ADTRAN announced the ADTRAN Alliance Program last week with best-in-breed technology and service providers that complement the NetVanta 7000 converged IP PBX Series. This will enable solutions providers to deliver fully interoperable enterprise-class IP communications solutions to meet the needs of small- and medium-sized businesses in a number of vertical markets.Counterpath is a provider of desktop and mobile VoIP software products and solutions. The company's product suite includes SIP-based softphones, server applications and Fixed Mobile Convergence (FMC) solutions.
Lifesize delivers high definition video communications products.
MultiTech: Multi-Tech Systems is an ISO 9001:2000-certified global manufacturer of Unified Communications and device networking products.
Polycom provides telepresence, video, and voice solutions and services.
SIP Print provides VoIP call recording with systems scaling from 15-200 seats.
SNOM manufactures VoIP telephones, primarily based on SIP (Session Initiation Protocol).
The partners were chosen to deliver the following applications:
* Desktop IP Phones
* DECT Wireless Phones
* Softphones
* Speech Recognition
* Call Accounting
* Call Recording
* Unified Messaging
* Telepresence/Video Conferencing
Now as you ponder the resources that ADTRAN has put into the feature/function side of their SIP telephony solutions (IPT 7100 & 7000) here's a list of interoperable SIP providers that ADTRAN's boxes are certified with:
Bandwidth.com--a national CLEC
Broadvox--provides IP and SIP trunk solutions
Comm Pahttp://app014.cmpnet.com/cgi-bin/mt.cgi?__mode=view&_type=entry&blog_id=90#rtners Connect is a nationwide CLEC-certified, facilities based network operator providing VoIP and TDM services to carriers as well as enhanced Hosted Applications to small and medium sized businesses through a network of strategic partners and resellers.
Covad provides broadband and VoIP services currently available in 44 states and 235 major markets and can be purchased by more than 57 million homes and businesses.
Speakeasy--nationwide broadband serving 120 metropolitan markets.
Voxitas is a VoIP national service provider.
As ADTRAN builds its platform to ensure that customers have carrier choice, this program shows that in ADTRAN's mindset, SIP will take off. So some important considerations are in order along with choices such as--SIP or Proprietary?
Remember, TDM manufacturers may have proprietary systems including their IP wares, but everyone knows that what they make works, and users enjoy familiarity as do the dealers/installers. Migration from older systems upward usually involves less training, the ability to preserve existing telephone sets and overall less impact on a company when changing phone systems.
Even Cisco is "proprietary"--with the Skinny call control protocol you get Cisco, Cisco, Cisco just like when you buy a Mac computer from Apple. So the mentality that "no one gets fired for buying Cisco" may be true on the surface; my bet is someone will get fired for buying into Cisco or too much of Cisco while ignoring the rest of the market.
SIP and how ADTRAN has approached SIP is open, even their flash cards are open meaning no proprietary formatting going on. Features are limited and I'll say what I've said before, maybe not today, tomorrow--but I think ADTRAN has a promising box and if the features come, they have the potential to obliterate many products on price and performance and then nail the deals with value. The value comes in the form of true integration (firewall, PoE switch, router, telephone system including voice mail and automated attendant, media gateways and onboard VQM (Voice Quality Monitoring), but it can't come at the expense of cutting traditional features, at least not the ones that are must-haves for the deal--which feature are you willing or gambling on not providing?
ADTRAN is well positioned early on and this means fierce competition for the manufacturers that aren't certified with SIP carriers, that don't have onboard VQM, haven't found the magic to integrate their wares, and that do brag about being "green" but aren't green by design. ADTRAN's core strengths are reducing costs, complexity and energy consumption while improving productivity. So my view on ADTRAN and what they're trying to do is become the Cisco to the SMBs. This won't be easy but if anyone will try, my guess is ADTRAN certainly will and they are making a good initial showing of forces. This all means "change" and I'm going to give my nickel's worth on this subject too.
