Acme Packet, a provider of session border control solutions, reportedly announced that hosted services provider LightEdge has deployed the company’s “Net-Net session border controller” to deliver the hosted Unified Communications (News - Alert) service especially to small and medium-sized businesses.

 

Apart from simplifying the process of activating new customers, LightEdge (News - Alert) implemented Acme’s SBCs on to its network to enable “click-to-call” functionality, which is one of the features of the LightEdge service that offers end users with the ability to initiate or receive VoIP calls simply by clicking a button on their desktop. This “click-to-call” functionality will be working in tandem with the recently announced LightEdge’s hosted UC service.

 

Based on BroadSoft’s BroadWorks VoIP application platform and Microsoft solution for Hosted Messaging and Collaboration, LightEdge’s hosted Unified Communications service provides one platform for voice, e-mail, instant messaging and calendaring. This helps the user to collaborate in real-time within the office as well as outside the office.

 

LightEdge said that its Hosted Unified Communications is part of the company’s Connected Office suite of products, and facilitates SMBs to easily and cost-effectively obtain unified communications – as a hosted service.

 

The Connected Office suite incorporates: Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 for hosted e-mail; BroadSoft BroadWorks Hosted PBX (News - Alert) VoIP; Microsoft Office Communications Server 2007 for instant messaging and presence; Microsoft Live Meeting; and Microsoft Windows SharePoint Services 3.0. The software suite integrates key functionalities such as e-mail, calendaring, conferencing, voice and collaboration, which are key requirements of a business.

 

According to Acme Packet, Net-Net SBC streamlines as well as simplifies delivery of services that are based on both BroadSoft (News - Alert) and Microsoft solutions. It provides seamless communications for LightEdge customers by mediating and controlling signaling flows between SIP phones. In addition, LightEdge service elements reduce interoperability issues, thereby facilitating in shorter service activation cycles with fewer trouble tickets and higher customer satisfaction.

 

Acme Packet’s (News - Alert) Net-Net SBC can manipulate SIP messages and also works in tandem with the BroadSoft platform. This feature helps LightEdge to offer not only click-to-call functionality but, other features as well that boost productivity and improve the business communications experience for LightEdge customers.

 

“Our customers expect strong ease of use from our Hosted Unified Communications service,” said Jeff Springborn, president and chief operating officer of LightEdge. “Acme Packet’s SBCs enable that while giving us the ability to offer a very high-quality integrated user experience.”

 

According to Dino Di Palma, vice president of sales and business development at Acme Packet, the integration of hosted voice with existing desktop applications offers a huge opportunity for increasing overall business efficiency.

 

“LightEdge’s use of our SBCs further validates the business benefits of supplementing basic VoIP and UC functions with advanced session border control,” Di Palma said.