ORLANDO--MetaSwitch and Cisco Systems have teamed up to deliver what they are calling a SIMPLE solution for CLECs, and have signed 20 customers to the offering.

SIMPLE stands for Secure IP Migration Platform for Local Exchange, a MetaSwitch platform that integrates Cisco’s IP networking technologies.

“This is a sales-driven partnership,” said John Lazar, MetaSwitch CEO, at a Comptel press event. “The two sales teams realized they can be more successful together, and we have more than 20 joint customers. The essence is combining our call agent and softswitch with Cisco equipment like their trunk gateways, routers and CPE including integrated access devices and SIP phones.”

The two companies have worked together in developing and testing the end-to-end solution to assure its viability, Lazar said.

Two recent CLEC customers are BroadStar, a Southeastern U.S. triple play provider, and Norlight, a wholesale and business service provider in the upper Midwest.

MetaSwitch and Cisco also are teaming to address the cable industry through a solution called COMPETE.

“What is happening here is that we will extend our partnership into the cable industry, focusing on the Tier 2 and Tier 3 providers,” Lazar said.