Convergent prepares for evolving network services

Convergent Networks is anticipating the shift from circuit to packet networks with a service intelligence software module that delivers IP-based services over any access network through session initiation protocol. This allows network providers to deliver traditional phone capabilities at much lower cost than legacy switches, while maintaining scale, performance and resiliency, the company said.

The technology benefits both service providers and soft switch vendors.

Services providers have “fewer elements in their next-generation network as well as much more attractive price points and more accelerated time-to-market,” said David Butler, Convergent’s product management director. Softswitch vendors “can now focus primarily on features on the line side access.”

The service proxy delivers SIP services and acts as a service mediation point between IP networks and the Advanced Intelligence Network, allowing carriers to deliver applications to any user in the network, regardless of the end connections. It also extends network resources to third-party end points, applications and media servers and handles routing for applications such as tandem trunking, long distance and other traditional phone services, the company said.

“It’s a convergence product because it's allowing PSTN to packet Internetworking as an element of our softswitch architecture,” Butler said.

It also can be an element in a future packetized cable telephony network.

“It falls in line with the [CableLabs] PacketCable 1.2 and 2.0 architectures which are focused on wide-scale deployments,” Butler said.