VoIP Migration Path for Telecom Service Providers
With REDCOM, service providers have the flexibility to incrementally migrate to VoIP in a cost-effective manner when it makes sense for their business, with complete legacy support and maximum flexibility of deployment. Next Generation Networks (NGN) powered by REDCOM softswitches enable service providers to invest in the latest VoIP technology to drive their top lines while aggressively managing their bottom lines.
A host of challenges in the central office make this multi-technology environment difficult to transform legacy infrastructure to one optimized for delivering NGN services. Existing TDM networks will not be replaced by VoIP overnight and in order for service providers to successfully migrate from circuit-switched networks to packet-switched networks there must be a manageable migration path that fully integrates both TDM and VoIP into a unified architecture in the central office.
Service providers who want to deliver NGN services need a next-generation Carrier Class 4/5 softswitch that leverages and preserves all the functionality and investment in legacy assets, while offering safe passage to leap-forward VoIP technology. No matter what your business strategy, whether you require new market development, a VoIP network overlay or a migration path to NGN services, REDCOM is the right platform for a fully integrated VoIP and TDM solution. Scalable, interoperable and reliable, REDCOM's integrated solutions are designed to meet your business needs.
Understanding the real cost of ownership
The most obvious aspect of Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) is the initial purchase price. But the purchase price often has no bearing on long-term costs of operation. It is highly important to understand all the costs of ownership to make the best possible purchase decision.
Significant post-purchase costs include:
- Installation
- Operation, Administration and Maintenance (OA&M)
- Mandatory hardware upgrades
- Software upgrades
- Service contracts
- The need for vendor technical services
- Expansion and addition expenses
- Replacement cost (due to end of product life or discontinued product support)
Considering the post-purchase cost of each of these factors and the high cost of post-sale service, the total cost of ownership is often raised to unacceptable levels.
There are no mandatory service agreements with REDCOM
REDCOM believes that our customers have the right to estimate the total cost of ownership during the purchase process, not after the sale when it is too late. We front-load most of the cost into the initial price of our systems. While this may result in a higher initial price than some competitive solutions, the savvy customer recognizes that they do not have to sacrifice future revenues to pay for a solution that they need today.
REDCOM solutions protect your future revenue and help reduce operational expenses by offering:
- NO mandatory upgrades
- NO mandatory maintenance requirements
- NO mandatory annual maintenance contracts
- Technical support that you pay for only when you need it
REDCOM offers several other key benefits that enhance your profitability and productivity:
Easy installation. REDCOM systems are delivered pre-programmed, and are operational within seconds of power-up—just make the connections and the switch is ready to provide service.
Simplified Operations, Administration and Maintenance (OA&M). REDCOM systems are designed for ease of use. REDCOM’s MAUI (Maintenance Administration and User Interface) provides a single point of OA&M. MAUI is an intuitive GUI that simplifies the configuration and maintenance of your REDCOM network.
REDCOM systems have no required maintenance schedule. If something breaks within a REDCOM product, it can be easily replaced. All boards can be replaced while hot as there is no need to power down the system, turn off programs, or disable any services. Simply remove the suspect board and replace it with a like unit from your spares pool.
No required maintenance schedule means there is no mandatory maintenance contract. This results in significant savings each year to each of our customers. Rather than a mandatory annual maintenance contract, we offer pay-as-you-use-them technical services and repairs.
System additions are easily accomplished due to REDCOM’s distributed architecture. When an existing system is full, simply add one or more MSU equipment shelves. This requires no great jump in system capacity and expense, but rather a simple, predictable growth by adding additional MSUs as you need them.
There are no mandatory upgrades. Customers are free to operate their REDCOM systems as they purchased them. Hundreds of REDCOM switches have operated for years with no upgrades—by customer choice. With REDCOM, if a customer does not require an upgrade for technology reasons, then there is no reason to upgrade.
Case Study:
REDCOM Brings Next Generation Telecom to the Pacific Islands
REDCOM is bringing the next generation of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology to the Pacific Islands with a low-risk, flexible, and cost-effective way for telecom service providers to offer customers IP services. VoIP is the new wave of telecommunications, delivering voice communications over IP networks such as the Internet. With VoIP, businesses and consumers have a new way to lower their communications costs.
