Integral Access raises voice abilities

By Stephen Lee

IN A PLAY to streamline voice carriers' infrastructure demands, Integral Access of Chelmsford, Mass. released on Monday an integrated access device (IAD) that promises to let carriers double the number of voice lines available to customers and expand data throughput to 4.5Mbps at each customer's location.

The device, known as the PurePacketOutburst-SB, works by connecting three separate 1.5Mbps T1 lines into a single link. As a result, network operators can support up to 48 simultaneous voice calls over the same device at a customer's premises.

The technology could give voice carriers the flexibility to lure customers -- particularly small and mid-sized businesses or branch office locations -- with inexpensive bandwidth packages that can be remotely increased as the business' needs grow.

"We can radically reduce the number of boxes, so the [carriers'] capital expenditure is much less," explained Ed Harper, Integral Access' senior product marketing manager. "Service providers can lease a certain amount of bandwidth and provide lots more services over it than anybody else."

Enterprise customers, too, can benefit from the device's ability to bring efficiencies to the network infrastructure.

"Enterprises can get a service that lets them do, for example, 24 voice calls over a single T1," Harper said. "And because it's over a single T1, the pricing looks a lot more like a service over one T1, not two T1s. They're getting a higher level of service at a lower cost."

The PurePacketOutburst-SB device supports a range of IP-based services, including VoIP (voice over IP), VoDSL (voice over DSL), and VPNs (virtual private networks), along with legacy services such as POTS (plain old telephone service), frame relay, and PBX (public branch exchange) interconnect.

The device can also connect to MPLS (multiprotocol label switching) and ATM (asynchronous transfer mode)-based networks and comes with a built-in firewall and NAT (Network Address Translation) capabilities.

Furthermore, Integral Access' remote management system lets carriers remotely configure and monitor service activation.

The PurePacketOutburst-SB is priced at less than $1,900, according to Integral Access, and is available now. An upgrade module for existing customer is available for less than $1,400.

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