News

Media Gateway Controller now offers a simple way to add SS7 connectivity to the Lucent MAX TNT Universal Gateway

Squire Technologies (www.squire-technologies.com), the specialist provider of carrier-class signalling, SS7 and VoIP products and services, has today confirmed that its customer Eltopia, an ISP based in the USA, is using Squire's SVI_MGC Media Gateway Controller to add SS7 functionality to Lucent Technologies' MAX TNT Universal Gateway. With Squire's proven MGC solution now in place, the company has successfully provided full interoperability with Eltopia's incumbent system, which has in turn provided Eltopia with the dial-up and VoIP services that have enabled it to become a telecoms service provider.

"Even though Eltopia uses a number of different carriers (including Verisign, Verizon, Centurytel, Qwest and Embarq), Squire's Media Gateway Controller is able to provide us with full interconnect across all of them," says Will McHugh , CEO of Eltopia. "Now that we have SS7 Interconnect, our customers have had nothing but praise for the new TNTs, as their dial-up speeds have improved and the error rates that we were having have dropped substantially."

Although Lucent's MAX TNT Universal Gateway provides the TDM to VoIP media conversion, Squire's Gateway Controller provides all of the call control protocol termination, thereby controlling the media path setup via MGCP or MEGACO media gateway control protocols. With the added advantage of having an optional onboard SS7 signalling gateway module, the SVI-MGC opens up the PSTN network to all MGCP/MEGACO enabled media gateways.

"Previously, the most popular option for SS7 connectivity was to purchase a high-end Softswitch that provides a series of complex functions that go above and beyond SS7 connectivity – whether the customer actually needs this added functionality or not," says Andrew Cooper, Managing Director, Squire Technologies. "We believe that there are many companies out there who would be very interested to know that our Gateway Controller can provide this very same SS7 connectivity, as well as reliable, full-interoperability with products that now include Lucent's MAX TNT Universal Gateway."

The SVI-MGC supports and inter-works directly between SS7, SIP and H.323. CAS, R2 and Analogue inter-works with SS7, SIP and H.323 via MGCP providing seamless interconnect of disparate networks running different types and versions of VoIP and PSTN protocols. The SVI-MGC has full RADIUS support allowing for integration with third party RADIUS servers for AAA services allowing for easy integration into existing or preferred billing platforms.

Squire's SVI-MGC can be used to control a number of third-party media gateways, including those manufactured by Cisco, Audiocodes, Nuera and Lucent Technologies. Squire's SVI-MGC not only provides SS7 capabilities, but also controls routing for all protocols on the media gateway including ISDN, R2 and CAS, thus allowing for comprehensive PSTN breakout to VoIP networks. Squire's SVI_MGC Media Gateway Controller can even be applied to incumbent networks, with added interoperability provided over MEGACO/H.248.

Squire Technologies has launched its global Reseller and Referral Programs this week and made the SVI Suite of Products available to international resellers, distributors and integration specialists.

An established company delivering expertly-engineered signalling products, specialising in SS7 and VoIP applications, Squire Technologies offers a mature range of highly-scalable, cost-effective, carrier-grade products which provide reliable and adaptable solutions to the telecoms industry and have been deployed throughout the world.

The SVI suite of products has already brought Squire Technologies both global and regional distribution partnerships.

Combined with Squire's expert software engineering and the best-of-breed hardware used to manufacture the SVI Suite of Products, Squire Technologies can provide full training, installation and support services on each product deployment.

A bespoke version of Squire's ANSI SCCP Protocol Converter will be used to address Nortel's specific SS7 requirements in Russia.

Dorset, U.K. - Squire Technologies (www.squire-technologies.co.uk), the specialist provider of carrier-class signalling, SS7 and VoIP products and services, has today announced that a custom-engineered version of its ANSI SCCP Protocol Converter is to be used by network vendor Nortel. The customised solution will facilitate the transit of GSM traffic in Russia by converting two disparate variants of SS7.

Faced with the challenges raised by Russia's existing mobile infrastructure, Nortel sought a solution from Squire Technologies that would allow for inter-working between different versions of SS7. However, during the on-site installation of Squire's SVI 9220 SS7 Protocol Converter, Squire's engineers determined that the product would need to be customised to meet Nortel's requirements.

