Verizon and ADTRAN announced today they have teamed to deliver a new VoIP solution to IP Integrated Access customers in EMEA and the U.S. Verizon announced it had certified ADTRAN's Netvanta 6310 as the first deployment of an ADTRAN solution to EMEA-based customers. Verizon's BEST (Burstable Enterprise Shared Tunks) capability is now available to customers in Europe. IP Trunking, Hosted IP Centrex and IP Integrated Access customers can leverage efficiencies realized by tapping unused capacity in one location to compensate for higher volumes at busier locations, according to the carrier.The advantages of Verizon's BEST:
* Dynamic monitoring of available call-ports across the enterprise so call ports can be allocated, where and when needed.
* Mitigate need for conditional call capacity to meet busy traffic requirements, providing location-less trunk utilization. * Take advantage of enterprise-level call capacity in a multi-site environment or between locations enterprise-wide.
* Mitigate need for conditional call capacity to meet busy traffic requirements, providing location-less trunk utilization. * Take advantage of enterprise-level call capacity in a multi-site environment or between locations enterprise-wide.
Verizon and ADTRAN offer a solution that keeps customer legacy gear in place along with existing PRIs to provide:
Verizon and ADTRAN offer a solution that keeps customer legacy gear in place along with existing PRIs to provide:
* Unlimited on-net voice calling and Internet access over a converged network * Highly reliable business class service * Cost-effective voice/data solution for SME * Maintain existing PBX or Key System * Eliminates employee retraining on new calling features and functions * Customers can easily migrate to other Verizon VoIP services at their own pace
The retail season is beginning now and retailers hope to gain some ground on profitability in an unseasonable economy. Some large distributed enterprise with numerous small locations, including the retailers and SMEs, just can't depend upon future profits, though. Because margins have been thin during the past several quarters, budgets are stretched and new avenues of reducing costs are required. Doing more for less, and with what they have embedded, is a tune that will resonate over finding funding to rip and roar when replacing the infrastructure just to get IP ready.
What this announcement signals is one of several strategic turns on Verizon's part in recognizing the shift of telephony services over to SIP trunking by competitors. I also believe their focus is on cash cow accounts that bring recognition to the trophy list of accounts. A turnover to an all IP/SIP solution isn't required for every company, and to realize benefits of UC or anything else under the name of telephony doesn't mean out with the old and in with the new.
Contrary to what you may think about Verizon or telephony, the fact remains that viable solutions don't necessarily translate to building an all-IP network. An assault on any carrier's revenue is going to be countered, and I know ADTRAN's products well enough to say that behind them are innovation and thought. The 6310 delivers that same secret sauce found in Netvanta routers used by the MSPs and the occasional Interconnect. Verizon is after all the largest U.S. based Interconnect company and when they move products it's usually sizeable. With Verizon and ADTRAN, there's some synergy added to this offering that keeps the fires of TDM burning.
An all-in-one IP network may be possible, but is it a reality for every company? Companies may struggle to find that answer, but there are those that just need solutions today without disruption to the company, customers and embedded base of technology. Some will argue that Verizon is only attempting to protect their premiere accounts and to prolong the life of PRI and T1. Taking into account what companies need and not what vendors want them to need is always going to be interesting and challenging in the competitive sense. The battle continues in what seems like a war of interests, with one side pushing for all IP while the other side resists. Either way, customers ultimately decide what they think is best for them.
