India Telecom

March 5, 2005
IP Unity launches SDC in Bangalore

Geetanjali Wadhwa & Pradeep Chakraborty

BANGALORE -- IP Unity Communications Pvt. Ltd., a leader in IP enabled enhanced service solutions for traditional and new IP-centered public networks, recently announced the opening of its new software and solutions development center in Bangalore. The center will focus on the rapid development of its enhanced voice services platform and services that include audio/video/Web conferencing, voicemail and unified messaging, speech recognition and innovative collaborative communication features.

Dr. Arun Sobti, CEO and chairman, said the company had recruited the best and brightest developers throughout India, with forefront carrier-grade platform and application development skill set. To be headed by Siravara Vijayendra, country manager, the India team will develop innovative unified communication and collaboration, enabling core platform modules. It will integrate the best third-party peripherals in messaging, speech recognition, video, data collaboration and presence capabilities.

The firm's HMS6000 media server is core to this platform. It tightly integrates with the traditional and IP wireline, cable and wireless networks, and easily enables bundling and customization of features by market and by user group. It embraces telecom's most important technology and innovation challenges, catering to a multi-billion dollar opportunity.

Regarding clients in India, Sobti said that the company had a system with BSNL on a revenue-sharing basis. It also has a pilot with HITL in Punjab and a test system with Reliance. Revenue is likely to be generated from 2005 onward. Four of the top six US carriers are among its clients, as well as NTT Communications in Japan. He considered the Asia Pacific region as the company's engine of growth for the next two to three years. Regarding unified messaging, he admitted that though it had been around for some time now, it had not done well initially. However, its time had now arrived. "All products will be SIP based. Unified messaging is a lot more than merely an application on a portable device or a PC," he said.

IP Unity's platform and solutions provide revenue-generating features for fixed-line operators (CLECs and ILECs) deploying broadband services, cable operators moving into triple-play services, mobile operators replacing legacy messaging infrastructures with next-generation platforms, and large enterprises deploying VoIP networks. It further helps mobile operators provide a seamless experience for users as they roam between traditional cellular and new 3G networks. It assists operators who are converging their mobile and fixed-line networks as well.

The company leverages industry standards and carrier-dominant protocols like SIP, PacketCable, MGCP, NEBS 3 and 3GPP. It also partners with Siemens, Motorola, Cisco, Nortel, NEC, UTStarcom, and other top-tier network and systems integrators preferred by carriers. The Bangalore development center will draw on the in-house innovations and integration of turnkey solutions, and wok with partners to meet the needs of the global markets. The center will initially have 20 people, and is projected to grow beyond 100 developers in 2005 and ahead. Sobti added that IP Unity would be investing US $100 million in India.

Contact:
IP Unity
www.ip-unity.com