NMS, Clarent team to pass SS7 Deutsche Telekom testing

Technology enabler NMS Communications (Formerly Natural MicroSystems) (Framingham, MA) worked closely with Clarent Corp. (Redwood City, CA) to enable Clarent to complete ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards Institute) Version 2 ISUP (Integrated Digital Services Network User Part) SS7 conformance testing conducted by Deutsche Telekom (DT). This approved solution is comprised of NMS' Signaling System 7 (SS7) Version 3.5 software and TX3220 hardware platform integrated with the Clarent Gateway system. A long-standing NMS customer, Clarent provides carrier-grade, phone-to-phone Internet Protocol (IP) telephony solutions to mainstream carriers and service providers worldwide.

SS7 is the main call-control protocol for the public switched telephone network (PSTN). Carriers require SS7 support to implement IP telephony solutions that connect to the traditional circuit-switched voice network. Carriers and regulators around the world require successful completion of SS7 conformance testing before any device or equipment is certified as eligible to directly connect to the PSTN. Internationally renowned for having the most extensive testing programs of all European carriers, Deutsche Telekom is widely considered to have one of the most critical and desirable approvals to earn. As a result, this approval represents a major milestone for both Clarent and NMS.

Clarent currently deploys equipment using NMS' SS7 software in more than 20 countries, including Germany, China, and Japan. Its testing at DT's T-Nova labs ensures not only an added signaling market presence in Germany but also reinforces the company's appeal among carriers considering deployment in other European countries. By incorporating NMS' TX3220 communications platform and SS7 Version 3.5 software, the equipment benefits from the high availability, high density and SS7 compliance required by the carrier market and critical for the IP telephony gateway industry.

Edited by Ellen Jensen
Managing Editor, Wireless Networks Online