Sonus Networks, Inc., a leading supplier of service provider Voice over IP (VoIP) infrastructure solutions, and NVision Group, a market-leading Russian system integrator, announced that the two companies have entered into a cooperative marketing and teaming agreement, whereby NVision Group will promote Sonus' industry-leading IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS)-ready architecture and work with Sonus to pursue opportunities with service providers throughout Russia and the members of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), which includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Russia, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Uzbekistan.

"By leveraging relationships with regional companies that understand the nuances of specific geographies and business climates, Sonus is broadening its global reach and penetrating new markets," said Joop Van Aard, Sonus Networks. "NVision Group is a trusted and respected system integrator in a region that can benefit from the deployment of IP-based voice solutions."

"NVision Group's goal is to help our customers deliver the most value from their technology investments," said Andrei Zuzin, 1st Deputy General Director of NVision Group. "We have successful partnerships with national telecom and public clients, and by entering into an agreement with Sonus, we're able to provide our customers with a network architecture that is quick to deploy and scales cost -- efficiently."

"Russia and the surrounding countries are still in the early stages of evolution to next generation voice solutions, but the market opportunity is rich. By employing a strategic reseller partnership with NVision Group, Sonus is able to establish an early presence, laying the groundwork for future growth," said Teresa Mastrangelo, Principal Analyst with Broadbandtrends.com.