Next Generation Networks (NGN) with VoIP are a win-win technology for the Pacific Islands, providing service providers in the Pacific with a competitive advantage, higher revenues, and growth opportunities, while providing consumers with lower-cost telecommunications and advanced services for the triple play of voice, data and video.
REDCOM’s HDX and SLICE® 2100™ next generation platforms are not only leap-forward technologies but are also cost-effective solutions that preserve all the functionality and investment in existing infrastructure. With a single HDX or SLICE 2100 migration platform, Pacific Island service providers have the flexibility of migrating to IP when it makes sense, eliminating forklift replacements with a solution that works seamlessly with current infrastructure. And, HDX and SLICE 2100 are low cost entry-level solutions that enable service providers to start out slow with a phased approach, creating new service areas at their own pace. Based on global standards, these networks meet the Pacific Islands’ current and future technology needs for the 21st century.
Cook Islands: VoIP Migration Path
Telecom Cook Islands (TCI) was the first South Pacific deployment of REDCOM’s HDX softswitch. The REDCOM HDX with TRANSip® technology suite provides TCI with a migration path to integrated legacy and IP services. With the HDX, TCI adopted a realistic migration path in a single platform, allowing them to migrate to VoIP on an as-desired basis.
REDCOM’s HDX is a powerful softswitch and SIP call manager that retains complete Class 4/5 capabilities in a single platform solution. Operating as both a softswitch and a gateway, HDX delivers up to 3,000 IP subscribers per shelf. And, with HDX, customers like TCI can start with as few as 100 IP subscribers. HDX is an ideal “cap and grow” replacement that facilitates easy migration to VoIP at the most opportune time for customers, while having extensive capabilities that allow service providers to retain legacy equipment.
Widely recognized as a leading service provider in the Pacific region, TCI sets the standard for the rollout of new telecom services. In addition to REDCOM’s HDX, TCI employs a REDCOM IGATE™ for international connectivity and REDCOM MDX stand-alone intelligent switches.
Tonga: Next Generation Network Services
Tonga Communications Corporation (TCC) has completed a major network overhaul by installing an NGN-ready REDCOM HDX softswitch in Vava’u, the main tourist area, and redeploying existing REDCOM systems to four separate service areas. The HDX now enables TCC to provide Next Generation Network services to the people of Tonga. HDX gives telecom service providers like TCC all the benefits of IP while preserving the functionality of their existing telecom infrastructure.
Initially, TCC planned to install two new REDCOM HDX exchanges and update two others to employ C7 signaling. In working with REDCOM on the network design and plan, TCC realized that substantial savings could be made by redeploying some of the existing REDCOM systems and installing the NGN-ready HDX system in Vava’u. It only took TCC’s engineering team a few days to install the new HDX in Vava’u. The existing REDCOM MDX and MDX•I systems were separated and redeployed to four separate service areas.
The ability to leverage the existing REDCOM assets saved TCC almost half a million dollars. Now, with the new REDCOM HDX installed in Vava’u, TCC can provide softswitch and NGN services to meet future technology demands.
Pitcairn Island
Stratos New Zealand Ltd. selected the SLICE®, REDCOM’s smallest, self-contained telephone system, to serve as the communications hub for the remote island of Pitcairn. SLICE is a completely integrated telephone switching system for Pitcairn, providing international gateway functions and enabling the island’s link to the outside world via phone, fax and satellite communications.
A Partner with the Pacific Islands
For more than a quarter of a century, REDCOM has worked with the island nations in the Pacific region helping them to meet their telecommunications requirements by developing state-of-the-art solutions that are scalable and adaptable to meet the growing needs of our customers in the Pacific. REDCOM delivered its first international public telephone system to American Samoa in 1983 and its first toll operator system to Palau in 1995.
Since then, the company has partnered with customers throughout the Pacific, including American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Palau, Pitcairn Island, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Tuvalu. REDCOM is proud to be a member of the Pacific Islands Telecommunications Association (PITA). REDCOM donated to PITA a SLICE-based system to enable PITA members to restore critical communications, expediting disaster recovery efforts.