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Saying it wants to take telephony to another level for regional subscribers, Nortel (News - Alert) announced today that it’s simplified the transition from traditional voice technology to VoIP.

 

For regional service providers such as Silver Star Communications and the Emily Cooperative Telephone Company, it’s now easier to provide the latest voice and multimedia services to customers, Nortel officials say.

 

The so-called Communication Server “CS 1500” is an IMS-ready softswitch created specifically to address the budgetary constraints of the regional carrier market, company officials say.

 

While evolving to advanced IP-based communications that combine voice and multimedia services from the same VoIP platform, it allows service providers to continue to support traditional voice services, they say. With this solution, existing Nortel DMS-10, DCO and EWSD switch customers can get cost-effective evolutions, according to the company.

 

As a result, service providers can transition from multiple switch vendors and migrate to VoIP at their own pace. Compared to full switch replacement, phased evolution can reduce capital investment by up to 40 percent, according to Nortel.

 

Nortel’s CS 1500, an IP multimedia softswitch launched a year ago, has been chosen by many service providers, according to the company. It’s designed to help service providers meet growing subscriber demand for next-generation voice services such as personal conference bridges and click-to-call functionality as well as new multimedia communications and PC-based voice calling, according to the company. Throughout regional North America and Russia, Nortel has 117 CS 1500 softswitches deployed or on order to 85 carriers, company officials say.

 

“The CS 1500 is high performance VoIP in a small package. It enables regional service providers to bring premium voice, video, and data communications to regional North American customers,” said John McCready, general manager of Nortel’s carrier multimedia networks. “The CS 1500 ensures that customers of regional service providers have access to the same advanced voice and multimedia services as customers in large metropolitan areas. As well, Nortel’s CS 1500 ensures that regional service providers have a VoIP platform that allows them to reap the maintenance and cost benefits of a converged network.”