Call Agent Server

Telecommunications Americas, April, 2005

Metaswitch

www.metaswitch.com

For Metaswitch, it's all about the options. With the debut of its CA9020 (Call Agent Server), MetaSwitch is extending the capabilities of its VP3510 chassis Class 5 VoIP softswitch. In addition, MetaSwitch's VP3510 chassis is now available as a standalone media gateway and/or signaling gateway. The MetaSwitch Call Agent software, which can run on either the CA9020 or the VP3510 chassis-based softswitch, performs all of these functions, delivering over 100 Class 5 subscriber services in addition to a range of Class 4 STP/tandem capabilities. Supported protocols include SIP, MGCP, H.258 and SIGTRAN (SS7 and ISDN over IP/SCTP).

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Conformance to softswitch standards, including the MSF (Multiservice Switching Forum) Release 2 Architecture, enables mix-and-match deployment with third-party media and signaling gateways, as verified at the recent Global MSF Interoperability event.

As a 2U high server, a single CA9020 Call Agent is capable of up to 1 million busy hour call attempts. The solution will be attractive to larger carriers deploying distributed softswitch networks for consolidation of COs up to 250,000 subscribers. In addition, the CA9020 supports eight physical GigE interfaces, allowing for secure network engineering with physically separate IP domains for control, media and management. Running the same software load as the VP3510 Compact Class 5 Softswitch, service providers who have deployed the VP3510 can move to the CA9020 with automated installation and migration tools. This platform development has been welcomed by Broadview Networks, a competitive service provider with 250,000 customer access lines in the northeastern U.S., which is conducting a beta test of the CA9020 in a distributed softswitch network configuration.