Metaswitch eNews - April 2008
Metaswitch Reaches 150th IOC Customer Milestone
Rural Local Exchange Carriers Increasingly Turn To Metaswitch For Traditional And
Advanced Communications Services
Metaswitch has announced that with its deployment with Ontario & Trumansburg
Telephone Companies (OTTC), it is now providing the core softswitch technology for
150 independent operating companies (IOCs) in North America. Metaswitch's platforms
enable IOCs to deliver traditional telephony services to business and residential
subscribers, as well as provide the foundation for the advanced platform of IMS-enabled
services as the carriers migrate toward next-generation architectures.
More than a thousand IOCs, also known as rural local exchange carriers (RLECs),
serve in excess of 20 million lines throughout the United States and Canada. Many
purchase equipment through the USDA-administered Rural Utilities Service (RUS) funding
program. Metaswitch's commitment to the IOC market was established when it became
the first VoIP-enabled Class 4/5 switch to qualify for RUS funding, and subsequently
strengthened with the introduction of the Metaswitch VP2510, an ultra-compact switching
system built on the same software and hardware architecture as the company's fully
distributed, highly scalable call agent and media gateway solution.
"We at Metaswitch are proud of our position as the leading next generation
switch vendor in the IOC market," said Graeme MacArthur, Metaswitch's chief
executive officer. "Our long-standing, unwavering commitment to these carriers
is based upon a solid understanding of the challenges they currently face, as well
as the tremendous opportunities that lie ahead as networks and services migrate
to IMS."
OTTC, the largest independently owned telephone companies in New York State, is
one of those that have seen the opportunities. It has invested in building a 300-mile
fiber network, operated by subsidiary Finger Lakes Technologies Group, Inc. (FLTG),
which extends from Ithaca to Rochester and towards the Western part of New York
State. When it came to delivering reliable local dial-tone and long distance calling
over this network, and providing the IP core for next-generation services such as
unified messaging and conference bridging, FLTG turned to Metaswitch.
"We were looking for a recognized, dependable vendor to team with and help
us securely achieve our business goals for this significant investment," said
Paul Griswold, president and CEO, OTTC and FLTG. "After extensive research
and due diligence, we selected Metaswitch's VP3510 Class 4/5 softswitch. Three months
later, having now experienced first-hand the quality of the technology and the support
team behind it, I can appreciate why Metaswitch has become the platform of choice
for IOCs and CLECs alike."
Reflecting on the significance of this deployment in Metaswitch's history, Griswold
added: "It was a nice surprise to find out that we were coincidentally the
150th IOC to have selected Metaswitch. It is tremendously exciting to be part of
this milestone achievement as Metaswitch continues to expand its presence and reputation
in the IOC community."
In the past six months, more than 25 IOCs have chosen Metaswitch to provide a switching
platform for traditional voice and advanced IP communications services. Independent
operators now make up nearly half of Metaswitch's customer base of more than 350
service providers, which includes global, national and regional incumbent and competitive
carriers, as well as cable operators.
Back to the April 2008 newsletter