IPtimize will deploy a second application server from BroadSoft enabling it to expand its suite of advanced multimedia IP applications to its commercial and residential cable system customers. IPtimize has built its multimedia IP services around BroadSoft's BroadWorks VoIP application platform. As suburban and rural cable systems seek to offer business services, IPtimize's scalable and efficient platform continues to attract commercial and residential customers, regardless of market size. The additional capacity allows new IPZI customers that have recently been added through acquisitions to migrate to the newly expanded platform.

In last week’s segment of “Hosted VoIP vs. Premise Based VoIP: The Honest Truth,” David Bryd, VP of Marketing and Sales at Broadvox and Eric Thomas, CEO of FreedomVOICE, address technical differences, common road blocks, and the issue of company size.

This week, the two VoIP industry leaders provide valuable answers to questions on security differences, bandwidth, equipment, and costs. One again, David Byrd will be representing premised based VoIP and Eric Thomas will be representing hosted VoIP.

Sonus Networks has entered into a distributor agreement with NextGen to offer and support the full portfolio of Sonus Networks' carrier-grade IP communications solutions to the Japanese market. The relationship has already proven successful with a major Japanese carrier choosing NextGen to undertake the nationwide deployment of its IP trunking and switching network. Using a Sonus IMS-based next generation network, this deployment will include the Sonus GSX 9000 media gateway, the Sonus PSX centralized routing and policy management server and the Sonus SGX signaling gateway.

MetaSwitch continues to expand its footprint among U.S. regional operators, with more than 20 new customers signed in the last quarter alone, bringing its total incumbent local exchange carrier customer base to over 200. These carriers are successfully deploying MetaSwitch solutions to migrate legacy voice infrastructures to more cost-effective, IP-enabled networks and provide competitive, next-generation subscriber services, a process the company expects to accelerate further as Broadband Stimulus funds drive the deployment of packet networks.

VOXOFON has expanded the availability of its low-cost international calling services by introducing a mobile VoIP application for the Palm WebOS platform. The application is designed for use on the new Palm Pre smart phone. VOXOFON plans to make the new application available on the Palm App Catalog later this year. After installation the callers can simply click on the VOXOFON icon on the phone screen to place a low-cost international call. The application works anywhere the phone has coverage and does not require a Wi-Fi connection. In addition, there are no monthly fees or contracts.

Digium announces that Chris DiBona, Google’s open source program manager, and Mike Smith, CTO of IBM’s server and technology group, will deliver the keynote presentations at AstriCon ’09. The AstriCon Open Source Telephony Conference and Exhibition, now in its sixth year, remains the longest running conference devoted to Asterisk, the world’s most widely used open source telephony software. This year’s conference–which takes place October 13-15, 2009–will focus on Asterisk’s mainstream adoption in large enterprises and government agencies.

Telesphere has entered into an agreement to acquire the VoIP services business of Unity Business Networks, a fast growing provider of IP services with market presence in Denver, Portland, Ore. and Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The transaction requires regulatory approvals and is expected to close in the third or fourth quarter of this year. Following the transaction, end-user customer services for both companies will be marketed under the Telesphere brand name.

TIGO Bolivia is deploying Acme Packet Net-Net session border controllers to support its VoIP interconnects for international long distance. Acme Packet SBCs provide the security and advanced call routing required to scale and optimize its VoIP peering relationships. The Acme Packet solution allows TIGO to offer enhanced quality of service for its international long distance calls by eliminating congestion at its interconnect borders.

Global Crossing has extended its VoIP Local Service to include four new countries in mainland Europe, enabling enterprise and carrier customers to reach a total of 25 countries worldwide and more than 500 cities across Europe. The company also announced a variety of enhancements that make the service even more useful for customers.

IPvaani announces that it is launching free video phone service called "IPdarshan" to its subscribers. IPvaani introduced the video phone service as an addition to its free VoIP phone service. Using IPdarshan video phone service, subscribers can make and receive unlimited FREE video phone calls across the globe. IPdarshan video phone service delivers high-quality, full-motion video and audio over any broadband Internet connection.

Voxeo announces that the Tropo.com cloud telephony service source code will be made available to developers for free under open-source licenses. The new Tropo source release demonstrates that cloud computing vendors can subscribe fully to open-source ideals, and avoid the proprietary lock-in typically found in cloud services. Tropo is the first of several new open-source projects from Voxeo Labs, the innovation and open-source focused organization announced by Voxeo yesterday at OSCON.

snom and SYNNEX Corporation have signed a partnership agreement. Under the terms of the deal, SYNNEX will become a distributor for snom's portfolio of advanced desktop and wireless VoIP phones in North America.

"We are pleased partner with snom and add their entire suite of advanced SIP phones to the SYNNEX portfolio," said Bob Stegner, senior vice president, Marketing, North America of SYNNEX Corporation. "snom SIP phones combine advanced IP telephony features, elegant design with an affordable price point. We believe that our customers will see value in this blend of price and performance."

BroadSoft announces that it is providing the IP voice technology for Samsung Networks residential 070 VoIP service, WyzHome, which was launched in October 2008. Samsung Networks provides a full portfolio of communications services, including network, telephone and digital multimedia services, which leverage the company's global infrastructure. Today's announcement extends BroadSoft's relationship with Samsung Networks, which dates back to 2006. Samsung Networks also uses BroadSoft's BroadWorks VoIP application platform to deliver Hosted PBX and SIP trunking to large enterprises and small and medium-sized businesses in South Korea. Samsung Networks has successfully deployed 300,000 seats on the BroadWorks platform.

Zultys and Broadvox announce interoperability certification between the Zultys MX family of IP PBX communication systems and Broadvox GO! SIP Trunking to provide feature-rich Unified Communications services to small and medium businesses and enterprises, while saving them money and providing high-quality, reliable voice services.

IIS Group has acquired the assets and operating network of Ring 9, of Gainesville, Florida and their VoIP hosted PBX solution. The VoIP business assets acquired by IIS serve small business and enterprise customers in thirty-four states from coast to coast. The acquisition adds approximately 3,000 customer lines to the IIS VoIP customer network, and gives IIS both expanded geographic reach and an established commercial customer base for its growing VoIP business. IIS now serves VoIP customers throughout most of the continental United States.