The JSE-listed Square One Solutions Group has been appointed the first certified partner in Africa of NexTone, the international developer of carrier products for scaleable session management of voice over IP (VOIP) and related real-time IP network services.
Square One Solutions Group chief operating officer Craig Alexander said the NexTone partnership underpinned and fulfilled Square One's objectives as a niche provider of strategic solutions to the broader telecommunications market. "South Africa is entering an era of transition with deregulation, the emergence of a second network operator and strengthening demand for converged broadband services on the horizon, so this development with NexTone is strategic and well-timed. We see it as a strong endorsement of the skills, added value and high-end delivery capabilities that Square One can bring into play, not only for telecommunications but also for the broader ICT market."
NexTone technologies and products are focused on boosting the efficiency of IP networks in the transportation of voice traffic and critical real-time applications such as video streaming and online gaming, according to Lorenzo Micheletti, the company's director for Southern Europe and Africa.
Micheletti added that VOIP "is a tidal wave that cannot be stopped" and that Africa holds significant potential for VOIP developments. "Already most of the wholesale traffic in Africa not managed by the incumbent telecommunications players is VOIP and its use is spreading daily. We expect VOIP to be embraced as a mainstream technology in South Africa, where the market is beginning to open up to other competitors, as well as in most other African countries."
NexTone therefore views its alliance with Square One Solutions Group as a strategic platform from which to launch its technology offerings, including a full voice, multi-protocol real-time softswitch, which Micheletti said is an industry first.
"It is the closest thing to a traditional telephone switch, offering the same quality, control and delivery as traditional telephone services. However, in many cases it is an improvement because it offers greater flexibility in the delivery of both capacity and quality."
Square One strategic business development manager, Philip Olejnik, said the partnership contract had been signed and that Square One staff are undergoing training and development for the delivery of a full suite of VOIP and real-time IP network services certified by NexTone to markets in southern Africa and further north.
"The NexTone partnership appointment extends Square One's ability to develop and deliver leading infrastructure solutions to the carrier marketplace as well as the enterprise space, where we will be able to provide companies with the capability to route all of their internal traffic through VOIP."
Olejnik added that NexTone technologies and products would enable South African multinationals to lower their voice traffic costs through least-cost routing solutions that offer dynamic choices and improved quality.
"Square One is now ideally positioned to deliver end-to-end infrastructure deployments for the changing telco landscape with capabilities ranging from solutions in the lawful interception space for collection, mediation and specialised interception, to dynamic infrastructure and network security solutions, and the implementation of niche leading-edge technologies such as Metro Ethernet and WiMAX.
"In support of our commitment to VOIP we are now constructing a dedicated VOIP laboratory at our Sandton headquarters and it is scheduled to become operational by mid-November."
Micheletti said Square One brings 20 years of experience in the South African ICT market, a national footprint and regional reach into neighbouring countries -- all important factors in support of NexTone's growth plans within the region.
"There are a number of areas that have great potential. For example, residential voice over broadband is becoming very popular overseas and in Italy alone, there are already more than 7 million broadband subscribers using VOIP. While this market is still in its infancy in South Africa, it will undoubtedly become more prevalent in the near future."
Share
The Square One Solutions Group focuses on providing IT-based business enabling solutions. The company has a national footprint and more than 19 years of experience of the South African market. Square One offers value-based solutions centred around biometric authentication; integrated wireless and mobile applications; enterprise storage and backup/recovery; enterprise power; coding and marking; enterprise LAN, WAN and infrastructure as well as service provider solutions for the corporate, SME and government markets. The company also distributes document solutions, colour input and output devices and provides 24x7 national support and service. NexTone is an international leader in carrier-grade products providing scaleable session management of VOIP and other related real-time IP network services. The company offers a portfolio of leading-edge session management technologies that enable service providers and carriers to interconnect their voice networks in the most simple, efficient and cost-effective way. Innovative, market-leading solutions are also developed for network security, signalling inter-working and multi-vendor interoperability.
Editorial contacts