The voice-over-IP market birthed another competitor this week as StarVox Communications launched its next generation network for transitioning enterprise users of legacy voice and data networks to converged IP-based networks.

The San Jose, Calif.-based wholesale and retail VoIP provider calls itself a new company, rather than an old company with a new business model and new investors. StarVox launched its network on May 1 and announced it this week. The facilities-based StarVox recently acquired a domestic network with 300 points-of-presence and already deployed softswitch and gateway technologies as well as an international wholesale network and VoIP application technology from the company from which it took its name.

“The network is pretty extensive and reaches [more than] 80% of business customers today,” said Rich Barry, vice president of marketing at StarVox, who held the same title at the old StarVox.

StarVox, acting under a non-disclosure agreement could not say from what network operator it acquired its facilities, however the network and network operations center are run out of Dallas, Texas. It had been operating for two years and was supporting approximately 200 million minutes of traffic per month. And according to Barry, “In those two years, it had no downtime whatsoever.”

A private IP-VPN network connects StarVox’ redundant softswitch sites while the backbone is built with an MPLS-based ATM network.

StarVox will use traditional telecom sales channels such as retail agents and master agents for its VoIP services. The international wholesale business will rely on interconnect agreements and value-added resellers.

As business migrate from TDM to VoIP we can provide them a network that is comparable to the network they experience with TDM,” Barry said. “And on the application side we offer them a turnkey solution.”

The core applications that StarVox acquired (from StarVox) include VoIP trunking, VoIP VPN, IP Centrex, and IP-based Unified Communications, which includes advanced calling features such as calendaring and contact management.

StarVox will offer services nationwide.