News

Squire Technologies, specialist provider of SS7 and VoIP signalling equipment, has today announced the successful deployment of the carrier-grade, dual-redundant SVI_MGC SS7 Media Gateway Controller system for the leading Maltese ISP Sky Telecom, completing Sky's network and providing a compliant and reliable SS7-VoIP bridge with full support for RADIUS.

With interconnections to four of the five carriers operating in Malta (Vodafone, Maltacom, Go Mobile and Melita) the SVI_MGC provides Sky Telecom with a highly reliable and cost-efficient SS7 interconnect. The media gateway controller has been seamlessly integrated into Sky's legacy network and, interoping with Sky's proprietary RADIUS server the SVI_MGC is delivering RADIUS authentication, billing and routing enabling Sky to rapidly develop new services and bring them to market without 3rd party suppliers, reducing costs and delivery lead times. Sky Telecom can now offer Local Number Portability services and Carrier Pre-selection to its customers and remain competitive within the small but technologically advanced telecoms sector in Malta.

“The SVI_MGC provided Sky Telecom with functionality that we needed at an excellent cost and we are very happy with our choice to develop our new services on a network including it,” says Philip Cassar, Managing Director, Sky Telecom Ltd.

This dual redundant system offers end-to-end availability, high scalability and multi-vendor interoperability. Squire's expert software signalling engineering combined with best-of-breed hardware makes the SVI_MGC SS7 Media Gateway Controller a truly carrier-grade solution. The SVI has been deployed and successfully integrated into networks throughout the world, supporting a comprehensive list of signalling protocols such as SIP, SIP-I, SIP-T, H.323, MEGACO, MGCP, PRI ISDN, R2, CAS and over 50 variants of SS7.

“In deploying the SVI_MGC into its network Sky Telecom has purchased a reliable and adaptable product solution which provides them with signalling and routing control that easily enables them to develop their own services,” says Andrew Cooper, Squire Technologies’ Managing Director. “It is Squire’s philosophy to deploy products which integrate easily into the client environment instead of making them integrate into ours.”

By deploying the MGC Sky Telecom has been able to implement its system quickly and cost-effectively, and engage with the newly deregulated and competitive Maltese Telecommunications market. This has enabled its customers to realise the benefits of easy, reliable and efficient communications services, in particular reducing international call tariffs. Squire Technologies is proud to have provided Sky Telecom with a solution enabling it to comply with the CPS legislation and deliver the required functionality quickly.

A cost-effective alternative to existing solutions, this software-only product enhancement supports Cisco SS7 over IP signalling

Squire Technologies has announced the development of the software only SVI_MGC SS7 Media Gateway Controller with full support for Cisco SS7 over IP signalling. Building on the success of the globally deployed SVI_MGC, Squire now offers customers full SS7 interconnect on incumbent Cisco gateway networks in a software only solution.

This is a more cost-effective alternative to the PGW2200 and other options available to network operators looking to migrate call traffic to SS7 through Cisco gateways.

As a software only solution, this new media gateway controller development delivers to the customer all the benefits of a carrier-grade solution without requiring the level of investment or effort that a physical switch would demand.

Many network operators with incumbent Cisco gateway architecture will find this product provides all necessary functionality and quality of service, while offering full support for many SS7 variants. In addition to full compliance with Cisco gateways (AS5350 and AS5400 Series), the SVI_MGC supports a stable of 3rd party media gateways (Audiocodes, Lucent, etc) enabling best-of-breed network development.

Squire’s innovating R&D team identified that many of the company’s customers would welcome a viable alternative to the SS7 interconnect provided by the PGW2200 or a signalling gateway on networks made up of a variety of Cisco media gateways. Cisco media gateways do not support standard SS7 over IP technology (SIGTRAN) but use other protocols to provide similar functionality. The majority of 3rd party media gateway controllers do not support this alternative to SIGTRAN therefore requiring the additional expense of using a signalling gateway. Now supporting Cisco SS7 over IP the SVI_MGC provides full integration with Cisco gateways.

Product enhancement to support SIP-I and SIP-T means complete compliance between IP and SS7 networks

Squire Technologies has announced full support for SIP-I and SIP-T signalling protocol variants across the SVI range of VoIP product solutions (SS7 Media Gateway, Gateway Controller, Class 4 SoftSwitch & Signalling Gateway). These products will now enable IP network operators to realise the benefits of connecting to the PSTN with no loss of core network functionality and so offering their customers services based on call processing information traditionally only available with costly SS7 interconnect.

“For PSTN breakout it is becoming mandatory for interconnecting equipment to support and fully interwork these protocols as more and more carriers are providing VoIP as a full interconnect alternative. Our customers are realizing advantages in the market with being able to expand their existing client base, take on new market share, and benefit from with much higher ROI on equipment.” says Andrew Cooper, Managing Director Squire Technologies.

In the highly competitive telecoms market, it is imperative that the introduction of different services becomes easier and cheaper with no ensuing loss of service quality. SIP signalling has provided the means of doing this but does not carry the full call processing features present with SS7 and necessary for delivery of a carrier-grade service.

