BOSTON--Sonus Networks will leverage the InterOperability Lab at the University of New Hampshire to launch an interoperability certification program around the delivery of SIP-based products. As part of its Open Services Partner Alliance, Sonus will conduct extensive testing with partners’ products.

The OSPA program will help integrate other network elements with Sonus’ IP multimedia subsystem platform. It supports both strategic and technology partnerships. Strategic partnerships are integrated with the Sonus IMS-ready architecture to promote rapid, reliable deployments. Technology partnerships test the SIP capabilities and interoperability of products that address a specific carrier need or technology niche. The new program will increase Sonus' ability to certify a wider variety of products and services.

“It’s always tricky when you work to interoperate with competitors. This provides an ideal environment, a neutral territory, for that to happen,” said Bruce Trvalik, director of IMS strategy for Sonus.

Joe McGarvey, Principal Analyst at Current Analysis, said in a statement that Sonus has a strong presence in leading IP-based voice networks and that an interoperability testing program of this size and scale is valuable to network operators. It helps ensure that the different pieces of these highly sophisticated networks work seamlessly together.

The UNH-IOL has 32,000 square feet of testing space--not that Sonus will use it all--and has $20 million in test bed and test equipment gear. It is used for many of the industry’s major interoperability events.

In other news, Synergy Research recently reported that with its GSX9000 gateway, Sonus has maintained its leadership position in high-density gateways in the U.S. market with a 44.7% market share. In Japan, Sonus currently commands an 80% share of high-density media gateway products and 64% of the total gateway market thanks to deployments at KDDI, NTT Communications, Softbank BB, Fusion Communications, Jupiter Telecommunications and Willcom.

“The interesting thing is that the number of raw minutes is getting higher, but the rate of increase in individual networks is what’s really going--and the networks just absorb it. That’s proof of a solid infrastructure,” Trvalik said.

Sonus also added Whaleback Systems as a customer. Whaleback, a managed services and IP PBX provider, is using Sonus’ GSX9000 Open Services Switch, PSX Call Routing Server, SGX Signaling Gateway and Insight Management System in support of its CrystalBlue Voice Service, which provides broadband voice services to small and medium-sized business.
Whaleback’s CrystalBlue Voice Service is a premises-based software system that includes key system features and road warrior functionality.