Verso announced that VoxTelecom has expanded its Verso Clarent VoIP solution with an SS7 interconnect system.

The solution is combined with a session border controller for IP-based interconnection to existing Verso softswitching technology located with the incumbent fixed line operator as well as South African mobile operators.

The Verso Clarent BHG 2500 is a scalable and highly reliable universal gateway capable of delivering SS7 signaling, performing as a media gateway with media server capabilities in a space-saving chassis. When combined with the Clarent Class 4 Call Manager, Clarent Class 5 Call Manager, and Clarent Command Center, the BHG 2500 provides a cost-effective platform for building and expanding a robust IP telephony network that ensures a superior ROI.

"It's a significant achievement for us," says Jaco Voigt, managing director of Vox Telecom. "We can now exchange calls directly with Telkom South Africa via local links, resulting in higher-quality VoIP calls for our customers at a very competitive price. This makes VoIP a logical decision for a wide range of enterprise organizations. Additionally, VoxTelecom can now offer its own range of 087 numbers, which means that the range of services we can offer our customers increases tenfold, from caller ID to detailed management information.”

VoxTelecom expects an enormous surge in demand over the next few months, and indicated that the company’s selection by Telkom South Africa emphasizes VoxTelecom's high level of technical capability. "VoIP and traditional telephony are based on completely different technologies. Telkom South Africa’s willingness to interconnect with us is based on their positive assessment of the depth of our technical skills,” Voigt said.

“The agreement between VoxTelecom and Verso will have a significant impact on the uptake of VoIP services in the South African market. The key to success in VoIP throughout the country and even throughout the African region is the seamless interconnection of TDM and VoIP services, which Vox can now provide, enabled by our VoIP applications,” said Terry Sanderson, director of sales, SubSaharan Africa, Verso Technologies.