Patton solves VOIP interoperability challenges for DECT, PBX, and FAX in ISDN deployments

Patton, the leader in business-class network access, connectivity, and VOIP equipment, together with Patton-Inalp Networks AG, creator of SmartNode industry-leading VOIP technology, has announced new BRI and PRI VOIP product lines that ensure seamless inter-operation with Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) and PBX systems. Patton`s range of business and carrier-class network access, connectivity and voice over IP (VOIP) equipment is available in South Africa from Centravoice, the largest multi-vendor telecommunications distributor in Africa.

Patton`s SmartNode 4961 PRI and SmartNode 4635/9 BRI VOIP IADs feature a high-precision clock that eliminates interoperability failures that typically occur with DECT, PBX and fax equipment when converting ISDN systems to IP telephony. Patton`s new VOIP products ensure existing DECT, PBX and fax systems will operate transparently and function successfully in the VOIP network.

"Transparency is critical when transitioning to VOIP services from the digital PSTN," said John Wu, VOIP product manager at Patton.

"The ISDN market demands transparent operation, yet most VOIP manufacturers don`t understand how to deliver it. It took Patton`s engineering and VOIP technology expertise to solve the mystery. SmartNode is the only standalone VOIP CPE solution that delivers true transparency in ISDN environments," said Wu.

"DECT, PBX, and FAX interoperability issues have presented serious challenges to integrators and service providers since the earliest ISDN VOIP installations," said Charmaine Finniss, managing director of Centravoice.

Building on eight years of award-winning VOIP product leadership, and offering the industry`s most interoperable VOIP platform, Patton is the first and only manufacturer to produce standalone VOIP gateways that address these interoperability issues:

* Service providers can use SmartNode VOIP CPE to deliver business-class VOIP service in ISDN markets without the cost and delay of troubleshooting clock-related failures with the subscriber`s PBX.

* Enterprises can realise the cost-reduction and network-consolidation benefits of VOIP without the expense and disruption of replacing their existing DECT PBX and phones. SmartNode preserves all the ISDN telephony features that ISDN users depend on and network operators require (AOC, CLIP, CLIR, UD64, overlap dialling, and fax, as well as MSN and DID). With the industry`s most extensive set of advanced ISDN features, SmartNode avoids the cost and lost productivity of re-training office staff. End-users can use a familiar phone system to communicate exactly as they are accustomed.

* Fax users can confidently send and receive long faxes up to 28 pages. Patton`s high-precision clock solves the clock-synch issues that would otherwise cause fax calls to drop after four or five pages.

"Patton plans to release additional high-precision SmartNode products in the near future, including the SN4961 PRI IAD with G.SHDSL interface and the SN4655 BRI IAD with ADSL or G.SHDSL interface," said Finniss.