Sonus builds up and scales down
By Tim McElligott
Jun 7, 2005 12:00 AM
Sonus Networks, which considered the buy versus continuing-to-
partner option for providing more integrated application server
capabilities, decided on neither and instead built its own IMX
Multimedia Application Platform. It introduced that platform this
week, along with a scaled-down version of its GSX9000 Open Service
Switch.
The IMX is a Web-based multimedia environment that enables wireline
and wireless service providers to develop, integrate, launch and
manage enhanced telecommunication applications and services. Sonus
has partnered in the past with several leading providers of
application and media servers.
"We decided we wanted to be as extensible as we could and decided to
build it ourselves," said Mike Hluchyj, founder and chief technology
officer at Sonus. The company kept IP multimedia subsystem (IMS)-
compliance in mind while building the IMX and therefore made all the
interfaces open and SIP-based. Sonus' system also doesn't require a
new subscriber database for each new application. "We built a common
database and in the context of IMS, that's the HSS," Hluchyj
said. "It fulfills another element of our IMS solutions that we
didn't have our own piece to."
The IMX has a service creation environment that, combined with its
support of service broker applications, offers the ability to
create, integrate and deploy wireline and wireless applications as
part of service providers' 3GPP IMS compliant network architecture.
It also can customize call flows for existing applications or
introduce new applications by utilizing a library of pre-built
application components offered by Sonus or through its Open Services
Partner Alliance.
The platform supports industry standards such as CCXML standard
markup language for providing call control, VXML standard markup
language for dialog control and JDBC/ODBC for accessing external
databases. It also supports Perl and Java Server Pages. It will be
generally available in the third quarter.
Sonus also introduced what it says is the industry's first low-
density voice-over-IP
(VoIP) switch specifically designed to deliver carrier-class
functionality, reliability and manageability: the GSX4000 Open
Services Switch. The GSX4000 is geared specifically for service
providers to expand the reach of their core VoIP networks into new
applications, new geographic regions or deploy IP-based multi-media
services. It is based on the same architecture as the company's
flagship GSX9000 product, but it is smaller.
The smaller form factor allows service providers to cost-effectively
support a distributed subscriber base or create an initial presence
in a large market. It still scales several hundred ports to several
million with 24 T-1/E-1 interfaces and two 100Base-T ports.
"Back in 1996, it was expensive to be a service provider, but in the
post-UNE-P model a lot of people can be service providers because
they don't have to own the broadband connection to provide service.
We saw that coming and began work on the [GSX]4000 a couple of years
ago," Hluchyj said.
The GSX4000 Open Services Switch supports border management
interoperating with other IP networks, IP access networks and legacy
public networks from a single platform. It has the same NEBS-
compliant reliability as its bigger brother, the GSX9000. It also
has robust IMS media gateway control functionality embedded in its
processing module. It will be available in September. |
