Genband Inc. is making a major push into the Tier 2/Tier 3 telco market, taking on rival Metaswitch Networks in what has been its traditional strength.
The cornerstone of that strategy, announced today, is a migration strategy from Class 5 Central Office switches deployed by smaller telcos, including DCOs and EWSDs (formerly Siemens switches) and DMS 10s and 100s, formerly Nortel Networks Ltd. owned. Genband now owns those product lines and their support functions. (See Genband Wins Nortel's Carrier VoIP Biz.)
New Automatic Cutover capabilities will allow Genband's C15 Compact Softswitch to support the transition to all-IP without shutting down the TDM functions of an existing network or attempt a flash cut.
The fact there are thousands of DMS-10s deployed in smaller telcos makes this a natural market for Genband and the C15, says Rob Scheible, director of product marketing.
"This is really a home market for Genband, if you look at the legacy of DMS-10s," he says. "Its evolution into IP with the C15 really builds on that legacy and the feature set for residential and business services and the RUS [Rural Utilities Service (RUS) ] listing."
Genband also is enabling the line peripherals associated with the DCO and EWSD switches, which it now supports, to continue operating with C15, smoothing the transition further, Scheible says. And the C15 is able to house multiple COs on a single softswitch for greater efficiency.
While Metaswitch does present strong competition in this market, Scheible believes Genband is better positioned to transition companies that own a legacy switch that Genband supports.
"When it comes to legacy switches doing a migration to IP, we have a clear leg up on them," Scheible says. "We see them in replacements of IP switches that were out in the market that are not continuing. We have been replacing several of those and we do see them in the market."
Genband announced two customers for the C15 along with the new capabilities, the Surry Telephone Membership Corp. of Dobson, N.C. and the Hamilton County Telephone Cooperative in Dahlgren, Ill.
Smaller telcos have the same drivers for the move to all-IP as other larger companies, including support for new calling features, convergence between voice and data services, and a desire to support IP offerings such as IPTV. Hamilton County is upgrading to a fiber-to-the-home network and wants to deliver all-IP services over that architecture, Scheible says.
— Carol Wilson, Chief Editor, Events, Light Reading