIPconnect Interface Specification. 
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> BroadSoft currently supports SIPconnect on the BroadWorks application server platform.  “We are pleased to team with leading companies like Avaya, Cisco, and Mitel to drive further standardization for VoIP services,” stated Scott Hoffpauir, Chief Technology Officer of BroadSoft.  “With equipment vendors supporting the SIPconnect specification, enterprises with an IP PBX can get advanced services over the network even if they deployed equipment from multiple vendors.” 
>  
> Centrepoint Technologies TalkSwitch IP PBX products are already in compliance with the SIPconnect specification.  "SIPconnect defines a clear and consistent architecture that enables IP PBX vendors and service providers to rapidly and cost effectively deploy VoIP services." said Robert Brown, Chief Technology Officer for Centrepoint Technologies.  "We are pleased to work with a team of leading companies on the advancement toward standardization of the interface between VoIP enabled networks and IP PBXs."
>  
> About SIPconnect. 
> The draft SIPconnect Interface Specification launched by Cbeyond Communications with support from vendors Avaya, BroadSoft, Centrepoint Technologies, Cisco Systems, and Mitel is a method of interconnection between IP PBXs and VoIP service provider networks.  SIPconnect specifies a reference architecture, required protocols and features, and implementation rules necessary for seamless peering between IP PBXs and VoIP service providers.  To join the SIPconnect initiative, and to access the complete SIPconnect Interface Specification and related documentation, visit www.sipconnect.info <http://www.sipconnect.info/> . 
>  
> ABOUT:  
> BroadSoft, Inc.:  www.broadsoft.com <http://www.broadsoft.com> 
> Cbeyond Communications: www.cbeyond.net <http://www.cbeyond.net> 
> Centrepoint Technologies:  www.talkswitch.com <http://www.talkswitch.com/> 
> Cisco Systems, Inc.:  www.cisco.com <http://www.cisco.com/> 
> Mitel:  www.mitel.com <http://www.mitel.com/> 
>   
> Cbeyond Communications Announces BeyondVoice with SIPconnect, the First Integrated VoIP and Broadband Internet Service Designed Specifically for Direct IP Peering with IP PBXs
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> ATLANTA, Georgia, February 7, 2005 – Cbeyond Communications, a Managed Services Provider and a leader in Voice over IP (VoIP), announces the enhancement of its BeyondVoice integrated voice and broadband Internet service packages to support direct IP peering with IP PBXs using the SIPconnect Interface Specification. BeyondVoice with SIPconnect allows Cbeyond’s small business customers to connect an IP-based key system or PBX directly to Cbeyond’s VoIP network via industry-standard SIP protocol without investment in VoIP gateways or the recurring expense of traditional TDM voice services such as analog lines or PRI circuits. Customers can now enjoy the ability to place and receive traditional PSTN calls, and a broad range cost savings, service benefits and enhanced features made possible by a pure VoIP interface.  
>  
> BeyondVoice with SIPconnect starts at $495 per month and supports 1.5 Mbps to 4.5 Mbps of symmetric, high quality Internet access and anywhere from 5 to 48 active calls. Breaking the traditional mold of ‘telephone lines”, using SIPconnect a customer can now purchase their service based on the number of active or simultaneous calls they anticipate making at a given time. In addition, small businesses can now take advantage of Direct Inward Dial (DID); a “big business” feature that gives each employee their own phone number. Direct IP peering between the customer’s IP PBX and Cbeyond’s VoIP network eliminates the need for the customer to purchase and maintain a VoIP gateway; resulting in an initial and on-going cost savings for the customer.
>  
> “Cbeyond is proud to offer this first of its kind product specifically designed for interconnecting IP PBXs with a service providers VoIP network,” stated Brooks Robinson, Chief Marketing Officer of Cbeyond Communications. “In late 2004 we began seeing more IP PBXs being sold than traditional TDM PBXs. We have developed an integrated package of voice, broadband Internet and enhanced applications tailored specifically to meet the demands of this large and growing market,” Robinson said. 
>  
> Building on the benefits of pure IP peering, Cbeyond also plans a series of new enhanced features specifically designed for SIPconnect users. The flagship of these new features is a personalized online communications and management portal that allows individual users of an IP PBX to place and manage real-time calls or customize their Cbeyond service. Each individual user and an overall group administrator will now have the ability to control call features down to an individual user or phone number basis.
>  
> “The native support of IP PBXs using SIPconnect is an important step to a broad range of new features and capabilities inherent in next-generation communications networks,” said Chris Gatch, Chief Technology Officer of Cbeyond.” Cbeyond is leading the move toward direct IP peering with customer IP PBXs because it’s an essential step in realizing the true potential of VoIP.”
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> Cbeyond is using a combination of technology products from Cisco Systems and Broadsoft to deliver BeyondVoice with SIPconnect.
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> About Cbeyond Communications 
> Cbeyond Communications, a privately held, Atlanta-based Managed Services Provider, is the leader in the emerging local voice and broadband services market and manages the world's first 100% Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), facilities-based, private, local phone network. Using Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and a Cisco-powered network, Cbeyond delivers to small business customers in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas-Ft. Worth, Denver and Houston an integrated package of high quality local and long distance telephony services, high-speed Internet access and Internet-based applications for about the same price that small businesses typically pay for local and long distance service alone. For more information on Cbeyond Communications, visit www.cbeyond.net <http://www.cbeyond.net/> .
>  
> About SIPconnect. 
> The draft SIPconnect Interface Specification launched by Cbeyond Communications with support from vendors Avaya, BroadSoft, Centrepoint Technologies, Cisco Systems, and Mitel Networks is a method of interconnection between IP PBXs and VoIP service provider networks. SIPconnect specifies a reference architecture, required protocols and features, and implementation rules necessary for seamless peering between IP PBXs and VoIP service providers.  To learn how to become part of the SIPconnect initiative, and to access the complete SIPconnect Interface Specification and related documentation, visit www.sipconnect.info <http://www.sipconnect.info/> .  

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