Making the switch

While most of the softswitches deployed in networks today seem to be trapped in the world of Internet off-load, Westwave Communications and Convergent Networks are attempting to take coveted places in the Class 5 realm.

Moving the softswitch closer to the edge of the network, Westwave unveiled its Open Access Architecture (OAA), which locates the intelligence at the next generation digital loop carrier (DLC). With call control and signaling software and a line card the company exclusively developed for Alcatel's Litespan DLC, Westwave will be able to provide dial tone from the DLC.

Carriers today must co-locate their DSL, virtual private networking and other voice-over DSL and IP platforms in the central office (CO) and rely on the Class 5 to access customer circuits and provide dial tone. But Westwave's OAA eliminates the need to co-locate these platforms because it allocates services via virtual call control and signaling.

DLCs originally were developed to offer voice services, according to Elda Rudd, vice president of marketing for Westwave. “But they don't have the capacity to meet the scale or demand for broadband services… so overlay networks are being deployed to meet demand,” she said. “The [service provider] business models in place — one owner, one network, one service — are not business models that propel profitability.”

Instead, Westwave's softswitch will let service providers introduce services over existing networks and use the massive number of DLCs deployed around the country.

“The OAA leverages the single network and opens it up to support a number of owners and services,” Rudd said.

Because Alcatel holds a significant portion of the DLC market in the installed local loop, Westwave's exclusive licensing agreement with the vendor could be key to the success of the softswitch, said Hilary Mine, executive vice president for Probe Research.

Many service providers are focused on moving softswitch intelligence way to the edge of the network but are wary of going all the way to the customer premises, Mine said.

“The Westwave solution… allows service providers to have a sense of security about the softswitch and, at the same time, move it out as far as possible,” she said.

But don't kiss your Class 5 goodbye quite yet.

When it comes to offering Class 5 services from the softswitch — the problem that has plagued the softswitch vendors — Westwave doesn't seem to be any different than the rest of the pack. Actual Class 5 services will be offered either by the softswitch itself or by defaulting to the Class 5, according to Rudd. Plus, Westwave doesn't expect product availability until later this year.

In about 10 months, the networking environment may finally begin to change in favor of softswitch providers, said Bill Hills, senior analyst for Aberdeen Group. The softswitch market is still very young, though, and there isn't a clear end game to the approach of deploying softswitches, said Hills.

“There are a mix of approaches right now,” he said, referring to placing intelligence at the edge or at a central office. “It's a shakeout period.”

During this time, equipment manufacturers set on disaggregating applications and platforms will have to reaggregate through partnerships, said Hills.

Convergent Networks has seen some reaggregation with its recent partnership with Motorola.

Last week, the two companies revealed they would combine solutions to let cable operators provide voice and data services over hybrid fiber/coax without requiring a Class 5 switch. Convergent will supply the software, and Motorola will supply the media gateway.

“Carriers want a full, next-generation Class 5 solution, not just piece parts,” said Carl Baptiste, managing director of product management for Convergent. To assemble the full solution, pure softswitch companies must partner with media gateway providers, he said.