Verso Technologies, Inc, a leading provider of packet-based solutions, and Saab Grintek, South Africa's leading information technology, telecommunications solutions and integration company, announced today that Telkom South Africa has selected the companies to provide Verso's Clarent Edge Access softswitch solution as it expands its voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) services and soft phone applications on the continent.
Telkom South Africa has a longstanding relationship with Verso and Saab Grintek, and several years ago, implemented Verso's Class 4 solution including its BHG2500 media gateway as its preferred solution for international wholesale traffic.
The upgraded platform with the new Clarent Edge Access Class 5 softswitch solution will give Telkom South Africa the ability to offer end-users PC-to-PC calling capability, which will allow the company to leverage VOIP investments to create new revenue opportunities.
The Clarent Edge Softswitch provides the Class 5 carrier-grade control necessary to manage disparate H.323 wholesale networks and support voice over broadband (VOBB) deployments for enterprise managed services, wholesale, residential/Soho applications, and other next-generation voice solutions.
"Strong growth in several telecom sectors across Africa has created demand for VOIP networks as well as new opportunities for us," said Monty Bannerman, chief executive officer of Verso Technologies. "With an established presence in Africa, it is a natural progression that operators chose our solutions as they begin to offer more robust services to their clients."
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Verso is a global technology provider of next-generation network solutions offering a core-to-edge product portfolio primarily for telecommunications service providers. Our products enable our customers to secure and optimise network bandwidth, generate additional revenue and reduce costs. Our applications and services are cost-effective, deploy quickly and provide a superior return on investment. For more information, contact Verso at www.verso.com or call 678.589.3500.
Telkom SA Limited
Telkom SA Limited is one of the largest companies registered in the Republic of South Africa and is the largest telecommunications service provider on the African continent based on operating revenue and assets. Telkom offers fixed-line voice and data services, branded as Telkom, and mobile communications services through a 50% shareholding in the joint venture, Vodacom, a company incorporated in the republic of South Africa, Tanzania, Lesotho, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique. Telkom has approximately 4.8 million telephone access lines in service as of March 2005. Telkom is South Africa's incumbent operator.
Saab Grintek
Grintek is a leading high-technology partnership between Kunene Bros Holdings (29.7%) and Saab AB (70.3%). The group specialises in three main market segments, namely telecommunications and selected niche opportunities within industrial and defence electronics. Grintek is a business unit of Saab.
Saab
Saab is one of the world's leading high-technology companies, with its main operations focusing on defence, aviation and space. The group covers a broad spectrum of competence and capability in systems integration.
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