VON: Level 3 adds SipStorm, Jangl

BOSTON--Highlighting what it calls innovative uses of a mature VoIP platform, Level 3 Communications announced two new service provider customers: SipStorm, a wholesale provider of converged applications and services, and Jangl, a fixed-mobile convergence provider.

“This is about convergence and offering innovative applications,” said Michael Remacle, senior director of offer management for Level 3’s wholesale markets group. SipStorm is the underlying provider to JitterBug, a wireless service developed specifically for older consumers, who don’t want fancy phones with tiny buttons, he said.

“They are going to market with us, using Level 3 phone numbers,” he said “They will have the capabilities of a nationwide footprint, and all calls are SIP-based.”

By offering SIP-based features, SipStorm enables an MVNO service to retain control of the service and its features, as opposed to simply reselling what a wireless provider gives them, said Myrle McNeal, senior vice president of Local VoIP Services. “The service provider has call control and can customize the way the service is offered,” he said. “Wireless provides the transport, but the cool stuff is by SipStorm.”

In addition, customers who subscribe to a wireline service and get a standard ATA can add a wireless phone, and multiple phone numbers, Remacle said. “By adding VoIP to wireless, service providers can get out of the price game and add more value.”

Jangl, a service provider to social networking players such as FaceBook and match.com, is enabling anonymous calling and texting, also using Level 3 phone numbers. Consumers assign specific phone numbers – not their primary numbers or cell phone numbers – to social or commercial communications so they can freely hand out a number without jeopardizing their privacy.

“They have all the capabilities of anonymous calling and anonymous texting, if you are a PC-based client service, we offer integrated wireless texting,” McNeal said.

Level 3 provides Jangl with local inbound calling, voice termination, international voice termination, toll free calling and high-speed ISP services. Level 3 has enabled its numbers with two-way SMS texting for the younger audience that relies on social networking and texting more than phoning.