VON: EarthLink to Sonus--We want your VoBB

EarthLink has decided to go with Sonus Networks’ voice-over-broadband solutions to help deliver its consumer VoIP offering. The Internet service provider will deploy Sonus’ ASX Access Server, PSX Call Routing Server, and the Insight Management System as it launches service over the next three months.

Sonus launched its VoBB solution in March, targeting ISPs, which can use the technology to simultaneously deliver telephony services and enriched communication applications. The VoBB solution is IMS-ready and features comprehensive support for Session Initiation Protocol (SIP), which can help EarthLink develop new services such as its Line Powered Voice service, announced earlier this year.

“EarthLink doesn’t have a lot of legacy applications, so it is a pretty straightforward VoIP deployment,” said Bruce Trvalik, director of solutions management. “This deployment shows broadband has come of age and represents a new dynamic in the market. It also shows that given a significant IP infrastructure, you can launch a competitive service very quickly.”

Sonus also teamed with AOL this week to provide VoIP and mobile integration. The collaboration between Sonus’ IMS-based architecture and AOL’s presence-driven communications applications will provide the foundation of AOL's new VoIP service: TotalTalk.

“AOL emphasizes a lot of the value that can be derived off of an IMS architecture,” Trvalik said. “We’ve been working with AOL for some time now, and a lot of focus with them has been around taking some of the things they have traditionally done with defining a unique AOL experience and making that available for telephony users.”

AOL's TotalTalk is the first IMS-based consumer voice product to launch in the U.S., according to Sonus. The companies are demonstrating the new capabilities at this week’s VON Conference in Boston.

"Our goal is not just to build another phone service, but to harness the power of the IMS architecture to rapidly deploy next-generation communications services that integrate voice, instant messaging, and video," said Ragui Kamel, Senior Vice President of Voice Services for AOL in s statement.

Kamel is a former Nortel Networks and Telcordia Technologies executive, so he brings a lot of telecom experience to AOL.

Sonus also announced a partnership with Motorola this week to demonstrate a wireless VoBB solution using Motorola’s Canopy wireless broadband system. Sonus will be conducting live demonstrations of Voice over pre-WiMAX services using its GSX family of products, its ASX Access Server, PSX Call Routing Server, SGX Signaling Gateway and Motorola’s Canopy wireless broadband system.

The Sonus VoBB solution supports basic local area calling features and advanced services such as caller ID, call waiting, 3-way calling, call hold, voicemail and unified messaging. Motorola’s Canopy solutions include point-to-point and point-to-multipoint configurations that can span distances up to 15 miles in a multipoint configuration and up to 40 miles in a point-to-point configuration.

“This is a pure voice-over-broadband play, so it’s not much different from doing it over a cable modem or DSL connection. That’s what IMS is about: delivering the same service whatever the access technology,” Trvalik said.