As a result, Squire re-engineered the ANSI SCCP Protocol Converter to allow non-circuit related signalling (such as TCAP) to be carried over SS7 routes, as well as other functionality that would allow Nortel to achieve its communications goals.

The period from the initial on-site investigation to the installation of the finished, customised product was less than two weeks.

"Squire Technologies' SS7 expertise and committed support allowed them to rapidly deliver against our specific network requests," said Sergei Kulyov, Nortel, Russia. "I would highly recommend them."

"Although most of our customers are happy with our products 'straight out of the box', it is essential that we can also offer custom-engineered solutions, like this one for Nortel," said Andrew Cooper, Managing Director, Squire Technologies. "With so many SS7 variants in use throughout the world, companies are increasingly looking for solutions that will provide inter-working between all of these different alternatives."

In addition to facilitating the flow of GSM traffic, the resulting solution will provide signalling-only termination (i.e. with no bearer channels terminated), thereby reducing the cost of additional TDM connectivity on the protocol converter itself. Also, since the TDM voice circuits go directly between the two interconnects, Squire's Protocol Converter will provide a higher bandwidth of interconnect at a reduced cost.

Squire Technologies, are proud to attend Cebit 2006 in Hannover to showcase their SS7 Media Gateway product providing SS7 to VoIP in a single box product solution.

Simon Dinnage Business Development Director at Squire Technologies "CeBIT is the ideal showcase for Squire Technologies, allowing us to meet clients directly to show how our innovative SS7 / VoIP products coupled with full installation, training and support packages can enable them to deliver their services rapidly, reliably and with full product support - essential when interworking with carrier grade SS7 networks.."

A robust SIP Interface, solid support infrastructure, and the ability to carry VoIP over legacy applications made Squire Nuera’s choice

Squire Technologies (www.squire-technologies.co.uk), the specialist provider of carrier-class signalling, SS7 and VoIP products and services, has today announced a global partnership with Nuera Communications, a leading provider of VoIP infrastructure solutions, who will now include Squire Technologies SVI SoftSwitch as a standard part of its ORCA GX 8 & 21 Series of high density carrier-class trunking gateways.

The new agreement will provide Nuera’s large installed customer base of ORCA GX 8 & 21 Series users with a carrier-class solution that offers centralised VoIP interconnect with routing, PSTN interconnect, billing functionality and more. By integrating Squire's SVI SoftSwitch into its ORCA GX series, Nuera's customers will also benefit from international long distance VoIP, point-to-point or full mesh connectivity, a SIP interface for peering and interconnecting with other carriers, as well as trunking for Class 5 VoIP networks.

The ORCA GX high-density VoIP gateways will be able to lower the cost of deploying and operating carrier-class telephony services dramatically, whilst also enabling new revenue generating services. Robust support of telephony and IP interfaces, voice processing, and network management features will enable carriers to quickly deploy and efficiently maintain the network.

“Squire’s SoftSwitch appeals to our large installed base, and its carrier class strength will provide very high performance and reliability. It really is a perfect fit for us," said Larry Greenstein, Director of Product Management, Nuera Communications.

“The service support and SIP interface were also key. Squire’s ability to support H.323 for legacy VoIP network interoperability, as well as inter-domain routing for peering between carriers, will provide immediate benefits to our customers."

Nuera's ORCA GX-Series gateways are already installed in more than 60 countries around the world, just six years after the products were launched. With the addition of Squire’s SVI SoftSwitch, the GX-Series will now be able to support up to 8192 concurrent calls, handling 80 calls per second, at 300,000 BHCA.
The NEBS-certified Linux platform – with Squire Call control and the duplex configuration - allows for a non-stop service. In addition, the new solution supports H.323 for legacy VoIP network interoperability, and also deploys a SIP interface for enhanced services such as inter-domain routing for peering between carriers, so that minutes can be exchanged.

"This is an extremely important partnership for us. To have our SVI SoftSwitch feature as part of Nuera's carrier-class GX-Series is further proof of our own commitment to quality and reliability," said Andrew Cooper, Managing Director, Squire Technologies. "With support for multi-vendor VoIP media equipment, complex routing, and PSTN interconnect, this combined solution from Nuera and Squire will deliver a wide range of high value VoIP-enabled services, including least cost routing, and national and international wholesale traffic."