NextPoint introduced its Unified Communications Exchange (UCX) solution for large enterprises. The platform is based on the NextPoint Multi-Protocol Session Exchange (MSX), an IP-based session routing engine that directs real-time sessions over network interconnects. The UCX provides the following capabilities:
- Interoperability - the ability to provide end-to-end integration between different vendors' voice products, delivering unified services across IP-PBXs and IP-Centrex; audio, video and web conferencing; voice mail, fax mail and unified messaging systems; and Instant Messaging platforms. With the ability to support Presence, the UCX can integrate traditionally disparate systems to provide the foundation for seamless collaboration.
- Scalability - current enterprise communications systems typically allow for up to 2,000-3,000 simultaneous calls before reaching capacity and impacting operations. NextPoint said its UCX can scale to 40,000 simultaneous calls, without complicated augmentations or upgrades.
- Migration -- many enterprises are operating with both legacy H.323 and next-generation SIP systems. NextPoint's UCX supports both protocols, enabling a graceful transition to SIP.
- Instant messaging -- the UCX's instant messaging feature supports SIMPLE (Session Initiation Protocol for Instant Messaging and Presence Leveraging Extensions), which enables instant messaging to move beyond traditional text-based services to incorporate the integration of voice and video communications.
- Routing - the UCX reduces the effort necessary to implement routing updates into each device throughout the enterprise by centralizing routing control in a single location.
- Availability -- NextPoint's UCX is highly available, and system failover is undetectable.
- Intelligence and insight -- When coupled with NextPoint's QoS and dynamic policy management system -- the Real-Time Session Manager (RSM) -- the UCX provides enterprises with real-time intelligence and insight for all communications traffic running on an IP-based network.
NextPoint's UCX includes other business-critical functionality such as transport layer security (TLS), traffic management and stateful SIP dialog processing, Tel-URI support for SIP-based public and private numbering, and Network Address Translation (NAT) enhancements.
The UCX will be available in Q2 2008.
http://www.nextpointnetworks.com
 | The Converged Edge for Fixed and Mobile Networks by Sridhar Ramachandran and Natasha Tamaskar Current trends affecting service providers' networks include the consolidation of fixed and mobile network assets and the increasing sophistication of mobile devices. Fixed and mobile operators have many differences, both in access networks—mobile operators focus on radio spectrum management and often rely on fixed operators' facilities for backhaul and interconnects—and in network architectures. Fixed and mobile networks require different technologies and deployment architectures. However, operators now realize that IP can enable consolidation of fixed and mobile networks, leading to new service possibilities and the need for end-to-end IP services across the converg |