Representing the next generation of IP signalling, SIP-I by ETSI and SIP-T by IETF fully interwork with both SIP and SS7 and bear all detailed call information present in SS7 without requiring network overhauls, where this functionality is possible all the benefits of it can be realized.

The carrier-grade functionality of SIP-I and SIP-T means that they offer operators the opportunity to deliver CLEC services while benefiting from the advantages of quickly deployed and adapted, and low cost IP network infrastructure and interconnects. As in the case of BT’s 21CN network roll out, incumbent carriers are moving away from TDM interconnection in order to simplify networks and offer fully convergent services. Comprehensive IP based networks will replace complex network and systems infrastructure with physically simpler but more reliable networks ensuring delivery of the next generation of converged services with more speed, less cost and more efficiency. Offering industry leading solutions enabling carriers to benefit from all the associated advantages of migrating their traffic from PSTN to VoIP, Squire Technologies specialises in signalling product solutions and is pleased to be able to offer its customers all the benefits of these carrier-grade SIP variants and the opportunity to seamlessly integrate SS7 networks into IMS topology. While the majority of Squire’s clients, who are still looking for proven and cost-effective PSTN breakout to VoIP, can now deliver a carrier-grade service on their IP networks they are also being offered a solution that can interconnect to any other signalling protocol.

Following the successful deployment of Squire Technologies' (www.squire-technologies.com) SS7 Media Gateway Controller product solution (SVI_MGC) into TelFree Communications' SS7 to IP network, the Swiss owned IP telephony service provider has announced today that the SVI_MGC is its media gateway controller of choice for deployment throughout its global network integrating with its partner SS7 carrier, Telekom Austria.

South Africa based TelFree, which operates across local and international home-user, SME, public payphone, and corporate markets, has built up a substantial VoIP service infrastructure with many value added services since the deregulation of the VoIP market in 2005. After two year of operating, TelFree required a solution which would enable the migration of its PSTN traffic from ISDN to SS7 by interconnecting between the legacy SS7 equipment of South African carriers Telkom and Vodacom and TelFree's incumbent network of Cisco Media Gateway and SIP platform.

The deregulated South African market brought TelFree difficulties in its search for interconnection solutions with the major carriers. The lack of specialist SS7 to SIP skills and technologies in the local market forced TelFree to seek the assistance and product lines of a company that could deliver what it needed within a single product.

Following industry research TelFree found that Squire Technologies came highly recommended as a provider of equipment and services which would address all its interconnection concerns. Within a very short time of acquiring the SVI_MGC TelFree's network was connected to the legacy SS7 equipment of the carriers.

"The SVI_MGC delivered a very cost-effective way to interconnect to SS7 in comparison to SS7 carrier infrastructure and equipment; a very speedy integration of the TelFree SIP platform with the SS7 switches in the carrier network and top quality SS7 to SIP conversion delivering carrier grade VoIP solutions," said Ruan Malan, Chief Technical Officer, TelFree Communications. "The SVI assisted TelFree in becoming the forerunner in the local South African market. TelFree Communications plans to roll out many more SVI's in its worldwide network."

Squire Technologies Ltd, specialist provider of carrier-class signalling, SS7 and VoIP products and services, supplies cost-effective solutions to carriers, service providers and ISP's globally. The mature SVI_MGC SS7 Media Gateway Controller provides seamless interconnection between different networks running different types and versions of VoIP and PSTN protocols. It supports varied protocols with SS7, H.323 and SIP as standard, it opens up the PSTN network to all MGCP and H.248 enabled media gateways and provides all call control protocol termination.

Signalling specialist now offers cost-effective, carrier-grade, SS7 to IP solution.

Squire Technologies has announced the launch of the SVI_SG SS7 Signalling Gateway as a stand-alone product. Powered by proven signalling software already successfully deployed globally and across varied networks as part of Squire Technologies' SS7 Media Gateway and SS7 Media Gateway Controller products, this Signalling Gateway supports standards based SIGTRAN, SIP-I and SIP-T protocols and offers the most cost-effective, carrier-grade SS7 to IP bridge application available.

Enabling carriers to achieve best-of-breed, case-based deployments, the SVI_SG SS7 Signalling Gateway delivers a carrier-grade product to an industry faced with increased requirement for distributed networks to accommodate the growth of VoIP and the convergence of voice and data networks. The gateway is engineered for reliability providing high scalability and a fully dual redundant architecture, allowing carriers to leverage the cheaper and under-utilised IP bandwidth for the routing of SS7 traffic.

"This product offers a competitively priced, carrier-grade solution built on the expertise acquired in deploying Squire's suite of fully mature SS7 and VoIP product solutions. The Signalling Gateway provides seamless interoperability across networks worldwide, and, as with all our products, supplies the functionality, scalability and performance required by the growing needs of today's carriers." Andrew Cooper, MD Squire Technologies.

Squire Technologies brings the SVI_SG SS7 Signalling Gateway to market as the next step in the company's pursuit to answer the needs of today's carrier. In a growing industry where reliable and reasonably priced routing solutions for SS7 traffic are carefully sought, the SVI_SG Signalling Gateway squares-off Squire's range of mature and expertly engineered SS7 and VoIP signalling products and extends the company's offering of network building blocks.