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June 13, 2015

SIP Trunking Week in Review: Birch Communications, SoTel, Patton Electronics


By Steve Anderson
Contributing TMCnet Writer

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It's been another week of big news and big developments in the field of session initiation protocol (SIP) trunking, and there was no shortage of new ground to cover. With all this news to cover, the forest can sometimes get lost in the trees. It's always good to take a little time and consider the bigger picture, and with the weekend on hand, it's a great time to take advantage of our Week in Review coverage to run down the biggest events in the field.


First, we got word that Birch Communications stepped up its Communicator app, an app designed to bring the TotalCloud PBX (News - Alert) system to the mobile workforce. The new version, meanwhile, doubles down on aesthetics, adding new icons and slider bars to make for an easier, more eye-catching experience. But it's not just about the looks; the Communicator app modified the dial pad, added a notification to show users at a glance if a call is business or personal, added support for Bluetooth headsets and improved voice quality for 4G and Wi-Fi users.

Next came a report that SoTel had purchased Teleswitch's Latin American operations business operating out of Miami, Florida. With the acquisition comes a substantial quantity of new customers in the region, and SoTel can offer up an array of business communications tools, along with refurbished equipment from firms like Nortel (News - Alert), Avaya and Cisco. Reports suggest that SoTel and Teleswitch had long been seen working together, and that this move was just the latest step.

Patton Electronics then made the next move in news, bringing out a pair of new tools for users. First, there was the SmartNode 5570 ESBR enterprise session border controller, and second, the SmartNode 4170 T1 / E1 / PRI voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) gateway. Both releases are intended to be both smaller and less expensive than the various other such devices on the market, and yet at the same time, both boast more power than the others in the field. Both are intended to help businesses get past the time-division multiplexing (TDM) concept and step up to a private branch exchange (PBX) that helps save costs and add new functionality.

Image via Shutterstock

Then, we got word from ANPI, who brought out the new ANPI VIP Receptionist. With the VIP Receptionist tool, users can monitor as many as 200 incoming lines simultaneously, while also configuring speed dial options, engaging call forwarding, handling email, and even running a varietyof other tools like hunt groups through one centralized interface. This allows for access to a wide array of tools without having to deal with the complexity of similar offerings.

Finally, we had a look at 8x8 (News - Alert), which landed a new patent in the United States for what was called the “Virtual Telephone Extension.” The patent reportedly covers a means to route communications to users by using a unique identifier factor that acts like a telephone extension, but virtually. The patent notes that the Virtual Telephone Extension is packet-based, routes calls between different public switched telephone networks (PSTNs) and allows for a wide array of different devices to be used.

That was the week that was in SIP trunking, and we had plenty of news going on in the field. Our global online community was clearly on its toes, bringing back all the best news to discuss. So be sure to join us back here next week for all the latest in the ever-changing field of SIP trunking, and every weekend as well for our Week in Review coverage!



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